10 restaurants not to miss in Mexico City
10 restaurants not to miss in Mexico City! You’ll find must-visit places of the gastronomy that thrives in the corners of one of the biggest metropolises in the world, because we can’t deny that eating is one of the best things to enjoy the city.
These are the 10 most delightful places to try fresh, innovative, and memorable cuisine. All of them are reviewed anonymously by local experts to experience them like any other diner.
10 restaurants not to miss in Mexico City: for Gods:
Pujol
What is it? A top reference in contemporary Mexican cuisine for almost 20 years. Chef Enrique Olvera’s flagship restaurant currently ranks 12th on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. It opened in 2000, moved from Petrarca to Tennysson in Polanco in 2017, and constantly renews its menu to maintain its star status.
Why go? Mexico’s best restaurant cultivates the flavors, textures, and history of Mexican cuisine, coupled with an organic garden that shapes and produces ingredients on-site. Pujol’s baton is the availability of fresh products and ingredients.
What to try? The mole madre with hoja santa tortillas is the only permanent dish, made with black mole from Oaxaca prepared with dried fruits, nuts, and herbs, among other ingredients. There is also an omakase taco bar, a tasting menu of eight to 10 courses at the bar with a selection of drinks.
Quintonil
What is it? Quintonil is a representation of Mexican cuisine and herbal essences, picturesque and with completely different flavors (for the better). This year, the restaurant led by Jorge Vallejo and Alejandra Flores, has reached number 24 in The World’s 50 Best list, a ranking they’ve been familiar with since 2015.
Why go? The food focuses on products extracted from the earth, highlighting their flavor and the importance of nutrients. The balance in each dish is a success, with executions that take contemporary Mexican cuisine to its maximum potential. All of this from the pans of a subtle kitchen in Polanco.
What to try? Chapulin and bean adobes, artichoke tamales, chili infusions, and glazed onions to explode sensations of national roots. The nixtamalized tomato braised in meat juice and vegetable reduction is a must-try.
Merotoro
What is it? Merotoro is a restaurant that serves Baja Californian cuisine with an urban twist. The dishes aim to be as faithful as possible to the ingredients that are bought on that day, chosen with high standards and used generously by chef Jair Téllez.
Why go? They care about the origin of the ingredients in a cuisine dedicated to the gastronomy of another state, a challenge that Merotoro overcomes every day. Therefore, they print their menu daily, adapting to the season and the chef’s inspiration.
What to try? Try the pork jaw with egg, a classic that remains on the menu, with a glass of wine recommended by the servers. You will travel to a corner of Mexico that is increasingly prominent in the gastronomic world.
Rosetta
What is it? In this Porfirian mansion, you can find a blend of Italian cuisine with Mexican touches, where there are no clichés. They make use of ingredients – especially seafood – in recipes that an Italian grandmother would cook, with flashes of creativity from chef Elena Reygadas.
Why go? Seasonal ingredients at their finest, a completely friendly atmosphere in the afternoons and very romantic at night. And if that weren’t enough, the success of their bakery has borne fruit in two locations (Roma and Juárez) specializing in sweet and savory bread.
What to try? Green mole with quelites for a taste of herbalism and wild touches without losing creaminess; white criollo cocoa and hoja santa chocolate, the dessert that unleashes fears of experimentation.
10 restaurants not to miss in Mexico City: for mortals:
Máximo Bistrot Local
What is it? In the pantry of Máximo Bistrot Local, more than two-thirds of the space is occupied by ingredients from local farms, including crops from Xochimilco. Chef Eduardo García, along with his wife and partner Gabriela López, opened this restaurant in 2012 with the purpose of serving dishes born from fair trade and cultivation.
Why go? Eduardo García has an outstanding resume, having worked at places such as Le Bernardin (three-Michelin-starred restaurant in New York) and Pujol (Mexico City). The restaurant follows a strict philosophy of supporting national products; sophisticated dishes without falling into ostentatious presentation that can be accompanied by craft beer or wine.
What to try? The menu changes daily, but they never fail to impress with elements such as asparagus and carrot puree, chicatanas ants, or serrano chili.
Sud 777
What is it? Representative of product-based cuisine and a multi-concept restaurant based in an old typical house in Pedregal, Sud 777 is owned by chef Edgar Núñez and comes to life among water mirrors and fresh vegetable ingredients.
Why go? It is currently number 14 on the list of the 50 Best Restaurants in Latin America. Inside, woods, stones, and facades stand out, a collaboration between Sergio Berger (Niz-Chauvet architects) and designer Adan Carabes.
What to try? The main compass is the tasting menu: rotating, avant-garde, and traditional at the same time, with a dark chocolate-filled chili and crunchy cocoa that won the gold.
