Contramar in Mexico City is the Gabriela Camara-run Durango Street seafood room in Roma Norte since 1998, the lunch-only kitchen that built its name on the tuna tostada and the split-color pescado a la talla.
Signature dishes: Tuna tostada, Pescado a la talla, Fish tacos
Must order: The tuna tostada and the pescado a la talla, half red half green down the middle.
Tip: Open lunch only; lines start at 13:00. Walk-ins land easier on Mondays than mid-week.
Address: Calle de Durango 200, Roma Norte, Cuauhtemoc, 06700 Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico City
Lalo in Mexico City is chef Eduardo Garcia's all-day Roma Norte counter on Zacatecas since 2014, the Maximo Bistrot casual sister with communal tables and breakfast that runs to noon.
Signature: Huevos rancheros, Chilaquiles, Croque-madame
Order: The huevos con chorizo; the chilaquiles verdes; a Mexican wine by the glass.
Tip: Walks-ins only; arrive before 09:00 weekends or expect a wait. Closed for full service Sunday afternoon.
Lardo in Mexico City is Elena Reygadas' all-day Condesa room on Agustin Melgar since 2015, the Mediterranean wood-fired sister of Rosetta that runs from morning eggs to late dinner pasta.
Signature: Wood-fired flatbreads, Pasta, Brunch plates
Order: The wood-fired flatbread of the day; the brunch eggs with Roma garden tomatoes.
Tip: Open from breakfast; the corner-window two-tops fill first. Walks-ins easier at 11:00 weekdays than 14:00.
Lalo in Mexico City is chef Eduardo Garcia's all-day Roma Norte counter on Zacatecas since 2014, the Maximo Bistrot casual sister with communal tables and breakfast that runs to noon.
Signature: Huevos rancheros, Chilaquiles, Croque-madame
Order: The huevos con chorizo; the chilaquiles verdes; a Mexican wine by the glass.
Tip: Walks-ins only; arrive before 09:00 weekends or expect a wait. Closed for full service Sunday afternoon.
El Cardenal Centro in Mexico City is the Briz family's 1969 Centro Historico breakfast room on Palma, the Sunday-morning institution where hot chocolate is frothed tableside with raw-milk nata.
Signature: Hot chocolate, Pan de nata, Chiles en nogada
Order: The hot chocolate with pan de nata; chiles en nogada in season.
Tip: Sunday brunch fills by 09:30; arrive at opening at 08:00 to avoid the wait. Three other branches across the city.
Azul Condesa in Mexico City is chef Ricardo Munoz Zurita's Condesa room on Nuevo Leon, the regional Mexican kitchen that tours a different Mexican state on a rotating menu every month.
Signature: Mole negro, Cochinita pibil, Tlacoyos
Order: The mole negro de Oaxaca; whichever state is featured that month.
Tip: Closed Sunday dinner; the rotating monthly menu is announced on Instagram. Daughter of Azul Historico in Centro.
Fonda Margarita in Mexico City is the Del Valle morning fonda on Adolfo Prieto since 1948, the open-air breakfast counter that has fed cabbies and politicians the same plates for over seven decades.
Signature: Huevos rancheros, Frijoles puercos, Chilaquiles
Order: Huevos con chorizo; frijoles refritos con asiento; chilaquiles verdes.
Tip: Open Tue-Sun 06:30 to 12:00, closed Mondays. Arrive before 09:00 or expect a 30 minute wait on the street.
Cafe de Tacuba in Mexico City is the Mollinedo family's 1912 Centro Historico room on Tacuba, the 17th-century palace dining hall that runs every traditional Mexican breakfast format the capital invented.
Signature: Enchiladas de mole, Tamales, Chocolate caliente
Order: Enchiladas de mole verde; tamales served with frothy chocolate caliente.
Tip: Daily 08:00 to 23:00; the strolling student trio on Sunday afternoons is the move for the room's full character.
