681 Best Restaurants in Mexico

Dining at Casamarte offers the quintessential La Paz experience: truly nothing can beat slurping back raw oysters and chocolate clams while people watching on the malecón at sunset. Though the menu is pretty diverse, the seafood (and the raw bar, especially) is what you come for.

This charming, European-style charcuterie is one of few in the city. With a couple of outdoor seats and a bar where you can watch all the action, sandwiches are served on fluffy or crunchy baguettes and feature smoked cheeses and sausages. The friendly service is immediate and knowledgeable. Enjoy your sandwich with a Mexican craft beer or glass of wine.

Céline's fresh-baked breads and pastries honor France, especially exquisite desserts like the classic dark chocolate cake and bold vanilla crème brûlée. Classic bistro fare—including quiche Lorraine and flavorful croques madames—make for a light lunch comme il faut. For a light, sweet breakfast or snack, don't miss the parfait with chia and red fruit coulis. Street-side tables on 5th Avenue are great for people-watching. Chez Céline stays open until 11 pm daily, and there's free Wi-Fi for patrons.

For all the buzzy seafood restaurants in Roma, not one serves a better aguachile than this casual, affordable spot decorated like an old fishing shanty, with mermaid wall sconces, mounted fish, and seaside bric-a-brac. Everything here—including fish-and-chips, smoked-marlin tostadas, octopus-chorizo tacos, and salmon burgers—is fresh and boldly flavored, and you can add even more spice by choosing a few salsas from the extensive condiment bar (some of these are muy picantes, so ask for advice if you're wary).

Chiles and Beer serves quick (or not) meals throughout the day, to be washed down with—you guessed it—beer. Their burgers are big and tasty, but it's the seafood that stands out, particularly the aguachile, a type of Mexican ceviche that hails from Sinaloa. The classic version is made with fresh raw shrimp or fish, cucumber, red onion, lime juice, and chilies that have been pulverized with water—hence the name.

Set in a beautiful, open-air space with enchanting terraces, gardens, and views of Cholula's famous pyramid and church, which is just a block away, this is one of the town's most romantic destinations for any meal of the day---it's open from early in the morning until late (except for Sunday, when it closes at 6). The menu focuses mostly on modern interpretations of Mexican favorites like chiles en nogada (which can be prepared vegetarian on request) and chicken enchiladas bathed in a rich mole poblano, but some pastas and international dishes are served, too.

Begin the evening at The Club Grill with a special cocktail at the champagne bar before ordering from a continental menu that includes starters like beef tartar and mains like roasted duck with tequila and agave honey sauce; a multicourse tasting menu, paired with boutique Mexican wines, is available, too. For dessert, try one of the signature soufflés—chocolate, coconut cream, or Grand Marnier. Enjoy live jazz music nightly.

Led by two-Michelin-starred chef Sidney Schutte, the signature restaurant at Grand Velas is turning heads for its 10-course tasting menu that’s as impressive on presentation as it is on taste. Each bite is a mini-explosion in your mouth—not to be confused with molecular gastronomy (according to the chef himself). You might try a tuna bubble with jalapeño, beef with dehydrated quinoa, or chicken crisps with rosemary sprigs. Courses are served on beds of rocks and sea salt or presented in a way that will leave you asking, “How did he do that?” Desserts are sinfully divine, like the chocolate flourless cake with banana served three ways. Reservations are required at this fine-dining restaurant. The tasting menu with wine pairing is available to all resort guests at no additional charge as part of the all-inclusive rate.

Baja Californian chef Raul Soto delivers an elevated culinary experience at Cocina del Mar, the elegant restaurant in the exquisite Esperanza Resort. Using daily market ingredients and focusing on simple seafood, Soto presents inventive dishes such as charred octopus, grilled Kumiai oysters, or the zarandeado-style blue colossal shrimp. Comondu lamb chops are accompanied by salsa verde, pink guava, and ember-roasted onion. Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, the waiter delivers a mango and passion fruit sorbet that will leave you wanting for more. Opt for a table on the cliffs where waves crash so close, you can feel the spray.

Inspired by his mother's cooking, chef Edgar Núñez (of Sud777 fame) opened the unpretentious Comedor Jacinta in 2016. Like most comedores, Jacinta offers a typical comida corrida, or set lunch menu, alongside a fully vegetarian option.

Although best known for the artisanal mezcals produced by its widely known and well-regarded Conejo en La Luna label, this bustling restaurant with a long, covered patio is a great option for grabbing a meal before or after your time visiting the adjacent pyramids. It's one of the area's better breakfast options, with a nice range of classic Mexican egg and chilaquiles dishes, and later in the day you can enjoy hearty fare like lamb barbecue (on weekends only), escamoles (ant larvae) sauteed in herb butter, and tacos filled with cecina (locally produced cured beef). It's open until 6 on weekdays and 7 on weekends, making a potential early-dinner option after exploring the ruins. There's a second location in CDMX's Condesa neighborhood.

Come before 1 pm or make an online reservation to avoid the long wait at this airy seafood haven, a power-lunch spot for the creative and celebrity sets since it opened in 1998 (there's often less of a wait for the casual outside tables). While the people-watching is prime, your attention will be on the food: start with the famed tuna tartare tostadas, then try some fish cooked al pastor or a bowl of clam chowder, minced soft-shell crab or octopus tacos, or the huge butterflied pescado Contramar with red chile. Be sure to save room for dessert, too (the banana pie is memorable). And there are few better places to enjoy the Mexican tradition of sobremesa, lingering over drinks and conversation after a meal.

Lebanese cuisine has a long history in Mexico thanks to an immigration wave in the early 20th century, and this spot is one of the city's best. The small, casual sidewalk restaurant in the lovely, leafy neighborhood of Narvarte Poniente has just a few items on the menu, but they’re done very well.

This contemporary restaurant at the Wayam Mundo Imperial hotel in the García Ginerés neighborhood has floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a plant-filled terrace. Chef Maycoll Calderón allows fresh ingredients to take center stage, avoiding anything too fussy in such flavorful Italian and Latin American dishes as ceviche, arroz con pollo, pizza, and pasta. Extensive cocktail and mocktail menus make the most of the area's tropical fruits. 

Locals come frequently for breakfast; visitors come for the great service and consistent Mexican and international cuisine. The lunch-dinner menu has fabulous appetizers, including superb Mexican shrimp al pastor with lemon-zest beurre blanc, delicious blackened salmon fillet, and perfect, spicy tuna tacos. The tortilla soup is popular, too. Start with a signature daiquiri and move on to the extensive wine list. The open patio dining room frames a view of Playa Los Muertos, creating a beautiful, simple scene to enjoy while you sip that drink.

There's often a pretty sizable crowd waiting for a seat at the long, narrow bar inside this hip ramen parlor, a fast-casual version of one of the city's most beloved Japanese restaurants, Diego & Kaito, in Del Valle. One of the only spots in town that serves food 24/7, Deigo has a fairly short but sweet menu of well-prepared dishes, with chashu (pork belly, egg, and wakame seaweed) and corn-butter-miso among the favorites. There's a second location in Zona Rosa. 

Clean, bright, and charming, this Italian restaurant has an inviting location on pedestrian-only Andador Cinco de Mayo, just steps away from Plaza de Armas. Customers return again and again for the creative thin-crust pizzas, pastas, and cheese and charcuterie plates served in a historic old home converted to a three-story restaurant.

While the Waldorf Astoria's other restaurant, El Farallon, tends to gather universal acclaim from Cabo's visitors and residents, we'd like to boldly suggest that dining at Don Manuel's is an even better experience. Open for each meal of the day, the modern Mexican cuisine served is innovative and decadent. The tranquil sound of the rolling waves is well complemented by nightly live music, the exclusivity of the restaurant makes it feel as if both nature and the band are performing just for you. A postconsumption stroll along Pedregal's nearly private beach makes for a perfect dessert.

Award-winning chef Edgar Roman brings contemporary Mexican cuisine from farm to table at Don Sanchez. Brick pillars, white linens, and a wine wall comprised of nearly 100 blends make up the more formal dining area, but dinner on the patio is a must. The cocktails and appetizers alone are worth a visit, including the Margarita Tejolote. The rustic tomato salad with heirloom tomatoes is a colorful starter to the sterling silver brisket, baked overnight in a brick oven. Seafood is locally sourced and the grass-fed beef comes directly from Sonora. Save room for the chocolate piñata, a uniquely Mexican dessert. The wine pairing dinner makes this the ideal spot to buy Mexico’s finest blends.

Tucked inside the small El Mercado Amazónico on the east edge of Roma, this tiny offbeat Asian-Mexican-fusion taqueria features duck in every one of its handful of dishes, all of them addictively good. In addition to both Mexican- and Asian-style taco preparations (the Peking duck–inspired "Kim" version is especially tasty), you can enjoy ginger-duck-filled wontons and spring rolls as well as duck tortas. There's also a selection of house salsas (red wine-hibiscus, tamarind, and Thai sweet chile), and they offer a handful of artisan beers. The original location in Condesa is also excellent, and there are two others, one in Polanco and one in Coyoacán.

El Che Guacho is owned by Argentinians and specializes in Argentinian cuisine. Look forward to enjoying a delicately cooked steak in a beautifully designed indoor-outdoor restaurant with glass walls that (in good weather) open to provide access to a quiet, covered, terrace garden. The bar is well stocked, the staff are friendly and knowledgeable about their menu, and the choices available are phenomenal. There is nowhere else in Oaxaca to savor the juices of such a perfectly cut, perfectly cooked, and perfectly presented steak, accompanied by a wine handpicked by the owners. It's a favorite with locals and visitors alike.

On the inland side of the barrier island, a charming little house painted sky-blue and cherry-red contains El Cuyo's best restaurant. Here, Oscar Flores, who presides in the kitchen, and his English wife, Cathy Sissens, lead guests—never more than 20 on any night—on a nine-course journey through Mexico's culinary regions, with Cathy sharing some background on each mole, ceviche, or taco that's served. The owners can accommodate most dietary restrictions; just let them know when you make reservations, which are required. 

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.

Set in a handsome old building on a sliver of city blocks wedged between Parque Chapultepec and the Circuito Bicentenario freeway (you may find it easier to Uber than walk here), El Mirador is a venerable old cantina that's been drawing a crowd of regulars since Porfirio Díaz was in office—1904 to be exact. In a dining room of paneled walls and white napery, well-dressed waiters whisk about with plates of pork tongue stewed in a rich chipotle-tomato sauce and tribilín, a flavorful dish of raw beef, fish, and shrimp marinated ceviche-style in olive oil, lime, onions, and roasted chiles. When you're feeling a little trendied-out by Condesa and Roma, this is a relaxing and rewarding antidote.

This cliffside restaurant offers the most spectacular view in Todos Santos—the excellent Mexican cuisine is an added bonus. Sunset is the most popular time to dine, so be sure to make a reservation in advance if you want seating. If you're looking for the perfect place to celebrate a special occasion, like a birthday, anniversary, or simply "la vida," this is it.

You'll have to work hard to find El Moro, but your perseverance will be rewarded with one of the better meals—consisting of a wide range of seafood and beef dishes—in Cozumel. After dinner, try a taste of xtabentun, a traditional Yucatecan liqueur made of fermented honey and anise seeds. This family-owned, open-air restaurant has been feeding hungry locals and tourists for years. Brothers Ray, Efren, and Heiser strive to make you feel welcome, so the service is excellent—and the portions are large.

Detour just a short block off Francisco Sosa to find this inviting, light-filled café that offers up gorgeous breakfast and lunch fare as well as exquisite cakes and pastries based on recipes from the owner's British grandmother, including scones with jam and nata (clotted cream), trifle, and cardamom cakes. Other menu options include lentil salad; eggs Benedict; smoked salmon, ricotta, and egg croissants; and roast beef, gouda, Dijon mustard, and caramelized onion sandwiches on rustic bread. Note that in a different part of the neighborhood, at Avenida México 36, there's a second Olvidado with counter service, a more limited menu, and a cute but tiny sitting area.

Shaded by a giant palapa roof, this open-air restaurant is an inviting spot for lunch or an early dinner (it closes at 7 pm). Though you'll find the same Yucatecan dishes (pollo pibil, sopa de lima) here as elsewhere, the preparation is excellent. Best of all is the poc chuc—little bites of pork marinated in sour orange, garlic, and chiles and grilled over charcoal. There is also a Mérida location if you don't want to make the trip to the original one. 

Polanco's most beloved taquería serves tacos, tortas, and panuchos of cochinita pibíl, the Yucatecan specialty of achiote-marinated pork. People from all walks of life, from hipsters to construction workers to businesswomen, line up throughout the day for a quick fix, topped with the habanero salsa and pickled red onion (and Montejo beer) typical of the Yucatán. If you can grab a table, get the sopa de lima, a mildly tart chicken soup made with the region's tiny limes. It's common to see a line here, so be prepared for a short wait.