Mexico City – CDMX in short – has become a culinary hotspot in the past decade. Its food scene is thriving with upscale, award-winning chef restaurants and cocktail bars, while its street food is gaining recognition among foodies.
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Many venues combine the local exceptional ingredients, from cactus to seafood and top-quality local meats, with Mexico's rich heritage of traditional and fusion recipes, shaped by diverse immigrant communities.
From the country's leading chef restaurant to gourmet tacos, these are my must-visit spots in Mexico's capital.
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Meal: Quintonil
Jorge Vallejo’s Quintonil is a culinary gem, offering an unforgettable fine dining experience that celebrates Mexico’s local flavors with exceptional creativity and technique.
The restaurant has earned numerous accolades, including regular spots on world's 50Best restaurant lists.
Vallejo himself can be seen most days cooking at the open kitchen alongside his wife, Alexandra, the restaurant manager.
The tasting menu, served for both lunch and dinner, showcases a stunning array of seasonal dishes that combine local ingredients and traditional techniques, from tacos to ant eggs and insects.
Each dish is a revelation, offering surprising, bold flavors. an eye-opening experience for anyone encountering authentic Mexican cuisine for the first time. The beef dishes, sourced from Durango region, as well the ones using Pacific fish are particularly outstanding.
Quintonil's wine pairing menu isn't too be missed. Its sparkling and bold white wines selection is highly recommended, and elevates the flavors.
Quintonil. Isaac Newton 55, Polanco, CDMX, Mexico City. Reservations required.
The Best Tacos in Town: Maizajo
If you need to choose just one place for tacos in CDMX, Maizajo is the one. Created by young chef Santiago Muñoz, this taquería is a brilliant fusion of high-end cuisine and authentic street food.
Muñoz masterfully combines farm to table ingredients into innovative dishes that honor traditional recipes.
Standout tacos include whole fried langoustine, chicken milanesa taco, and various cuts of pork and beef roasted over an open flame.
There are also creative options like a crispy tostada with raw fish and vegetable tacos – all exceptional.
Best enjoyed when booked the table inside the open kitchen with a large group of friends, trying as many taco types as possible, washed with immaculate mezcal margaritas.
Fernando Montes de Oca 113, CDMX, 06140, Mexico
To die for Seafood and Steaks: La Docena
Inspired by New Orleans oyster bars, Tomás Bermúdez's La Docena in Polanco, offers a top-tier selection of oysters, fish, and seafood from the Pacific Ocean.A must-visit for seafood lovers.
Some of the highlights of the menu are like the two-tier seafood platter and Wagyu steaks from Durango.Don't miss the sea bass taco – a local version for peking duck, in a way – including a wild fish fillet grilled to perfection with a tangy seasoning, then stuffed by the diners into fresh tacos.
The wine list is a connoisseur's wet dream, featuring choices from Bourgogne, Germany, and Baja California, perfectly complementing the dishes.
La Docena. Av. Homero 135, Polanco CDMX, Mexico
Best Ceviche (and margaritas!) in town: Contramar
Contramar, a bustling favorite among locals, is a must for anyone who loves fish crudo and fresh seafood. Iconic dishes include the tuna tostada, a crispy taco with avocado and red tuna sashimi, and an array of ceviches, such as raw shrimps (yum!).
Pescado a la Talla, a whole grilled fish in green and red sauces, as well as the incredible tequila-based margaritas, complete the experience. While not inexpensive, it's perfect for a weekend brunch or indulgent lunch.
Contramar. Durango 200, Roma Norte, CDMX, Mexico
Cocktail Bars
Cocktail bars in Mexico City have been dominating the top spots in the world’s best bars ranking by 50Best for a decade. Handshake, one of the most well-known bars, even took first place in 2024.
Another local institution, Licorería Limantour, is a well know hotspot for cocktail lovers, as well as hanky panky.
3 Recommendations, all in the Roma Norte neighborhood , for Cocktail bars worth visiting for anyone coming to the city.
The Speakeasy Inside: Licoreria at Limantour
Licorería Limantour, located in Roma Norte, is a staple for cocktail lovers.
Known for expertly crafted drinks using local spirits like tequila, mezcal, and charanda, the bar offers a refined yet approachable experience.
A must-try is El Extraviado, blending red guava wine, charanda, coconut cream, bitters, and lime juice.
In 2024, the addition of Licorería Speakeasy, a secret mini-bar, introduced exclusive cocktails made with premium spirits, available to just a few lucky guests. Reservations are essential.
Licorería at Licoreria Limantour. Av. Álvaro Obregón 106, Roma Norte, Mexico City. Reservations: via limantour's instagram.
World-Class Cocktails and great Ambiance: Cocteleria Café Arixi
Café Arixi is a new bar-restaurant in Roma Norte, opened in early 2025 by acclaimed bartender Maura Milia and her husband.
After years of managing one of the world’s best bars, the eponymous Connaught in London, Milia moved to Mexico City and brought with her a touch of her Sardinian roots.
The result is an exquisite, stylish space that blends Italian classics with locally sourced ingredients and unique cocktails.
One standout on the drinks menu is Milia’s Dry Martini, created with botanical ingredients native to Sardinia, featuring bay and parsley distillates. The Tuna Sour, a pink tequila cocktail made with tuna (the pink cactus fruit, not the fish), is another highlight worth trying.
The food menu includes snack and dishes such like polpette (meatballs) and other hearty Italian hits. A chic aperitif experience that’s perfect for a weekend evening.
Café Arixi. Zacatecas 87, Roma Norte. Reservations via WhatsApp through the bar’s Instagram page.
The Neighborhood Yet Sophisticated bar: Mauro Bar
Mauro Bar is the culmination of Eduardo "Yayo" Mendoza's dream to create the perfect aperitivo bar.
Opening in late 2024 with his brother Ricardo, this intimate and stylish spot focuses on a refined yet relaxed drinking experience. Its specialty: classic cocktails that are light on alcohol and crafted with exceptional precision and its unique twist on classic cocktails, often incorporating a touch of sherry wines, a specialty of Yayo.
The drink menu offers a wide range of expertly crafted spritzers, alongside refreshing, lighter cocktails perfect for an afternoon or early evening aperitif.
BAR MAURO. Tabasco 149, Roma Norte, CDMX, Mexico
Casual Food
4 places, some more traditional, others less so, casual and street food venues that are especially recommended for first-time visitors:
The Best Al Pastor Tacos in Town: Taqueria Selene
Al pastor is the Mexican interpretation of shawarma, brought to the country by Lebanese and Syrian immigrants.
Taquería Selene is one of the best al pastor-specializing taco stands in Mexico City. Made with tender, seasoned pork neck slices, grilled on with pineapple perched on top, adding a sweet and tangy element.
Selene’s unpretentious setting and late hours (open until 3 a.m.) make it the perfect post-cocktail bar stop. If you’re a taco enthusiast, this is an essential stop on your food tour – a true late-night treasure.
Taquería Selene. Leibnitz 51-C, CDMX, Mexico.
Don't miss the Guava Roll: Panaderia Rosetta
Panadería Rosetta is a favorite among locals and visitors alike, the creation of Rosetta restaurant's award-winning chef Elena Reygadas. The bakery, located in fashionable Roma Norte neighborhood, is a nod to traditional, hand-crafted Mexican baked goods with an upscale twist, combining exceptional pastries with the charm of a neighborhood bakery.
The menu includes both takeout options and a casual sit-down experience. Among the dishes, the best are by far the pastries and desserts. Roasted red guava roll was one of the best pastries I’ve ever had, justifying Pandaria's notorious long waiting line. The buttery dough was both crispy and soft, light yet rich, and the guava filling was a heavenly balance of sweet and tangy in perfect harmony.
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The Tres Leches Cake, a local culinary icon, is also wonderful.
A tip from the locals: Stand in the much shorter takeout line (and plan to take your pastries to the nearby Río de Janeiro Square) and arrive right when the place opens for a significantly shorter line.
Panadería Rosetta. Colima 179, Col. Roma Norte. CDMX Mexico
Breakfast Perfection: El Cardenal
El Cardenal is a renowned spot for traditional Mexican breakfasts. With dishes like chilaquiles (a comforting dish of tortilla chips drenched in hot green salsa and topped with cheese), excellent tripe soup (sopa de panza) and mole tacos, the restaurant serves authentic flavors with no shortcuts, just authentic, carefully crafted dishes.
For the more adventurous, there's escamoles tortilla– an omelette made with ant eggs, AKA the mexican caviar.
The Lomas branch is ideal, especially if you’re visiting the Anthropology Museum nearby. A great spot to start your day with authentic Mexican flavors.
El Cardenal. Paseo de las Palmas 215, Lomas, CDMX, Mexico.
Comforting Chicken Soup Haven: Caldos de Gallina Luis
In large parts of Latin America, chicken soup is a popular breakfast dish – Including Mexico. Caldos de Gallina Luis is one of the best places to try it – a celebration for anyone, like myself, who has a deep love for chicken soup. Over the years, Caldos de Gallina Luis has gained popularity, with three locations in the Roma Norte area. It stays open late into the night, serving both cheerful drinkers and hardworking locals starting their day early in the morning.
Here, massive pot of broth, containing over 100 liters of rich, herb-infused goodness, simmers all day long, poured directly into a clay bowl, filling it with tender chicken and a fragrant mix of fresh herbs. The soup can be – and should be! – seasoned with lime, purple onion, and hot peppers.
Each serving comes with a freshly made tortilla, roasted upon order. For an extra treat, you can also order a taco filled with the tender chicken from the soup. All of this, for less than $3, makes for an incredibly satisfying meal, enough to feed a hungry couple.
A tip from the locals: If you want to enjoy the soup without the chicken, simply ask for it that way. You can enjoy it on-site or take it to go for a perfect breakfast on the move.
Caldos de Gallina "Luis." Puebla 188, Roma Norte, CDMX, Mexico.
