349 Best Restaurants in Mexico

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We've compiled the best of the best in Mexico - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

La Termita

$

This Italian restaurant serves salads, calzones, and artisanal pizzas with a vast choice of toppings baked to perfection in a wood-burning oven. Try the nutella-banana pizza for dessert. The bar and the restaurant are under one big palapa, and there are small palapas with individual tables on the beach. With the sounds of the waves and soft lighting, it makes for a romantic night out. La Termita also serves a hearty Mexican-style breakfast (but closes for lunch). Five clean, ocean-view guest rooms are available, but book early.

Paseo del San Agustinillo (Hwy. 175), San Agustinillo, 70902, Mexico
958-107–8135
Restaurant Details
No credit cards
No lunch

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La Tía

$ | San Rafael
In the residential neighborhood of San Rafael, La Tía is clearly a local favorite. Even with dozens of tables, it still doesn’t match the demands of locals who crave the taste of homemade cooking and Mexican specialties such as chile en nogada (poblano chiles stuffed with picadillo) in August and September and less common cuisine for Mexico, such as mozzarella-and-spinach stuffed chicken breasts. If you plan to go between the Mexican lunch hours of 2 to 4 pm on weekdays, be aware that you might be waiting for a while.

La Vaca de Muchos Colores

$ | San Rafael
This is a small and comfy spot to stop in and grab a bite to eat or enjoy a beer, wine, or coffee. It feels immediately like a good friend’s (stylish) living room and is ideal for catching up with companions or coming in alone with a book. The service is friendly and there doesn’t seem to be any rush to move tables in or out.
Manuel María Contreras 52, Mexico City, Mexico
55-5535–0233
Known For
  • Grasshopper and goat cheese chapatas
  • Tasty frappuccinos
  • Good Mexican beer menu
Restaurant Details
Closed Sun.

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Recommended Fodor's Video

La Vinería

$ | La Condesa

This cozy, well-established restaurant and wine bar is ideal for conversation and lingering over a light meal from the eclectic menu that shows Mexican, Spanish, and Italian influences. Try the wild mushrooms and goat cheese in pastry with brandy sauce, the steak tartare with curly french fries, and the cajeta crepes for dessert.

Av. Fernando Montes de Oca 52A, Mexico City, 06140, Mexico
55-5211–9020
Known For
  • Low-key, quiet ambience
  • Excellent Eurocentric wine list
  • Interesting mix of new-world and old-world cuisine
Restaurant Details
No dinner Sun.

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Langostinos

$

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.

M. Dieguez 109, at Los Muertos Beach, 48350, Mexico
322-222–0894
Known For
  • Beachside dining
  • Good music
  • Ceviche
Restaurant Details
Closed Aug. 20–Sept. 15

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Las Delicias

$

This restaurant, with a balcony overlooking the central plaza, serves up hearty home-style cooking . Try the delicious caldo tlalpeño, a tasty broth with chicken, tortilla, avocado, and cheese, that comes with a plate of chili chipotle that you can use to spice up the soup. At dinner there's also a large plate—that's perfect for sharing—with grilled beef, fried chicken, fresh cheese, guacamole, and beans with tortilla chips.

Av. Central at Calle Central 5, Ocosingo, 29950, Mexico
919-673–0024
Restaurant Details
Credit cards accepted

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Las Guacamayas Taqueria

$

Massive globes of 15 types of margaritas and a Mexican guitarist singing American covers make this a magnet for tourists, but it also draws locals. If you're looking for cheap and delicious Mexican food, you've come to the right place. Tacos stuffed with chorizo, marinated pork, and flank steak pervade the menu, though it's the quesadillas, with fillings like pumpkin flower, poblano pepper and onion, and pork skin that shine. Chilangas, or fried, folded-over quesadillas with melted cheese, also merit the trip, while the volcanoes (hard-shell taco cups filled with cheese and your choice of meat) are not to be missed. The outdoor-garden setting of Las Guacamayas is kitschy, with trees sprouting up from the floor, and Christmas lights strung from branch to branch. Painted murals run along the walls, and wooden chairs surround tables with plastic coverings.

Las Palmeras

$

This popular Mexican family restaurant sits on the west side of the Alameda. Here you might get homemade rosca bread (a sweet, round loaf) with your coffee and an assortment of daily specials. The made-fresh-daily corn tamales are hard to beat; other specialties include the chiles rellenos (cheese-stuffed chili peppers) and the carne milanesa (similar to chicken-fried steak).

Madero 48, Álamos, 85763, Mexico
647-428–0065
Restaurant Details
No credit cards

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Las Tunas Coffee Shop

$

Las Tunas is a residential neighborhood north of downtown that's almost exclusively filled with vacation homes, short-term rentals and inns, and construction sites building the two. Amid all of that, however, is a coffee shop and bakery with perhaps the best breakfast in all of Todos Santos. If you have a rental car, it is absolutely worth making the drive up to start your morning here.

Le Bistrot San José

$

You won't need your phrase book to translate such well-known French dishes as chicken with Roquefort at this adorable little bistro. Sip a crisp Bordeaux (there are several on the reasonably priced wine list) as you nibble the perfectly prepared pâté. Locals drop by to taste the city's only chocolate mousse and crème brûlée. On the gracefully crumbling walls of this colonial-era building hang etchings of Parisian sights. The back dining room, more intimate than the one facing the street, looks out on a flower-filled courtyard.

Herrera and Miguel Palacios 1, Xalapa, 91000, Mexico
228-812–8267
Restaurant Details
Credit cards accepted

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LIMÓN

$

Located in the middle of a lemon grove garden, you won't soon forget this alfresco dining experience. Menu items that highlight the peninsula's fresh seafood and produce like bluefin tuna steaks or pork ribs are expertly cooked over an open flame grill.

Calle Eureka, La Ribera, 23570, Mexico
624-980--1054
Known For
  • Bluefin tuna dishes—tartare, crudo, cheeks, or steaks
  • Fairy light--adorned bushes and trees surround restaurant
  • Fireside seating area
Restaurant Details
No lunch

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Los Aguachiles

$

This Tulum outpost of the Playa hipster cantina has a light take on traditional tacos and seafood, which are served with lots of lime and creativity. Batter-fried shrimp on a bed of hydroponic lettuce, grouper with avocado and cucumber, and tacos de pescado are all good bets. Salsa lovers will find eight types on the table and more on the menu. The setting is simple (picture plastic plates, paper napkins, and silverware in buckets), so you can justifiably eat everything with your fingers. After lunch, you can try your hand at the foosball table in back, but you can't while the night away here—it's only open from 12:30 to 7:30.

Av. Tulum, Mz 40, Lote 1, Tulum, 77780, Mexico
984-802–5482
Known For
  • Great (but really spicy) aguachile
  • Laid-back atmosphere
  • Best fish tacos in town
Restaurant Details
Closed Mon.

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Los Arcos de Regina

$ | Centro Histórico
On weekend mornings there's hardly a corner in Mexico City without a stall selling barbacoa, a traditional dish made by slow-cooking meat in an underground pit. This cozy spot on Calle Regina is a notch above the usual: warm, friendly, and family-run, with good tacos, consomé (soup made from the drippings of the meat), and a superior selection of salsas.
Regina 45, Mexico City, 06090, Mexico
Known For
  • Friendly atmosphere
  • Outdoor seating
  • Good option for brunch
Restaurant Details
No dinner Sun.–Tues.

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Los Claros

$

Come to Los Claros for seafood tacos galore! Fill your tortillas with a variety of fish and shrimp, served battered, grilled, or "crunchy." It's inexpensive, but cash-only.

Los Cocos Restaurant and Bar

$

You can spend the whole day here on loungers enjoying the beach, the ocean, delicious food, and refreshing micheladas. They specialize in seafood, pescado zarandeado, ceviche, and obviously coconuts, but you can order absolutely anything and won’t be disappointed. You can also rent a kayak or play beach volleyball. The owner, Oscar, is always ready to help. No stress, no pressure.

Playa Quimixto, Mexico
322-111--9209
Known For
  • Delicious coconuts
  • Beach volleyball court
  • Loungers and kayaks for rent

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Los Conos Restaurant Bar

$

Los Conos Restaurant and Bar serves Latin and Mexican dishes and drinks and specializes in seafood. Their tasty lemonade or cold beer will save your life if you decided to hike to Las Ánimas from Boca de Tomatlán. Their fresh sierra ceviche is highly recommended, and shrimp come in very decent sizes (try the coconut ones). The waiters are attentive but not imposing, and the place is really neat and clean.

Los Portales

$ | La Crucecita

Good value, dependable Mexican cuisine, and a prime view of the town plaza make Los Portales a wise choice for breakfast or an afternoon meal. As one of the more authentic taquerías in a resort town catering to visitors, Los Portales offers traditional tacos al pastor, grilled meats, and Oaxacan moles as well as a full menu devoted to seafood. The aguachile is tasty, especially when accompanied by a mezcal cocktail from the bar.

Los Tucanes

$

This comfortable restaurant has a varied regional menu. Seafood is a specialty, particularly local trout, which is made in 20 different ways. The acamayas, or river lobsters, prepared with garlic are delicious; and the grilled beef and regional chorizo is also a great option. A large backyard has a couple of swing sets, and there's occasionally a big inflated castle where the kids can jump around.

Santos Degollado 23, Coatepec, 91500, Mexico
228-816–5434
Restaurant Details
No credit cards

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Lupita

$ | El Centro

Locals go to Lupita on a regular basis for the large menu, reasonable prices, and easygoing atmosphere. There are several rooms inside with tables but, weather permitting, most folks choose the open patio with equipale (pigskin) chairs, umbrella tables, and colorful walls and tablecloths. There are breakfasts from light to full; and for lunch and dinner, five soups and seven salads to choose from, as well as antojitos (snacks like tacos and burgers; tostadas with guacamole), seven pasta dishes, and a full gamut of seafood and meat dishes. There's Wi-Fi and an honor-system lending library up the back stairs.

Cuesta Vasco de Quiroga 5, Pátzcuaro, 61600, Mexico
434-345–0659

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Luz de Luna

$

Inside a colonial-era building, this small (just five tables) family-run restaurant is decorated with Mexican crafts and has an enormous menu of familiar favorites like burritos and fajitas. Grilled fish and steak are served with rice and shredded lettuce, as are the rolled tacos and enchiladas topped with red or green chile sauce. If you’re an early riser, stop by for French toast or a breakfast crêpe.

Calle 59 6, Campeche City, 24000, Mexico
981-100–8556
Known For
  • Traditional Mexican favorites
  • Hearty breakfasts
  • Good selection of coffees (but no alcohol)
Restaurant Details
Closed Sun.

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Madre Tierra

$ | Barrio de Santa Lucía

In an old house with a pleasant patio, this vegetarian restaurant is a favorite of locals and tourists. Almost everything on the menu is homemade, including the daily baked bread. For breakfast, don't miss the muffins and fruit salad with fresh yogurt. You also can't beat the fresh pastas and pizzas or their soups and salads. Going on a day trip? You can buy pizzas, breads, muffins, and preserves to go.

Av. Insurgentes 19, San Cristóbal de las Casas, 29250, Mexico
967-678–4297
Restaurant Details
No credit cards

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Maíz de Cacao

$ | La Roma

Part of the city's warm embrace and advocacy of Mesoamerican culinary traditions, this diminutive café with Mexican folk art on the walls specializes in dishes made with—as the name suggests—corn and chocolate. Tuck into a plate of blue-corn tamales with mildly spicy pork rib meat, eggs grilled with chiles in banana leaf, or cheese gorditas, washing everything down with corn atole or indigenous chocolate drinks (all of which are also available in the form of refreshing paletas, or popsicles).

Calle Córdoba 148, Mexico City, 06700, Mexico
55-9080--2963
Known For
  • Corn tortillas and tamales made with Mesoamerican nixtamalization practices
  • Cute, cheerful dining space with an open kitchen
  • Traditional indigenous corn and chocolate drinks (and popsicles)

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Mama's Royal Café

$

This casual, open-air spot advertises themselves as "probably the best breakfast restaurant in the whole country," and they're not wrong. Everything on the menu is good (if you return multiple times on the same trip, you'll be in good company), but their claim to fame is the decadent French toast stuffed with a mix of cream cheese and ricotta topped with fresh fruit, pecans, and flambéed orange liqueur.

Calle Hidalgo at Zapata, Cabo San Lucas, 23452, Mexico
624-143–4290
Known For
  • "The World's Best French Toast"
  • Homemade salsas
  • Fresh-squeezed juices
Restaurant Details
No dinner

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Mariscos 8T Versalles

$

The original Mariscos 8 Tostadas establishment (nowadays there are a few others in the bay) is widely considered the best seafood restaurant in PV. It's not a flashy place, but it’s clean, offers good service, and serves up simply delicious dishes.

Niza 134, 48330, Mexico
322-224--3318
Known For
  • The best aguachile in town
  • Fresh ceviche
  • Relaxed atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Closed Mon. No dinner.

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Mariscos El Tigre

$

Want to go where the locals eat lunch? El Tigre is a bit out of the way, in a residential neighborhood (take an Uber rather than walk), but it has the some of the absolute freshest seafood in town. The chocolate clams are obligatory, but get the aguachiles, too, to order like a Mexican.

Francisco Javier Mina 1229, La Paz, Mexico
612-238--0017
Known For
  • Freshly shucked clams
  • Seafood sourced directly from fishermen
  • Cash-only
Restaurant Details
Closed Tues. No dinner

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Marisma Fish Taco

$

The best fish and shrimp tacos in town are served at Marisma. It started in a little stall away from the big restaurants of the Marina seawalk but has now overtaken most of them, at least in reputation among the locals. 

Calle Naranjo 320, Mexico
Known For
  • Breaded shrimp tacos
  • Spicy calamar a la diabla
  • Favorite of locals

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Martin's

$

Located in La Manzanilla, Martin's is one of the best restaurants by the beach in all the Tenacatita area. You can tell that the chef goes the extra mile to serve more sophisticated seafood dishes than the other restaurants in town.

Playa Blanca 70, 48898, Mexico
315-351--7315
Known For
  • Great Caesar salad
  • Flaming Monte Cristo coffee
  • Live music on weekend nights
Restaurant Details
Closed Tues. and Wed.

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Mary Barragan Helados

$

A few blocks south of the Zócalo, there's often a line outside at this beloved ice-cream parlor known for rich and creamy frozen treats. Favorite flavors include avocado, cajeta, and hibiscus.

Calle 16 de Septiembre 1501, Puebla, 72530, Mexico
222-240--2098
Known For
  • Banana splits
  • Luscious tiramisu or Baileys Irish Cream milk shakes
  • Nieves (sorbets) in fresh fruit flavors like guayaba and passionfruit

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Maxico MX

$

Maxico is the main spot in town for coffee and coworking. The menu features healthy options like avocado toast, omelets, wraps, and smoothies, as well as numerous vegetarian and vegan options.

Mercado Roma

$ | La Roma

About 55 vendors offering everything from elevated short-order street food to refined farm-to-tables victuals operate out of this trendy food hall with a popular artisan beer bar, the Biergarten, on the third-floor rooftop space, which is also home to a whiskey bar. The first floor features stalls and a patio seating area, and a smaller mezzanine offers still more options. Some of the most popular choices include paella, sushi, mezcal, boozy paletas, churros, and French crepes.