20+1 places to eat and drink in Mexico City
In my last post, I mentioned that Mexico City is home to Handshake Speakeasy, which was voted last year (2024) as the world’s best bar. The Mexican capital is actually home to a total of six of the world’s 100 best bars, as well as four of the world’s 100 best restaurants. Today, I am going to make my own recommendations about where to eat and drink in Mexico City. Considering the size of the city (the largest in North America), I have grouped my recommendations first based on their location, and second based on the time of the day that’s best to visit. So, without further ado, here are 20 + 1 places to eat and drink in Mexico City.
Roma and Condesa
Considered the centre of the Mexican capital’s culinary and artistic zeitgeist, Roma Norte and the neighbouring Condesa are home to some of the best places to eat and drink in Mexico City. Because of this, as well as their proximity to many sights, Roma Norte and Condesa are good places to stay overnight. So, let’s start with breakfast/brunch.
Breakfast/brunch
Dosis Café
I went to Dosis Café for my morning coffee and breakfast (I had poached eggs with avocado and tomato) and I absolutely loved it! There were people working on their laptops and it felt like this is a great place for remote working.
Panederia Rosetta
Also located in Roma Norte, Panederia Rosetta is a great place for brunch! There was a queue when I got there but I got sat within 15 minutes. The menu had a large number of delicious items. At the end, I had a banana tamal with mole, a guava roll and a coffee. Highly recommended!
El Tigrillo
Not far from Panederia Rosetta, there’s El Tigrillo. I came here for brunch on a Sunday morning without a reservation and I got a table right away (on that day, the queue at Panederia Rosetta was estimated to an hour). There’s a beautiful garden with a few tables, but there’s also an indoor seating area. For food, I shared corn pancakes with dulce de leche (cajeta) sauce and sliced banana (which was more than enough for 2 people). I also had coffee carajillo and Batida de mamey.
Madre Café
Madre Café is another beautiful cafe-restaurant in Roma Norte. I went there for breakfast and sat in the garden.
Cafebrería El Péndulo
Cafebrería El Péndulo is a large bookstore with a cafe, which makes it my kind of place. There are a few locations, but I’ve only been to the one in Roma Norte. I came here for breakfast and had huevos Fausto (eggs in a mole), coffee and orange juice. They also serve alcoholic drinks later in the day.
Dinner
Restaurante Rosetta
There are four restaurants in Mexico City among the world’s 100 best. These include Quintonil (number 7), Pujol (number 33), Rosetta (number 34) and Sud 777 (number 82). I only had dinner in Rosetta and Pujol.
In Restaurante Rosetta (almost opposite to Panederia Rosetta), I actually had dinner twice. The first time, I showed up without reservation but managed to get a table outside. I shared a salad, and also had a starter, a main and a cocktail. I had the white mole with carrots as a starter and a sweet potato tamal as a main (and paid 1350 pesos, or 67 US dollars). Definitely worth it as both the food and the atmosphere were delightful.
Pizza Felix
Also located in Roma Norte, Felix is a pizzeria that feels more like a bar! I loved the vibe of the place, but I also enjoyed my pizza and cocktail!
Bars
There are four bars in Mexico among the world’s 50 best. As well as Handshake Speakeasy (number 1), there is also Tlecān (number 20), Licorería Limantour (number 32) and El Gallo Altanero (number 48). The latter is located in Guadalajara, whereas the rest are all located in Mexico City (in Roma Norte or Condesa).
Handshake Speakeasy
This is the world’s best bar, so it was surprisingly very popular. Unfortunately, I did not manage to make a reservation and I did not want to queue to get in, so I went to Tlecān instead. Handshake Speakeasy is the only place in this list that I have not visited.
Tlecān
In Tlecān, I had two cocktails, a ‘negroni cacao’ (a negroni with mezcal instead of gin) and a ‘pulque colada’ (pulque with pineapple juice). I loved both and I would happily go back to try more cocktails! Most cocktails cost around 200 pesos (10 US dollars).
Licorería Limantour
In Licorería Limantour, I had a ‘tegroni’ (a negroni spin-off with tequila instead of gin) for 270 pesos (13 US dollars). They also do some snacks, but I’d already had dinner!
As well as the above, there are three more bars in Mexico City among the world’s 100 best. These include Baltra Bar (number 83), Rayo (number 87) and Hanky Panky (number 93).
Centro Historico and Alameda
El Café de Bellas Artes
El Café de Bellas Artes is located on the ground floor of the Palacio de Belas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts), home to one of the city’s main museums. It is a beautiful place for a coffee or a cocktail against a backdrop of impressive murals. You don’t have to visit the museum to get to the café.
Sanborns at Casa de los Azulejos
The House of Tiles (Casa de los Azulejos) or Palace of the Counts of Valley of Orizaba (Palacio de los Condes del Valle de Orizaba) is located very close to the Palacio de Bellas Artes. It is now home to Sanborns, a restaurant and department store chain. It is a fantastic location for a meal, such a unique and atmospheric place! There are several rooms, but the one on the ground floor, closer to Calle Madero is the most impressive of all. No need for advanced booking.
Azul Historico
Azul Historico is another unique place, perfect for a special meal. And special it was! I came for dinner and had the guacamole with grasshoppers for a starter (tastes much better than it sounds!!!), a mole with duck for a main, and chocolate with mezcal for dessert, plus a glass of Mexican wine. Everything was delicious! I absolutely loved the atmosphere, dining in a beautiful courtyard, a stone’s throw from the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven, the Plaza de la Constitución (Zócalo) and the Templo Mayor. So close to (and yet so far from) the busyness of the Centro Histórico. Advanced booking is recommended.
Polanco
Polanco is home to two of the world’s best restaurants, Quintonil and Pujol, as well as the National Museum of Anthropology, the largest and most visited museum in Mexico. Of these two restaurants, I’ve only been to Pujol.
Pujol
In Pujol, I had the 9-course tasting menu, which was largely fish and seafood, but also included Pujol’s famous mole! I also had two cocktails, and paid 5,000 pesos (250 US dollars) per person, which was worth it! Best to make a reservation well in advance, but don’t feel disheartened if it is fully booked. I had only made a reservation a couple of weeks earlier (I had put our name on the waiting list, as it was initially fully booked for all the days I checked).
Coyoacan
Coyoacan is home to the Frida Kahlo Museum (which is actually a house where the famous painter lived). It’s also a nice neighbourhood to wander around. I actually spent one night (and two full days) there.
Breakfast/brunch
Café El Jarocho
There are actually 2 locations, both in Coyoacan, very close to each other, and close to the market and the Frida Kahlo Museum, which I visited afterwards. There is no seating area indoors but there are seats on the pavement. As well as coffee, they also sell pastries. I had the cafe de olla (cinnamon coffee) and a panque de elote (corn cake).
Café Negro
This is a beautiful cafe close both to the Coyoacan market and to the Frida Kahlo Museum. I went there for breakfast. As well as coffee, there is a good selection of savoury and sweet pastries. I had the horchata cold brew and a chocolate concha.
Lunch
Ostioneria El Limoncito
There are several places to have food in the Coyoacan market, but this one appealed to me the most. I came here after I visited the Frida Kahlo Museum and shared the ceviche especial (octopus, shrimps, scallops, crab) and two tostadas.
La Coyoacana
La Coyoacana is located in the historical centre of Coyoacan, very close to Plaza Hidalgo. I went there for lunch and had enough food to last me till the end of the day. For starters, I had the sopa azteca and shared sopecitos. For the main, I shared the molcajetes: a stone mortar filled with strips of rib eye steak and topped with chicharron (pork crackling). It would’ve been enough for 2 people without the starters! Several mariachi bands came by and played their beautiful music.
El Kiosko de Coyoacan
Afterwards, I visited the Parroquia (Church) de San Juan Bautista, then I stopped here for an ice cream. They have a huge selection of flavours but I only had two: chocolate and avocado (aguacate). I would happily come back to try more!
Citywide
Tierra Garrat
This is a chain specialising in coffee and chocolate, but they also do savoury items and pastries. I had a beverage which had both coffee and chocolate. The interior is beautiful and attracts many people working on their laptops – another good place for a light lunch and/or remote working.
Tacos El Huequito
This is a must-visit taqueria in Mexico City. There are 12 locations. I visited the one close to the Palacio de Bellas Artes and had the special tacos al pastor, with cafe de olla (cinnamon coffee) and water with honey and chia seeds.
Further reading
To better prepare for my trip, I used the Lonely Planet Mexico Travel Guide.
Alex
(the Traveling Psychiatrist)