Contramar in Mexico City is Gabriela Camara's lunch-only Durango Street seafood room in Roma Norte since 1998, the kitchen that made the tuna tostada Mexico City's most-copied dish.
Signature dishes: Tuna tostada, Pescado a la talla, Fish tacos
Must order: The tuna tostada and the pescado a la talla, split red and green down the middle.
Tip: Open lunch only; arrive by 13:00 or expect a 45 minute wait. Half the dining room books out for the same lunch every Wednesday.
Address: Calle de Durango 200, Roma Norte, Cuauhtemoc, 06700 Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico City
Maximo Bistrot in Mexico City is chef Eduardo Lalo Garcia's one-Michelin-star Roma Norte room on Alvaro Obregon, the seasonal Mexican kitchen with a French bistro spine since 2011.
Signature: Seasonal tasting, Market vegetables, Hand-rolled pastas
Order: The seasonal tasting menu; whatever vegetable arrives that morning from the chef's farm.
Tip: Closed Mondays; book three weeks ahead. The taller dining room moved to Alvaro Obregon in 2021 from the original Tonala location.
Rosetta in Mexico City is Elena Reygadas' one-Michelin-star Roma Norte room in a 1920s townhouse on Colima, the kitchen where Italian technique meets Mexican market produce.
Signature: Hand-rolled pastas, Hoja santa ravioli, Tasting menu
Order: The hoja santa ravioli; the seasonal pasta of the week.
Tip: Closed Sundays; sister Panaderia Rosetta is across the street for morning conchas. Reygadas was named World's Best Female Chef 2023.
Em in Mexico City is chef Luis Lucho Martinez's one-Michelin-star Roma Norte tasting room on Tonala, the contemporary Mexican kitchen with Japanese influences that earned a star in the 2024 first Mexico guide.
Signature: Tasting menu, Wagyu carnitas, Smoked fish
Order: The full tasting menu; the wagyu carnitas course is the room's signature.
Tip: Closed Sundays and Mondays; tasting menu only. Book three weeks ahead via OpenTable. Originally opened as Emilia in 2018 before relocating.
Maximo Bistrot in Mexico City is chef Eduardo Lalo Garcia's one-Michelin-star Roma Norte room on Alvaro Obregon, the seasonal Mexican kitchen with a French bistro spine since 2011.
Signature: Seasonal tasting, Market vegetables, Hand-rolled pastas
Order: The seasonal tasting menu; whatever vegetable arrives that morning from the chef's farm.
Tip: Closed Mondays; book three weeks ahead. The taller dining room moved to Alvaro Obregon in 2021 from the original Tonala location.
Rosetta in Mexico City is Elena Reygadas' one-Michelin-star Roma Norte room in a 1920s townhouse on Colima, the kitchen where Italian technique meets Mexican market produce.
Signature: Hand-rolled pastas, Hoja santa ravioli, Tasting menu
Order: The hoja santa ravioli; the seasonal pasta of the week.
Tip: Closed Sundays; sister Panaderia Rosetta is across the street for morning conchas. Reygadas was named World's Best Female Chef 2023.
Em in Mexico City is chef Luis Lucho Martinez's one-Michelin-star Roma Norte tasting room on Tonala, the contemporary Mexican kitchen with Japanese influences that earned a star in the 2024 first Mexico guide.
Signature: Tasting menu, Wagyu carnitas, Smoked fish
Order: The full tasting menu; the wagyu carnitas course is the room's signature.
Tip: Closed Sundays and Mondays; tasting menu only. Book three weeks ahead via OpenTable. Originally opened as Emilia in 2018 before relocating.
Sud 777 in Mexico City is chef Edgar Nunez's one-Michelin-star Pedregal room on Boulevard de la Luz, the vegetable-driven Mexican kitchen with a 12-course tasting menu opened in 2008.
Signature: 12-course tasting, Garden vegetables, Tasting menu
Order: The 12-course tasting; the garden vegetable course built from the on-site greenhouse.
Tip: Closed Sundays; book three weeks ahead. Worth the ride south from Polanco for the courtyard dining room and the in-house farm.
Masala y Maiz in Mexico City is chefs Norma Listman and Saqib Keval's one-Michelin-star Juarez room on Marsella, the kitchen that bridges Mexican, Indian and East African pantries.
Signature: Garam masala mole, Plantain dosa, Tasting menu
Order: The garam masala mole; the plantain dosa to start.
Tip: Closed Mondays and Tuesdays; the room is small and books out a week ahead via Resy.
Lardo in Mexico City is Elena Reygadas' all-day Condesa room on Agustin Melgar, the Mediterranean wood-fired sister of Rosetta opened in 2015 with a bar-dining vibe.
Signature: Wood-fired flatbreads, Brunch plates, Hand-rolled pasta
Order: The wood-fired flatbread of the day; the brunch eggs with Roma garden tomatoes.
Tip: Open all day from breakfast; the corner-window two-tops fill first. Walks-ins land best at 11:00 weekdays.
