Best Restaurants in Mexico City: Affordable authentic Eats!

Mexico City is a lively melting pot where everything seems connected to history, culture, and the land. The Mexican capital offers some of the best Mexican restaurants in the country and a myriad of international and fusion cuisines.

It’s no secret that Mexico is home to mouthwatering food experiences. From Oaxaca, Tulum, and Mexico City you can feast your way through Mexico. 

Don't forget to add a hint of pepper to everything, and order some tequila-based cocktails to harmonize with your meals. 

13 Best Restaurants in Mexico City

Let’s take a closer look at some of Mexico City’s best restaurants!

13. La Docena

Price: $

La Docena feels like New Orleans has decided to take a summer vacation in Mexico. Serving juicy oysters and tons of cured ham, this is the best restaurant in Mexico City if you genuinely enjoy fresh seafood. 

Order octopus, clams, and aguachiles, and dip it all in their fantastic house aioli. The french fries here also have an excellent reputation. Finish off your meal with their famous lava cake to round things off! 

Come for a late afternoon meal, especially on Sundays when you can catch the end-of-the-weekend vibes. 

12. Nicos

Price: $$

Find a straightforward and unpretentious restaurant serving only some of the best quality ingredients in the entire country. 

Nicos reflects Chef Geraldo Vazquez Lugo's take on the Slow Food movement in Mexico. 

The menu here is crafted based on Mexican cuisine's different influences over the years. For example, French cooking techniques blend with regional recipes to create something exceptional. 

Order from the many mole variations, and try the house tortilla. 

11. San Angel Inn

Price: $$

San Angel Inn is one of the best restaurants in Mexico city in terms of history.

This emblematic Mexican restaurant is located right in front of the Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo. It's the perfect lunch spot after visiting the artist couple's house!

The San Angel Inn has been around since 1963, with a large courtyard and gardens to explore after your meal. 

Built inside a colonial-style hacienda, San Angel Inn serves fabulous moles and other traditional Puebla meals. 

Brunches here are also pretty good, where you can listen to live music on weekends. 

Make a reservation before going since the place gets pretty crowded and try to get a table in the garden!

10. Meroma

Price: $$

The chefs at Meroma are experts at presenting modern and well-balanced dishes. Their ability to combine American and Mexican cooking traditions and styles has made Meroma one of the best restaurants in Mexico City. 

Owned by a husband and wife, Meroma works with seasonal and local vegetables that brighten the menu. 

Taste oysters, fish, lamb, and some of the best pasta dishes in the entire city.

9. Café Nin

Price: $

Café Nin is a great breakfast spot where you can taste some of the best coffee in the Mexican capital. 

Although it isn't the fanciest of places, this is one of the best restaurants in Mexico City to get a classic Mexican breakfast. 

Try to go later in the morning on weekdays, to avoid the queues. 

Armed with your caffeine fix, try the pastries and bread served at Café Nin. More traditional breakfast choices like chilaquiles are also a winner.

8. Ticuchi

Price: $$

Ticuchi's main claim to fame is its cocktails, making it one of the best restaurants in Mexico City for sundowners!

Here, you can try agave-based drinks, from the smokiness of mezcal to the aromatic añejo tequila. These exotic drinks are all balanced with fruits, herbs, and other local ingredients from Mexico.

To harmonize with the cocktails, the restaurant also serves plenty of traditional Oaxacan foods, all prepared with local and seasonal ingredients.

Order a drink and savor snacks like guacamole, tamales, tacos, and small tostadas. The al pastor tacos here deserve special attention, where the pineapple subs for the pork and mushrooms stand in for the barbacoa. 

If you're adventurous enough, you can munch on insects too!

7. Restaurante El Cardenal

Price: $$

El Cardenal is the best restaurant in Mexico City to grab a greasy, filling breakfast after a night out. 

With multiple locations spread across the city, you can find some of the most traditional Mexican breakfast foods as well as American staples like Eggs Benny, pancakes, and waffles. 

You can’t go wrong if you order eggs, tortillas, and their house-spiced hot chocolate. Finish off with the concha con nata, a shell-shaped pastry filled with cream to give you energy for the rest of the day. 

6. Paramo

Price: $

Paramo is the best restaurant in Mexico City to find an accumulation of Mexican comfort foods. 

If you need to cross items from your "must eat" list, this is the place to come, as you'll find most Mexican cuisine classics. 

Dine under the night sky since the place has a transparent rooftop that allows you to look up at the stars. 

The decor and design of the area are also pretty impressive, with dangling shiny lights above your head and plants hanging from walls bedecked with classic decorations. 

Enjoy tacos, quesadillas, chalupas, and many more at this beautiful eatery.

5. Contramar

Price: $$$

Contramar is located in the arty and elegant neighborhood of La Condesa. 

Here you can find business people having lunch alongside tourists willing to spend a few extra bucks on a nice meal. 

If you’re looking for one of the best restaurants in Mexico City to kick off the weekend then this is the place to go! On Fridays, happy hour starts early. Drinks flow as conversations and laughter get louder. 

Contramar has a bright and spacious dining room, with bamboo and small tribal elements that adorn the interior. 

4. Rosetta 

Price: $$

Rosetta is an entire experience. If you’re looking for the best restaurant in Mexico City for ambiance then Rosetta has your name written all over it! 

This gorgeous restaurant is located inside an old mansion in the classic Roma Norte neighborhood and has an incredible ambiance and atmosphere. 

The main dining room has a super high ceiling and enormous windows that allow the sunlight to filter in. Bright, nostalgic, and airy are words that spring to mind.

Order from the a la carte menu or the three-course tasting option. Savor traditional Mexican ingredients with a french cooking influence. 

A block away, you can find the Panaderia Rosetta, a bakery that’s famous for its pastries. 

3. Pujol

Price: $$$

Pujol is one of the primary references for quality cooking in the Mexican capital. It was number one on the list of best restaurants in Mexico City for a long time. 

Pujol’s 11-course tasting menu is exceptional. It’s here that you can try some of the classics of regional cuisine, all prepared with a memorable and creative house touch.

Every dish, from the ceviche tacos to the Mole Madre, is crafted with care and excellence, and you’ll probably never find better versions of these dishes. 

The restaurant used to be very small and exclusive, but now the space is much more casual and bright. Pujol is an unforgettable gastronomic experience in Mexico City. 

If you don't feel like getting the tasting menu, you can always order from the many a la carte options too.

2. Quintonil

Price: $$$

Quintonil is constantly battling with Pujol for the title of “best restaurant in Mexico City”. This restaurant has won the battle by presenting a nine-course tasting menu that takes diners on a sensory journey through indigenous Mexican cuisine. 

The menu here is primarily vegetarian, with a few meat dishes in the mix. 

You can order from the a la carte menu if you don't have the appetite or budget for the set menu. However, for food fans, it’s something you'll remember for a long time. 

1. Maximo Bistrot

Price: $$

For the first of our list of best restaurants in Mexico City, we present you with Maximo Bistrot. 

This farm-to-table restaurant constantly changes its menu to reflect the seasonality and availability of ingredients. The head chef here, Eduardo Garcia, sources the produce from nearby farmers, preparing elegant and upscale dishes for his diners. 

Although refined, Maximo Bistrot still maintains a farm-to-table venue's simplicity. 

The food here is delicious and exclusive but retains the familiarity of Mexican home cooking. You’ll find lots of sauces, purees, and spreads with most meals.

Mexico City is a Foodie Dream come True!

Mexico City is a gastronomic mecca for those who enjoy freshness and spiciness combined. In this capital, you can find some of the best restaurants in the country and probably in the entirety of Latin America. 

You’ll be blown away as you explore and stay in Mexico City, tasting tacos, moles, and dishes from various regions of Mexico, all prepared with extreme love and care. 

Experience the Tastes and Treasures!

Now that you’ve found the best restaurants in Mexico City, it’s time to go ahead and explore everything else the city has to offer! Why not begin planning your Mexican itinerary now and allow your travel dreams to take shape?