Get FREE email communications from Fodor's Travel, covering must-see travel destinations, expert trip planning advice, and travel inspiration to fuel your passion.
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.
An oasis in the middle of the chaos of Centro Histórico, you'll find excellent service and elegant versions of traditional Mexican dishes here. A variety of dishes from around the country are expertly prepared under the watchful eye of renowned chef Ricardo Muñoz Zurita.
Bagels are not common in Mexico, but luckily Bagels Lepu single-handedly satisfies many a craving in the city. While it might just be the most expensive sandwich you'll find here, these homemade bagels are delicious, and the desserts and coffee are both delightful.
In operation since 1962, you'll find an impressive array of tacos, tortas, agua frescas, and more here. Sit at the counter and watch the chefs whip up meals at an impressive speed.
Located in the shadows of Parque Uruguay, Entremar is the lesser-known sister restaurant of the popular Roma Norte seafood restaurant Contramar; both share the same menu as well as the same attentive service. Luckily, it's much easier to get a table at Entremar, but you'll still be enjoying the same high-quality dishes like the pescado contramar, a filet of fish seasoned on one side with red adobo rub and parsley on the other.
Quick and reliably good, Las Tlayudas is a small sidewalk eatery specializing in Oaxacan cuisine. Come here for the tlayudas, of course—massive tortillas covered with beans, cheese, and meat. And don't miss a glass of mezcal or botana Oaxaqueña to wash down some chapulines (grasshoppers).
Named after a wild green herb often found in milpas, a Mesoamerican crop-growing system, Quintonil was opened in 2012 by chef-owner Jorge Vallejo. Today, Vallejo eschews fussiness to let the local ingredients shine: smoked trout from nearby Zitácuaro or a salad of greens and herbs from the floating gardens of Xochimilco. The discreet, refined restaurant is locally focused all the way up to the rooftop garden.
Quite a few CDMX restaurants do upscale Italian food well, but this romantic, warmly lighted trattoria stands out for serving some of the finest pizzas around. Each thin-crust pie is crisped to perfection in the wood-fired oven on view at the front of the dining room—the pie layered lavishly with burrata and prosciutto is worth the splurge. You'll also find plenty of other contemporary Italian offerings of note, including beef carpaccio with white truffle oil and lobster risotto.
A branch of the historic churro restaurant in Centro Historico, this is a great place to stop and take a break on the eastern edge of Polanco. Delicious churros, hot chocolate, milk shakes, and coffee will satisfy your sweet tooth here
At the top of the Sears building, you'll find an only okay coffee shop with one of the city's most famous and beautiful views of Bellas Artes. You will need to buy something to enter, so grab a drink or a pastry and enjoy the view below.
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.
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.
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.
Japanese chef Makoto Okuwa brings his energizing point of view to Mexico's rich culinary heritage. The dishes are beautifully presented; main dishes like the black cod miso and short rib maki offer a complex blend of flavors. From the upstairs terrace, diners can look out over the leafy surrounding neighborhood.
While you wouldn’t want to push gringo cuisine on anyone visiting Mexico, Pinche Gringo BBQ has created a little barbecue sanctuary for itself, with live music and football on the television screens. Serving Texas-style brisket at Texas prices, it has a small but loyal following of patrons who enjoy food it's hard to find elsewhere in CDMX.
Just a handful of blocks from the entrance to La Merced, Roldán 37 may well be Centro's most surprising restaurant. Set over two floors in a 200-year-old house, the restaurant, run by chef Rómulo Mendoza, is an elegant oasis of high ceilings, French doors, and lovingly prepared family recipes, some drawn from Mendoza's grandmother's handwritten cookbook, which he keeps out of sight but on the premises. If you find yourself overwhelmed by the pace and crowds on this side of Centro, Roldán 37 is the place to stop for a bite and a breather.
The perfect spot for a quick coffee or pastry, Signora Mariola is a tiny place with very few tables placed on the sidewalk outside, so be prepared to take your meal to go as you stroll through Polanco. The croissants and bread are to die for, and the Mexican breakfasts are tasty and light.
A pretty café on the border of Centro and Juárez, with a focus on farm-to-table cuisine, Tirasavia is a sweet, sunny spot for a coffee, breakfast, or a cold beer or glass of wine in the afternoon. Set in the street-level corner of a spare, glass-and-concrete modernist building occupied by architecture firms, photo studios, and a design company, this place is the happy cousin to its moodier, bolder neighbors and as pleasant a place as any for a quick refuel.
Sign up for Travel Tips & News
Thank you for your interest!
