323 Best Restaurants in Mexico

Busy and stylish, this is a popular classic in the Santa María la Ribera neighborhood, located in an older building that has retained its original high ceilings and tile work. Known for having slightly higher prices than usual for the area, it’s also recognized for excellent service, taste, and variety of traditional Mexican dishes, but the star is the barbacoa (slow-roasted sheep meat) and pulque.

Here, in the shadow of La Parroquia, you'll find some of the best-prepared traditional Mexican food in town. The guacamole is great, as are any of the enchiladas, the chiles rellenos, and the Yucatan specialty, cochinita pibíl (slow-roasted pork). Top it off with the homemade flan, a delicious preparation of an old standby, and celebrate another fabulous San Miguel day with one of the well-prepared margaritas. The sweeping cityscape, backed by mountains, is another enchantment.

If you have time for only one restaurant in Zipolite, then this should be it. Expect creative takes on the traditional in dishes such as Oaxacan shrimp or beef medallions in aromatic hoja santa (Mexican pepperleaf) butter. Reserve for one of two nightly seatings, and arrive early to enjoy a mezcal cocktail in the stylish bar. The restaurant tends to close down during the low season, which can begin as early as September and continue as late as November.

A sound track of light jazz plays in the background at this quaint, small restaurant facing Plaza Vasco de Quiroga. Sit at the outdoor tables under the arcade—or indoors, which feels like a shop from bygone days, with shelves packed with liqueurs, nuts, cookies, jams, candies, candles, and other items for sale. Coffee is made fresh from the espresso machine, but you can still get a free refill. The friendly and knowledgeable waiters will patiently explain the unusual dishes, such as huevos tarascos (fried eggs on a corn tortilla topped with corn kernels, thick melted cheese, and a dark chile negro sauce). For lunch or dinner get trout any style, salmon in four-cheese sauce, or mushrooms sautéed in garlic, chili, and tequila. The menu is refreshingly varied and the service refreshingly attentive.

Yucatecan cuisine reaches new and exotic heights at this Mayan-themed restaurant, with fabulous dishes prepared by chef Elviro Pol. The papadzules (tortillas stuffed with eggs and covered with pumpkin-seed sauce) are a delicious starter; for an entrée, try the poc chuc (tender pork loin in a sour orange sauce) or longaniza de Valladolid (traditional sausage from the city of Valladolid). The Yucatán Tour sampler platter will give you a little taste of everything. Finish off your meal with some maja blanco (white pudding), and xtabentún-infused Mayan coffee.

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).

Inspired by “mom’s recipes,” chef Sergio makes freshness a top priority—nothing here is ever frozen. The Mexican-fusion menu features dishes like slightly sweet hibiscus-filled tacos, impressive tomato towers with mozzarella cheese, and shrimp with a four-chile sauce. Fish and steaks are grilled on the garden patio just steps from your table, as is the pineapple flambé with vanilla ice cream.

Centro's most famous tacos are available all day from this hole-in-the-wall puesto (stall), but are best experienced in the early hours of the morning after several rounds of beer. The tacos here are all beef and are small, so plan on trying at least three. The most famous is the braised suadero, but if you're feeling adventurous the taco de tripa (intestine) is really unmissable.

Ask any Cabo local where you should get dinner, and there's a good chance they'll suggest Los Tres Gallos. Fun, festive, and flavorful, it's a must-try for anyone seeking traditional Mexican cuisine. Set in a courtyard shaded by fruit trees, twinkle lights, and papel picado (colorful tissue paper flags), the menu is crafted from generations-old family recipes of classic heritage dishes such as cochinita pibil (slow-roasted pork) and molcajetes (stone bowls) filled with flank steak, shrimp, chorizo, nopal, and panela cheese.

Just a few steps down Calle Higuera from Plaza Hidalgo, this covered, open-air market with about a dozen stalls is home to some of the best street food in the neighborhood: barbacoa tacos, squash-blossom quesadillas, fresh-squeezed juices and smoothies, and plenty more, all of it affordably priced. There's nothing trendy about this bustling space where you may have to jostle a bit for a seat, but young buskers often entertain the crowds with great music. Having trouble deciding which vendors to try? Las Dietetics quesadilla stand is one of the best, as is the pozole vendor next to it.

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 eatery does a welcome, contemporary take on the cemita, Puebla's version of the classic Mexican torta sandwich. The smoked brisket comes with a plantain puree and flavorful pepper sauce while the chilaquiles are garnished with watercress in avocado oil. The usually basic milanesa (breaded pork loin) has a Parmesan-garlic breading and artisanal cheese from the nearby town of Chipilo. Terrific soups and salads round out the menu. The stylish decor and hip crowd is a rarity in conservative Puebla.

Among the city's countless restaurants specializing in Pueblo-style mole sauces, this relaxing spot set in a gracious galleried building with wood-beam ceilings, soaring arches, and tile floors is one of the finest. The sampler plate with chicken or cheese enchiladas smothered under three different kinds of mole sauce are a delicious way to learn about the differences in preparation of these complex sauces. Other beloved dishes like Tacos árabes with shaved lamb and albóndigas (meatballs) with a slightly spicy jalapeño sauce are executed perfectly here. The friendly staff can help explain the differences among the many kinds of mole sauces offered. 

The tasting menu at NEMI, whose name means "give life" in the Indigenous Mexican language, Nahuatl, is beyond exquisite. Choose five- or nine courses, plus an optional (but recommended) wine pairing, and prepare to be blown away by the modern Mexican cuisine that is created by chef Alejandro Villagomez and his team. The server's descriptions of each course will excite you even more than the presentation (which—shocker—is very well done). A darkly-lit corner restaurant with fewer than 10 tables, the space is moody and intimate.

A must-visit for fans of traditional Mexican cuisine who think they've tasted it all, this barely adorned, simply elegant restaurant in a pleasant workaday neighborhood—a 20-minute Uber ride from Polanco—is the domain of chef Gerardo Vázquez Lugo (whose parents opened Nicos in 1957), a stickler for ingredients sourced from small producers and dishes that can seem nuevo but are all rooted in history. The sopa seca de natas—several crepes layered with cream, tomato, and poblano chiles—is a 19th-century recipe from a convent in Guadalajara, and the octopus stewed in its ink with pecans, almonds, and pine nuts is a generations-old recipe from Veracruz. 

Origen is one of the best restaurants in Oaxaca. Chef Rodolfo Castellanos is an expert at producing sharp, clean flavors that compliment the dining environment. This city-center town house has been turned into a quick lunch restaurant, a cooking-class workshop space, and a formal evening dining space (on the second floor). The food here is expensive, but it is worth every peso. The service is attentive, and the variety of options on the menu will have your mouth watering from the very moment you step in the door.

Marimbas play beside a bubbling fountain in the charming courtyard behind one of Cozumel's best folk-art shops. The English menu is geared toward tourists and priced in pesos, but regional ingredients like smoky chipotle chile make even the standard steak stand out for a true Mexican-inspired meal. Other stars include the cilantro cream soup and shrimp flambéed with tequila. Although Pancho's can be busy, the waitstaff are patient and helpful. Cruise-ship passengers seeking a taste of Mexico pack the place at lunch; dinner is a bit more serene.

This culinary laboratory is famed for developing new dishes using both inventive techniques and traditional ingredients. Everything served here is sourced locally and used imaginatively to create a contemporary Oaxacan cuisine. The head chef, Jose Manuel Baños, heads of team of leading culinary talents to prepare the finest and most delicate meals available in city. The beautifully restored restaurant also features a mezcal tasting bar and both indoor and outdoor eating areas. The six- and nine-course tasting menus, showcasing the best of the best in Oaxacan cookery, are highly recommended.

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.

The patio of this historic home glows with candlelight in the evening, but during the day, things feel a lot more casual. Although the menu has a few fish or meat dishes (cochinita pibil, say, or butterfly chicken breast in a cream sauce), the emphasis is on vegetarian dishes such as chaya soup (made from a green plant similar to spinach), stuffed mushrooms, spinach lasagna, and avocado pizza. Prices are reasonable, and service is excellent. Expect live music in the open-air courtyard daily between 8:30 pm and midnight.

Across the street from the dramatic spires of Parroquia de San Andrés Cholula, this simple sandwich shop serves delicious versions of classic tortas as well as Puebla's beloved version of these hearty sandwiches, the cemita. Try it with chicken milanesa (with thinly pounded and breaded chicken) or local sausage with all the fixings, including cheese, avocado, jalapeños, and chipotles in adobado sauce.

At Siembra Comedor, the diverse dishes are elevated and delectable, with both the decor and the menu heavily centering around corn. Whether you choose tacos, octopus, or a rib eye, your meal won't disappoint. A few doors down from the restaurant is Siembra Taqueria (Newton 256), a good spot for a quick bite if your time is more limited.

Although its name is barely visible on the sun-faded awnings, this neighborhood taquería is busy on most nights. It’s a true local’s spot and its bright lights are visible from the street; you’ll know it from the number of people mostly patiently waiting to place their orders (food is available to go as well).

This simple, tiny taqueria is a favorite standby for tacos guisados, a completely addictive style with stewed and richly seasoned braised meats like higado (beef liver topped with avocado), chicken mole, and a tuna-sardine blend. Hola stands out from the pack for its variety of vegetarian and vegan options, including squash, Swiss chard, nopales, and quelites, a distinctive Mexican herb that's commonly used in soups and stews.

If you watched the addictively tantalizing Netflix food show Taco Chronicles, you may have witnessed the scenes of al pastor deliciousness filmed in this humble but beloved taqueria on Calle Lorenzo Boturini, which is actually lined with great eats, including a few others featured on the program (such as Taquería la Autentica and El Buen Taco). In this no-frills spot that's open until at least 1 am nightly (it doesn't open, however, until around 4 pm), you'll of course want to sample the al pastor tacos, but you'll find dozens of other kinds, plus fantastic birria. This strip of taquerias is about 5 km (3 miles) east of Roma.

This small, no-frills restaurant offers what many claim to be the best tacos in all of Bahía de Banderas, but also the most expensive. The tender rib-eye meat that melts in your mouth is the secret to its success.