Cantina Covadonga
Puebla 121, between Orizaba and Cordoba
Colonia Roma Norte
Tel: 5533 2922
An iconic Mexico City cantina that hasachieved massive popularity as of late because of location and atmosphere,which is a little bizarre because on one side you’ll have a old men playingdominoes, men in suits in another whilst across from them a group of youngthings, sitting around chatting and drinking copious amounts of Tequila orMescal. The Torta Milaneza, a Mexican stylesandwich with avocado, tomato, Oaxaca cheese and breaded pork, is said to belegendary while the piña colada is alsooutstanding. Come on a Thursday or Friday night to really catch the atmosphere.

La Veracruzana
Medellin 198, corner with Chiapas
Colonia Roma Norte
Tel: 5574 0474
There is really nothing special about thisplace except that it serves simple and very affordable seafood. And while noteverything on the menu is particularly outstanding, such as some of their morecreative concoctions (see under especialidades), their standards are fantastic,such as the quesadillas de cazon (deep fried baby shark quesadillas) and thefiletes, which are basically fish fillets prepared in any number of ways. The caldode mariscos: a soup made with shrimp stock andaccompanied by seafood, is also particularlygood, especially after a long night out drinking! Indeed, while this placeisn’t necessarily a destination, if you’re in the neighbourhood it isdefinitely worth a stop by.

Los Arcos
Torcuato Tasso 330, between Masaryk andHoracio
Polanco
Tel: 5254 5624 / 5531 9696
Particularly for big groups, Los Arcos is afantastic place to eat; tacos can be ordered to satisfy several people, as canthe ceviches, aguachiles and just about everything else. And that is what makes this placeso fantastic; while you can order main dishes and main courses, these are notthe focus of the menu, but rather large groups who want to share a variety of things.It is also an excellent place to sample Sinaloan cuisine, which is noted forits ability with fish and shellfish. Particularly good are the tacosgobernador, which are made with shrimp, cheese andcooked over a griddle.

El Cardenal
Palma 23, between 5 de Mayo and FranciscoI. Madero
Colonia Centro
Tel: 5521 8815
An absolutely classic amongst Mexicans andon the tourist trail, this restaurant has been around for some fifty years,with humble origins but now frequented by many of Mexico’s most famouspersonalities. Glitz aside though, the food is no frills. The breakfast istypically old-school Mexican with all the usual chilaquiles, enchiladas and an aporreado con huevo that is todie for! For lunch, the place is less impressive but still a good showcase ofclassic Mexican gastronomy, offering dishes like chiles rellenos (stuffed chillies), escamoles (anteggs) and of course, mole.

Los Danzantes
Plaza Jardin Centenario 12
Colonia Villa Coyoacan
Tel: 5554 1213 / 5554 2896
An iconic cantina, Los Danzantes has become a favourite amongst Mexicans looking tohave lunch with family or amongst friends. Cantinas are usually perfect forthis because aside from being great places to eat, they are also fantastic fordrinking. So as the meal comes to an end, the drinking begins, and it doesn’treally stop. If you do come for a spot of liquor, make sure you try some of thewide-ranging mescals they have on offer here.

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. For dessert, their pastel dechocolate, which comes hot and served with cheeseice cream, is particularly outstanding.

Las Cazuelas de la Abuela
Avenida San Geronimo 630, inside Centrocomercial
San Angel
Tel: 5683 8720
A very family oriented restaurant thatfeels as though its right out of the 1950s, this place is always packed withpeople and it can often be difficult to get a table. The wait however, isusually never that long. Indeed, if you do come, the food will satisfy. All thedishes made with mole and pipian are fantastically prepared as are the quesadillas and the tamales. The only area wherethis restaurant doesn’t match up is in its desserts. That said though, they aretraditional, and very Mexican and worth a try.

La rayuela
Miguel Hidalgo 107, between el Zocalo deTlalpan and Benito Juarez
Tlalpan Centro
Tel: 5655 8456
A more European dining experience, whatmakes this place so special is the service and the location, right on the zocalo in Tlalpan. The building feels like an old church and of course,the colonnades, which occupy the edges of the square, feel like something outof Paris. At any rate, this restaurant has done a good job of maintaining itsspecial location. The food too, though simple, is well prepared and verysatisfying. The salads are fresh, the house dressing is a rich combination ofolive oil, vinegar and honey while the pastas and pizzas are nothing less thansumptuous. They also have an excellent wine list, which the couple that run it,have taken care in choosing.