41 Best Restaurants in Mexico

An oasis in the middle of the chaos of Centro Histórico, you'll find excellent service and elegant versions of traditional Mexican dishes here. A variety of dishes from around the country are expertly prepared under the watchful eye of renowned chef Ricardo Muñoz Zurita.

Bagels are not common in Mexico, but luckily Bagels Lepu single-handedly satisfies many a craving in the city. While it might just be the most expensive sandwich you'll find here, these homemade bagels are delicious, and the desserts and coffee are both delightful.

In operation since 1962, you'll find an impressive array of tacos, tortas, agua frescas, and more here. Sit at the counter and watch the chefs whip up meals at an impressive speed.

Located in the shadows of Parque Uruguay, Entremar is the lesser-known sister restaurant of the popular Roma Norte seafood restaurant Contramar; both share the same menu as well as the same attentive service. Luckily, it's much easier to get a table at Entremar, but you'll still be enjoying the same high-quality dishes like the pescado contramar, a filet of fish seasoned on one side with red adobo rub and parsley on the other.

Quick and reliably good, Las Tlayudas is a small sidewalk eatery specializing in Oaxacan cuisine. Come here for the tlayudas, of course—massive tortillas covered with beans, cheese, and meat. And don't miss a glass of mezcal or botana Oaxaqueña to wash down some chapulines (grasshoppers).

Located on Calle 47, which was pedestrianized in 2023 as its status as Mérida's restaurant row became more official, this colorful restaurant specializes in grilled fish and meat dishes, though the cocktail menu of mezcal and tequila favorites is a draw as well. The scene is lively but not excessively so, making this a perfect option for a special-occasion celebration.

Named after a wild green herb often found in milpas, a Mesoamerican crop-growing system, Quintonil was opened in 2012 by chef-owner Jorge Vallejo. Today, Vallejo eschews fussiness to let the local ingredients shine: smoked trout from nearby Zitácuaro or a salad of greens and herbs from the floating gardens of Xochimilco. The discreet, refined restaurant is locally focused all the way up to the rooftop garden.

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.

It's well known that Las Ventanas is one of the best hotels in Mexico, and the on-site dining likewise does not disappoint. A diverse Mexican menu pays homage to Oaxaca, a southern Mexican state with an extraordinarily rich culinary tradition, and a focus on family recipes. Highlights include duck breast with mole negro, grilled octopus with huitlacoche and peanut sauce, and catch of the day with mole verde accompanied by zucchini blossom. For a social appetizer, start with the "Escamoles con Tuétano," a dish of Mexican caviar served with bone marrow and guacamole. If you haven't already blown through your dinner budget, order the fondant mezcal, guava sorbet, or Oaxacan chocolate. There's live music nightly, and private cooking demonstrations in the Rosewood herb garden (by reservation).

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.

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.

A branch of the historic churro restaurant in Centro Historico, this is a great place to stop and take a break on the eastern edge of Polanco. Delicious churros, hot chocolate, milk shakes, and coffee will satisfy your sweet tooth here

Just by the beach, the Coral Bar and Grill is the on-site restaurant of the Flying Cloud Hotel and part of the XTC Dive Center. The place is open all day, offering Mexican breakfasts, international food for lunch and dinner, and even some vegan dishes. It also works as a beach club and has theme nights every Tuesday and Friday. 

At the top of the Sears building, you'll find an only okay coffee shop with one of the city's most famous and beautiful views of Bellas Artes. You will need to buy something to enter, so grab a drink or a pastry and enjoy the view below.

Ivy climbs blond, hacienda-style columns, and chandeliers bathe in a romantic light in the second-floor dining room of this stunningly restored boutique hotel and restaurant. The chef has a restrained hand when it comes to salt and spices; recipes are straightforward yet neither bland nor boring.

By day it looks like a hole-in-the-wall, but when the sun goes down, the rummage-sale-meets-taco-stand atmosphere of this open-air local favorite truly comes to life. Get beyond the ghoulish silhouette logo—ahorcado means "hangman" in Spanish—and you'll find that the food is pretty good. One of the few area restaurants open late, it's packed until closing, usually around midnight. Old pots, baskets, antique irons, sombreros, and other tchotchkes hang from the walls and rafters. Quesadillas come with vegetarian fillers such as flor de calabaza (squash blossom), nopales (cactus), and rajas (poblano chilies), while meatier house specialties include beef tongue tacos in mustard sauce, cochinita pibil tacos, Cantonese-style beef rib tacos, and cuchiviriachis—a tostada filled with cheese and meat and roasted for a perfect melt. This is the place to get a chilled Corona for a handful of pesos.

There’s nothing fancy about one of Isla’s most popular restaurants—think plastic tables and chairs with bright tablecloths and furnishings—but Javi’s captures that island informality perfectly. Seafood is the specialty here, with cilantro-chile-lime shrimp, grilled octopus, or Alfredo lobster among the don't-miss dishes. Top it all off with a brownie or flan from the dessert menu. The place looks tiny, but dining spills over into the back courtyard on warm nights.

Viennese entrées dominate the menu, which is modified each year when the restaurant participates in PV's culinary festival. The adjacent café has sandwiches, excellent desserts, and 20 specialty coffees—all of which are also available at the main restaurant. To avoid the stream of street peddlers off the patio, eat in the charming, European-style dining room.

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.

Part art gallery and part restaurant, LagoAlgo is the best place to have a meal that's actually in Bosque de Chapultepec. The focus in the kitchen is on fresh, local cuisine with strong Mexican flavors. It's a little fancier than most places in the area, but it still has a come-as-you-are vibe if you'd like to wander in after a day in the park.

Flowers and artwork lend warmth to this sophisticated Italian restaurant, where the cuisine includes linguine with lobster, angel-hair pasta with seafood, specialty lasagnas, plus assorted meat and fish dishes. The waiters are laid-back and seem to know everyone who walks in the door. (Most patrons are locals who've been dining here for more than 20 years.) On any given night, many of chef Paolo Ceravolo's offerings are colorful and innovative specials that do not appear on the menu. If you're coming for lunch, plan on a late one—Locanda Paolo opens at 2 pm daily.

For refined dining in an intimate atmosphere, head to this modern French restaurant that serves refreshingly original dishes. The setting is sophisticated without excess, while the cuisine is bold and authentic. Start with the escargots or a lobster soup, and then order the catch of the day or the surf and turf picanha for your main course; either is guaranteed to satisfy.

A colorful French-Mexican fusion café, Maison Belen offers pastries and hearty breakfasts. The space itself is small, but the outdoor seating provides an excellent opportunity for people-watching over a pain au chocolate. A few doors down on the same block is a stand where you can buy their pastries to go.

Japanese chef Makoto Okuwa brings his energizing point of view to Mexico's rich culinary heritage. The dishes are beautifully presented; main dishes like the black cod miso and short rib maki offer a complex blend of flavors. From the upstairs terrace, diners can look out over the leafy surrounding neighborhood.

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.

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. 

Covered by a nestlike dome and surrounded by espejos de agua (water mirrors), the Viceroy's sophisticated, design-forward restaurant impresses with its truly unique setting. The menu is equally original, with an eclectic mix of Japanese delicacies, Mexican fusion creations, and a gourmet raw bar. Start with a shrimp kimchi aguachile; continue with the robatayaki al pastor, and end this fascinating culinary experience with an omakase for two that is a true revelation.

Owned by a couple of expats, this cute restaurant just half a block from the malecón is a hidden gem in Puerto Vallarta's crowded dining scene. Every dish is unique in its own way and no matter if it's the soup of the day or the Korean bulgogi steak, they all look amazing. Come for lunch and stay all afternoon for the cocktails.