(UPDATED 2024) 18 ABSOLUTE BEST Restaurants In Mexico City
Mexico City is a food lover’s paradise with amazing restaurants. Keep reading for my in depth food guide as I walk you through my favorite meals and food experiences.
Mexico City: Food Filled Paradise
Few cities make a huge impression on me, but after spending a month in Mexico City, I felt so excited about the food and desperately wanted to stay a few extra months.
Even after gorging myself on tacos, street food, and outstanding restaurants, I only scratched the surface of Mexican cuisine and what Mexico City has to offer.
In this food guide, I review my favorite meals and highlight the best dishes from sit in and dine in restaurants, making this guide perfect for first timers in Mexico City. Please understand this is not all the food I ate, but only the food that I recommend from restaurants if you plan to visit this awesome food filled paradise.
If you are looking for the best tacos and street food in Mexico City, I wrote an analysis with my favorite, must eat spots. CLICK HERE: 14 BEST Tacos And Street Food In Mexico City
When I talk about “the best” of anything in this food guide, I mean it’s the best that I tried in the city. As you will soon find out, there is too much food in Mexico City to make a definitive decision on what is the “best,” but it was a delicious endeavor I was happy to attempt.
Best Restaurants In San Rafael
I stayed in the San Rafael neighborhood, a quaint, mostly locals neighborhood just west of Centro and north of Roma. Staying here was the best decision I could’ve made for my trip, as I was around amazing food, close to the metro and a short walk to all the sites in Centro Histórico
I felt that I experienced Mexico City like a local, and it was all thanks to the amazing restaurants in San Rafael.
1. La Tia – Best Brunch In Mexico City
On a Sunday afternoon, I walked into a packed La Tia on the north side of San Rafael. For weekends, they offer a special three course meal with a drink for $75-$85 pesos depending on the order.
The highlight of the meal came from one of the main course, a chicken breast stuffed with red chilaquiles.
The thinly sliced chicken breast was stuffed with chilaquiles, tortilla chips soaked in a red chili sauce. A black bean puree took the other half of the plate with everything doused in a green salsa topped with a slather of crema and a sprinkle of cheese.
With each bite, the spiciness of the chilaquiles and the coolness of the cream sauce mixed perfectly together with the chicken and bites of black beans.
All the other parts of the brunch were amazing as well, and one I would recommend to all hunting down the best restaurants in Mexico City.
La Tia Address: Manuel María Contreras 20, San Rafael, Cuauhtémoc, 06470 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
2. Natsukashii Sushi And Ramen – Best Japanese Restaurant In Mexico City
This quaint Japanese restaurant surprised me in all the right ways.
We ordered the Smoked Brisket Ramen Tonkotsu, Kakiage Tempura Udon, and the Shake No Kawa Roll.
The sushi roll was perfect with wonderfully crispy salmon skin, seared salmon, and creamy avocado topped with eel sauce and tobiko. It’s one of those sushi rolls you want all of your friends to try.
The Smoked Brisket Tonkotsu was elegantly prepared with a nice creamy broth that made me want to suck down the bowl in one gulp.
Legit smoked brisket slices sat at the edge of the bowl that broke apart with the flick of my chopsticks.
Smokey, meaty noodle soup. What’s not to love?
The Kakiage Tempura Udon tasted just like a traditional bowl of udon in Japan with shredded veggies battered and fried to crispy perfection. The savory broth soaked nicely into the tempura veggies making each bite delightful.
Towards the end of the meal, the super nice owner served us a slice of seared salmon nigiri to hear our opinions. It was a new piece of sushi they were tweaking before adding it to their menu in the coming days.
Amazing. The salmon fell apart on the tongue and the spicy sauce rounded out the seared flavors nicely. If he was trying to get on our good side, it worked!
Natsukashii Sushi And Ramen Address: Serapio Rendon, San Rafael, Delg, Cuauhtémoc, 02010 CDMX, Mexico Website: Natsukashii Sushi And Ramen
3. Geros Cafetería Y Pastelería – Best Cafe In Mexico City
LISTEN TO ME. These cakes are better than just about anywhere I’ve tried in the world. Yes, the BEST cakes.
The small Geros Café moved beyond just a local coffee shop and bakery and into an obsession. My wife and I couldn’t get enough.
The coffee stayed on point every time we went, with my lattes brewed and steamed properly.
The sweets were next level, always expertly prepared with the perfect balance of flavors. We tried carrot cake, berry cake, puff pastry cakes, mini cheesecakes, and much more.
We met the owner who noticed our regular attendance and he explained the passion behind his café. He manages the business end while his wife baked all the goodies. A family business built from the heart.
We tried quite a few cafes in Mexico City, but they all come second to Geros. In my opinion, a trip to San Rafael is worth it for this café alone.
Geros Cafetería Y Pastelería Address: C. James Sullivan 55, San Rafael, Cuauhtémoc, 06470 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
4. Restaurante El Chivito – Amazing Eatery In San Rafael
A neighborhood eatery that screams local, Restaurante El Chivito feeds everyone who lives or works close by. No fancy wait staff or stuffy atmosphere. Just great cooking.
The ambiance reminds me of a small town diner or lunch spot in the States. Neon lighting, basic tables, and chairs with everyone excited about the food.
My wife wanted to try Mexican pozole, and it was a whopper of a bowl. They stuffed a heaping serving of chicken thigh and hominy into the bowl and topped it with cabbage and radish slices. It looked basic, but the flavors were deeeeeeep.
Chicken essence dominated every bite with soft, dime size chunks of hominy adding texture and more substance. It’s the chicken soup you want on those cold winter days to warm your heart and bones.
I decided on the skirt steak topped with cheese. Oh yes. Oooey GOOOEY Cheese.
A marinated skirt steak grilled over charcoals and finished with wonderfully melted cheese, plated with marvelous whole grilled onions
It’s a diner steak on steroids that tasted like it was served in a Michelin three star restaurant. No. Not an exaggeration. It’s everything I want in a steak: beefy, juicy, tender, and kissed with smoke and char from the grill.
The cheese made it more decadent but never distracted from the quality of the steak.
We came back another time to try more of the menu. If I stayed in Mexico City longer, I would’ve tried everything they serve.
Restaurante El Chivito Address: C. Alfonso Herrera 11-A, San Rafael, Cuauhtémoc, 06470 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
Best Restaurants In Centro Historico
Everyone visiting Mexico City takes at least a day to visit Centro Histórico, the tourist hub of the city. You find the most notable landmarks and attractions in this neighborhood, along with some of the best food in Mexico City.
5. Xaachila – Best Restaurant in Centro, Mexico City
Great food is hard to find in city centers, but I was determined to find the best in Mexico City.
Behold, I found Xaachila. This Oaxacan style restaurant serves up moles, tamales, and traditional tlayudas.
We started with a tamale topped with Mole Amarillo (yellow mole), unlike any other type of tamale I’ve tried. Wrapped in a banana leaf, this chicken tamale ate with a creamy texture and a unique tang steeped from the banana leaf.
The yellow mole was something else. I can’t even describe how it tasted except one word: delicious. Rivaling the sauces of French restaurants, this yellow mole paired perfectly with the tamale, having flavor profiles I never experienced.
Then came the Mole Negro (black mole) poured over a chicken leg quarter and served with rice. This blew me away. So amazing, decadent, and strangely addicting.
The chicken was fork tender, and when eaten with the mole and rice came a deep, harmonious balance that both delighted and confused my taste buds.
The black mole showcased a heavy deep profile on the verge of too bitter and savory, but with juicy chicken, flavorful rice, and tasty corn tortillas, each bite become a magical experience.
I’m trying not to get carried away here, but it was just so good. With my palate so new to authentic Mexican food, this food electrified my excitement and enthusiasm for the cuisine in Mexico City. Xaachila is a must visit restaurant.
Xaachila Address: 23 locales B, C y D, De La Santísima, Centro, 06000 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico Website: Xaachila
6. El Bajio Centro Histórico – Perfect Restaurant For Newbies
El Bajio is a restaurant perfect for the timid and new to traditional Mexican cuisine. They have familiar food favorites without skipping adventurous items on the menu.
If I took my parents to dinner in Mexico City, I’d take them here.
The decor is nice, just off one of the main streets in Centro Histórico, with low noise and an elegant ambiance that stops short of stuffy.
The highlights of the meal were the main courses: the chicken enchiladas and carnitas.
To my surprise, these chicken enchiladas resembled very little of the overcooked chicken rolls I’m accustomed to in the U.S.
The tortillas tasted wonderful with the red enchilada sauce pushing a mild chili and tomato flavor that felt right.
Each tortilla was stuffed to the brim with fork tender chicken and topped with crumbled cheese, onion, and a nice dollop of smooth black beans on the side. I won’t complain about a nice, healthy portion.
My wife and I both loved this, and I’m not sure how authentic these chicken enchiladas were, but they tasted wonderfully delicious.
The slow cooked pork carnitas were fatty, moist, and packed with porky flavor, similar to pulled pork bbq without the smokiness or sauce. Just wonderful, naked pork.
Oh yes, I forgot to mention the addition of cooked pork skin and cartilage. Yes. Cartilage.
With a few salsas and tortillas, I made each taco unique and enjoyed the sublime satisfaction only pork can bring.
Soft and delicious, I sucked these carnitas down faster than my wife could finish her first enchilada. I highly recommend the carnitas.
If skin and cartilage aren’t your thing, I’m sure you can ask them to forgo it, but I liked the added textures and flavors.
A unique meal in a great setting.
El Bajio Centro Histórico Address: Simón Bolívar 14, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06080 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico Website: El Bajio Centro Histórico
7. El Cardenal – Best Restaurant For Large Groups In Mexico City
Located in Centro Histórico, El Cardenal ranks highly in reviews on all platforms. What surprised me was the size of the place with multiple floors and a multitude of dining rooms with tables that can accompany huge parties.
El Cardenal offers a large array of food options. From classic grilled steaks to dark moles, El Cardenal’s menu will make everyone in the group happy.
My favorite part of the meal was the Pollo a la Parrilla o Tallado a la brases, a chili rubbed, lime marinated chicken thigh. Super juicy with a stark hit of lime, the chicken tasted delicious with a unique pairing with the cooked cactus and guacamole.
El Cardenal Address: C. de la Palma 23, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06000 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico Website: El Cardenal
8. Churrería El Moro – Best Churros In Mexico City
No visit to Mexico City matters unless you eat churros. With multiple locations throughout Mexico City, Churreria El Moro makes the best churros with a wide range of options on the menu.
For our first visit, we decided on the churros, Mexican hot chocolate, and a horchata milkshake.
The churros were perfect. Super crispy and freshly fried, the cinnamon sugar coated churros crunched loudly with each bite, satisfying my cravings for sweetness.
The Mexican hot chocolate was the surprising part for me. A milky, coco mixture that lacked sweetness, but for good reason; it didn’t need it.
Mexican hot chocolate is a mixture of dark chocolate, milk, and spices, usually cinnamon, nutmeg, and chili powder. Not necessarily spicy, but you can taste the uniqueness of the spice combination.
The texture also makes a distinct presence with a frothy, not foamy, top made from a molinillo, a wooden whisk used in Latin American cuisine.
I loved the dark chocolate cocoa flavor that was savory, and by dipping in our churros, each piece softened and filled with a wonderful burst of warm cocoa.
With a few sips of the horchata milkshake, we had sweet, hot, and cold all working together for a perfect dessert combination.
Churrería El Moro Address: Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas 42, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06000 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico Website: Churrería El Moro
9. Pastelería Ideal – Best Bakery In Centro Histórico
A huge bakery found in the middle of Centro Histórico, Pastelería Ideal serves up all sorts of baked goodies from pastries to ornate cakes to crusty artesian bread.
Hundreds of people filled the shopping mall sized bakery each with their own agenda. For us, we grabbed a circular platter and headed for the center of the bakery where everyone filled their platters with an assortment of delicious pastries.
I don’t even know what we picked, but everything tasted great. The pastries maintained their crunchiness and moisture while still tasting fresh.
A stand out item was the thick piece of bread slathered with butter and sugar.
EVERYONE had at least one of these on their plates. Sweet butter on a soft slice of bread, this deceptively simple dessert was undoubtedly our favorite.
Oh and all these pastries cost less than $3 USD. Delicious and cheap. My two favorite things.
Pastelería Ideal Address: 16 de Septiembre 18, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06000 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico Website: Pastelería Ideal
Best Restaurants In Polanco
Having some of the best fine dining in the world, the Polanco neighborhood predominately caters to high end restaurants, making Mexico City a place for those with money to spend.
The streets are kept tidy and the restaurants more exclusive, but Polanco still has moderately priced restaurants that showcase high price flavors.
I loved the diversity of restaurants in Polanco and the best restaurants in Mexico City make their presence known, making this chic neighborhood a must visit.
10. Pujol – Best Fine Dining Restaurant In Mexico City
Currently ranked number 5 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, Pujol’s reputation and culinary dominance have grown year after year until hitting its top spot to date.
Usually, when restaurants win top accolades, the vision diminishes, and the quality tanks.
Not with Pujol.
I wrote a full in depth review of Pujol that talks about my full experience with food as well as how to book reservations, the current dress code, and the price.
Pujol Address: Tennyson 133, Polanco, Polanco IV Secc, Miguel Hidalgo, 11550 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico Website: Pujol
11. Klein’s – Unique American Mexican Diner Fusion
I loved Kleins. An American diner fused with unique Mexican twists just makes sense to me. I needed some familiar flavors to help get my taste buds back on track with local cuisine, and Kleins did the job.
We ate a super ripe fruit plate with apples, pineapples, papaya, cantaloupe, banana, and watermelon.
Then we ordered their mini pancakes and the Manhattan, a roast beef, pastrami, and corned beef with swiss cheese toasted on rye.
The sandwich hit those New York deli feels with a well made sandwich that was loaded heavily with meat. Oh yes.
The pancakes were light and fluffy, exactly what we were looking for. But that sauce.
The cajeta sauce, a dulce de leche, made every bite sweet with a caramel richness. Although more like dessert than breakfast, it’s the flavors we wanted from a delicious diner.
Klein's Address: Av. Pdte. Masaryk 360B, Polanco, Polanco III Secc, Miguel Hidalgo, 11560 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico Website: Klein's
12. Agua & Sal – Best Ceviche In Mexico City
With a seafood heavy menu, Agua & Sal showcases ceviches, raw oysters, clams, and an array of cooked entrees.
First, we shared a ceviche that not only tasted amazing but looked beautiful. The Ceviche Tatemado had fish, shrimp, and octopus in a yuzu and charred pepper sauce.
The bright acidic burst shined nicely against the super savory Chilhuacle pepper sauce with each piece of seafood melting together with the avocado and watermelon radish.
Phenomenal ceviche that set a high standard for the other best restaurants in Mexico City.
For the entrees, I ordered a behemoth the Plancha Del Mar, a whopping 12 oz of seafood cooked with portabella mushrooms in a white wine, garlic, and butter sauce all served on a sizzling platter.
Each part of the dish was delicious and subdued my huge appetite.
My wife ordered the Moqueca De Camaron, shrimp cooked in coconut milk with garlic, onion, and peppers creating a wonderfully yellow and decadent sauce. Soooo good.
The coconut sauce only heightened the sweetness of the shrimp, and when paired with the rice, gave me reminiscent feelings of a coconut milk curry in Thailand.
Filled with seafood galore, Agua & Sal is perfect for those looking to curb those fish cravings.
Agua & Sal Address: Campos Elíseos 199-A, Polanco, Polanco IV Secc, Miguel Hidalgo, 11560 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico Website: Agua & Sal
Best Restaurants In Roma and Condesa
A common place for tourists and expats, the Roma and Condesa neighborhoods have a similar look and feel, especially when located right next to each other.
If you are worried about safety in Mexico City, then book your accommodations here, and rest assured you will still have plenty of amazing restaurants to visit day or night.
Roma and Condesa still offer a huge variety of food options with some of the best restaurants in Mexico City covering international to traditional Mexican cuisine. Here are my favorite restaurants from these two awesome neighborhoods.
13. Lardo – Best Restaurant In Condesa
From the menu alone, Lardo made a great first impression. The Mediterranean and Mexican fusion looked wonderful making our choices particularly challenging.
We decided on quite a few items but the highlights were the fried zucchini flowers, beet salad, burrata pizza, and carrot cake.
The zucchini flowers were perfectly crisp, filled with ricotta cheese served on a bed of tomato sauce. The fried flowers shattered with each bite with the ricotta adding richness while the light tomato sauce provided the right amount of acid.
They roasted the beets nicely in olive oil for a light char and laid them on in a pool of yogurt topped with basil and pomegranate seeds.
Delicious. Each type of beet showcased its own unique flavors, making this a perfect dish to start.
Oh, the burrata pizza. Creamy burrata on a perfectly crisp pizza topped with heirloom cherry tomatoes and torn bits of basil.
Like a margarita pizza on taste steroids. Light yet creamy, this pizza makes the trip to Lardo worth it.
Now, for the coup de grâce, the pièce de résistance, the dessert all restaurants wish they could make.
Carrot Cake. No, it doesn’t look like a traditional carrot cake, but it is one of the best desserts I’ve ever tasted.
Cream cheese frosting and walnut crumbles were wedged between crispy carrot wafers, creating a carrot cake unlike any other. The aromatics of the carrot cake made each bite delightful and light.
Ultra crunchy, and wonderfully creamy, the carrot cake still needed something else.
Tarragon ice cream to the rescue. The ice cream’s herby and ever so slight licorice flavor brought the whole cake into a harmonious balance. I’ve never experienced a dessert like this and look forward to the day I can eat it again.
Lardo Address: Agustín Melgar 6, Colonia Condesa, Cuauhtémoc, 06140 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico Website: Lardo
14. Marlindo – Perfect Low Cost Seafood in Roma
Stopping into Marlindo ended up being the best decision I made all day.
With a variety of seafood, both fried and raw, we decided on the tuna ceviche, tuna tostada, and garlic prawns.
The generous portion of tuna lay on a creamy sauce topped with fried garlic slices. Yes. Fried GARLIC. Japanese restaurants should take a few notes about this creamy, garlicky tuna tostada because their flavors are on point
The ceviche tasted similar except with a bigger portion of tuna soaked in lime juice, but forgoing the creamy sauce and fried garlic.
My favorite part of the meal came from the garlic prawns, mimicking the beloved Portuguese dish I ate so many times in Lisbon.
The prawns are cooked in a pool of olive oil and freshly chopped garlic, allowing the aromas to seep into every nook and cranny of the prawns. Paired with bread, these prawns scream garlic in the best possible way. Sorry, but you have my completely biased opinion 🙂
Marlindo Address: Av. Yucatan 64, Roma Nte., Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
15. El Hidalguense – Sit In Barbacoa Restaurant in Roma
Does this restaurant look familiar? Netflix featured El Hidalguense on the show Taco Chronicles for their Barbacoa episode.
Famous for their Barbacoa de Borrego, El Hidalguense raises and cooks their own sheep, serving their bbq every weekend.
We tried their legendary barbacoa and it tasted good. Not the best I had in Mexico City, but certainly worth trying if you have scheduling conflicts or can’t make it to other parts of the city for the real deal.
There are plenty of amazing barbacoa restaurants in Mexico City at a fraction of the price.
Our waiter noticed our indecisiveness on what else to try from the menu. He recommended the escamoles…
We had no clue what it was, but we just went with it.
Three escamol tacos hit the table and I immediately smelled this blue cheese like, putrid funk. I took a bite and realized that it wasn’t for me.
Tiarra took a bite and loved it! The intense smell and taste resembled an ultra ripe, runny aged french cheese, which my wife just so happens to adore.
After finishing our meal I decided to find out what’s in escamoles. It’s ant larvae. I could see my wife’s face fall with surprise and confusion. Then, she shrugged with a smile, realizing it didn’t matter. It just tasted wonderful.
That’s my girl.
El Hidalguense Address: Campeche 155, Roma Sur, Cuauhtémoc, 06760 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
16. Wooyeon – Best Korean Restaurant In Mexico City
As you may know, I need my Korean food fix in every city and I found an amazing, and authentic Korean restaurant that hit all the flavors.
We went for lunch and ate an array of different options with my favorite item being the Bulgogi Dolsot Bibimbap.
The Dolsot Bibimbap is a rice bowl filled with marinated beef, vegetables, and rice in a stone bowl so the rice slightly crisps, all served with a spicy pepper sauce.
Tastes like home. These Korean ingredients are my comfort food and ones I always need when traveling abroad.
Wooyeon Address: Calle Oxford, Del. Cuauhtémoc 28, Juárez, Cuauhtémoc, 06600 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
17. Panadería Rosetta – Amazing Cafe And Bakery in Roma
If you plan on visiting any of the restaurants in Roma, or if you decide to stay there, then I highly recommend you check out Panadería Rosetta, a popular bakery in Roma Norte.
The vast menu covered every single type of sweet and pastry imaginable with a few choices I never considered.
I tried the Tarta de Limon y Frambuesa (lemon and raspberry tart) which is one of the most unique desserts I tried in Mexico.
Imagine a lemon meringue pie, and a raspberry tart had a baby. Yup, that’s what it’s like.
Smooth meringue, sweet lemon custard, raspberries, pie crust, and a thick tart like bottom make a tangy dessert that’s worth trying.
Panadería Rosetta Address: Colima 179, Roma Nte., Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
18. Maikai Poke – Amazing Lunch Poke Bowls
If you want a light lunch packed with deliciousness, look no further than Maikai Poke.
You can either build your own poke bowl, customizing everything from the rice to the protein to the toppings. Or you can choose from their amazing menu options already pairing key flavors.
I went with the domcamotic bowl which had raw white fish, fried fish, avocado, jalapeño, fried garlic, cashew, and yuzu miso sauce. Excellent flavors all the veggies worked great for me. After eating heavy tacos for a few days, this poke bowl was a welcome flavor.
Maikai Poke Address: C. Río Lerma 213, Cuauhtémoc, 06500 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico Website: Maikai Poke
Conclusion: Eat Adventurously In Mexico City
Very few cities have the quantity and quality of food that I found in Mexico City. These best restaurants cover a wide variety of cuisines and price ranges from all parts of the city.
No matter where I ate, I was treated with generous hospitality unmatched by other countries. Even Thailand.
I was always treated with kindness and respect, and everyone genuinely wanted me to enjoy the meal. From the casual eateries to the fine dining, no one rushed me or made me feel silly for what I ordered. I have experienced very few countries with this kind of loving hospitality.
Please eat adventurously in Mexico City because take it from me, you may not eat this well during your future travels.
Resources Mentioned In This Article 14 BEST Tacos And Street Food In Mexico City Pujol Mexico City: In-Depth Restaurant Review 32 Travel Tips For Mexico City From A Food-Obsessed Traveler Questions ANSWERED: How Safe Is Mexico City?
Chris Kretzer has traveled the world visiting over 35 countries and eating his way through every city. With his wife Tiarra, they explore different food cultures and create food guides, podcasts, and travel articles helping everyone experience the world through food.