Yucatan-style tortas at a buzzy new restaurant, fried chicken and creative cocktails in a psychedelic cantina, newly Michelin-starred spots like Pujol, and more of Mexico City’s best food
The first thing any visitor to the Mexican capital will take in — probably while staring out the window in awe as their airplane descends over the intense, urbanity-on-steroids sprawl — is the sheer size of this town, 573 square miles in total. It’s densely populated and patchworked with distinct neighborhoods, each with its own culinary identity. It would take several lifetimes to get to know all of the street stands, holes in the wall, neighborhood favorites, and high-end destinations in this city.
Yet this list — 38 restaurants, dishes, and culinary experiences that define Mexico City’s gastronomic identity — should offer a comprehensive starting point for any visitor. It includes the obvious and the overexposed; it also includes hidden gems. It covers longtime buzzing neighborhoods like Roma and Condesa, as well as newer destination districts like San Miguel Chapultepec and Juarez. There are tacos, tortas, tasting menus, and tamales. There are enough sweets to satisfy the most dedicated concha enthusiast and some old-school breakfasts for the nostalgists. Whatever the type of place, it provides standout food and a taste of something visitors can’t get back home.
Updated, July 2024:
The Michelin Guide’s arrival in Mexico in June is the most talked-about event in the country’s culinary circles this summer. In CDMX, Enrique Olvera and Jorge Vallejo’s long-celebrated restaurants, Pujol and Quintonil respectively, each received two stars, while Rosetta, Esquina Común, Em, and Sud 777 each earned one. The guide was met with a mix of praise and skepticism, especially for notable snubs, like the one that befell chef Lalo GarcÃa’s Maximo Bistrot. The guide also opened a broader discussion about its positive and negative impacts after it awarded a star to El Califa de León, a 60-year-old taquerÃa in the San Rafael neighborhood, which was quickly overwhelmed with a media frenzy and three-hour lines of hungry customers.
This summer, it’s worth spreading the love to the city’s many, other excellent taquerÃas, as well as projects like El Trigrillo or Castacán, which showcase Mexico’s regional flavors from the north and the south. Check out Cananea and Pink Rambo, dive bars that have become neighborhood darlings within their local communities, or go for Gaba and Pnina, two beautiful additions to this list that take significant care with their menus and casual-yet-exciting dishes.
Eater updates this list quarterly to make sure it reflects the ever-changing Mexico City dining scene.
Natalia de la Rosa is a Mexican food writer, mezcal collector, and culinary guide based in Mexico City.
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