189 Best Restaurants in Mexico

Twenty-five acres are what you’ll find at this farmland dining experience where design, sustainability, and modern cuisine intersect. Fried Brussels sprouts with candied pumpkin seed, white Bolognese pappardelle, and cauliflower steaks that make you wonder why you don’t eat more of the remarkable vegetable at home are a few of the menu offerings. Burn off the butter-crust milk crumble by walking to the base of the property where you'll find a mango orchard, swimming pool, and farm animals. The decor—in muted earthy tones and charcoal grays—blends beautifully with the relaxed music and vibe that might just make you lose track of time. Beyond the palm tree forest is the main restaurant where a reed pergola casts linear shadows onto concrete floors. Misters keep the place cool on hot days, as do refreshing cocktails like Beso de Katrina shaken with mezcal, lime, and hibiscus syrup.

Specializing in fresh seafood, you'll find bright, crisp flavors and a fantastic variety of seafood options here. Start your meal with one of their ceviche varieties, and follow it with a plate or two to share—perhaps the esquites con camaron, a mayo-based corn dish loaded with shrimp.

Exceptional modern French-Mexican cuisine, charming service, and—most of all—spectacular floor-to-ceiling views of Monumento de Revolución and the Reforma skyline create a memorable experience at this stylish restaurant perched dramatically atop an art deco office building in Tabacalera. Food highlights include esquites with braised oxtail, duck confit with fragrant and fruity mole sauce, and grilled octopus. There's a terrific cocktail list, too.

When it comes to authentic Mexican food, chef and food historian Ricardo Muñoz Zurita literally wrote the book with his Diccionario Enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana (Encyclopedia of Mexican Food). Here in his art-filled, elegant Condesa restaurant, you can sample some of his superb regional Mexican dishes, such as beef drizzled in a smoky Oaxacan mole that takes three days to make, Veracruz-style fish, or ancient Mayan dishes from the Yucatán. In addition, there is always a seasonal month-long menu highlighting cuisine from a different state of Mexico or some other theme related to the country's regional cuisine, with recipes by guest chefs as well as Muñoz. Azul has two additional locations in El Centro Histórico.

This old-time cantina a block from the eastern edge of Roma opened in 1950 and continues to attract crowds of both locals and tourists-in-the-know. There's nothing fancy about the brightly lit dining room, but the authentic Spanish food is up there with the best in the city and includes slow-cooked octopus, chorizo with cabrales cheese, Spanish omelets with asparagus, and chamorro (a fall-off-the-bone pork shank braised in a heady achiote sauce).

With tables neatly arranged in one of Condesa's most romantic gardens, this trendy spot showcases the creative international cuisine of chef Alejandra Navarro, formerly of world-famous Quintonil. The menu changes regularly and reflects seasonal ingredients, but typical fare includes flame-roasted beets with a chimichurri sauce, mussels steamed in a coconut-lemongrass broth, and organic smoked and roasted chicken au jus with new potatoes and a robust green sauce. 

An essential, if touristy, breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack stop downtown, this Mexican classic opened in 1912 in a section of an old convent. At the entrance to the main dining room are huge 18th-century oil paintings depicting the invention of mole poblano, a complex sauce featuring a variety of chiles and chocolate that was created by the nuns in the Santa Rosa Convent in Puebla. A student group dressed in medieval capes and hats usually serenades diners Wednesday through Sunday afternoon.

Named the country's top chef by the Mexican Gastronomical Council in 2019, young chef Gabriela Ruíz helms this handsome space with a high "living" green ceiling in fashionable Lomas de Chapultepec. Offering inventive interpretations on recipes she grew up with in her native Tabasco, Ruíz wows diners with complexly flavored dishes like goose pâté with a guava compote or beef tongue in a traditional puchero (stew) with plantains and malanga root.

Chef Alejandro Ruiz is behind some of the most creative food in southern Mexico—rack of lamb in pineapple-and-vanilla sauce and venison tamales with mole are just a few examples. Wild game is featured heavily on the menu, though the kitchen also has a way with red snapper. Not one course falls short here: appetizers incorporate local herbs and greens, and desserts such as a guava tart with rose-petal sorbet perfectly balance citrus and sweetness. The specialty cocktails are excellent, especially the sangria. The room is modern, open, airy, with white stucco walls, simple wooden tables and chairs, and a beamed ceiling. It's casual and effortlessly romantic. The restaurant shares a building with one of the finest art galleries in town, Galería Quetzalli, so you can browse after you eat.

Baja Californian chef Raul Soto delivers an elevated culinary experience at Cocina del Mar, the elegant restaurant in the exquisite Esperanza Resort. Using daily market ingredients and focusing on simple seafood, Soto presents inventive dishes such as charred octopus, grilled Kumiai oysters, or the zarandeado-style blue colossal shrimp. Comondu lamb chops are accompanied by salsa verde, pink guava, and ember-roasted onion. Just when you thought it couldn't get any better, the waiter delivers a mango and passion fruit sorbet that will leave you wanting for more. Opt for a table on the cliffs where waves crash so close, you can feel the spray.

Come before 1 pm or make an online reservation to avoid the long wait at this airy seafood haven, a power-lunch spot for the creative and celebrity sets since it opened in 1998 (there's often less of a wait for the casual outside tables). While the people-watching is prime, your attention will be on the food: start with the famed tuna tartare tostadas, then try some fish cooked al pastor or a bowl of clam chowder, minced soft-shell crab or octopus tacos, or the huge butterflied pescado Contramar with red chile. Be sure to save room for dessert, too (the banana pie is memorable). And there are few better places to enjoy the Mexican tradition of sobremesa, lingering over drinks and conversation after a meal.

While the Waldorf Astoria's other restaurant, El Farallon, tends to gather universal acclaim from Cabo's visitors and residents, we'd like to boldly suggest that dining at Don Manuel's is an even better experience. Open for each meal of the day, the modern Mexican cuisine served is innovative and decadent. The tranquil sound of the rolling waves is well complemented by nightly live music, the exclusivity of the restaurant makes it feel as if both nature and the band are performing just for you. A postconsumption stroll along Pedregal's nearly private beach makes for a perfect dessert.

Award-winning chef Edgar Roman brings contemporary Mexican cuisine from farm to table at Don Sanchez. Brick pillars, white linens, and a wine wall comprised of nearly 100 blends make up the more formal dining area, but dinner on the patio is a must. The cocktails and appetizers alone are worth a visit, including the Margarita Tejolote. The rustic tomato salad with heirloom tomatoes is a colorful starter to the sterling silver brisket, baked overnight in a brick oven. Seafood is locally sourced and the grass-fed beef comes directly from Sonora. Save room for the chocolate piñata, a uniquely Mexican dessert. The wine pairing dinner makes this the ideal spot to buy Mexico’s finest blends.

El Che Guacho is owned by Argentinians and specializes in Argentinian cuisine. Look forward to enjoying a delicately cooked steak in a beautifully designed indoor-outdoor restaurant with glass walls that (in good weather) open to provide access to a quiet, covered, terrace garden. The bar is well stocked, the staff are friendly and knowledgeable about their menu, and the choices available are phenomenal. There is nowhere else in Oaxaca to savor the juices of such a perfectly cut, perfectly cooked, and perfectly presented steak, accompanied by a wine handpicked by the owners. It's a favorite with locals and visitors alike.

Set in a handsome old building on a sliver of city blocks wedged between Parque Chapultepec and the Circuito Bicentenario freeway (you may find it easier to Uber than walk here), El Mirador is a venerable old cantina that's been drawing a crowd of regulars since Porfirio Díaz was in office—1904 to be exact. In a dining room of paneled walls and white napery, well-dressed waiters whisk about with plates of pork tongue stewed in a rich chipotle-tomato sauce and tribilín, a flavorful dish of raw beef, fish, and shrimp marinated ceviche-style in olive oil, lime, onions, and roasted chiles. When you're feeling a little trendied-out by Condesa and Roma, this is a relaxing and rewarding antidote.

This cliffside restaurant offers the most spectacular view in Todos Santos—the excellent Mexican cuisine is an added bonus. Sunset is the most popular time to dine, so be sure to make a reservation in advance if you want seating. If you're looking for the perfect place to celebrate a special occasion, like a birthday, anniversary, or simply "la vida," this is it.

You'll have to work hard to find El Moro, but your perseverance will be rewarded with one of the better meals—consisting of a wide range of seafood and beef dishes—in Cozumel. After dinner, try a taste of xtabentun, a traditional Yucatecan liqueur made of fermented honey and anise seeds. This family-owned, open-air restaurant has been feeding hungry locals and tourists for years. Brothers Ray, Efren, and Heiser strive to make you feel welcome, so the service is excellent—and the portions are large.

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.

This alfresco dining experience is built right in the center of the self-sustaining Flora Farms. It's a charming oasis featuring a farm-to-table restaurant, spa, gift shop, cooking school, organic market, and culinary cottages (private homes), all under the Flora Farms brand. Meals are homemade including produce and meat (chicken and pork) grown on the property and bread baked on-site. Wholly organic meals include favorites like fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, massive pork chops fired in the wood-burning oven, butternut squash ravioli, and a selection of pizzas and seasonal salads. Even the sausages served with sweet potato chips are homemade. The adjacent Farm Bar serves unique takes on classic cocktails delivered in Mason jars, like the "Farmarita" with heirloom carrot infusion or the "Pelo de Perro" (Dog's Hair), a Bloody Mary featuring heirloom tomato water. Flora's is a wonderful learning experience for families by day and a romantic spot for couples by night. There's live music events and movie nights scheduled throughout the year, and cooking classes Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10:30 to 2 pm (cost from $2,465 MX includes cocktail and lunch).

Partly founded by Quinonil's celebrity chef Jorge Vallejo, Fonda Fina serves modernly interpreted Mexican classics, such as raw tuna tostadas with citrus oil and a gaujillo-chile vinaigrette or a casserole of beef cheeks braised in a green mole sauce with smoked cauliflower. One popular way to choose your meal here is to mix and match your protein (rib-eye, octopus, and pork among them) with any of several vegetable garnishes and about 10 salsa options—the servers are happy to recommend tasty pairings. The creative cocktails are excellent, too.

Fans of Thai food who are frustrated by the lack of options in the capital can flock to this stellar restaurant set inside a dramatic, spacious 19th-century mansion. The artfully prepared dishes here can hold their own with any you'll find in North America—it's best to share a few dishes, such as duck in a red curry of pineapple, eggplant, and lychee; a southern-style pad Thai with soft-shell crab, tamarind sauce, and coconut milk; and the dessert of fried bananas with house-made chrysanthemum ice cream.

Chef Yvonne Villiger works wonders with fresh fish—if the wahoo with capers and black olives is on the menu, don't miss it. But Guido's is best known for pizzas that are baked in a wood-fired oven and served by an incredibly attentive staff. Enjoy a pitcher of delicious sangria in the pleasant, roomy courtyard.

Venture just up the hill from Polanco into similarly upscale Lomas de Chapultepec to sample some of the most exquisitely presented and sublime sushi in the city, including king crab hand rolls with truffle mayo and butter soy, and hamachi marinated in ponzu-yuzu with sliced serrano chiles. The varnished wood sushi bar is a fun place to sit and watch the chefs in action. There are two other locations in the city.

Downtown Cuernavaca is a bit lacking in trendy dining, but this casually fashionable open-air restaurant in stylish Las Casas B&B Hotel serves some of the most beautifully plated and delicious food in the city. It's a mix of contemporary Mexican and Mediterranean dishes, from sea bass risotto with roasted artichokes and kalamata olives to grilled chicken in a rich mole negro with caramelized bananas and hand-made blue-corn tortillas. There's also a selection of creative pastas, pizzas, and salads. Be sure to save room for the homemade desserts. 

You can opt for either of the two distinct experiences in this stylish Calle Colima restaurant: dining in the early 20th-century town house that overlooks the busy street below or sitting in the much more casual and social covered outdoor section with a green living wall. The menu changes seasonally but might feature crab tostadas with grapefruit, ginger, and arugula or fillet of beef with pureed potatoes and a soy-caramel emulsion. The cocktails here are first-rate, too.

Using only the freshest ingredients—from local fruits and vegetables to seafood right off the pier—the chefs at this jungle-side restaurant work their magic in a comfortable, contemporary setting that feels more Manhattan than Maya. Ask about the tender roasted duck breast with tequila, chipotle, and honey, or order an addictive, understated bowl of shrimp macaroni and cheese with notes of truffle. The fresh tuna tostada is also a treat. Daiquiris are served strong and fruity and portions are ample, so get ready to loosen your belt. The specials change weekly and the menu changes seasonally, so repeat guests are always in for a treat.

Savor deftly crafted modern Japanese fare—yakitori skewers, oden and ramen bowls, tempura, udon noodle, raw shellfish, and sushi and sashimi—in this inviting, contemporary space with a variety of seating options, including private tatami rooms. The menu stand-outs are many, including a serrano-wagyu beef roll and shrimp mapo tofu. There's an impressive selection of cocktails, wines, and artisan beers to match the food.

The grande dame of Cancún restaurants delivers on the promise of its name, with candlelit tables and discreet waiters who will make you feel as if you've been transported to Italy. The fare includes homemade pizzas and pastas such as Bolognese-style lasagna; veal scaloppine and calamari steak in shrimp and lobster sauce are other options. The wine list is excellent, and the dessert truffle is a must for chocolate lovers. Be patient when waiting for your order, though, as good food takes time to prepare.

This large, welcoming, thatched-roof eatery is open to the breezes of Playa Los Muertos and filled with wicker-covered chandeliers, art-glass fixtures, and lazily rotating ceiling fans. The menu meanders among international dishes with modern presentation: roasted stuffed chicken breast, pork loin, seared yellowfin tuna drizzled in cacao sauce. It's pricey, but the beachfront location and, in the evening, the low lights and romantic atmosphere, keep people coming back. Breakfast is popular with locals as well as visitors.

Overlooking the town square, La Sirena serves an eclectic mix of dishes ranging from mini sliders and grilled grouper to hearty plates of barbecue pulled pork with shoestring fries. If you like Mediterranean food, opt for Greek specialties prepared by chef Anthony Chalas, who credits his skills to his years spent in Greece. The dip sampler—with homemade hummus and tzatziki—is simple and delicious, as is the Athena salad topped with a block of feta and kalamata olives. The keftedes (Greek meatballs) are outstanding. You can taste the quality here, reflecting Anthony's effort to buy only organic and fresh ingredients. There's live music nightly in high season and tequila tastings on Monday.