310 Best Restaurants in Mexico City, Mexico

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Mexico City has been a culinary capital ever since the time of Moctezuma. Chronicles tell of the extravagant banquets prepared for the Aztec emperor with more than 300 different dishes served. Today's Mexico City is a gastronomic melting pot, with some 15,000 restaurants. You'll find everything from taco stands on the streets to simple, family-style eateries and elite restaurants. The number and range of international restaurants is growing and diversifying, particularly in middle- and upper-class neighborhoods like Polanco, San Angel, La Condesa, La Roma, Lomas de Chapultepec, and Del Valle. Argentine, Spanish, and Italian are the most dominant international cuisines; however, you'll also find a fair share of Japanese, Korean, Arabic, and French restaurants. Mexico City restaurants generally open 7–11 am for breakfast (el desayuno) and 1–6 for lunch (la comida)—although it's rare for Mexicans to eat lunch before 2, and you're likely to feel lonely if you arrive at a popular restaurant before then. Lunch is an institution in this country, often lasting two or more hours, and until nightfall on Sunday. Consequently, the evening meal (la cena) may often be really light, consisting of sweet bread and coffee, traditional tamales, and atole (a hot beverage made from corn and masa and sometimes chocolate) at home, or tacos and appetizers in a restaurant.

If having dinner, most locals start out at 9 pm; restaurants serving dinner stay open at least until 11 pm during the week, and later on weekends. Many restaurants are only open for lunch, especially on Sunday. At deluxe restaurants dress is generally formal (jacket at least), and reservations are recommended; see reviews for details. If you're short on time, you can always head to American-style coffee shops or recognizable fast-food chains all over the city that serve the tired but reliable fare of burgers, fried chicken, and pizza. If it's local flavor you're after, go with tacos or the Mexico City fast-food staple, the torta (a giant sandwich stacked with the ingredients of your choice for about $3). Eating on the street is part of the daily experience for those on the go, and surprising as it may seem, many people argue that it's some of the best food in the city. Still, stick to crowded stands to avoid a stomach illness.

Also cheap and less of a bacterial hazard are the popular fondas (small restaurants). At lunchtime fondas are always packed, as they serve a reasonably priced four-course meal, known as the comida corrida, which typically includes soup of the day, rice or pasta, an entrée, and dessert. There are few vegetarian restaurants, but you'll have no trouble finding nonmeat dishes wherever you grab a bite. Vegetarians and vegans, however, will have a more difficult time, as many dishes are often prepared using lard.

Colonia Polanco, the upscale neighborhood on the edge of the Bosque de Chapultepec, has some of the best and most expensive dining (and lodging) in the city. Zona Rosa restaurants often fill up with tourists, so don't expect to be sitting with the locals here. The Condesa and Roma neighborhoods buzz with a younger crowd all week.

Joselo

$ | Polanco
The coffee at Joselo is great, as is the location, in the center of stylish Polanquito. The sandwiches and sweets are tasty, but you'll be lucky if you snag an outdoor table during meal times, so you may prefer to get your caffeine fix to go and enjoy it across the road in Parque Lincoln.
Emilio Castelar 107, Mexico City, 11550, Mexico
55-5281–0849
Known For
  • Consistently delicious espresso
  • Outdoor seating
  • Late hours for a café

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Kahwen Café

$ | Coyoacán

This cozy café is perfect for a pick-me-up from the well-curated list of artisan coffees and wines, all of them from highly respected producers found throughout Mexico. Just a couple of blocks from Jardín Centenario and Plaza Hidalgo, Kahwen is a happily chill space far from the crowds.

Francisco Ortega 17, Mexico City, 04000, Mexico
Known For
  • Pet-friendly seating
  • First-rate coffee beans available for purchase
  • Friendly, knowledgeable staff

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Klein's

$$ | Polanco

This popular deli has been serving up affordable Mexican-Jewish fusion in Polanco since 1962. You'll find hotcakes, waffles, and chili dogs on the menu alongside chilaquiles and enchiladas, all topped with a large range of house-made salsas. Klein's has retained its charming diner appeal with burnt orange vinyl booths and laminate tabletops despite opening multiple locations throughout the city.

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Kolobok

$$ | Santa María la Ribera

One of few Russian restaurants in the city, Kolobok showcases cuisine from Russian immigrants who came to Mexico after various Eastern European diasporas. A small space featuring just 10 wooden tables, the decor is homey with Russian music playing and murals depicting the Russian countryside, and the food is as authentic as it gets in Mexico. You can order a tasting menu, or à la cart. 

Calle Salvador Díaz Mirón 87, Mexico City, Mexico
55-5541–7085
Known For
  • Traditional Russian dishes like meat-stuffed cabbage rolls
  • A mean borscht
  • Baltika Russian beer

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La Barra de Fran

$$$ | Polanco

This contemporary Spanish tavern plates up Mexico City's top tapas, alongside paella and other delicacies. The jamon serrano is freshly carved and the red wine is full bodied; both are made to be shared. Fran's bar is relatively small, so make a reservation or prepare to wait.

Av. Emilio Castelar 185, Mexico City, 11560, Mexico
55-5280–6650
Known For
  • Local crowds
  • Imported meats and cheeses
  • Small space so reservations are smart

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La Buena Birria MX

$ | La Condesa

This unassuming spot beside a gas station near the border of Condesa and Roma has developed a loyal following for its hearty and affordable birrias (meat stews). The signature dish is the birriamen, basically a Mexican-Japanese fusion of flavor packed with tender pork carnitas, onions, cilantro, and spices, but other delicious options include quesabirria tacos oozing with melted cheese, and the restaurant's spin on chilaquiles, birraquiles.

La Casa de las Sirenas

$$$ | Centro Histórico

The oldest portions of this 16th-century mansion were built using stones torn down from the Templo Mayor, which lies just feet away. At lunchtime, you may want to reserve a table on the atmospheric second-floor terrace overlooking the Zócalo, cathedral, and national palace, or simply stop at the ground floor patio for a drink in the shade of the towering cathedral across the street. The menu is a mishmash of international (Cornish game hen) and Mexican (cilantro soup).

República de Guatemala 32, Mexico City, 06000, Mexico
55-5704–3273
Known For
  • Nice craft beer and mezcal selection
  • Mix of international and Mexican cuisine
  • Outdoor seating
Restaurant Details
No dinner Sun.

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La Corte

$ | Centro Histórico
Open since 1932, La Corte is a sunny, cheerful spot for breakfast or a particularly ambitious rendition of what's known in Mexico as comida corrida: three-course meals at a set cost designed to eat quickly during a work lunch break.
República de Uruguay 115, Mexico City, 06000, Mexico
55-5542–7358
Known For
  • Classic and substantial comida corrida
  • Tasty enchiladas
  • Great horchata
Restaurant Details
Closed Sun.

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La Divina Culpa

$ | Benito Juárez
This perpetually packed sidewalk diner offers the quintessential quick bite experience in Mexico City. Serving breakfast and lunch, it’s popular for the daily comida corrida (three-course meal); tables turn over fast.
Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas 514, Mexico City, Mexico
55-5605–3019
Known For
  • Mole enchiladas stuffed with chicken
  • Lunch deals including a three-course option
  • Exceedingly delicious pozole (a Mexican soup made with hominy and pork)
Restaurant Details
Closed Sun.

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La Docena

$$$ | Polanco

Known primarily for its succulent oysters, La Docena also offers an expansive menu of steaks, jamón ibérico, and burgers. Don't miss the octopus, the grilled oysters, and the cocktails either. Another location can be found in Roma Norte.

Homero 135, Mexico City, 11560, Mexico
55-5255--2066
Known For
  • Quiet location away from the crowds
  • Wide array of seafood options
  • Lovely outdoor seating on the patio

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La Docena

$$$ | La Roma
This boisterous, upmarket seafood spot is an especially fun late-night option, but also popular for weekend brunch. The menu blends Mexican and American (especially New Orleans) seafood traditions and features several kinds of po'boys, aguachile and sashimi, grilled soft-shell crab, and a pretty good variety of steaks and meatier items. There's a second location in Polanco.
Av. Álvaro Obregón 31, Mexico City, 06700, Mexico
55-5208–0833
Known For
  • Lively, chatter-filled dining room
  • Oysters on the half shell and other raw-bar items
  • Serving food until very late at night

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La Guerrerense

$$ | La Condesa

Fans of Baja-style seafood flock to this bustling counter inside the Parián Condesa food hall for fresh, delicious crab tostadas, caracol (sea snail) ceviche, oysters and clams on the half shell, and shrimp and octopus cocktails. Enjoy your food at one of the casual tables, imagining you're at the beach in Ensenada, where the original La Guerrerense (which was much lauded by Anthony Bourdain) is located.

Av. Nuevo León 107, Mexico City, 06100, Mexico
55-8376--5332
Known For
  • Raw shellfish, ceviches, and aguachiles
  • Seafood tacos
  • Variety of delicious house-made salsas
Restaurant Details
No dinner Sun.

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La Periquita Tacos Arabes

$ | San Rafael
A popular lunch spot on a bustling corner of San Rafael, the tacos arabes (Arabic tacos) are always a delight here. With the pork cooked on a spit yelling distance from your table and pita bread replacing tortillas, it’s a local and long-standing favorite of the neighborhood. Of course, you can still get Mexican micheladas and fruit juices to round out a gluttonous meal.
Calle Maestro Antonio Caso 125, Mexico City, Mexico
55-5546–0456
Known For
  • Late night eats
  • Al pastor tacos
  • Gigantic tortas

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La Pitahaya Vegana

$$ | La Roma

Although the availability of vegan cuisine has come a long way in Mexico City in recent years, few restaurants are devoted exclusively to it, but this small café produces some of the tastiest and most beautifully plated plant-based fare in town. Tortillas at La Pitahaya are as bright pink as the walls (they're dyed with beet juice---the tortillas, that is), and they come with equally bright, fresh fillings like cauliflower with coconut cream and pineapple, and pastor-style oyster mushrooms. There are also hearty raw bowls and tofu scrambles, and chia pudding and almond-milk ice creams for dessert. There's also a selection of house-brewed kombucha. 

Calle Querétaro 90, Mexico City, 06700, Mexico
55-7159–2918
Known For
  • Customizable vegan burgers with a variety of toppings
  • Waffles and chilaquiles for breakfast
  • House-brewed kombucha

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La Santa

$ | San Rafael

This tiny pizzeria has more space on its sidewalk than its interior, which is mostly a kitchen that prepares thin-crust Argentine style pizzas, empanadas, and salads. The service is attentive and the prices are low. You’ll probably have to wait for a table, as there are very few, but the food and staff will make it worth it. 

C. Gabino Barreda 83, Mexico City, 06470, Mexico
55-7098–5275
Known For
  • Tasty empanadas
  • Affordable gourmet pizzas
  • Occasional wait for a table
Restaurant Details
Closed Mon.

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La Secina

$$ | Benito Juárez
On the northwest edge of La Narvarte, this ample-size restaurant is great for big parties and sitting out on the terrace in the evening. The menu is specific: cecina (cured beef) in all of its mighty forms, including an appetizing ceviche. Classic rock and blues tunes can be heard spilling out into the street from this casual hot spot.
Calzada Obrero Mundial 305, Mexico City, Mexico
55-6730–2462
Known For
  • Upscale Mexican fare focusing on cured beef
  • Craft beer and cocktails
  • Outdoor dining in the evenings

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La Taberna del León

$$$$ | San Angel

Set in a pretty 1920s chalet-style house, this dignified destination for sophisticated modern European–Mexican cuisine is surrounded by the historic redbrick buildings of the Plaza Loreto shopping center. Once you're seated on the shaded side patio or old-world dining rooms—supping on beef tartare with caviar, roasted duck with a mango sauce and wild rice, or ribeye steak with a Roquefort sauce and Lyonnaise potatoes—it's easy to feel like you've been transported to a wealthy friend's hideaway in the French Alps. There's an impressive wine list, and the desserts are worth saving room for.

Altamirano 46, Mexico City, 01090, Mexico
55-5616–2110
Known For
  • Solicitous, slightly formal service
  • Refined old-world ambience
  • Beautifully presented cuisine
Restaurant Details
No dinner Sun.

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La Tecla

$$ | La Roma

This popular veteran of the city's modern Mexican culinary scene is still a mainstay for reasonably priced, consistently well-prepared dishes like huitlacoche risotto with corn and poblano chiles, and grilled prawns with a sweet-spicy tamarind-guajillo reduction. The space is refined, relaxed, and ideal for conversation, and there are a few tables on the sidewalk overlooking Plaza Villa de Madrid and Fuente de Cibeles.

Calle de Durango 186A, Mexico City, 06700, Mexico
55-5525–4920
Known For
  • Artfully plated contemporary fare
  • Excellent selection of Mexican wines
  • Soursop mousse with mango sauce
Restaurant Details
No dinner Sun.

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La Tía

$ | San Rafael
In the residential neighborhood of San Rafael, La Tía is clearly a local favorite. Even with dozens of tables, it still doesn’t match the demands of locals who crave the taste of homemade cooking and Mexican specialties such as chile en nogada (poblano chiles stuffed with picadillo) in August and September and less common cuisine for Mexico, such as mozzarella-and-spinach stuffed chicken breasts. If you plan to go between the Mexican lunch hours of 2 to 4 pm on weekdays, be aware that you might be waiting for a while.

La Vaca de Muchos Colores

$ | San Rafael
This is a small and comfy spot to stop in and grab a bite to eat or enjoy a beer, wine, or coffee. It feels immediately like a good friend’s (stylish) living room and is ideal for catching up with companions or coming in alone with a book. The service is friendly and there doesn’t seem to be any rush to move tables in or out.
Manuel María Contreras 52, Mexico City, Mexico
55-5535–0233
Known For
  • Grasshopper and goat cheese chapatas
  • Tasty frappuccinos
  • Good Mexican beer menu
Restaurant Details
Closed Sun.

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La Vinería

$ | La Condesa

This cozy, well-established restaurant and wine bar is ideal for conversation and lingering over a light meal from the eclectic menu that shows Mexican, Spanish, and Italian influences. Try the wild mushrooms and goat cheese in pastry with brandy sauce, the steak tartare with curly french fries, and the cajeta crepes for dessert.

Av. Fernando Montes de Oca 52A, Mexico City, 06140, Mexico
55-5211–9020
Known For
  • Low-key, quiet ambience
  • Excellent Eurocentric wine list
  • Interesting mix of new-world and old-world cuisine
Restaurant Details
No dinner Sun.

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LagoAlgo

$$$ | Polanco

Part art gallery and part restaurant, LagoAlgo is the best place to have a meal that's actually in Bosque de Chapultepec. The focus in the kitchen is on fresh, local cuisine with strong Mexican flavors. It's a little fancier than most places in the area, but it still has a come-as-you-are vibe if you'd like to wander in after a day in the park.

Bosque de Chapultepec, Mexico City, 11100, Mexico
55-5515–9585
Known For
  • Beautiful art
  • Farm-to-table Mexican dishes
  • Exceptional views
Restaurant Details
No dinner

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Lalo!

$$ | La Roma

The walls are decked with cartoon figures and bursts of color at this lively space that differs from its more sophisticated and spendier night-time sister restaurant, Máximo Bistrot. Come in the morning to feast on smoked-salmon bagels with poached eggs, acai bowls with seasonal fruit, and croque monsieur sandwiches, while afternoons are the time for gourmet pizzas, pastas, ceviche, roasted chicken, and other satisfying fare. There's an extensive menu of craft beers, too.

Calle Zacatecas 173, Mexico City, 06700, Mexico
55-5564–3388
Known For
  • Pizzas with creative toppings
  • Lushly landscaped sidewalk seating area
  • Artisanal beer
Restaurant Details
Closed Mon. No dinner

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Le Bon Bistro

$$$ | La Condesa

One of the newer and decidedly modern French restaurants that abound and, indeed, fit in perfectly amid Condesa's vaguely Parisian vibe, this dapper bistro is a charming option when you're seeking a slightly fancy but still unpretentious dinner out. You'll find all the classics here, well-prepared and artfully plated, including salade niçoise, filet mignon, duck leg confit, and beef bourguignonne.

Av. Amsterdam 225, Mexico City, 06100, Mexico
55-5087–2132
Known For
  • Attractive sidewalk seating on Avenida Amsterdam
  • Beautiful desserts (especially the chocolate mousse)
  • Attentive service
Restaurant Details
No dinner Sun.

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Lorea

$$$$ | La Roma

Meals in this minimalist dining room are among the most refined and romantic culinary adventures in Roma. Local chef-owner Oswaldo Oliva spent years abroad honing his craft at some of Spain's most hallowed restaurants, and he shares his farm-to-table approach here in the form of exquisitely plated, ethereal bites that change seasonally, but you can expect a number of Mexico-centric ingredients, such as huitlacoche, tomatillos, and honeycomb.

Calle Sinaloa 141, Mexico City, 06700, Mexico
55-9130–7786
Known For
  • Beautifully plated farm-to-table cuisine
  • Tacos made on a comal with interesting fillings (octopus, huitlacoche)
  • Exceptional selection of wine, cocktails, and artisanal beers
Restaurant Details
Closed Sun. and Mon.

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Los Arcos de Regina

$ | Centro Histórico
On weekend mornings there's hardly a corner in Mexico City without a stall selling barbacoa, a traditional dish made by slow-cooking meat in an underground pit. This cozy spot on Calle Regina is a notch above the usual: warm, friendly, and family-run, with good tacos, consomé (soup made from the drippings of the meat), and a superior selection of salsas.
Regina 45, Mexico City, 06090, Mexico
Known For
  • Friendly atmosphere
  • Outdoor seating
  • Good option for brunch
Restaurant Details
No dinner Sun.–Tues.

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Los Danzantes

$$$ | Coyoacán

On the fancy side for the neighborhood, this outpost of a famed Mexican fusion restaurant in Oaxaca occupies a handsome two-story space overlooking Jardín Centenario. Artfully plated dishes like guajolote (organic wild turkey) smothered in mole poblano and negro sauces, and achiote-marinated huachinango (Gulf red snapper) with plantains, avocado, and cotija cheese reflect the kitchen's creative approach, although service can be a tad stiff, especially for laid-back Coyoacán.

Parque Centenario 12, Mexico City, 04000, Mexico
55-4356--7185
Known For
  • Regional Mexican cuisine with an emphasis on Oaxaca
  • Romantic patio with retractable awning overlooking Jardín Centenario
  • Impressive wine and mezcal lists

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Los Girasoles

$$ | Centro Histórico

When Los Girasoles ("the sunflowers") opened more than 30 years ago in Centro, it became the first in a wave of modern Mexican restaurants to take on a neighborhood dominated by century-old classics. Now it remains a good place to sip a cold beer and enjoy pre-Hispanic delicacies like escamoles (ant eggs), gusanos de maguey (agave worms), and chapulines (fried grasshoppers). Set in a restored colonial home, its front patio has the best view around of one of the city's most grandiose plazas, its edges lined by extravagant belle epoque giants.

Xicotencatl 1, Mexico City, 06000, Mexico
55-5510–0630
Known For
  • Outdoor dining
  • Great views of one of the city's most gorgeous plazas
  • Sunny decor

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Loup Bar

$$ | La Roma

This cozy wine-cave-like space, located beneath the wildly popular cocktail-piano bar Artemisia, stands out from the city's growing clutch of vino bars for its devotion to natural bottles, from German orange wines to heady, bold Rhône blends (nearly all are priced over MP1,000—and many are much costlier—so budget accordingly). But there's also a quite reasonably priced menu of tasty French-inspired bar fare, including a savory Wagyu beef tartare with piquillo chiles, fried Brussels sprouts with a garlic-lemongrass dressing, and lamb couscous with olives and preserved lemon.

Calle Tonalá 23, Mexico City, 06700, Mexico
55-5299-6931
Known For
  • Impressive natural wine list
  • Tasty French bar fare
  • Hip and intimate setting
Restaurant Details
Closed Sun.

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Maison Belen

$$$ | Polanco

A colorful French-Mexican fusion café, Maison Belen offers pastries and hearty breakfasts. The space itself is small, but the outdoor seating provides an excellent opportunity for people-watching over a pain au chocolate. A few doors down on the same block is a stand where you can buy their pastries to go.