681 Best Restaurants in Mexico

Trio is simply Puerto Vallarta's best restaurant. Waiters are professional yet unpretentious—either the sommelier or the maître d' can help you with the wine—but the main reason to dine here is the consistently fabulous food, which is also a great value. The grilled oyster from Cabo Corrientes is a great appetizer and then you can treat yourself with the rabbit roasted with aromatic herbs and red wine. The kitchen often stays open until midnight, and during high season the restaurant opens the back patio, second floor, and rooftop terrace.

Considered by some as the best gourmet Mexican cuisine in Tulum, TU is, if nothing else, a fascinating expression of the country's rich gastronomy. Start with octopus tacos served with chipotle mayonnaise, and try the huitlacoche risotto with salmon as main dish. A Mexican flan as dessert will keep you happy and asking for more. The cocktails and the atmosphere are as stylish as the dishes. 

Sensational views of the sunset and sparkling city-light panoramas after dark make this one of the best restaurants in PV for a celebratory toast—of life, love, or the perfect vacation. Dedicated observers can spot whales spouting offshore almost any day during the winter months. An army of attentive waiters brings baskets of delicious, buttery rolls and whisks away plates. Try the stellar crab-and-sea-bass cakes, lobster tacos, or sashimi with truffle-and-soy vinaigrette and avocado coulis. The chef adds new dishes every few weeks; the barman stocks top-of-the-line spirits; and there is a large wine cellar representing several continents.

The secret to this restaurant's success is its creative handling of Italian and Swiss cuisine, which explains why both carpaccio de pulpo (thin slices of fresh octopus) and lettuce taco with sautéed duck breast appear on the menu. Appetizers are tempting, too—there's puff bread from a wood-burning oven plus a salad and antipasto bar. For something with more local flavor, try the black ravioli stuffed with lobster or Casa Rolandi's specialty linguine alle vongole (linguini with clams, garlic, white wine sauce, and parsley). Entrées are served under silver domes. The restaurant also has an extensive wine list.

Along the Costera Miguel Alemán are several of these 24-hour restaurants specializing in quick service and light, healthy food: sandwiches made with whole wheat bread, soy burgers, chicken dishes, yogurt shakes, and fruit salads. You'll recognize these eateries by their green signs with white lettering. The original—the first, and best, in this now-national chain—is across from the Grand Hotel Acapulco.

Start the day at this open-air restaurant with a signature omelet and a bebida inteligente ("intelligent drink"), which combines fruit juice with ginseng. Sandwiches, soy burgers, and stuffed pitas are prepared with fresh-baked breads. Crave meat? Try the grilled chicken done fajita-style. Mexican and Italian specialties are also available. The neighboring 100% Integral shop sells whole-wheat breads and other goodies.

Start the day at this open-air restaurant with a signature omelet and a bebida inteligente ("intelligent drink") which combines fruit juice with ginseng. Sandwiches, soy burgers, and stuffed pitas are prepared with fresh-baked breads. Crave meat? Try the grilled chicken done fajita-style. Mexican and Italian specialties are also available. The neighboring 100% Integral shop sells whole-wheat breads and other goodies.

Within the gracious Rosewood San Miguel de Allende, Restaurant 1826 conveys both ease and sophistication. The upholstered chairs are comfortable enough to linger over various courses. Flavors represented on the international menu—a small but inspired collection of plates—are subtle, with unusual seasonings that truly please the palate. Sinfully large and calorie-laden desserts include a volcano of semisweet chocolate (in presentations from ground to molten), with a fig compote and rosemary ice cream. Almost-floor-to-ceiling windows frame the large, rectangular space, and the artwork of local luminaries like Marilo Carral grace the walls. A pre- or postdinner drink on the rooftop bar, La Luna, offers incredible 360-degree views of the city. Breakfast (starting at 7 am) and lunch offer more Mexican dishes. Cooking classes with chef Victor Palma and expansive Sunday brunchathons happen on the outdoor patio.

It's quite soothing to sit in this restaurant at the ocean's edge under the shade of a palapa while watching the surfers. For breakfast munch on their machaca con huevos (eggs scrambled with shredded beef) washed down with a fresh-fruit smoothie, but later in the day, grab some blue shrimp tacos or a grilled marinated octopus accompanied by a blueberry mojito. Burgers are piled high with jalapeños and caramelized onions. For something light, try the sashimi with Thai dressing. Drop in to watch the sunset and dine on wild sea bass with lemon butter. With a focus on healthy cuisine, the kitchen uses all local organic ingredients, cooks with olive oil (instead of butter), uses soybean oil for deep-frying, and will not serve marlin, mahimahi, or parrotfish due to commercial overfishing. Your entertainment is simple: a wonderful view that never stops changing.

There’s more to Agave Azul than those sweeping lagoon and mangrove views. The glass-walled restaurant at the elegant Rosewood Mayakoba is hands down the best place to go for fresh sushi and premium tequila. Housing more than 120 labels of the latter (and 40 of mezcal), it hosts weekly tequila and sushi pairings. In addition to ceviche, sashimi, and maki rolls, the dinner menu here includes Asian-inspired entrées like sesame roasted cauliflower, spicy kampachi (yellowtail), and ramen "Yucatán." The coconut flan with strawberry tapioca pearls is the perfect accompaniment to more tequila. Kick off your night by sampling dangerously smooth cocktails infused with fresh cucumber, watermelon, and jalapeños.

Despite the rebrand---a restaurant on the other side of the world forced them to change their name (it's Ophelia backward)---you'll find this garden escape is still a favorite among the Ensenada foodie crowd. Here a blending of European, American, and Asian cuisines and a handful of dependable flavors and ingredients---fresh fish, tomatoes, chilies, and cilantro---mix with unexpected ingredients like shiitake mushrooms, pork, and ginger glazes. Top sellers include the seared bluefin tuna, the fried wontons, and the grilled pork chops with a balsamic glaze. Daily specials usually come with regional vegetables and rosemary potatoes. A good stop on the way home after a long day touring Valle de Guadalupe's wineries, this spot highlights many of the region's wines.

Considered one of the top restaurants in Ajijic, this Argentine favorite has locals and tourists waiting in a line down the block to get inside. Many go for the arrachera (flank steak), lamb, or carpaccio. Reservations are a must on weekdays, but the eatery doesn't take them on weekends, so get there early.

The smoky aromas of a South American parillada waft down the street from this Uruguayan barbecue joint. The heaping portions of short ribs, flank steak, and chorizo have developed a cult following up and down the Riviera, and locals swear by the empanadas. Tables are set in a simple stone-walled room and just outside on the street.

Playa's most dramatically sited restaurant sits atop a small cenote in a vast jungly garden full of strangler vines and Mayan ruins—right in the middle of Avenida 5. Designed in accordance with Maya building practices, it's a feast for the eyes, with living "green walls" covered with plants, a bar built on a stone wall, and a park in back that makes for a romantic setting at night (bring bug spray). The menu, full of dressed-up Playa standards—fresh fish, pork shank, guacamole—isn't as memorable (though the jicama tacos are worth a try), but it's a worthwhile meal nonetheless.

The opportunity to dine graciously amid crystal and candlelight (and blessedly cool air-conditioning) is just one reason to book a special dinner at Alfredo's. The pastas are made fresh daily, and cheeses are flown in from Italy so that the chef can prepare the house special—authentic fettuccine Alfredo—at your table. The carpaccio, spaghetti with lobster, and salmon steaks are all superb, and the wine cellar is the largest on the island. Book a table for early evening and enjoy the sunset view through wall-length windows. Note that diners not staying at the hotel must have advance reservations.

Welcoming chef-owners Shalxali and Quetzalcoatl Zurita focus on presenting traditional Zapotec, Mayan, and Mixteco ingredients in contemporary ways. Begin your evening with a margarita made with seasonal fruits such as prickly pear or mandarin, and then embark on a culinary adventure of new tastes such as tixinda (a local mollusk) appearing in a refreshing salad rather than the more traditional tamale, or beef tenderloin wrapped in fragrant hoja santa leaf (Mexican pepperleaf). Opting for the five-course tasting menu is a good way to dive in. If you like beer, try a Bendita, which is brewed in the town of Santa Catarina Juquila, the pilgrimage site of the Virgin of Juiquila, midway between Puerto Escondido and Oaxaca City. Although the restaurant lacks a view, its earthy, minimalist decor is stylish, and the location in the heart of the Rinconada restaurant row offers interesting people-watching.

Although this restaurant is a 10-minute drive from downtown, its location in an underground cavern makes it extremely popular. A candlelit rock stairway leads to a setting that's part Carlsbad Caverns, part The Flintstones. Some of the "cavernous" rooms are for lounging, some for drinking, some for eating, some for dancing. Creative lighting casts the stalactites and stalagmites in pale shades of violet, blue, and pink. Although the setting is the highlight, the food—including the xcatic octopus, shredded deer, lobster, and steak—is also quite good. With a packed house, this place can get rather musty and humid.

A cute, unpretentious local favorite, Alverre has the sort of extensive international menu that's perfect when you and your friends aren't exactly sure what you're hungry for. Excellent bets here include the bountiful jamón serrano salad with arugula and goat cheese, the oven-baked lasagna with Bolognese sauce, and enchiladas suizas with chicken, but you'll also find crepes, omelets, quiches, empanadas, pizzas, and sandwiches.

For sweeping ocean views and light meals, head to this shady beachfront resort restaurant, where the smoothies are fruity but not overly sweet, the guacamole is fresh and flavorful, and the salsa selection is excellent. Don't miss the amply portioned spicy-sweet Thai curry Buddha Bowl. And if you're craving some beach time after your meal, ask about Amansala resort's beach club, where $45 will get you a sun bed for the day.

This easy-to-miss eatery offers a little bit of everything from fish and meat to pastas and vegetarian dishes, but it's best known for its superb pizza. Breakfasts, featuring delicious omelets and strong coffee, are also served. Big portions, drink specials, and a convivial vibe make the place a local favorite; once you settle in at one of the street-side tables, the staff treat you like an old friend.

Although many have been drinking rather than eating at this local hangout for years, the restaurant serves dependable cuisine (fajitas, burgers, fries), with daily lunch specials and nightly drink specials. The bar has a friendly atmosphere; the interior is cool, dark, and informal. Service is generally attentive, although that doesn't mean the food will arrive promptly. This spot is party-hearty later in the evening, by 10 pm or so.

Named for its Italian chef Angelo Sanna, this charming bistro on Hidalgo's busy main strip is done up with soft lighting and a wood-fired oven. Come for the pizza, which has a thin crispy crust and is quite delicious. A large selection of Italian classics round out the menu. Try the famous wood-oven lasagna or mussels steamed in white wine. Angelo, who has lived and worked in Isla Mujeres for more than 20 years, is a hospitable host and a great source of local information. Angelo's stays open late and will deliver pizza if you're hungry at the end of a long night.

If you plan to stay in a resort community to the immediate west of Cabo San Lucas (like Quivira, Diamante, or Rancho San Lucas), then Anica needs to be on your radar. Named after the first indigenous settlement in Baja California Sur, the menu—inspired by ancient tribal cooking techniques—is a delicious blend of traditional and contemporary. Oenophiles will be particularly delighted with the sommelier's top notch local wine tastings and pairings.

Pull up an equipale barrel chair and savor lunch under the canopy of a 200-year-old oak tree at this open-air restaurant, chef Javier Plascencia's tribute to local producers and the Valle lifestyle. Featured dishes change almost weekly, but you might find duck confit, kanpachi tostadas, lobster tallarines, and rib eye with sweet corn. The intriguing menu has decor to match, starting with the lantern-strewn terrace and cowhide rugs across plank floors. Six- and nine-course tasting menus (available Wednesday–Sunday) have wine pairing options. Note that this outdoor restaurant is only open during summer and fall.

One of the most beautiful restaurant settings in the city, this gracious 1837 hacienda in Tlalpan Centro oozes history and personality, from the peacocks strutting about the sweeping lawns and gardens to the plates of sophisticated, haute Mexican and European cuisine served on hand-painted plates. Although open late most evenings, it's especially nice to relax here over midday comida, soaking up the garden views while supping on chile relleno stuffed with duck and topped with tamarind sauce, or filet mignon topped with a rich mushroom sauce.

Apoala is one of the best choices for Mexican food on the lively restaurant-lined Parque Santa Lucia. The menu includes both Oaxacan and Yucatecan dishes—moles and beef dishes from the former, ceviches and cochinita pibil from the latter. The presentation is elevated without being fussy.

Although the seasonings don't seem fully Thai, or Japanese, or Filipino, the dishes from these countries (for example pad thai, edamame or seaweed salad, and pansit) are both healthful and flavorful. The small restaurant—within Portico Hotel Cultural near the Tarascan fountain and the beginning of the aqueduct—gets extra points for fresh, modern decor, hip house music, and attentive waitstaff. Lunch doesn't start here until 2 pm.

It's walking distance to the Contemporary Art Museum and the Bosque de Cuauhtémoc park.

Dishes at this extremely popular pan-Asian restaurant include Thai garlic shrimp, pansit (Filipino stir-fry with pasta), and Singapore-style (lightly battered) crispy fish. The spinach and watercress salad with feta, pecans, and a hibiscus dressing is healthy, refreshing, and perfect for a late lunch (the restaurant opens only after 2 pm). Ceilings are high, and the decor includes dark wood, lacy potted palms, and Indonesian étagères.