972 Best Restaurants in Mexico

Day or night (and especially at night), this traditional taqueria has you covered for all your taco needs. Asada (beef) and pastor (pork) are the most popular orders here, and even a single taco comes with a giant tray of complimentary salsas and toppings—guac included. This longtime local favorite spot recently added a second seating area to accommodate even more patrons, so don't worry about not being served; despite potential crowds, the service is fast and the tacos are good. 

For a quick bite Tacos Las Palmas offers a lot more than what the name suggests. Marlin, tuna, shrimp, and other staple items are served with local fruits and vegetables to produce mouthwatering dishes. The burritos are big and tasty, too.

A true Tapatío (Guadalajara native) will tell you that these are the best tacos in town. Don’t expect anything fancy; it’s just a clean and functional taqueria where everything is about those exquisite tacos.

Don't be fooled by the bare-bones atmosphere: Tacos Rossy serves some of the best tacos in San José. Fish tacos are the thing at this no-frills joint brimming with local families who munch on everything from peel-and-eat shrimp to ceviche and chocolate clams. Served breaded and fried, the shrimp, scallop, and fish (flounder) tacos here are cheap and delicious. Dress them up however you like at a condiment bar that offers avocados, chilies, cabbage slaw, onions, and an assortment of sauces from tomatillo to habanero.

If you are a pastry lover ... then heaven awaits. Every single one is a delicacy, although the sticky buns and scones have a particular fan following. Expect long lines every morning, but it's because each cup of coffee is made fresh.

Try to arrive early to ensure that you get your choice of delicious tamales from this casual little shop with a handful of sidewalk tables---they sometimes sell out quickly, especially on weekends. Devotees of the hearty tubes of steamed corn masa come from all over the city, drawn by the extensive selection of fillings, including figs-and-cream cheese, chicken mole, pork with mushrooms in red sauce, and black beans with cheese and chapulines (grasshoppers).

The equivalent of a "soul food" restaurant for los Guerrerense (the people of Guerrero State), this noisy, fun spot a few blocks from the beach, amid small shops and cafés, specializes in the traditional cuisine of the deep countryside. Tamales—12 different kinds—are the menu's most popular items. Ingredients ranging from pork and chicken to poblano peppers are wrapped in masa, drenched in rich sauces, and baked in corn husks or banana leaves. Pozole, a pork-and-hominy stew that is traditionally eaten on Thursday, is a specialty of the house. Breakfast is served daily.

Indian and Pakistani cuisine are not easy to come by in Mexico City, much less of the high quality variety, but Tandoor is a welcome exception. The exquisitely decorated space, featuring items from India and Pakistan, is welcoming and intimate with plenty of space between tables. Mirrors line the ceilings, and the large windows on the first floor face out to a lovely residential street. Upstairs is romantic and even quieter.

At this no-frills, old-fashioned take-out taqueria, shaved meat rotates enticingly on a spit before an open flame, practically daring you not to try a plate of the Árabe-style (wrapped in grilled pita bread) tacos al pastor, plus tortas, grilled meats, and a long menu of other short-order snacks. It's a great, cheap Condesa option when you're hungry and on the run.

This popular taco joint is slowly taking over the area, with two locations in Cabo San Lucas plus outposts in San José, La Paz, and even Mazatlán. Their beef is 100% sirloin from the Mexican state of Sonora, and it can be ordered one of three ways: grilled, grilled without fat, or fried. The can't-miss menu item, however, is the "stuffed potato," a baked potato topped in cheese and your choice of meat (or for vegetarians, mushrooms and corn) that you then scoop into a tortilla to consume taco-style.

This place is widely recognized as having "the best tacos in Cabo" ($3); you'll be surprised by how many of them you can eat at one sitting. The al pastor grilled pork taco is a star alongside the customary agua de Jamaica (hibiscus iced tea) ($2). Besides the traditional tacos, you can get a wide array of gringas, quesadillas, and vampiros, all of them served with cheese and a meat of your choice. 

If you’re going to eat at one place in Los Barriles, this family-owned Mexican taqueria should be it. This casual spot quickly becomes every diners favorite eatery serving up delicious breakfast and lunch options at reasonable prices—don't miss the taco bar. Options are available for dietary restrictions.

This collection of plastic tables under a tarp may not look like much from the outside, but it's where the locals go for some of the best (and cheapest) tacos in town. Grab a seat, and order up pork or vegetarian options and a bottle of agua fresca (water mixed with fruit and sugar). Tables and salsas are shared, so get ready to make some new friends.

This unpretentious taco shop on a modest street in otherwise posh Lomas de Chapultepec draws a mix of workers, foodies, and even the occasional celebrity for its flavorful tacos. La Onda opened in 1970 and was one of the first places on this side of town to specialize in tacos al pastor, which remain its signature dish. But there's cochinita pibil and arrachera variations, too, as well as tasty chiles rellenos and enchiladas verdes.

Even though it's far from the city center, the tables at this positively plain taco shop are packed at lunch. People come for the delicious grilled meats, prepared Michoacán style, with salsas and mountains of fresh, hot tortillas made on-site. The pionero (beef, ham, bacon, onions, and cheese, all grilled) is the only option served in a half portion, which is plenty for most appetites. It closes at 7 pm.

A beautifully redone adobe home sets the stage for this classy dining experience on an open courtyard under the stars. A lengthy tequila list tempts diners to savor the finer brands of Mexico's national drink, and an extensive wine cellar will give you plenty of choices for what to sip as you sup. The menu offers modern Mexican cuisine with Asian influences; select from excellent regional salads made from produce grown on the restaurant's organic farm, then move on to seafood choices like baked lobster, tequila shrimp, or mesquite grilled catch of the day with pepper sauce. Another wonderful dish is the roasted bone-in pork shank served with Oaxacan green mole. The garden setting attracts mosquitoes, and the waitstaff requests tips in cash, so come prepared.

With an airy design, comfortable seating, good Wi-Fi, and large windows that let in plenty of light, this branch of the popular local coffee franchise is ideal for meeting up with friends, getting some work done on your laptop, or grabbing a quick snack or meal. Tierra Garat offers an extensive range of espresso drinks but particularly excels with its sweet chai teas, flavored hot chocolates, and frozen drinks—it's a favorite for anyone with a sweet tooth. In addition to this location a bit north of San Ángel's historic center, you'll find about 40 other branches throughout the city, including some especially inviting cafés in Coyoacán, Juárez, Polanco, and Roma Norte. 

This big, airy Zapatista-affiliated café is a great place to linger over a cup of coffee or enjoy the simple prix-fixe meal (there are plenty of vegetarian options) that includes juice, soup, a main plate, and rice. The restaurant is surrounded by small boutiques, including Nail Ch'en, where you can buy neat handmade blouses, and Mono de Papel, where you can find books and magazines (with some titles in English), including several titles on the Zapatista movement. You can also buy a requisite T-shirt with the image of Subcomandante Marcos.

A favorite spot among the dwindling community of local Mexican residents, Tiki Santos can be a little difficult to find (the location shown on Google Maps is not correct), but if you persevere, you'll be rewarded with generous portions of classic Mexican seafood dishes at moderate prices. The decor is as basic as they come—plastic chairs on a dirt sand floor—but that's part of the charm. The food is just as good (if not better than) other restaurants in town charging double.

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.

One of Guadalajara's most famous dishes is the torta ahogada, literally a "drowned sandwich," and Tortas Toño serves the best in town. It’s a baguette filled with pork meat served in a bowl with lots (and we are talking lots!) of hot tomato sauce on top.

This Italian restaurant stands out for its elegance, excellent service, extraordinary steaks, and noteworthy pizzas and cocktails. There's a great brunch on weekends and live music every night.

With folding glass windows opening out onto the foliage of trees overhanging the bustling zócalo, Tres Bistro offers a classy retreat from the bustling square. You can see the glitter of the twinkling lights and hear the music of the marimbas down below. The menu offers a range of traditional Oaxacan dishes alongside contemporary pastas, pizzas, lasagna, and seafood, so it's good for people traveling with young children who might not take to some of the more traditional Oaxacan offerings, while the adults can savor some different tastes. Unlike most upper-floor restaurants, this one also has an elevator.

The lively, tiny Mexico City location of the popular seafood spot in Tulum has just a handful of tables inside and on the sidewalk. It's a perfect stop for a light snack—try the pibíl-style octopus or pastor-style fish tacos, a ceviche tostada, or a heartier garlic-shrimp burrito. There's another location in Polanco.