With a seemingly endless street food scene and some of the nation’s most acclaimed haute-cuisine, Mexico City spoils visitors of all tastes and budgets. Add in a widely diverse menu of Mexican regional fare, from Oaxacan mole to authentic Hidalgo-style barbacoa, and you have one sweet foodie destination. Buen provecho!
The Best Tacos in Mexico City
It is said that Mexico’s sprawling capital has a whopping 18,000 taquerías, so if you enjoy taco crawls, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s our pick of the city’s top tacos.
El Huequito
Tacos al pastor (spit-cooked marinated pork) are the quintessential Mexico City fast food and El Huequito (literally, “the hole-in-the-wall”) has been slicing and spicing them with gusto for more than six decades. Inspired by Lebanese immigrants, this taco fusion sensation pays a nod to the Middle Eastern shawarma, but the tropicalized Mexican version uses pork as a substitute for lamb, and a corn tortilla instead of pita bread.
The pork marinade is made with annatto spice and guajillo chili, imparting subtle notes of flavor. Head to El Huequito’s original downtown location, where tacos al pastor are the sole menu item and receive the full attention they deserve.
Los Cocuyos
This nondescript downtown spot may look like your typical street food joint, but for late-night munchies, it serves some of the most iconic eats in Mexico City. The dish drawing night owls from across the city is tacos de suadero, made from beef brisket cooked in a bubbling vat of lard.
Los Cocuyos also crafts excellent lengua (tongue) and crispy tripa (tripe) tacos. For the truly adventurous, the menu includes eyeballs, cow brains, and snout. Rest easy though – the brisket and campechano (Mexican sausage) tacos reign supreme. The late and much-missed Anthony Bourdain raved about these delights, and so will you.
El Abanico
Also known as El Gran Abanico, this former butcher shop on Calle Gutiérrez Nájera s/n in the working-class Colonia Tránsito neighborhood has transformed into a perennially packed taquería specializing in carnitas (pork simmered in lard). Get here via Metro San Antonio Abad and dive in!
Start with the house specialty – a costilla (rib) taco served with or without the bone – and pile on fixings such as nopales (cactus paddles), fresh salsa, and whole beans. Regulars rave about the chicharrón (pork rinds) that can be crumbled onto any taco to add a delightful crispy texture.
Mexico City’s Best High-End Restaurants
A plethora of sleek gourmet restaurants thrive in neighborhoods such as upmarket Polanco, boho-chic Roma and Condesa, and the renovated Centro Histórico. Dress for dinner, and bring a healthy dining budget.
Pujol
Currently ranked ninth on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants listings, celebrity chef Enrique Olvera’s Pujol truly lives up to the hype as one of the best dining experiences you’ll ever encounter. Opt for the menú de degustación, a seven-course tasting extravaganza that includes Olvera’s signature mole madre, a complex chili sauce that’s sometimes aged for more than 1000 days!
Dining at this casual yet stylish restaurant in the affluent Polanco neighborhood leaves quite an impression, so just sit back for a few hours and savor the exquisite flavors. However, do note that securing a table might require booking weeks ahead.
Contramar
When chef Gabriela Cámara launched Contramar in 1998 – and with it, her now-famous tuna tostadas (open tacos) – she never imagined that her creation would set off a whole new dining trend in the Mexican capital. These crunchy tostadas, topped with fresh, sashimi-grade marinated tuna, avocado, and crispy leeks, became a culinary sensation.
It didn’t take long for other contemporary Mexico City seafood restaurants to follow suit, but Contramar’s version remains one of the best. When paired with pescado a la talla (a zesty grilled whole fish), this represents Mexican seafood at its finest.
Azul Histórico
Chef and cookbook author Ricardo Muñoz Zurita traveled throughout Mexico in search of traditional recipes that he recreates for his Mexico City restaurants, including Azul Histórico, which occupies a 17th-century colonial palace downtown. His black mole dishes pay homage to Oaxaca, while the pescado tikin xic (achiote-rubbed fish) highlights Yucatecan cuisine.
Consider the menu a culinary tour of Mexico’s most revered regional fare.
Best Regional Cuisine in Mexico City
Beyond the familiar flavors of central Mexico, sampling the nation’s celebrated regional cuisines is a highlight of any visit to Mexico City.
Pasillo de Humo
It’s no surprise that Oaxacan cuisine has become popular – there’s nothing quite like an elaborately prepared, smoky Oaxacan mole dish or the delightful home-cooked goodness of a tlayuda (a large tortilla filled with beans, cheese, and aromatic herbs).
If you can’t make it down south to culinary Oaxaca, Pasillo de Humo is the next best thing, with savory delights like molotes istmeños (fried plantains in red mole sauce), a specialty from the sultry isthmus region.
El Hidalguense
Hailing from Hidalgo, Mexico’s famous barbacoa capital, the family behind El Hidalguense serves pit-roasted lamb slow-cooked over aged oak to impart a pronounced smoky flavor. It’s an excellent introduction to the cuisine from north of Mexico City.
When ordering the barbacoa, which comes to the table wrapped in maguey (agave) leaves, go for the tender costilla or espaldilla (rib or shoulder meat). Moreover, don’t forget to treat yourself to a passion fruit pulque, a fermented alcoholic drink made from agave.
Taquería Orinoco
Red-and-white tiled Orinoco is agreeably old-fashioned and known for its superb northern-style tacos from Monterrey. The restaurant keeps things simple with a menu of tacos stuffed with trompo (spit-cooked marinated pork), tender res de Gaona (beef), and chicharrón (pork belly), served on corn or flour tortillas.
Order three tacos (we recommend trying one of each) and the platter includes complimentary roast potatoes. For the perfect accompaniment, order agua de jamaica y guayaba (a refreshing hibiscus and guava drink).
Best Sweets and Breakfast in Mexico City
Greet the new day with sugar-coated churros, fresh pastries, thick hot chocolate, or sausage in spicy salsa verde – we’re talking Mexican comfort food at its best, available at the start of each new day.
El Cardenal
Sitting pretty in a Parisian-style building in the Centro Histórico, the original location of El Cardenal draws high praise for its traditional Mexican breakfasts, freshly baked pastries, and frothy, semi-sweet hot chocolate.
Late starters can enjoy a lunch menu that features seasonal dishes, such as the beloved chile en nogada (stuffed poblano peppers topped with a sweet walnut sauce and pomegranate seeds) during August and September.
Fonda Margarita
The line of eager diners usually goes right around the building at this humble breakfast spot, so it’s wise to arrive early. Diners share tables over Mexican classics such as longaniza en salsa verde (sausage in spicy green salsa) and the beloved frijoles con huevos (refried beans and eggs).
The menu changes daily at this Mexico City institution, and the quality remains consistently high, showcasing over six decades of breakfast excellence.
El Moro
A rapidly expanding local chain, El Moro has long been celebrated as Mexico City’s premier spot for churros. It began in 1933 when a Spanish immigrant sold sugar-drenched fritters from a portable cart in the capital’s main square.
In 1935, the founder opened a formal churrería along downtown’s Avenida Eje Central, and now the family business boasts a dozen locations. Indulge in the guilty pleasure of the “combo” – four piping hot churros paired with a cup of Mexican-style hot chocolate.
Best Vegetarian and Vegan Options
It seems like every month, a new vegan or vegetarian place pops up in Mexico City’s trendy Roma and Condesa neighborhoods, which have emerged as hubs for the city’s creative dining scene.
Por Siempre Vegana
Unlike many vegetarian and vegan establishments specializing in tacos, Por Siempre Vegana captures the true essence of the taquería experience with its spit-cooked al pastor tacos (made from wheat) and various grilled items made from soya and mushrooms.
The restaurant started as a popular street food stall on the corner of Manzanillo and Chiapas in the heart of Roma but has since expanded its operations to a nearby taco shop that also serves dairy-free desserts, flautas (fried rolled tacos), and other delights.
La Pitahaya Vegana
Pitahaya’s vibrant vegan dishes provide an innovative take on classics – tacos on fuchsia-colored corn tortillas, vegan nachos topped with pico de Gallo (fresh salsa) and walnut-based cheese sauce, and an artfully prepared mole mixteco (tortillas filled with plantain and coconut cheese bathed in Oaxacan black mole sauce).
While tacos may be pricier than average, the pleasant sidewalk restaurant whips up some of the best vegan eats in town, so bring an appetite.
Panadería Rosetta
The vegetarian-friendly menus at Panadería Rosetta include an enticing assortment of meatless signature snacks, such as guayaba (guava) rolls, chocolatín (chocolate-filled pastries), and a variety of croissants and baguettes.
Owner Elena Reygadas, sister of the acclaimed Mexican filmmaker Carlos Reygadas, is recognized as one of Mexico’s top pastry chefs, and her skills are evident in every bite.
