21 restaurants worth the trip across Mexico, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Mexico guides.
Pujol ★ 5.0 · Mexico City
polanco · Tennyson 133, Polanco IV Seccion, Miguel Hidalgo, 11550 Ciudad de Mexico
Pujol in Mexico City is Enrique Olvera's two-Michelin-star Polanco room on Tennyson, the kitchen that put modern Mexican on the world map with its mole madre served past 2000 days.
Tip: Book at least four weeks ahead via the website; lunch is shorter and slightly easier to land than dinner.
Quintonil ★ 5.0 · Mexico City
polanco · Av. Isaac Newton 55, Polanco IV Seccion, Miguel Hidalgo, 11560 Ciudad de Mexico
Quintonil in Mexico City is Jorge Vallejo and Alejandra Flores' two-Michelin-star Polanco kitchen on Newton, ranked number three on the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 list.
Tip: Closed Sundays; book six weeks out via the website. Lunch is the easier window.
Contramar ★ 4.9 · Mexico City
roma-norte · Calle de Durango 200, Roma Norte, Cuauhtemoc, 06700 Ciudad de Mexico
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.
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.
Maximo Bistrot ★ 4.8 · Mexico City
roma-norte · Av. Alvaro Obregon 65 Bis, Roma Norte, Cuauhtemoc, 06700 Ciudad de Mexico
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.
Tip: Closed Mondays; book three weeks ahead. The taller dining room moved to Alvaro Obregon in 2021 from the original Tonala location.
Rosetta ★ 4.8 · Mexico City
roma-norte · Colima 166, Roma Norte, Cuauhtemoc, 06700 Ciudad de Mexico
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.
Tip: Closed Sundays; sister Panaderia Rosetta is across the street for morning conchas. Reygadas was named World's Best Female Chef 2023.
Em ★ 4.7 · Mexico City
roma-norte · Tonala 133, Roma Norte, Cuauhtemoc, 06700 Ciudad de Mexico
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.
Tip: Closed Sundays and Mondays; tasting menu only. Book three weeks ahead via OpenTable. Originally opened as Emilia in 2018 before relocating.
Sud 777 ★ 4.7 · Mexico City
pedregal · Blvd. de la Luz 777, Jardines del Pedregal, Alvaro Obregon, 01900 Ciudad de Mexico
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.
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 ★ 4.6 · Mexico City
juarez · Calle Marsella 72, Juarez, Cuauhtemoc, 06600 Ciudad de Mexico
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.
Tip: Closed Mondays and Tuesdays; the room is small and books out a week ahead via Resy.
El Cardenal ★ 4.6 · Mexico City
centro-historico · Calle de la Palma 23, Centro Historico, Cuauhtemoc, 06000 Ciudad de Mexico
El Cardenal in Mexico City is the Briz family's 1969 Centro Historico room on Palma, the traditional Mexican breakfast institution where hot chocolate is frothed tableside with raw-milk nata.
Tip: Open 08:00 to 18:00; the Centro location seats four floors and still queues by 09:30 on Sunday morning.
Nicos ★ 4.6 · Mexico City
azcapotzalco · Av. Cuitlahuac 3102, Clavería, Azcapotzalco, 02080 Ciudad de Mexico
Nicos in Mexico City is Gerardo Vazquez Lugo's family-run Azcapotzalco room on Cuitlahuac, the traditional Mexican kitchen ranked on the Latin America 50 Best list and a national institution.
Tip: Closed Sunday dinner and Monday; the slow-cooked moles are the move at lunch. Worth the cab from Polanco for the home-cooking depth.
Expendio de Maiz ★ 4.6 · Mexico City
roma-norte · Yucatan 84, Roma Norte, Cuauhtemoc, 06700 Ciudad de Mexico
Expendio de Maiz in Mexico City is chef Jesus Salas' tiny no-reservations heirloom-corn counter on Yucatan in Roma Norte, the kitchen that built its name on native masa from Oaxaca and Tlaxcala.
Tip: No reservations; only ten counter seats. Open Wed-Sun 13:00 to 19:00; arrive at opening and bring cash.
Lardo ★ 4.5 · Mexico City
condesa · Agustin Melgar 6, Condesa, Cuauhtemoc, 06140 Ciudad de Mexico
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.
Tip: Open all day from breakfast; the corner-window two-tops fill first. Walks-ins land best at 11:00 weekdays.
Havre 77 ★ 4.5 · Mexico City
juarez · Havre 77, Juarez, Cuauhtemoc, 06600 Ciudad de Mexico
Havre 77 in Mexico City is Eduardo Lalo Garcia's classic French bistro in Juarez, the Maximo Bistrot sister room that pours natural wine and serves a plateau de fruits de mer on weekends.
Tip: Closed Mondays. Walks-ins land easier than booking; the wine list runs deep on Loire natural pours.
El Hidalguense ★ 4.5 · Mexico City
roma-norte · Calle Campeche 155, Roma Sur, Cuauhtemoc, 06760 Ciudad de Mexico
El Hidalguense in Mexico City is the Roma Sur weekend-only barbacoa pit on Campeche, the Hidalgo-style maguey-pit lamb that fills the room from Friday through Sunday morning.
Tip: Open Friday to Sunday only, 07:00 to 18:00. Arrive by 09:30 Sunday or the consomé runs out by noon.
Merotoro ★ 4.5 · Mexico City
condesa · Amsterdam 204, Hipodromo Condesa, Cuauhtemoc, 06100 Ciudad de Mexico
Merotoro in Mexico City is chef Jair Tellez's Condesa kitchen on Amsterdam, the Baja-California-rooted room that put Ensenada produce on the Mexico City fine-dining map since 2010.
Tip: Closed Sundays; the high counter seats face the open kitchen and book first.
Azul Historico ★ 4.4 · Mexico City
centro-historico · Isabel la Catolica 30, Centro Historico, Cuauhtemoc, 06000 Ciudad de Mexico
Azul Historico in Mexico City is chef Ricardo Munoz Zurita's traditional Mexican kitchen inside the courtyard of the Downtown Mexico hotel on Isabel la Catolica, with Mexican regional moles as the spine.
Tip: Sit in the open courtyard under the Indian laurel; ask for the table closest to the fountain. Brunch lasts till 17:00 weekends.
San Angel Inn ★ 4.4 · Mexico City
san-angel · Diego Rivera 50, San Angel Inn, Alvaro Obregon, 01060 Ciudad de Mexico
San Angel Inn in Mexico City is the 1692 hacienda turned restaurant on Diego Rivera, a courtyard-and-garden colonial room in San Angel where the Margarita Sabra is the city's most-poured Saturday brunch cocktail.
Tip: The patio is the seat; book two weeks ahead for Saturday lunch under the bougainvillea. Mariachi runs Sunday afternoon.
Los Danzantes Coyoacan ★ 4.4 · Mexico City
coyoacan · Plaza Jardin del Centenario 12, Coyoacan, 04000 Ciudad de Mexico
Los Danzantes in Mexico City is the Coyoacan plaza-side Oaxacan kitchen on Jardin del Centenario, the room that pairs house-distilled Los Danzantes mezcal with a black-mole tasting menu.
Tip: Terrace seats face the plaza but get loud weekends; the upstairs interior is the quieter move. Open daily.
Cafe de Tacuba ★ 4.3 · Mexico City
centro-historico · Calle de Tacuba 28, Centro Historico, Cuauhtemoc, 06000 Ciudad de Mexico
Cafe de Tacuba in Mexico City is the Mollinedo family's 1912 Centro Historico room on Tacuba, the colonial-palace dining hall that defines traditional Mexican capital cooking.
Tip: Open daily 08:00 to 23:00. The Sunday strolling student trio singing Aztec songs starts around 13:00; mariachi runs evenings.
Loma Linda Plaza Carso ★ 4.3 · Mexico City
polanco · Calle Lago Zurich 245, Plaza Carso, Ampliacion Granada, Miguel Hidalgo, 11529 Ciudad de Mexico
Loma Linda in Mexico City is the 1924 Mexican steakhouse that claims first-charcoal-grill credit in the capital, with the Plaza Carso branch on Lago Zurich carrying the Polanco service since 2011 with a rooftop terrace facing the Museo Soumaya.
Tip: Plaza Carso location runs daily 13:00 to 23:30; the original Avenida Insurgentes Sur branch is the older sister.
El Bajio ★ 4.3 · Mexico City
polanco · Alejandro Dumas 7, Polanco IV Seccion, Miguel Hidalgo, 11550 Ciudad de Mexico
El Bajio in Mexico City is chef Carmen Titita Ramirez's Veracruz-rooted regional Mexican kitchen with locations across the city, with the Polanco branch carrying the original Azcapotzalco menu.
Tip: Open daily 09:00 to 22:00; the Azcapotzalco original opened 1972 and is the deeper room for connoisseurs.