Visiting Mexico City, it is no surprise that it hasbecome a top country for food tourism. The variety of restaurants and cuisineson offer is so huge, it’s almost baffling. The quality of food too, is also outstanding.
And while it is almost impossible to have a bad mealhere (mexicans are fantastic chefs, whatever the food), this guide goes some wayto clearing the wheat from the chaff and highlighting the most notable places.
Since most people coming to Mexico will likely beaware of various cuisines from around the world, this guide will focus heavilyon mexican cuisine, with only a few other options from elsewhere, which wereworth mentioning.
The guide has been divided into sections; for thosetravelling in a group, with family, their partner or alone. It has also beendivided into budgets to satisfy everyone’s finances.
We hope that the information provided here will helpmake your dining experience that much more memorable. And if you do have any suggestionsor ideas please do not hesitate to get in touch!
Tacos Gus
Amsterdam 171, corner of GlorietaCitlaltepetl
Colonia Hipodromo-Condesa
Tel: 044 55 1384 3077
Gus, the guy who runs this place, has injust a few short months, turned this into one of the most iconic tacodestinations in Mexico City, offering a huge selection of very healthy andtasty tacos. So creative are his offerings, that his vegetarian options areoften better than his carnivorous choices. He opens for breakfast at 9am andcloses at 4pm but if you want the more popular stuff go before 2.30pm. Makesure you also have whatever his agua del dia is,which is a great way to wash down all that healthy goodness.
Casa Merlos (OBSERVATORIO)
Victoriano Zepeda 80, corner ofex-Arzobispado
Colonia Observatorio
Tel: 5277 4360
Restaurants of this calibre are hard tofind anywhere in the world but what makes this place so much more of a gemisn’t only that it is so hard to find but because the cuisine, as they describeit, is baroque from the seventeenth century. Indeed, the dishes, whetherfaithfully prepared or not, are outstandingly put together making it anexcellent place to come and sample more traditional Mexican dishes such as mole,pipian and even chapulines (grasshoppers). The décor is all done in Pueblan style ceramics. Besure to make a booking; this place operates unusual opening hours and it canoften be hard to get a table.
Contramar
Durango 200, almost on the corner ofGlorieta Cibeles
Colonia Roma Norte
Tel: 5514 3169 / 5514 9217
Walking into Contramar feels a little bitlike falling into a fishbowl. The walls are blue; you’re surrounded on allsides with only a small door on one side to let you out. What this all concealshowever, is perhaps one of the city’s best locations for seafood. You’ll alsonotice for sure, the impeccably decked out waiters, breezing past tables withbrisk efficiency along with the very pretty clientele who frequent it and cometo see and be seen. Getting past all of this though, and you’ll be treated tosome of the most impressive seafood, from the tostadas de atun, which are a Mexican classic but have a delicate oriental touch tothem. Follow that with some pescadoal pastor de esmedregal; another Mexican classicthat on street corners looks like a kebab and is typically made with pork. Ifyou’re not full at this point, also highly recommended is the pescadozarandeado; a classic from the Mexican state ofNayarit and is only fit if you’re in a group of 3 or more people.
El Bajío
Alejandro Dumas 7, corner with CamposEliseos
Polanco
Tel: 5281 8245 / 5281 8246
On the face of it, there might not beanything to be particularly impressed about with El Bajio because the décor isso typically standard and looks so much like any other restaurant elsewhere inMexico. Looks however, can be deceiving. This place is popular, and for areason and it has entirely to do with the fantastic food. Their carnitas(braised or roasted pork), which their chefs wake up every morning at 4am toprepare, are juicy and full of flavour whilst their rotating menu is always fullof a variety of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes that do not disappoint. To beable to try a good selection of things off the menu, come with a group of atleast four people. Make sure you also try the cafe de olla (coffee made in a clay pot with cinnamon and piloncillo, a type of processed sugar), which is said to be one of the best inMexico.
Merendero Las Lupitas
Plaza Santa Catarina 4, corner withFrancisco Sosa
Coyoacán
5554 3353 / 5554 1345
If your curious about how different Mexicanfood is from one part of the country to another, this small, very unpretentiousrestaurant serves good old-fashioned Mexican cuisine from the north of thecountry with a menu that changes depending on time of day. You’ll notice howthe tortillas are usually made with wheat instead of corn as well as the focuson dried meat, like machaca, in many of theirdishes. For breakfast they havethe classic machaca, served with eggs and wheattortillas. For lunch and dinner, they have gorditas made with wheat on a griddle and stuffed with meat or tamales, ifyou do want something less northern. Highly recommended are also the burritos, and the enchiladas; the latter madewith corn.
Azul y Oro (Ciudad Universitaria)
Centro Cultural Universitario (near SalaNetzahualcoyotl)
Ciudad Universitaria
Tel: 5622 7135
Cash only and somewhat difficult to reach,if you make the journey out here you will be rewarded with some of the finestMexican cuisine at the most reasonable of price tags imaginable. Their standardmenu includes fantastic moles, excellently prepared fish and a number of fingerfoods like tamales and quesadillas as starters. Every month too, the restaurant does a new, themed menubased from a different part of the country. For dessert, their pastel dechocolate, which comes hot and served with cheeseice cream, is particularly outstanding.
