349 Best Restaurants in Mexico

Decorated with brightly colored papeles picados and tables with Talavera tile tops, friendly and traditional Antojería Nacional is a bit of a contrast with the many hip and modern spots in this neighborhood of Cholula close to the campus of Universidad de las Americas. The specialty of this hugely popular spot is traditional street food—tortas milanesas, chicken pelonas, chorizo gorditas, and more.

This sunny, easygoing bakery/café---part of a popular Mexico City chainlet---lies conveniently across the street from handsome Parque de La Bombilla, which is the perfect spot to savor some of the exquisite, freshly baked tarts, cookies, and pastries sold here, along with a coffee or tea. For a heartier meal, choose one of the more substantial options, such as the Jamón serrano-Manchego sandwich or vegetable quiche.

If you’ve got a hankering for a hole-in-the-wall place that serves cheap, delicious meals, Burritos Gorditos fits the bill for breakfast and lunch. The made-to-order shrimp burritos are excellent and big enough to split, and a solid assortment of tacos and salads is available, but no alcohol is served. Seating is limited (which is why locals call ahead for takeout or delivery).  If the tables are full, place your order and wait for one to open up or eat outside on the wall.

The intoxicating aroma of fresh coffee (and pastries, too!) lures locals and visitors alike into this spacious café just off of Plaza Amelia Wilkes. Claiming (with little backlash) to serve the best organic coffee in town, The Cabo Coffee Company sources their beans from a private grower in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Oaxaca then roasts them fresh daily here in Cabo San Lucas. Every type of drink you're used to ordering at bigger chains---from a classic cappuccino to flavorful frappes---can be found here, too, and chances are you'll like the taste of Cabo Coffee's version better.

One of the few spots in Coyoacán with the hip factor of Roma or Condesa, this tiny artisan roaster turns out some of the best, and most interesting, coffee drinks in city as well as selling connoisseur-worthy beans to go. The classics, including single-origin pour-overs and lattes, are superb, but you'll also find tasty iced drinks, like the refreshing Greench (green tea, kefir, and soda water) and the soothing Trago Tranquila with coffee, coconut cream, pineapple, and tonic water.

Cafe D'Priss offers great coffee and breakfast; their waffles are the best in town. Portions are reasonable and prices are low, making it a favorite among locals and visitors.

Open since 1930, this coffee spot on one of Centro's most hectic streets is one of liveliest places in town to sip a cortado (espresso mixed with warm milk). Café Equis is by no means a third-wave coffee joint—the beans here, entirely from Mexico, are a touch over-roasted and you won't find any plant milks on offer—but with its painted walls and lively air, it's a bona fide institution.

Named for the Silk Road, this inviting café with an enchanting outdoor patio overlooking tranquil Parque Santa Catarina does indeed draw its culinary inspiration from both East and West, serving delectable kimchi omelets, Cuban sandwiches, soba noodle and toasted sesame salads, and anise–avocado leaf cakes. Most of the fair-trade ingredients, from the coffee beans and teas to the whole grains and flours used in the artisan breads and pastries, are sourced organically. If you have trouble scoring a seat, you can always try the small satellite location a couple of blocks away on Calle Ayuntamiento and Avenida Miguel Ángel de Quevedo. There's also a small food cart next door that sells organic snacks (from chocolate brownies to paletas), reusable bags, honeys and jams, and soaps, and next to that is a branch of the artisan ice-cream parlor Carmela.

Just a block from the busy Avenida Ribera de San Cosme, this quiet and elegantly designed hideaway offers respite from the crowds of nearby Metro San Cosme. Decorated with antiques and smelling of freshly roasted coffee, it’s the kind of place where you can disappear for a quiet afternoon of reading or a nice meal alone or with a travel companion. There are two other Camino a Comala cafés in the city, but this one's the best.

For more than 60 years, the shop Aquí es Oaxaca has anchored this block of Calle Santísima that serves as Centro's unofficial Little Oaxaca, selling tamales as well as the mole pastes and cured meats known in the region. When visitors started asking for full meals, Casa Nela was born, and so up a distressingly narrow flight of spiral stairs you'll find Oaxacan classics served in surprisingly peaceful surroundings.

When you're seeking a calm break from the bustle of the big city, have a seat in this dainty and diminutive tearoom with white painted walls, a brick ceiling, and shelves piled high with beautiful teacups, kettles, and bins of tea. You'll find an impressive array of tea blends as well as yerba mate, and a staff who prepares every drink with great care—in fact, the shop offers classes in tea tasting.

This midsize enclave is sure to satisfy anyone with a sweet tooth, particularly those fond of well-crafted French crepes. Try the orange-flavored Suzette or, if you're a chocolate fan, the full-on Tahitian with ice cream, chocolate, and whipped cream. They also have savory crepes and occasionally hold a moules et frites (mussels and french fries) night for seafood lovers.

One of Sayulita's pioneer restaurants has really gotten spiffy, beautifying its terrace restaurant with mosaic tile accents. BLTs and burgers, omelets and bagels, chicken with rice, and chai tea are some of what you'll find here, along with a good selection of vegetarian dishes. Service isn't fast, in keeping with laid-back Sayulita's surfer attitude. This perennial favorite across from the main square is almost always full of people eating and loafing. 

This festive and always packed spot has been a mainstay for sweet tooths since 1935. The best plan is to share an order or two of long, crispy churros with at least two dipping sauces (condensed milk, chocolate, and—maybe the best—cajeta are your options), along with a churro ice-cream sandwich. The interior has white-tile walls with intricate blue patterns, simple light-wood tables, and bright lighting. There are milk shakes and hot chocolate drinks, too, in case you're somehow still craving sugar. There are numerous additional locations around the city, and the owners also run a lively roast-chicken-focused fast-casual restaurant, Pollos Poncho, a block away on Álvaro Obregón.

This fabulous coffee roaster has three locations in La Paz, plus locations in Todos Santos and Cabo San Lucas. Named simply after the physical location of their first café (#1240), the brand is now synonymous with fresh coffee, great pastries, cute merch, and a welcoming atmosphere.

Tucked inside the small El Mercado Amazónico on the east edge of Roma, this tiny offbeat Asian-Mexican-fusion taqueria features duck in every one of its handful of dishes, all of them addictively good. In addition to both Mexican- and Asian-style taco preparations (the Peking duck–inspired "Kim" version is especially tasty), you can enjoy ginger-duck-filled wontons and spring rolls as well as duck tortas. There's also a selection of house salsas (red wine-hibiscus, tamarind, and Thai sweet chile), and they offer a handful of artisan beers. The original location in Condesa is also excellent, and there are two others, one in Polanco and one in Coyoacán.

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.

Shaded by a giant palapa roof, this open-air restaurant is an inviting spot for lunch or an early dinner (it closes at 7 pm). Though you'll find the same Yucatecan dishes (pollo pibil, sopa de lima) here as elsewhere, the preparation is excellent. Best of all is the poc chuc—little bites of pork marinated in sour orange, garlic, and chiles and grilled over charcoal. There is also a Mérida location if you don't want to make the trip to the original one. 

Polanco's most beloved taquería serves tacos, tortas, and panuchos of cochinita pibíl, the Yucatecan specialty of achiote-marinated pork. People from all walks of life, from hipsters to construction workers to businesswomen, line up throughout the day for a quick fix, topped with the habanero salsa and pickled red onion (and Montejo beer) typical of the Yucatán. If you can grab a table, get the sopa de lima, a mildly tart chicken soup made with the region's tiny limes. It's common to see a line here, so be prepared for a short wait.

The owners of this tiny Roma kitchen with volcanic-rock floors and walls are devoted to preserving Mexico's ancient culinary traditions, including the nixtamalización process of grinding corn into tortilla dough, which is used to create exquisite yet simple breakfast and lunch fare that changes day to day, according to what's in season. You might enjoy anything from corn tacos filled with fresh cheese, hoja santa (a peppery Mexican herb), and squash blossom, to a blue-corn tortilla topped with avocado, ants, and salsa. They also carry a beer made from corn, produced by the city's Dängo craft brewery.

Everyone from postclubbing revelers to early morning workers to ardent foodies (the late Anthony Bourdain was a big fan) wait in line for a chance to feast on the hearty guisados served in this legendary breakfast joint. Come with a big appetite, and try a few specialties, such as refritos huevos (eggs whipped with refried beans), chilaquiles with salsa verde, and eggs stewed with longaniza sausage. Many of the best dishes sell out well before Fonda Margarita closes at 11:30 am, and there's usually a line by 8, so try to get here early.

Frascati is friendly and intimate while simultaneously sophisticated, with a lively soundtrack. Choose your pasta (several are house-made) and one of 12 toppings, including traditional sauces such as Bolognese, pesto, four-cheese, and pomodoro, or something chef-inspired like the Arturito, a sauce of fresh tomatoes, cream, chicken, and basil. The mixed seafood combo, served in an oversize martini glass, is a must-try. In addition to lightly battered and deep-fried denizens of the deep, the appetizer comes with batter-fried julienne zucchini and crispy fried parsley.

The delicious aromas from the busy kitchen lure fans to the outdoor patio of this cheerful trattoria in a neighborhood that's fast becoming known as "Little Italy." Ebullient chef-owners Manuel and Giordana have a warm energy that matches their classic Italian cuisine; la dolce vita begins with a basket of bread sticks and crusty bread served with two addictive pestos (one habanero and the other anchovy herb). The menu includes a tempting array of house-made pastas including spinach ravioli and tagliatelle. But don't hurry to make your choice; wait to hear the daily specials, which are always market-fresh and simple, using the finest seasonal ingredients. Portions are generous and offer excellent value. The wine list is better than average.

At high meal times, travelers will find lines of locals and tourists alike extending out the door of this traditional Mexican restaurant in El Centro. While the decor is plain, the food is among the best in the city. Items worth testing include the queso fundido (cheese fondue) and the enchiladas. If you're staying in West Guadalajara, there's a second restaurant at 405 Terranova in Providencia.

Here, in the shadow of La Parroquia, you'll find some of the best-prepared traditional Mexican food in town. The guacamole is great, as are any of the enchiladas, the chiles rellenos, and the Yucatan specialty, cochinita pibíl (slow-roasted pork). Top it off with the homemade flan, a delicious preparation of an old standby, and celebrate another fabulous San Miguel day with one of the well-prepared margaritas. The sweeping cityscape, backed by mountains, is another enchantment.

A sound track of light jazz plays in the background at this quaint, small restaurant facing Plaza Vasco de Quiroga. Sit at the outdoor tables under the arcade—or indoors, which feels like a shop from bygone days, with shelves packed with liqueurs, nuts, cookies, jams, candies, candles, and other items for sale. Coffee is made fresh from the espresso machine, but you can still get a free refill. The friendly and knowledgeable waiters will patiently explain the unusual dishes, such as huevos tarascos (fried eggs on a corn tortilla topped with corn kernels, thick melted cheese, and a dark chile negro sauce). For lunch or dinner get trout any style, salmon in four-cheese sauce, or mushrooms sautéed in garlic, chili, and tequila. The menu is refreshingly varied and the service refreshingly attentive.

In a relaxing garden filled with retro decor, waiters in mesh trucker hats and black T-shirts deliver remarkable urban Mexican cuisine with a dash of Grandma’s secret recipes. Under the shade of a mango tree, start with the trio of salsas infused with orange and chipotle, served with a basket of freshly fried tortilla chips. Local breakfast favorites are the French toast and Costa Azul eggs (scrambled, fried, or baked) served with Dijon cream sauce. Or go straight to the lunch menu, featuring the pork shoulder sandwich, jicama mango salad with citrus cream dressing, and a cheese-and-vegetable stuffed poblano sandwich. All pastries are crafted in-house, including the sinfully divine churros, served with sweet milk.