972 Best Restaurants in Mexico

A notch above its malecón neighbors, this restaurant has contemporary Yucatecan-inspired decor (think pasta tiles, tzalam wood details, and florescent pink chairs). The menu is extensive but almost everything is from the sea, including shrimp cocktails, Baja-style fish tacos, and platters of crab. There is also a second location in Mérida, but the food tastes better at this original restaurant, where it's paired with sea breezes. Reservations are suggested—on warm evenings and holidays weekends, all the tables are often filled.

The initial draw of this rooftop restaurant may be its privileged overlook of Médano Beach (sunset, unsurprisingly, is the hottest hour for a reservation), but the strength of the menu would warrant a visit, regardless. Every item from this "Open Fire Kitchen" is grilled and smoked, bringing a creative technique and fresh flavor to an area mostly dominated by beach clubs. The wind can get somewhat fearsome come nightfall, but thick, cozy blankets are readily provided.

The go-to place for brunch outside of the big resort restaurants, this European-style café and bakery is the perfect stop for a quick coffee, pastry, or a slice of pizza. Vegetarian and vegan dishes are available, as well as nonalcoholic cocktails. 

Cholula is one of the few places in central Mexico outside of CDMX with some pretty good Asian restaurants, and this cozy, colorfully painted spot in the heart of city center is one of the best. It's known for robustly flavored bowls and soups, including spicy ramen with Mexican longaniza sausage and eggplant sofrito, and Thai ramen with shrimp and a fragrant green curry base. Plenty of tasty sides and appetizers are served, too, like spicy popcorn chicken and kimchi rice.

This tiny open-air restaurant looking out onto the fields of La Trinidad's organic produce offers farm-to-table dining, literally. Gnocchi is tasty but too much for a main dish; it's better to share among your party so you can save room for one of the Korean lettuce wraps, a fresh green salad, or a pork loin sandwich. Absolutely not to be missed are homemade ice creams such as vanilla bean or coconut.

Go early for best selection; food is prepared fresh daily, and the kitchen usually runs out of some dishes by afternoon's end.

The farm is about 10 minutes outside of San Miguel.

Dining at Deckman’s is like stepping into the quintessential Pinterest photo, replete with an open-air kitchen, straw floor, and wooden tables adorned with wildflowers. As if the chirping birds, adobe structure, soft jazz, and vineyard views weren’t enough, you’ll find a revolving menu built around seasonable products from the neighboring Mogor Ranch. Exclusively for Deckman’s are fresh eggs, lamb, olive oil, and all things green that travel 0 kilometers from the farm to your plate. The seven-course tasting menu ($120) may highlight foie gras, oyster tacos, grilled quail, beet gazpacho, and enough veggies to justify that berry pie. Complementing the cuisine are wines from Mogor Badan or artisanal beers from Agua Mala. Don’t expect to see a freezer, plastic bottles, or soft drinks for that matter, since every item is local, organic, unprocessed, and as natural as they come. The best part of the restaurant is Drew Deckman himself, an unpretentious chef and true ambassador for the Slow Food movement. Late diners should arrive early since this romantic spot closes at 8 pm.

A cheerful bakery-café near San Miguel Chapultepec's art galleries, Deli Lou serves crusty-baguette sandwiches with distinctive toppings (turkey with olives, goat cheese, Camembert, jamón serrano, and the like), plus freshly baked cakes, brownies, and cookies. There's also a small selection of jams, wines, artisanal juices and teas, and other gourmet goodies, plus a variety of espresso drinks.

A modern but tranquil sound track pervades this small, funky, and nonatmospheric sushi joint, which is just the ticket for travelers weary of Mexican food and pricey restaurants that are long on atmosphere but short on yum. For an inexpensive and healthful bento box, choose three, four, or five of the day's salads from the deli case, or have the sushi chef–owner, from Osaka, whip up a spicy tiger or a beautiful rainbow or spider roll. A large table outside in the pedestrian-only street seats larger groups or individuals willing to share their space.

Come early for the best selection of made-fresh-daily deli items.

This gourmet market, artisan bakery, and sidewalk café with a prime location on Álvaro Obregón is a top destination for any meal, but especially breakfast and brunch, when you might try French toast with whipped cream and fresh fruit or Greek-style baked eggs with jocoque, olives, tomato sauce, and grilled pita. The rest of the day, the eclectic but slightly Mediterranean-leaning menu features tortas and toasts (like the one with smoked trout, pickled beets, and capers) as well as lasagna, lamb moussaka, and other heartier dishes. The market also carries fresh baked breads, wines, cheeses, jams, salsas, olive oil, and other goodies. There are a couple of additional locations in Roma Norte, including a Colima branch that's mostly a take-out market.

You'll find this cozy but warmly lit coffeehouse immediately on your left as you enter trendy Mercado del Carmen—it's separate from the main food hall and thus a bit more intimate and peaceful. The menu features an extensive list of espresso and tea drinks, breakfast and lunch fare (from chilaquiles to sandwiches), and pies, cakes, and other sweets.

Hardly a dive bar, this place's name refers to Cozumel's great diving experience. Rub elbows with friendly expats and locals alike while you dine on burritos, shrimp bruschetta, and burgers. The atmosphere is fun and the drinks are always cold. There are a couple of TVs to catch a game. Live bands play on weekend evenings and frequently on weeknights, too.

Sandwiches are a surprisingly uncommon treat in Mexico, prompting local couple Nicole and Robert Ellingwood to meet the need with their gourmet food truck. Located in the Buenos Aires Food Park along with a few other businesses-on-wheels, you can enjoy your “sando” in their shaded yard (stocked with fun yard games for kids young and old) or easily take it to-go.

Fine Italian food can be found at any of the three locations of this well-known local business. Casual attire is expected, with the location in Nuevo Vallarta being somewhat fancier and ideal for either romantic dinners or family reunions.

Sayulita institution Don Pedro's has wonderful pizzas baked in a wood-fire oven, prepared by European-trained chef and co-owner Nicholas Parrillo. Also on the menu are consistently reliable seafood dishes, yummy salade niçoise, and tapenade. The mesquite-grilled filet mignon is just about the best around; it comes with baby vegetables, mashed potatoes, and pita bread. The pretty second-floor dining room, with the better view, is open when the bottom floor fills up, usually during the high season (November to May). During high season they also have dance classes and dancing to Latin tunes, currently on Monday, and live flamenco guitar on Thursday. This is a good spot for breakfast, too.

Come for the authentic Mexican dining experience. Stay for a televised soccer game or beauty pageant. Traditional dishes include barbecued ribs, goat stew, tripe, and—on Thursday, as Guerrero State tradition dictates—pozole. The long list of daily specials might include pork chops, tacos, and enchiladas; all come either rice or soup and a drink. On the extensive regular menu are seafood and breakfast items. But service stops at 6, so dinner (except a very early one) is not on the menu.

At this innocuous looking, traditional, family-run restaurant you'll find some of the best examples of local cuisine. Look for the fish specials and the triangular tamale-like corundas with cream sauce, which are also great for breakfast, as are the Spanish omelet and the French toast. There are also several good coffee concoctions.

This trendy, casual spot with a long wooden bar serves up some of the best Korean food in the city, including classics like beef bulgogi, kimchi-fried rice topped with a fried egg, bibimbap, and—arguably the star of the menu—crispy Korean fried chicken wings with gochujang (fermented chiles). There's also a nice selection of kefirs and kombuchas to sip, plus wine and craft beer. 

This restaurant is an institution among locals and visitors who know that there's more than just all-inclusive hotels in Nuevo Vallarta. Eddie’s Place is one of the few expat meeting points in the area. Go for the company, stay for the food.

One of the more upscale choices near Médano Beach, Edith's is the sister restaurant to popular The Office. The Caesar salad and bananas flambé are prepared tableside at this colorful and much-loved restaurant, while Wally's Special, a medley of lobster, shrimp, and fish, is one of the most ordered items on the menu. As good as the food is, the atmosphere is even better. Families dine in early evening, so come in later if you're looking for a less crowded experience.

Locals come here for weekend brunch. They serve truly authentic huevos rancheros and all those delicious dishes that make traditional Mexican cuisine so hard to resist. They host live music on certain days.

Spanish dishes are the specialty at this lovely little restaurant west of the center. The most popular dish is lechón a la segoviana (succulent baby pig), which is considered a regional specialty, and this is a great place to try it. The wine list favors Spanish wines hard to find in Mexico City, let alone Chiapas. The restaurant itself is hard to find, as it's behind a bank.

This restaurant, floating on the Río Tuxpan but linked to the land with rope and a small bridge, is hands down the most elegant place to eat in town. The interior is relaxed, with exposed wood beams, a backlit bar, and large windows looking out on the water. The Spanish owners are famous for their paella Valenciana, and there are a number of seafood and beef dishes to chose from as well. The bar is well stocked, with wines and liquors from all over the world.

This elegant colonial house on the south side of the main square specializes in hearty Yucatecan cuisine, with such menu highlights as pollo X'catik (chicken baked in butter cream) and lomitos de Valladolid (cubed pork loin in a tomato-chile sauce). If you're not feeling quite so adventurous, you can choose from mar y tierra (meaning, basically, surf and turf) options. The small front dining room is stylish, but we recommend snagging a table in the leafy back courtyard—it's perfect for lunch on a hot afternoon. El Atrio keeps long hours, opening at 7 am and going strong until 11:30 pm.

El Barracuda is that cool restaurant we all dream to have one day when we retire by the beach: casual and relaxed, with some tables right on the beach and others on top of a nice deck overlooking the Banderas Bay. They specialize in the kind of seafood you can find in Mexican markets, but you can also find great steaks and even some veggie options.

This dapper all-day café with white-brick walls, colorful peltre dishware, and fresh flowers on every table is in a semi-residential section of Coyoacán, well-removed from the crowds and an easy stroll from Museo Frida Kahlo. The owner uses organic coffees and, as much as possible, locally sourced ingredients in the European-influenced Mexican fare, which includes superb chilaquiles (order them with both the green and red sauces), panfried potatoes with paprika and chipotle aioli, and ham-gruyere croissant sandwiches. If you're having trouble finding a seat, there's a smaller location (it's actually the original) around the corner.