Restaurants in Mexico City have their unique takes on the local cuisines, but they all share a deep reverence for traditional ingredients. There’s more to Mexican food than tacos and burritos. Like its people, the food of Mexico City is rich, diverse, and exciting.
Virtually all restaurants in the capital city use fresh in-season produce to create a rich and delightful mix of flavours and textures. You can find plenty of dishes that you’ve never heard of before but will leave you wanting more. Check out our guide to the best places to eat in Mexico City.
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Restaurante El Cardenal
A great place to enjoy a traditional Mexican breakfast
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El Cardenal first opened in 1969 at the corner of Moneda and Seminario streets in Mexico City. While there’s no longer at its original location, you can still find several branches in Palma, Alameda, Lomas and San Angel.
Easily one of the most well-known restaurants in Mexico City, El Cardenal is famed for its traditional breakfast service. A must-try is its rich Doña Oliva chocolate, paired with your choice of freshly baked pastries and creamy nata (clotted cream). If you prefer something savoury, the restaurant serves the likes of enchiladas, gorditas (corn tortillas stuffed with cheese and meat), and Spanish omelette with escamoles (ant larvae).
Dirección: C. de la Palma 23, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06000 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
Horario: Monday–Saturday from 8 am to 6.40 pm, Sunday from 8.30 am to 6.30 pm
Teléfono: +52 55 5521 3080
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Contramar
For hearty seafood meals
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Contramar is the place to be if you want to enjoy fresh seasonal fish and shellfish in Mexico City. It’s just 1 km south of the Angel of Independence monument in the city centre.
Contramar is a trendy spot with a breezy indoor dining room and a garden-like patio. Highlights range from tuna tostadas and shrimp tacos to sashimi and New England-style chowder. It’s often packed with locals and tourists, especially during weekend lunches. It’s a good idea to come early, even on a weekday.
Dirección: Calle de Durango 200, Roma Nte., Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
Horario: Monday–Friday from noon to 8 pm, Saturday–Sunday from 11 am to 8 pm
Teléfono: +52 55 5514 9217
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Pujol
An elegant restaurant serving innovative Mexican cuisine
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Pujol offers a contemporary take on Mexican cuisine. Local ingredients and traditional techniques come front and centre in its dishes, but they also draw from foreign culinary styles. The dining space is elegant but has a rather casual atmosphere.
Pujol is an excellent place to try modern dishes that reflect Mexico’s rich culinary history. The tasting menu is always changing and evolving to take advantage of what’s in season. You can also opt for the chef’s recommendation, which can be anything from octopus tacos to gorditas (corn tortillas stuffed with cheese and meat).
Dirección: Tennyson 133, Polanco, Polanco IV Secc, Miguel Hidalgo, 11570 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
Horario: Monday–Saturday from 1 pm to 10 pm (closed on Sundays)
Teléfono: +52 55 5545 4111
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Restaurante Lorea
Try the 15-course tasting menu
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Restaurante Lorea offers a daily tasting menu of seasonal Mexican specialities. You can enjoy 15 courses of refined and artful dishes, each carefully plated on handcrafted dishware. The restaurant also offers a variety of alcoholic beverages, including wines, beers, spirits, and cocktails.
Restaurante Lorea is owned by Oswaldo Oliva, who combines his experience of working at Michelin-starred restaurants with his Mexican roots. If you love exploring local cuisines through tasting menus, this is a great place to be in Mexico City.
Dirección: Sinaloa 141, Roma Nte., Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
Horario: Tuesday–Saturday from 1 pm to midnight (closed on Sundays and Mondays)
Teléfono: +52 55 9130 7786
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Maximo Bistrot
Upscale alfresco spot in La Roma
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Maximo Bistrot is an upscale restaurant at the heart of La Roma in Mexico City. It has a laidback and cosy atmosphere, with ample natural light. There’s also outdoor seating if you want to dine while people-watching.
The restaurant’s menu includes local favourites like ceviche and tacos, which you can pair with your choice of fruity cocktails, artisanal beers, or wines. Must-try desserts include tarte Tatin, corn pancakes, and madeleines. Maximo Bistrot sources fresh seasonal ingredients from the neighbouring Xochimilco, which specialises in chinampa agriculture.
Dirección: Av. Álvaro Obregón 65 Bis, Roma Nte., Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
Horario: Monday–Saturday from 1 pm to 10 pm, Sunday from 1 pm to 6 pm
Teléfono: +52 55 5264 4291
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Restaurante Rosetta
Freshly baked pastries and local dishes with Italian influences
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Restaurante Rosetta is in Mexico City’s Roma neighbourhood, just opposite the MODO Museo del Objeto. Its seasonal menu features Mexican dishes with Italian influences. This is evident in its handmade pasta dishes, but you can also enjoy contemporary takes on tamales and mole.
Dishes at Restaurante Rosetta depend on the availability of raw ingredients, which are sourced from small-scale producers in Mexico. However, you can always find freshly baked pastries, bread, and desserts at this popular restaurant.
Dirección: Colima 166, Roma Nte., Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
Horario: Monday–Thursday from 1.30 pm to 11.30 pm, Friday–Saturday from 1.30 pm to 6 pm and from 7.30 pm to 11.30 pm
Teléfono: +52 55 5533 7804
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Nicos
A family restaurant specialising in lesser-known Mexican dishes
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Nicos is a family-owned eatery specialising in traditional Mexican cuisine. It’s been around since 1957, with dishes made with the family’s own recipe. A must-try is sopa seca de natas, made with layers of tomatoes, shredded chicken, poblano chilies, and natas (heavy cream)
Depending on the season, you might be able to try Nicos’ version of chiles en nogada. This seasonal dish is made with stuffed poblano chillies, which are lathered in a creamy sauce and sprinkled with pomegranate seeds.
Dirección: Av. Cuitláhuac 3102, Claveria, Azcapotzalco, 02080 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
Horario: Monday–Friday from 7.30 am to 6 pm, Saturday from 8 am to 9 pm, Sunday 8 am to 5 pm
Teléfono: +52 55 5396 7090
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Sud 777
Explore sustainable gastronomy in Mexico City
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Sud 777 serves trendy vegetarian Mexican dishes in Pedregal, an upscale neighbourhood in southern Mexico City. Chef Edgar Núñez and his culinary team often experiment with sustainable produce – such as algae and insects – to create very unique dishes.
Starters include sopa de chicharron (pork crackling soup) and nuestra sopa de cebolla (onion soup), while the tasting menu highlights indigenous ingredients like callo de hacha (a type of shellfish native to the Sea of Cortez). If you want a unique gastronomic experience in Mexico City, Sud 777 is the place to be.
Dirección: Blvrd de la Luz 777, Jardines del Pedregal, Álvaro Obregón, 01900 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
Horario: Monday–Saturday from 7 am to 11 pm, Sunday from 8 am to 5.30 pm
Teléfono: +52 55 5568 4777
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Quintonil
Enjoy innovative meals with traditional flavours
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Quintonil, named after a common wild herb in Southern Mexico, serves unique meals that are packed with flavour. Most of the restaurant’s produce is harvested daily from a nearby garden. It’s a good idea to indulge in its tasting menu, which can be tailored to suit vegans, pescatarians and ovo-lacto vegetarians.
Quintonil showcases authentic well-balanced Mexican flavours in dishes like chileatole (green chile soup with corn), striped bass in chapulín adobo dressing, and charred avocado with escamoles (ant larvae) and Mexican herb chips.
Dirección: Av. Isaac Newton 55, Polanco, Polanco IV Secc, Miguel Hidalgo, 11560 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
Horario: Monday–Saturday from 12.30 pm to midnight (closed on Sundays)
Teléfono: +52 55 5280 2680
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Masala y Maiz
Support a local food movement
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Masala y Maiz serves dishes inspired by the flavours and culinary techniques of East Africa, South Asia, and Mexico. The restaurant is founded by Norma Listman and Saqib Keval, who uses seasonal produce by small-scale farmers in Mexico.
Standout dishes include black ceviche, masala fried chicken, uttapam (Indian dosa), and mole toast. You can also find a selection of natural wines on its drinks list, which changes weekly. Masala y Maiz is just 400 metres east of Avenida de los Insurgentes, Mexico City’s longest avenue.
Dirección: Calle Marsella 72, Juárez, Cuauhtémoc, 06600 Juárez, CDMX, Mexico
Horario: Monday, Wednesday–Friday from 12 pm to 6 pm, Saturday–Sunday from 11 am to 6 pm
Teléfono: +52 55 1313 8260
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