681 Best Restaurants in Mexico

Open around the clock inside the Hotel Presidente InterContinental, this fashionable bistro continues to seduce well-heeled chilangos with high-end French classics. The oysters are flown in from France as well as Baja California; the roasted leg of pork with béarnaise sauce is the signature dish; green-apple sorbet with Calvados is a delicate finish. The extensive breakfast menu features both French and Mexican favorites. A fun indulgence at any hour, it's best for a decadent late-night repast, when the people-watching is at its best. 

Both a café and a restaurant, Aúna turns locally sourced ingredients into fantastic meals with an international flair. It's an impressive collaboration between chef Fernando Torres and chef Jorge Vallejo from famed Polanco restaurant Quintonil.

This smart establishment near the town's mountains is surrounded by ponds and bridges. Among the delicious concoctions are pork chops with a mango-pineapple salsa and grilled octopus in a rich garlic sauce. You can dine in the pink, high-ceiling dining room overlooking the trees and river or alfresco on a beautiful brick terrace with views of the mountains.

Though the architecture looks a little strange from the street, this five-story rooftop restaurant is sexy as hell. Bring your bathing suit, because select counter seating comes with a private plunge pool, along with a cheeky-chic, golden framed button that instructs you to "Press for Champagne." With expansive ocean views, this is a great spot to take a date or meet up with friends. Food is served from 8 am until 10:30 pm.

Sky-high prices are justified by the sky of stars above your head as you dine at this romantic bay-side restaurant. Hanging lanterns, a glowing blue pool, and a sleek lounge complete the scene. The menu is ambitious and international, highlighting lobster, shrimp, and fish tartare. Although at times the views can seem to outshine the cuisine, the service is always top-notch.

A branch of the established San José del Cabo microbrewery, this rooftop cantina has eight styles of beer on tap plus whichever additional seasonal brews are available—order a sampler to try a taste of each. A menu of classic pub fare is available for dining, with special emphasis on their "famous" beer pizzas; the dough is made daily from spent barley, yeast, and beer. The marlin empanadas are also a great snack or appetizer. Whether you're a beer fan or not, the open-air venue and excellent view make this a place worth stopping by.

Baja's popular brewery is right in the middle of San José del Cabo's Art District. Fun and upbeat, this brewpub has great music and serves filling pub meals. Craft burgers, mixed greens, and mesquite-fired pizzas—and more elegant entrées such as tuna tartare and shrimp tacos—should be accompanied with a pint of any of 12 special San José cervezas, along with seasonal offerings, all brewed within sight of the bar and restaurant. Another branch of the brewery is located on the rooftop of the Cabovillas Resort in Cabo San Lucas.

At a restaurant known colloquially as "La Pergola" due to its lovely location under one in Baja Club's garden, executive chef Panagiotis Vounos prepares Mediterranean cuisine inspired by his native Greece with a touch of French flair (it's where he received his training and worked before moving to La Paz). When it comes to beverages, however, that's all Mexico: the wine is sourced exclusively from Valle de Guadalupe, and Baja Club was the first establishment to officially collaborate with GUAYCURA Damiana Liqueur to create hyperlocal craft cocktail recipes.

Every detail here evokes the streets of Buenos Aires, right down to the cobblestone floors, the dramatic tango music, and the walls adorned with antique bandoneons (concertinas). Although the star offering is steak, the broad menu also features starters like smoked marlin and charcoal-grilled provolone cheese and mains that include pasta, fish, and chicken dishes. The sizzling rib eye is extremely tender (though health-conscious diners should request a leaner cut), and if you have room, order the brandy-soaked cake roll with caramel filling for dessert.   With 160 seats, this place can be a bit chaotic; reservations are recommended Thursday through Saturday.

One of the best all-around restaurants in El Centro, this place offers great food and excellent service. The paella Valenciana has no equal in the Banderas Bay area, and if you come for the tapas then you can't miss the spicy garlic shrimp or the Galician-style octopus. The restaurant is air-conditioned in summer; the rest of the year the windows are taken off to let the breeze in.

Barramar Beach Club is both the best beach club in town and one of the very best restaurants in the whole Barra de Navidad–Melaque area. Locals come for the swimming pool and stay for the seafood.

This small, marina-side dining room and cozy bar has been a popular high-season hangout since 1992. Dark polished woods contrast with bright white linens, and bottles of wine are shelved on walls painted with trompe-l'oeil scenes. A canopy-sheltered deck overlooks the marina. Among the best dishes on the northern Italian menu are minestrone soup, caprese salad (with tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella), fish fillet (usually red snapper or mahimahi) with a champagne sauce, and chicken cacciatore. Many of the pastas are made in-house. Enjoy the personalized attention of the owner and all-around excellent service.

Quite a few CDMX restaurants do upscale Italian food well, but this romantic, warmly lighted trattoria stands out for serving some of the finest pizzas around. Each thin-crust pie is crisped to perfection in the wood-fired oven on view at the front of the dining room—the pie layered lavishly with burrata and prosciutto is worth the splurge. You'll also find plenty of other contemporary Italian offerings of note, including beef carpaccio with white truffle oil and lobster risotto.

Revolving slowly on the 45th floor of the World Trade Center, Bellini maintains a formal, reserved character. While it's definitely known less for its food than the views (romantically twinkling city lights at night and a pair of volcanoes on a clear day), it's still worth the dining experience, especially for its beloved osso buco and French onion soup. Despite the name, most dishes here aren't Italian but rather Mexican and international, with lobster as the specialty. Colonia Nápoles is a lovely residential neighborhood south of La Condesa and La Roma, and across Insurgentes Avenue from Del Valle Centro.

This open-air locale charms with its curated selection of wines and vermouths along with delicious mocktails and coffee drinks. With a small menu of tapas-inspired snacks, it is a nice place to hang out solo for a while or meet up with friends. Local ceramics and artwork are for sale and it opens up to the street with outdoor and indoor seating options.

Located right at Playa Punta Lobos, this is a brilliant place to grab an elegant, beachside bite. Recently recognized by Michelin Guide, Benno serves a mix of Mexican and Mediterranean cuisine, with every dish crafted from local ingredients. The sommelier is among the most friendly and knowledgeable in town, providing great pairing recommendations with an emphasis on organic and biodynamic wines. The drive out here (down a barren, unlit dirt road) can feel a little hairy after dark, so while it's a lovely place to see the sunset, plan accordingly.

Set in the back of a small but posh contemporary shopping arcade overlooking a tranquil formal garden just off Plaza del Carmen, chic Bistro 83 is a go-to for lavish contemporary Euro-Mexican fare, such as escargot sautéed in garlic butter, grilled red snapper with a lemon-caper sauce, and tuna tartare tostadas with a soy-ginger marinade. During the day, enjoy a drawn-out feast on the classy patio.

Here you'll find everything you would expect from a petite bistro: an intimate environment open to the street, comforting food, good music that's not too loud, and excellent French wines. Start by ordering the house specialty, hailing from Lyon, France: fish quenelles with your choice of various sauces. A popular main dish is the carne bourguignonne, beef cooked in red wine and butter with bacon and mushrooms. If there's room for dessert, try the clafoutis, a French custard with cherries.

New-kid-on-the-block Biznaga is one of La Paz's trendiest restaurants, and a top spot for young, cool locals to gather. Its splashy design and solid mixology is garnering even more praise than its bites, but you won't leave disappointed or hungry if you order a selection of starters and tacos for the table.

The Blue Shrimp is a beautiful beachfront thatched-roof palapa restaurant right on the heart of the Zona Romántica. This is one of the go-to place for expats living in the area and tourists who want to try the famous Mexican seafood cuisine. The Blue Shrimp serves delicious dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and some of the best cocktails in PV. For lunch, you may want to try the Campechano Cocktail, which comes with a mix of shrimp and octopus, while the lobster enchiladas are a must for dinner.

An excellent traditional Mexican seafood restaurant, Boca del Mar is just steps from the sea. The food is extraordinary (you can also take it to go) but the service is even better.

Sitting on a quiet corner on a residential street, Branca Parilla is stunning both inside and out. It's snazzy enough to dress up a bit, but casual enough not to worry about it if you’re not. The bar is stacked and the waiters are knowledgeable.

The only gastronomic brewery in Chapala, it offers craft beer and delicious food including burgers, burritos, tacos, and salads.

You'll find one of Roma's prettiest dining rooms—with high brick walls and lush greenery set around a two-story interior courtyard with plenty of natural sunlight—in this moderately upscale and somewhat unassuming restaurant that turns out excellent globally influenced bistro fare. Consider the Vietnamese shrimp dumplings in a fragrant soy-shiitake sauce or tuna tartare tostadas to start, before choosing among the soft-shell-crab tacos, grilled Pacific snapper, or rabbit carnitas among the mains. There's a very nice cocktail and wine list, too.

This trendy but casual café also offers lunch and dinner, but it's the breakfast people come here for. Patrons love the enchiladas, huevos al gusto, pastries, and good coffee, though the pizzas and salads served later in the day and into the night are also tasty. It's one of the few places that has a/c during the summer months. Did we mention they also have Italian-style ice cream?

This laid-back seafood eatery brings the beach to Mexico City. Try the fresh taco Gobernador or tostada Punta Mita accompanied by a michelada. 

This small outdoor café is perfect for soaking up the boho vibe on a street lined with shops, small hotels, and huge potted plants. None of its hearty Mexican breakfasts costs more than MX$60. The lunch menu revolves around seafood plates and appetizers (try the tiritas, small strips of raw fish swimming in lime and onion) that don't top MX$75. Dinner is all about steak and seafood. There's an adjacent bar and even rooms to rent upstairs.

A serene tropical garden lies behind the unremarkable facade of this coffee bar on the busy road into Las Brisas hotel zone. The long list of caffeinated options are Big American franchise quality at about half the price. It opens at 8 am for breakfast; the offerings range from the healthy (fruit-granola-yogurt combos) to the hearty (chilaquiles). Come back later for the desserts, which include the good (carrot cake), the bad (ice cream), and the wicked (tres leches cake). You can score a beer, too.

This comfort-food café has three distinct menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The two rooms of this renovated former home overlook the street just a few blocks from the beach. In the morning order one of an army of different omelets, a smoothie, or an attractively presented fruit bowl with yogurt. The lunch menu ranges among the classics: BLTs and burgers, roast beef sandwiches, spaghetti, and four different salads. Coffee and a scoop of excellent Blue Bell ice cream or slice of carrot cake are also options. For dinner, choose among a reasonably priced rib-eye steak, shrimp in mango or chipotle chili sauce, or a fish fillet. Bathrooms are clean and pleasant.