Dulce Patria
Anatole France 100, near corner of Masaryk
Polanco
Tel: 3300 3999
Following the success of her firstrestaurant, Marta Ortiz Chapa has taken her second venture into one of MexicoCity’s finest boutique hotels with a concept that screams Mexican, from thedécor to the food, which is as extravagant and kitsch as you could possiblyimagine with red, satin sofas, gold leaf walls and a floor done in the style ofrosa Mexicana; that iconic pink colour so synonymous with Mexico. The food too,rather than being a fusion of styles, intends to take traditional Mexicandishes, adding an added layer of vibrancy before serving it as typicallyMexican as possible. If the term "so kitsch its cool" means anything, thisplace will be loved.
Azul y Oro
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.
Nico’s
Avenida Cuitlahuac 3102, corner withClaveria
Colonia Claveria
Tel: 5396 7090 / 5396 6510
A very rustic and Mexican dining experience,Nico’s is well known amongst gourmands whoappreciate very good food with no frills And though the place is expensive andrather difficult to get to, reaching here is well worth it for that experiencealone. Each day the restaurant also has a selection of daily specials as wellas observing all of Mexico’s gourmet events such as the annual mole festival.Highly recommended are the pollo lechoso a la barbacoa (which is chicken made with milk and cream and cooked slowly) andthe atun sellado (seared Tuna), which though notthat Mexican, is one of the best in the city.
Pujol
Francisco Petrarca 254, corner with Masaryk
Polanco
Tel: 5545 4111
An ode to micro gastronomy, EnriqueOlvera’s workshop/restaurant is the kind of place you would go to if you wantedto try something very, very different. Think quesadilla foams in plastic tubes, which you have to suck out and mini huaraches(corn toasted on a griddle with beans and meat)twisted around with kobe beef or the sea bass,which is prepared with a pineapple purée. Try the tasting menu to get a goodsense of what is on offer here. If a cooking class is also what you intend ondoing in Mexico City, Olvera also organises themed courses that run for half aday and involve purchasing ingredients before taking them to his kitchen tocook.
Paxia
Avenida de la Paz 47, between Revolucionand Insurgentes
San Angel
Tel: 5616 6964
Daniel Ovadia’s restaurant in San Angel hasbeen a destination in Mexico City for a very long time and it is easy to seewhy. Taking classic Mexican food and giving it some edge, Ovadia has managed tocreate an interesting range of flavours. And though they have a tasting menu,which is definitely worth trying, stick to the main courses because they aremore satisfying. Highly recommended are the tuetano al horno (oven cooked bone marrow) and tacos de canasta, which in addition to being unseen in any restaurant but are aclassic on the streets of Mexico, having been somewhat "gentrified" withoutsacrificing flavour.
San Angel Inn
Avenida Diego Rivera 50, corner withAltavista
Colonia San Angel Inn
Tel: 5616 1402 / 5616 2222
Not only is this one of the beautifulrestaurants in Mexico City, it is also one of the calmest, so much so thatcolonial dignitaries would come here to relax. Formerly a Carmenite monastery,the restaurant has maintained almost all of the former glory of its originalpurpose. The food, though not Mexican per se, is rather international with agood selection of Mexican classics. One of the highlights of the place is alsothe very old school, attentive style of service that is so hard to find thesedays in Mexico.
