Mexico City eats on every register at once: corn-based street food at 2 a.m., century-old churrerias and fondas, and a small group of chefs rebuilding Mexican ingredients into some of the most talked-about tasting menus on earth. Michelin only arrived in 2024, but the city already holds two 2-star restaurants and a growing list of 1-stars.
Mexico City at a glance
What to eat
Tacos al pastor (El Huequito 1959, El Tizoncito); Tuna tostada and pescado a la talla (Contramar); Tlacoyos, tamales and atole; Barbacoa with consomme; Pozole blanco.
When to go
Best: March–May and October–November. Also good: January–February, September and December.
Top tables
Quintonil, Michelin 2★ (2026); Pujol, Michelin 2★ (2026). This guide lists 11 award-winning restaurants in all.
Where locals eat
Local favorites off the prestige lists include Taquería Los Cocuyos, Churrería El Moro, Tortería Los Güeros and Nevería Roxy.
Markets
Central de Abasto, Mercado de Coyoacán, Mercado de la Merced and Mercado de San Juan Pugibet.
11 award-winning5 local favorites6 hot right now4 markets6 walking tour stops58 critics' picks10 chef's picks5 sandwich shops10 romantic dinners5 breakfast spots10 new openings23 dish spots
Food walking tour: Roma Norte on foot: a Mexico City morning5.5 hours on foot, 6 stops, in eating order. Add the whole tour to your trip, then give it a day.
Photos: Central de Abasto: Gobierno CDMX, CC0; Mercado de la Merced: Thelmadatter, CC BY-SA 3.0; Mercado de San Juan Pugibet: AlejandroLinaresGarcia, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Chef Amazing picks: where to eat in Mexico City
The well-known five run from a two-star Polanco tasting menu and a Roma Norte one-star to an all-hours churro house and two taco-and-barbacoa stops people plan whole days around. The discoveries are a Roma torta shop, a 1948 breakfast fonda, a Santa María la Ribera barbacoa spot, a 24-hour taco stand and the Coyoacán market tostadas.
The well-known five
Quintonil
Polanco
Michelin 2★ (2026)Contemporary Mexican$$$$
Order: The seasonal tasting menu, built on heirloom corn, small-producer vegetables and insects as seasoning; the counter menu has grasshopper and chicatana ant tacos.
Two Michelin stars in the 2026 guide, in a residential corner of Polanco. An August 2026 guide reports tasting menus of roughly 4,950 to 6,090 MXN (the article gives both), and bookings require a non-refundable deposit applied to the bill.
Best for: celebration dinner · Reserve: book through the restaurant's website as early as your dates allow; weekends fill first
Worth confirming: hours and that it is still open; we do not have a verified street address.
Order: Cabbage and kale tacos with pistachio pipián, sweet potato tamal with salsa macha, sliced Manila mango with coconut cream and horchata ice cream.
This Roma Norte restaurant holds one Michelin star in the 2026 guide. The listed signature dishes are vegetable-led Mexican plates.
Best for: long lunch or date dinner · Reserve: book directly by phone (+52 55 5533 7804) · Hours: Mon-Sat 1-5:30pm and 6:30-11pm; closed Sundays (per Michelin Guide)
Colima 166, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Mexico City
Order: Fresh churros with thick Mexican hot chocolate (the Spanish-style chocolate is very sweet and thick) or cajeta.
The classic churro stop, open around the clock according to Time Out Mexico (a 2012 review, so confirm hours). It sits near San Juan de Letrán metro, and the tacos next door can fill the wait.
Best for: late-night or early-morning snack · Reserve: walk-in · Hours: Open 24 hours (per Time Out Mexico, 2012; confirm)
Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas 42, Centro, Mexico City
Worth confirming: hours and that it is still open.
Order: Pastor tacos with the house avocado salsa; the gringa de pastor is the specialty.
A car-repair shop by day that turns into a pastor taquería at night, open until 3am on weekdays and 5am Fridays and Saturdays per the Infatuation. A 2026 trade piece still describes the day-shop, night-taqueria format.
Best for: late-night tacos · Reserve: walk-in · Hours: Evenings; open until 3am weekdays, 5am Fri-Sat (per The Infatuation, 2023)
Petén 248, corner Av. Universidad, Narvarte, Mexico City 03020
Order: Cubana Especial with a half-litre of agua de sandía.
A Roma staple of more than 50 years, run by two brothers, built around the cubana: a huge roll stacked with several meats and cheeses. A November 2025 review recommends it.
Best for: big cheap lunch · Reserve: walk-in
Calle de San Luis Potosí 62, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City 06700
Worth confirming: hours and that it is still open.
Order: Thick refried beans scrambled with eggs, chicharrón en salsa verde, eggs in pasilla sauce.
A breakfast fonda serving since 1948 with a short window, 6:30am to noon. The beans-and-egg plate and the chicharrón in green sauce are the dishes the March 2025 review singles out.
Best for: early breakfast · Reserve: walk-in · Hours: 6:30am-12pm (per The Infatuation, Mar 2025)
Adolfo Prieto 1364, Del Valle, Mexico City 03100
Worth confirming: hours and that it is still open.
Order: Barbacoa wrapped in maguey leaf by the kilo or by the taco, with consomé; mixiotes.
A barbacoa restaurant in Santa María la Ribera, a neighbourhood most visitors skip. A 2024 Food and Pleasure piece lists it among weekend-morning barbacoa places.
Best for: weekend barbacoa breakfast · Reserve: walk-in
Calle Sabino 213, Santa María la Ribera, Mexico City
Worth confirming: hours and that it is still open.
Order: Tostada de tinga, tostada de pata, tostada de pulpo.
A market-hall tostada stall, cash only. The tip is to arrive before 2pm for the freshest seafood and to beat the crowd after Frida Kahlo's house opens.
Best for: market lunch · Reserve: walk-in · Hours: Daily 10am-6pm (per Table Journey, May 2026)
Mercado de Coyoacán, Ignacio Allende, Coyoacán, Mexico City 04100
Worth confirming: hours and that it is still open.
New places change fast. “Provisional” means a guide or directory lists it as new but we have not confirmed the opening date. Check hours and book ahead before you go.
Memorable breakfasts in Mexico City
The top pick here; the rest are on their own page.
El Cardenal
Centro Histórico, La Palma
Order: Concha with nata and hot chocolate
Traditional Mexican breakfast with an especially fine opening pastry.
Picks come from romantic-dinner lists on booking and review sites. Confirm dinner service, menus and availability before you book.
Food walking tour
Roma Norte on foot: a Mexico City morning
Guava roll, al pastor tacos, a cubana torta, churros and a one-star lunch in one walkable neighbourhood.
Start 9:00 at Panadería Rosetta, on Colima in Roma Norte (worth confirming the street number)Time 5.5 hoursDistance about 4.0 kmBest days Monday to Saturday, because Rosetta is closed Sundays. Hours for the bakery, Orinoco, Los Güeros and Crumbl are not confirmed, so worth confirming.
Roma Norte holds enough of the city's best-known food to fill a morning without a taxi. Start with the guava-and-cream-cheese roll at Panadería Rosetta, then eat your way through al pastor, a huge cubana torta, churros and a vegetable-led lunch at Rosetta.
↓ 12 min · 850 m on foot (approx.): Walk south-east through Roma Norte toward Avenida Álvaro Obregón; Orinoco is near the Plaza Río de Janeiro end at number 100. Worth confirming the route on a map.
2
Taquería Orinoco
Street food Roma Norte
Order: Carne de trompo (al pastor) tacos and a campechana taco.
An al pastor counter on Álvaro Obregón, listed for its trompo-roasted pork. Order two or three tacos each, not a full plate.
↓ 8 min · 550 m on foot (approx.): Walk south through Roma Norte to San Luis Potosí; the shop is mid-block at number 62. Estimated distance, worth checking on a map.
3
Tortería Los Güeros
Classic Roma Norte
Order: One Cubana Especial to share, with a half-litre of agua de sandía.
A Roma staple of more than 50 years, run by two brothers and built around the cubana, a huge roll stacked with several meats and cheeses. A November 2025 review recommends it.
Around 11:05 · 40 min
Calle de San Luis Potosí 62, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City 06700
↓ 12 min · 850 m on foot (approx.): Head west across Roma Norte toward Calle Frontera. Estimated distance, worth checking on a map.
4
Churrería El Moro (Roma Norte)
Viral / queue Roma Norte
Order: Fresh churros with the thick Mexican hot chocolate, or with cajeta.
The churro stop; the original is on Eje Central in the Centro Histórico, and a Roma Norte shop is also listed. Share one order, as the chocolate is very sweet.
The line: 'Always a line' at the Roma Norte shop (reported in a 2019 review; worth confirming)
Around 12:20 · 30 min
Frontera 122, Roma Norte (from a 2019 source; worth confirming)
Hours: The Centro shop is reported open 24 hours (Time Out Mexico, 2012); confirm the Roma Norte hours
↓ 10 min · 700 m on foot (approx.): Walk west along Colima and then Durango toward number 225. Estimated distance.
6
Crumbl Cookies
Viral / queue Roma Norte
Order: Whichever rotating-flavour gourmet cookie is on the menu that week; split one.
The brand's first store in Mexico, in Roma Norte. A cookie is a light way to end, and it is a short walk from Rosetta.
The line: Opening-day reports said hundreds waiting, one person reportedly about 17 hours; that was the launch, so expect much less now but worth checking
Pacing: Split every dish and skip the cookie if you are full. Order two or three tacos at Orinoco, not a plate, so that a torta and a sit-down lunch still fit.
Plan B: If Rosetta is full or it is a Sunday, swap in El Hidalguense (Campeche 155, Roma Sur) for barbacoa tacos with consommé, open Friday to Sunday only; it is roughly a 15 to 20 minute walk south.
Avoid: Sunday, when Rosetta is closed. Late afternoons on weekends, when Roma Norte is crowded.
Bring: Cash in pesos; taquerías and tortería counters are cash-first. Bring a light layer and sun protection, since the altitude and sun are strong.
Skip it if: You want one fixed address per stop: the bakery and churro locations here need a map check, and several stops have no confirmed opening hours.
Ends at: Crumbl Cookies, Durango 225, Roma Norte.
Walking times and distances are approximate, and opening hours change: confirm before you go.
Hot right now in Mexico City
What people are lining up for and posting about this month. Entries expire after about four months unless they are reported again.
Hot nowReported Jul 2026
Crumbl Cookies
Roma Norte · 89 pesos per cookie
The thing: Rotating-flavor gourmet cookies at the brand's first Mexico store
The line: Opening day: hundreds waiting, one person reportedly about 17 hours
Opening day on July 28 drew hundreds, with one report of around 800 people wrapping the block.
Crazes move fast. “Just spotted” means one report so far, and most entries rest on a single source: confirm hours and expect a wait.
The Mexico City food map
Every place in this guide, pinned. Tap a pin to see what to order, then add it to your trip.
Open the full Mexico City food map: every place on our lists too (pizza, ice cream, romantic, where locals and the famous eat, cooking classes), searchable by dish.
· 18 of 23 dish places are pinned; the rest appear in the lists below. Pins are placed by address or name and can be a little off; always confirm in your maps app.
Plan my days in Mexico City
Tell us what you like and we will line up the places on this page into a day-by-day plan. Only places from this guide, never anything else.
What to eat in Mexico City, and where
Each dish comes with the places that do it best. Tap Add to my trip on the ones you want, or find them on the map above.
Tacos al pastor and suadero
spit-roasted pork or slow-simmered beef, chopped to order onto corn tortillas with onion and cilantro
The 5 best places to eat it in Mexico City
1
El Huequito
Centro · $
Order: Al pastor tacos
The original location serves only al pastor, eaten at a sidewalk counter.
Seen in chowhound.com · worth confirming hours before you go
2
Tacos Tony
Narvarte Poniente · $
Order: Suadero en trozo
A suadero specialist; come later in the day when the meat has cooked longer.
Seen in chowhound.com · worth confirming hours before you go
3
Taquería Los Cocuyos
Centro Histórico · $
Order: Suadero, longaniza or campechano tacos
A legendary late-night counter for suadero and offal tacos.
Lonely Planet (undated): Mar-May sunny and one of the busiest periods (May warmest); Jun-Aug rainy (afternoon downpours) but cheapest and quietest; Sep-Nov best for culture (Independence Day 16 Sep, Dia de los Muertos in November); Dec-Feb coolest, driest, deals, fewer crowds. LP names no worst month, so avoid is empty. Peak vs shoulder is our interpretation; Semana Santa makes the city quieter per LP.
In season
EscamolesMar–May
HuitlacocheApr–Oct
ChapulinesMay–Aug
Manila mangoesMay–Aug
Chiles en nogadaJul–Sep
Tuna (prickly pear fruit)Aug–Oct
Pan de muertoOct–Nov
Mole (Feria Nacional del Mole, San Pedro Atocpan)OctOctober; fair listed 3-25 Oct 2026
Food events
Feria del TamalJan
La Ola Festival VeganoAprEXPECTED 17-18 Apr 2027
Chiles en Nogada Patriotic SeasonAug
Feria Nacional del Mole (San Pedro Atocpan)Oct
Mundo Mezcal CDMXOct
Dia de Muertos Grand ParadeOct
Closures to plan around
Many restaurants close from Christmas through New Year's - call ahead (Lonely Planet).
Many local restaurants close Sunday nights, though taco stands usually stay open (Tasting Table, Mexico City guide). Examples: Quintonil closed Sundays; El Vilsito closed Sundays (TableJourney, which cites 2024-25 data -
No sourced Monday restaurant pattern found (Frida Kahlo Museum is closed Mondays, not a restaurant).
Semana Santa: city is quieter as many Mexicans go to the beach (Lonely Planet); Easter moves.
Meal costs and tipping (USD)
Casual: street food 2-4; casual restaurants 8-15 (selector.kurlon.com, a weak aggregator)
Tasting menus from: fine dining 30-50+ per the aggregator; Michelin-level tasting menus not priced in sources
Tipping: Afar: 15% baseline in interior/non-beach areas, 15-20% in tourist beach areas, over 20% not advised. Some upscale places add about 10% service charge - check the bill. PROFECO warned in early 2026 about tourist restaurants auto-adding 15% (Cancun).
From published guides and tourism boards. Months are our mapping of how guides describe the seasons; 2027 event dates are expected, not confirmed. Prices come from single sources of varying age, so treat them as a rough guide. Compare cities by month
What the city magazines named
Recent lists from Mexico City, with the date of each. These are the magazines' picks, not our reviews; our short descriptions are our own, and each list links to the original.
Chilango · Guía Michelin México 2026: nuevos restaurantes de la CDMX con estrella · May 2026 4 places
Locally loved places that are not on the big prestige lists.
street food
Taquería Los Cocuyos
Centro Histórico · $
Order: Suadero, longaniza or campechano tacos, all with onion and cilantro
A tiny stand open nearly around the clock, where meats simmer in a big pot and are chopped to order onto warm tortillas. Cheap, fast and a Centro rite of passage.
Order: Cubana Especial with a half-liter of agua de sandía
A no-fuss corner run by two brothers for over 50 years, piling pierna, chicken, milanesa, ham and cheese into one enormous torta. Single-source (Infatuation), so medium confidence.
Order: Seasonal fruit sundae with chamoy, or cajeta and arroz con leche
An old-school ice cream parlor that turns Mexican seasonal fruit into standout frozen treats. Single site (Infatuation, two guides), so medium confidence.
Awards come from the guides named on each listing (Michelin Mexico 2026; World's 50 Best 2025; Latin America's 50 Best 2025). Researched October 25, 2026. Restaurants change; confirm hours, reservations and current stars before you go. Some addresses, phone numbers and websites come from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), so call ahead to confirm. Local favorites are editorial picks, not rankings.
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