119 Best Restaurants in Mexico City, Mexico

Stroll just a block south of Jardín Centenario's inevitable crowds to find this little gem with simple red-and-white-checked tablecloths and a front window lined with tantalizing displays of fresh-made cakes and pies. Indeed, sweets—as well as finely curated teas and well-crafted espresso drinks—are the specialty here, but you'll also find excellent breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, ranging from vegetable frittatas and mollettes with beans and ham in the morning to spinach-and-artichoke casserole and salmon burgers later in the day.

In this narrow minimalist space with one long communal table, you can feast on a lighter and slightly more casual version of the Indian-Mexican-fusion fare popularized by noted Masala y Maiz chefs Norma Listman and Saqib Keval. Start with tortillas topped by stewed garbanzos, salsa macha, and pickled cauliflower, followed by lamb and beef kebabs with a tomato chutney, raita, and roti. Breakfast favorites include a creamy chia pudding topped with cacao, nuts, dates, and honey. Next door, the same owners run Super Cope, a tiny natural foods shop with a fantastic selection of produce, coffees, chocolates, craft beer, artisan juices, and baked goods.

Fans of authentic Jewish deli fare flock to this rather chic modern deli with sidewalk seating facing toward gracious Parque México. You'll find all the classics here, prepared with care, including potato latkes with apple compote, Reuben sandwiches, smoked whitefish salad, cured lox bagels, and slow-cooker brisket.

One of the most beautifully designed and eclectic of the city's many contemporary food hall–style mercados, this bustling complex occupies a stylishly converted colonial home off Plaza del Carmen. The front contains hip boutiques selling sophisticated gourmet goodies, designer sunglasses, and mod housewares, and the open-air rear section is anchored by a bi-level seating area with a retractable roof that's fringed with trendy food stalls dispensing elevated pork buns, American barbecue, sushi, burgers, tortas, pizzas, tacos, and a range of wine, craft beer, and cocktail options. Order at the counters and grab a seat at one of the long communal tables set beneath rows of hanging ferns and Edison bulbs—your food will be brought out to you. Moira's Bakehouse, with its decadent teacakes and hand pies, is a must for dessert—it's located among the boutiques, before you reach the food hall.

Prepare to wait for a table at this hugely popular seafood restaurant a couple of blocks from Jardín Centenario—it's known for serving big, gorgeously plated portions of sublime ceviche and aguachile. There's also a great variety of raw bar options, including oysters on the half shell, as well as fish tacos, smoked-fish pâté, seared bluefin tuna, and more. The original location in Roma Norte is similarly outstanding (and also always packed).

One of the best vegan eateries in the city, Mictlán prepares traditional Mexican meals without meat or cheese, and without depending too heavily on non-Mexican food products such as tofu or seitan. Everything sold here is Mexican in origin, with a special focus on ancestral cuisine and sauces.

This rambling, seemingly always-packed restaurant is one of the city's pioneers in genuinely sophisticated, authentic modern Asian (mostly Japanese) cuisine. The food, which is artfully presented in small plates, bowls, and bamboo steamers, spans Thailand, Japan, and China, with highlights being several varieties of ramen, shimp pad thai, hamachi sashimi, sushi rolls, and Chinese sausage.

Just a block away from the famous restaurant that inspired it, this wildly popular bakery is worth the often long wait for a table to savor a fantastic breakfast, lunch, or even a sweet treat to break up your day. The flaky pastries here are second to none—try the blueberry-lavender scones, guava rolls, or mamey-filled berliners. The savory items are just as mouthwatering, including ricotta-spinach croissants and Croque monsieurs. Traditional Mexican atole is served, plus fine espresso and tea drinks, and there's a pantry that sells gourmet groceries, from olive oil to rosemary focaccia.

One of the tiniest yet most beautifully designed restaurants in Roma, this strangely wonderful bistro serves boldly flavored contemporary Mexican cuisine from a short, always-changing menu created by an alum of Pujol and El Bulli. Options might include a tostada topped with smoked leeks, recado negro (a charred Yucatecan chile paste) and avocado mousse, or an infladita (a fried, puffed tortilla) filled with crabmeat and corn and topped with a puree of spring peas and mint. It's a good idea to reserve a few days ahead. 

An immediate success since it opened on a quiet side street in Colonia Cuauhtémoc, tiny Rokai is perhaps the most authentic Japanese restaurant in a city where cream cheese, chipotle mayo, and bottled hot sauce adorn many a sushi roll. Japanese chefs Hiroshi Kawahito and Daisuke Maeda use immaculately fresh fish brought in daily from Mexico's various coasts, primarily Baja California and Oaxaca, and turn it into sushi and sashimi, as well as cooked dishes. There's also a ramen restaurant next door, bearing the same name and ownership.

One of the hottest restaurants in the city, this spot serves gourmet touches on Mexican classics with playful inventiveness and traditional ingredients. The base of all plates here, most of which are vegetarian, is mushrooms; even the drinks and the desserts have a fungi element to them. The cuisine is experimental, yet familiar, as mushrooms have an ancient culinary history in Mexico. 

Housed in a magnificent 17th-century building, Al Andaluz makes some of the best Lebanese food in the capital and is a landmark for the Lebanese immigrant community that has been present here since the late 19th century. Its proximity to La Merced means that the numerous menu options—from classic spreads like hummus and baba ghanoush to delicate plates of raw kibbeh nayeh—are made with the freshest ingredients. If you don't want to choose, order the mesa libanesa, a mixed platter with everything from hummus and kebbeh to lamb shawarmas.

A cute, unpretentious local favorite, Alverre has the sort of extensive international menu that's perfect when you and your friends aren't exactly sure what you're hungry for. Excellent bets here include the bountiful jamón serrano salad with arugula and goat cheese, the oven-baked lasagna with Bolognese sauce, and enchiladas suizas with chicken, but you'll also find crepes, omelets, quiches, empanadas, pizzas, and sandwiches.

Inside the Hyatt Regency Mexico City, one of the city's best pastelerías will satisfy even the most discerning sweet tooth. Here European-style chocolate tarts sit alongside all classic pan dulce as well as a selection of sweets, salads, and sandwiches. If your visit coincides with the holidays, make sure to try the traditional pan de muerto and rosca de reyes.

This open-air locale charms with its curated selection of wines and vermouths along with delicious mocktails and coffee drinks. With a small menu of tapas-inspired snacks, it is a nice place to hang out solo for a while or meet up with friends. Local ceramics and artwork are for sale and it opens up to the street with outdoor and indoor seating options.

Here you'll find everything you would expect from a petite bistro: an intimate environment open to the street, comforting food, good music that's not too loud, and excellent French wines. Start by ordering the house specialty, hailing from Lyon, France: fish quenelles with your choice of various sauces. A popular main dish is the carne bourguignonne, beef cooked in red wine and butter with bacon and mushrooms. If there's room for dessert, try the clafoutis, a French custard with cherries.

Equal parts artisan bakery, leisurely hangout, and all-day café, this airy space on a picturesque Roma corner has two large and lushly landscaped dining areas and serves an array of enticing international treats. Start the day with blueberry pancakes or a hearty plate of chilaquiles verdes; later in the day, consider a classic bacon-gouda cheeseburger on a fluffy brioche bun or a slice of the flavorful vegetarian lasagna. Smoothies and craft beers are among the standouts from the extensive beverage menu.

Part cute vintage store (with clothing, housewares, jewelry, and antique toys) and part café, this homey spot in Escandón is the sort of place you want to linger. The all-day breakfast menu features a number of hearty dishes, including the house dish: poached eggs over ham, bacon, and roast beef with hollandaise sauce; plus, there's a good selection of pastas, sandwiches, and other tasty fare available later in the day. It's also a nice stop for coffee and dessert.

This exquisitely designed eatery feels like entering a mansion. A bit like a labyrinth, the service is quick and the menu extensive with breakfast through dinner options specializing in fresh ingredients. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options will appease travelers who have eaten one too many orders of chilaquiles.

Near several art spaces in San Miguel Chapultepec (and across the street from famed Kurimanzutto), this upbeat, stylish Italian restaurant has a lovely brick patio that fills with creative types after gallery openings. The roasted potatoes with truffle oil and Parmesan is a worthy starter, and there are some nice pasta and salad options, but the star is the pizza, including a distinctly Mexican-style pie topped with huitlacoche, Oaxacan cheese, corn, and jalapeños. You could check out the more traditional Diavola with Italian sausage, cured pepperoni, Calabrese salami, and a spicy tomato sauce. There are several other locations throughout the city.

In a gray house with red trim and awnings that are lit up at night brighter than a Christmas tree, this extremely popular restaurant near the border with Roma specializes in the distinct brand of Chinese food that's popular in the Baja city of Mexicali. Start with the chiles rellenos stuffed with ground seasoned pork, garlic, and ginger before moving on to flavorful main dishes, such as Szechuan-style dan dan noodles, beef chop suey, and shrimp chipotle.

Housed on the mezzanine floor of the magnificent Casino Español, this restaurant is as classic as it gets: white tablecloths, coffered ceilings, formal service, and food straight out of the Iberian Peninsula, with a particular focus on dishes from the northern regions of Galicia, Asturias, and País Basco. The Casino was founded in 1863 as a club for Spanish immigrants to independent Mexico and relocated to its current, opulent home in 1905.

Just off Plaza San Jacinto, this smart and contemporary café offers a relatively calm respite from the bustle of weekend shoppers and is particularly popular for brunch. The menu focuses on creative thin-crust pizzas, bountiful salads, avocado toast, and panini sandwiches, and the mimosas are always flowing.

This peculiar restaurant name (for this latitude) is thanks to the Midwestern owner who started making delicious burgers on a cart from the back of his bike. These gratuitous-in-every-way burgers quickly became well-recognized across the city and its San Rafael location has become one of the busiest restaurants in the neighborhood. Stop in for a beer on the patio, catch a gringo game on the TV, and see if it lives up to the hype.