96 Best Restaurants in Mexico

Perhaps the most revered reservation to score in Cabo San Lucas, cliffside El Farallon provides one of the most breathtaking vantage points in town. There's no typical menu here—rather, that day's selection of grilled entrées, featuring fish, shrimp, scallops, steak, and more, are presented on a large chalkboard, along with the available sides. Every meal also comes with a trio of appetizers, guaranteed to leave you stuffed by the end of the meal. An optional wine pairing for each course is a fine complement, as is a pre- or postdinner glass at the chic Champagne Terrace. Try to score a seating time before/during sunset, if you can; it gets quite dark afterward, diminishing the otherwise stellar view.

The location of this two-level restaurant, just next door to the Hotel Xibalba, has made it a favorite with tourists, but locals frequent the place, too. The plates are big, and the food is varied and delicious. The freshness of the seafood is a big part of what makes dishes like the chilpachole de mariscos (a slightly spicy tomato-based seafood soup) delicious. The filete de pescado (a shrimp-stuffed fillet of fish baked in a banana leaf) is another delicious option.

This two-story palapa restaurant, named “The Drunken Sailor,” is always packed with locals and tourists alike. It’s no wonder: the location across from the marina is the perfect spot to watch the sunset while enjoying a ginger mint mojito or tamarind margarita. Several dishes feature unexpected Vietnamese and Costa Rican influences, such as the panko-crusted fish taco with ginger cream and the shrimp enchilada with coconut pineapple sauce and fried plantains. The shrimp burger on homemade bread comes with chili lime fries and pairs well with an ice cold michelada (salt-rimmed Mexican beer with lime, spices, and hot sauce). Timid palates must overcome any hesitation and try the best dessert in Los Cabos: the avocado-lime chocolate cream pie on graham cracker crust.

This aptly named eatery is a welcome respite from El Centro's busy streets. House specials include grilled seafood with rice, fish fillet with coconut cream, and smaller dishes like ceviche or aguachiles (spicy lime shrimp). Many of the dishes can be prepared with your choice of mango, tamarind, or guava salsa. A small wooden bridge leads into a palapa (thatched roof), which is colorfully decorated with turquoise chairs, mosaic flooring, seashell lamps, and a bamboo bar. Relax to the sounds of a cascading waterfall, skirted by palm trees and tropical plants. Note that menus are in Spanish, and the staff doesn't speak much English.

Fishnets and realistic reproductions of the fish you'll be eating decorate this restaurant, whose name means "red snapper." The catch of the day varies, but you can depend on consistent quality. Classics like a brimming shrimp cocktail could be followed by fish stuffed with shrimp, clams, squid, and octopus. Depending on your luck, you'll be serenaded either by Mexican musicians or by the ceaseless wailing of polkalike norteña music on MTV. The restaurant also delivers.

Just two blocks from the plaza, this local favorite family restaurant serves traditional seafood dishes at reasonable prices. Try one of the seafood cocktails featuring shrimp, octopus, and oysters, or splurge on a pineapple stuffed with seafood and smothered in cheese.

This bright blue-and-pink palace feels like a home, with its nicely stuccoed ceilings, hand-painted tiles, and upstairs porch with a harbor view. Unique family recipes include foil-wrapped shrimp or fish prepared estilo delfín—steamed in orange juice, herbs, and spices. Gaston, the operatic owner, can easily be coaxed into singing traditional rancheras in a baritone as rich and robust as the food.

At this unpretentious, cozy spot on the north edge of Roma, the short menu of tapas-size plates changes according to what chef Giuseppe Lacorazza picks up that morning at the city's leading seafood market. The focus is always on sustainability and fresh produce---think bonito crudo with tamarind and tangerine, smoked-mackerel quesadillas, steamed clams with spring peas and basil, or Veracruz-style shellfish stew. 

A trendy offspring of neighboring Sano’s Steakhouse, “Smoke and Salt” focuses on local seafood with a twist; guests of the casual hot spot can also order from the more formal steak house next door. The bar shakes up tequila and mezcal from small-batch labels and all their wines come from Mexico. The oysters with beet and ginger mignonette whet your appetite for tuna carpaccio bathed in oil and lime or agua-chili shrimp on crispy blue-corn tostadas. Salsas and garnishes, such as the watermelon radishes and lemon-serrano vinaigrette, are punchy and fresh atop tuna belly tacos.

This clean, comfortable family restaurant overlooks the bay—a perfect spot for morning coffee and pancakes. At other meals, portions tend to be small, but the food is quite good, and the owner and his daughters play the guitar and sing in the evening. The outdoor patio is great for enjoying the giant margaritas that this place is known for.

In the 1950s, this local favorite was a bohemian hangout that attracted renowned bullfighters along with Mexican songwriter Agustín Lara and his lady love, María Félix. You can see their photo over the bar and sample the same dishes that made the place famous back then: shark tamales, seafood casserole, or shrimp prepared with sea salt, curry, or garlic. The restaurant is smackdab in the middle of Playa Caleta, and there are free lockers for diners who want to take a swim, as well as banana and wave-runner rentals.

Seafood soup and grilled fish are options at the "House of Lobster," but clearly the lobster, fried Puerto-Nuevo style, is the star. This is one of the best spots in town to try the deep-fried recipe created by Susana Diaz Plascencia in 1956; otherwise, try their fresh lobster steamed or stewed with seafood and salsa inside a traditional molcajete stone. Most wooden tables in the large dining room are covered with platters of fried or grilled lobster and all the standard accompaniments like rice, beans and paper-thin flour tortillas. Start with the clam chowder or jumbo shrimp wrapped in bacon. The medium-size lobsters tend to be a bit more flavorful than the larger ones. There's an actual wine list here, and it has several Baja wines. On a hot day opt for the tart margaritas.

La Cascada y Bosque, simply known in town as “Cascada,” is a wonderful place for breakfast or lunch even when the waterfalls are just a water drop. The jungle setting here is spectacular and begs for a stroll before or after your meal. For breakfast you can choose typical Mexican dishes or the American-style breakfast with bacon and eggs. For lunch, you should try their fish and empanadas.

La Cevichería is one of the best seafood restaurants in the Marina Vallarta area. It's not as tasty as other places in town but definitely more stylish. Its Nayarit-based cuisine offers flavors not easily found in PV.

This casual restaurant, with a small swing set and a couple of children's toys in front, under two connected palapa (thatched) roofs, is the kind of place where locals might linger over a meal for hours at a time. Meals begin with corn chips, delicious molelike paste that they call chili de mole, and a fish sauce. The pescado al mojo de ajo (fried with garlic) is delicious; they also serve other fresh and tasty seafood plates.

The excellent seafood, reasonable prices, and tremendous beachfront view keep this family-owned spot thriving year-round with a clientele that's equal parts visitors and locals. Try the Sinaloa specialty pescado zarandeado, in which an entire fish is smothered with vegetables and spices, wrapped, and cooked slowly over a fire until you can strip the meat with a touch of your fork. Request a song and maybe buy a CD from the singing waiter. Turn away the time-share sales pitch with a smile.

Dig your toes in the sand floor and enjoy the catch of the day at La Cueva del Pescador. A crowd of easygoing expats hunkers down for the afternoon to feast on octopus, shrimp, or conch ceviche prepared with lime juice and flavored with cilantro—usually with a generous helping of beer on the side. Great grilled garlic shrimp and simple quesadillas are also served. Portions are sizeable, and prices are moderate. There’s a pool table here plus a TV that's typically tuned to sports.

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.

During breakfast the cuisine is typically Mexican, while at lunch it goes more Mediterranean, and after 4 pm, La Duna becomes a sunset bar and social club. The atmosphere is a bit more relaxed than in other establishments inside the Costa Careyes development. La Duna is right in front of Playa Careyes. 

This food-cart stall off Ensenada's bustling Calle Primera is the place where locals get a solid helping of the region's seafood. Established in 1960, La Guerrerense has been featured on international shows like Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. Popularity has led to the opening of a neighboring restaurant by the same name, but it's the original cart that keeps crowds ogling a small army of cooks cracking clams, shucking oysters, and piling the freshest fish onto tostadas. After you choose from the day's catch—shrimp, uni, clams, tuna, cod, lobster, octopus—stand back and wait while your dish is prepared. Once it's ready, make your way through the throng of hungry patrons, and dress your plate from the selection of bottled salsas and condiments on display, which are also for sale. Most-loved is the salsa made with toasted peanuts, oil, garlic, and fresh chilies. Owned by Sabina and Luis Eduardo Oviedo, the spot is a mainstay on the Ensenada food scene, and not to be missed.

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.

Shell lamps; pictures made entirely of scallops, bivalves, and starfish; shell-drenched chandeliers—every inch of wall space is decorated with different denizens of the sea. Service isn't particularly brisk (pretty much par for the course in laid-back San Blas), but the seafood, filet mignon, and fajitas are all quite good. Afterward stroll over to the main plaza a few blocks away.

This toes-in-the-sand beach restaurant is a local favorite for whiling away a pleasant day at Playa Manzanillo. Owners Pablo and Doris Carrasco are always happy to whip up a coco loco or offer a shot of fruit-infused mezcal. All the seafood is fresh and reasonably priced. You can eat while lounging just steps from the water or at a table under the shade of an almond tree. The vuelve a la vida (return to life) seafood cocktail is particularly recommended as it's packed with shrimp, pulpo (octopus), and clams. Or try the popular shrimp or dorado topped with creamy tequila-chipotle sauce. The owners' son is working on Blue Flag eco-certification for Manzanillo Beach, so restaurant patrons get the bonus of access to modern and environmentally friendly toilets. If you are going for dinner, be aware that the restaurant closes early—by 7:30.

This palm-shaded spot is perched above a beach sprinkled with the thatch-topped palapas that give the place its name. In the summer, when Bahía Kino fills with travelers, the restaurant is the place to be. The kitchen churns out marlin, five kinds of shrimp, and a selection of excellent salads; this is where those in the know go for a juicy cheeseburger.

The slightly formal take on the typical toes-in-the-sand dining experience is evident in the fact that this popular spot on Playa la Ropa accepts credit cards. Among the seafood specialties here are filete La Perla (fish fillet baked with cheese); lobster thermidor; and yummy fish or shrimp tacos made with homemade flour or corn tortillas and served with guacamole. There's a nice wine list and Havana cigars for after dinner. And you don't have to get your feet wet or sandy at all: you can sit in the palapa-covered restaurant under the trees or take a stool at the corner bar, where there's always a game on satellite TV. But plenty of customers just sit on the beach and sip a drink.

Two blocks north of the town square, the "dining room" room of this family-run eatery consists of plastic tables and chairs beneath mini palapas and tarps. What it lacks in charm it more than makes up for with food and prices—this is where locals go for seafood soup, fried fish, shrimp tacos, ceviche, and fresh guacamole. Plan to either practice your Spanish or use sign language, and plan to eat early, too, as it closes at 8. La Playita is the perfect place to sink your toes in the sand and enjoy a refreshing rice-milk horchata.

Right on the beach just north of the pier at Playa Los Muertos, Langostinos is a great place to start the day with a helping of Mexican rock music, cranked up to a respectable volume. For lunch or dinner, the house favorite at this professional and pleasant place is surf and turf (called mar y tierra), and the three seafood combos are a good value. The kids can play on the beach while you linger over coffee.

All roads in La Antigua seem to lead to this riverfront restaurant, a favorite for years. The huge arches facing the water are hung with nets full of cardboard fish. Try the shrimp cocktail or the cazuela de mariscos, a seafood stew filled with shrimp, crab, octopus, and mussels in a spicy green sauce. Afternoons at 1:30 and 6:30 there's marimba music, and on weekends the musicians are joined by dancers.

Perched on a hill overlooking the Boca de Tomatlán little cove, Le Kliff has an extraordinary setting; couples choose to get married here because of the views. Though a bit stuffy, this is a great place to impress a date. The menu includes exotic delicacies such as oysters zarandeado style and satay shrimp with coconut and cream cheese.