Mexican restaurants in Mexico City
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Fonda Margarita
Possibly the capital’s premier hangover- recovery spot – witness the line down the street on Saturday mornings – this humble eatery under a tin roof whips up batches of comfort food for the day ahead. Soulful fare like pork back in chile salsa verde is doled out of giant clay dishes. The fonda is beside Plaza Tlacoquemécatl, six blocks east of Avenida Insurgentes.
reviewed
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El Cardenal
Possibly the finest place in town for a traditional meal, El Cardenal occupies three floors of a Parisian-style mansion with a pianist sweetly playing in the background. Breakfast is a must, served with a tray of just-baked sweet rolls and a pitcher of frothy, semi-sweet chocolate. For lunch, go for the oven-roasted veal breast, Oaxaca-style chiles rellenos (chili stuffed with meat or cheese, usually fried with egg batter), or in summer, escamoles (ant larvae, a much-coveted specialty).
reviewed
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La Terraza del Zócalo
With dining on a broad balcony overlooking the Zócalo toward the national palace, La Terraza makes a promising new alternative to the ho-hum hotel restaurants on the same side of the plaza. Oaxaca-style enchiladas and cecina de Yecapixtla (thinly sliced salted meat from a town in the state of Morelos) highlight a menu of regional classics. Enter at ground level through the jewelry arcade (there are various foreign flags above the entryway) and look for the elevator.
reviewed
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Azul y Oro
Chef Ricardo Muñoz searches high and low in Mexico for traditional recipes that he re-invents to perfection. Fruits of his research include crispy ravioli stuffed with duck and the most scrumptious sopa de tortilla (tortilla soup).
reviewed
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Bar Montejo
A paradise for office workers, Bar Montejo is always jam-packed. Come early and leave late. The constant stream of botanas is one of the best in the city, starting with shrimp soup, continuing with tacos fritos and peaking with paella. But the real treat is cochinita pibil (pork marinated in chilies, wrapped in banana leaves, and pit-cooked or baked). It also has two floors that serve food in a traditional restaurant setting. If you are in the city when el Tri (Mexico’s national football team) is playing a game, get a table next to one of the large plasma screens and be ready to cheer and scream. Bar Montejo also has two floors that serve food in a traditional restaurant …
reviewed
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Águila Y Sol
A modern temple of somewhat stark decor coupled with exciting updated Mexican flavors, Martha Ortiz is something of a culinary goddess in these parts. Start in style by sipping a bandera mexicana, so named because it features the colors in the Mexican flag (green, white and red) : three shot glasses filled with oak-barrel aged tequila reposada, sangrita — a tomato citrus drink — and lime juice. The menu includes traditional dishes given the dynamic taste sensation treatment, like the succulent pork loin in yellow mole with gingered mango.
reviewed
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La Casa de Toño
A major destination for families in Santa María la Ribera, this classic dining hall occupies one of the neighborhood’s typical old houses, with tables in a series of salons connected by arched passageways and colorful murals of historic figures chowing down. The main attraction is Toño’s hearty pozole, served with big sides of crispy chicharrón (pork rinds) and limes, but most patrons order a platter of fried quesadillas or tostadas to start. For dessert, Grandma’s special flan is the utmost indulgence.
reviewed
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Pampano
Opened in November 2008 by opera legend (and part owner) Plácido Domingo, Pampano is one of the latest gourmet restaurants in Polanco (the original is in New York). High ceilings, a magnificent central candelabra and icy white walls with a sculpted, rippled effect create a minimalist dining space. The dishes include black bean soup with fresh cheese, plantains, avocado and strips of tortilla; and seafood specialties like tacos de langosta (lobster) and the exemplary pescado de azteca with huitlacoche in a chili sauce.
reviewed
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María del Alma
A culinary escape to the Mexican state of Tabasco, María del Alma is a bit removed from the Condesa hubbub. Dining is in a leafy patio among singing birds and a romantically inclined pianist. Enjoy a guanabana margarita as tabasqueño owners Jorge and Fernando describe such regional items as tamales de chipilín. For a main dish, try sea bass steamed in aromatic herbs. The mind-blowing desserts, say, dulce de coco con almendra (a scoop of sweet, shredded coconut spiked with chocolate) are excellent.
reviewed
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Paxia
The achingly cool reception area here has a giant plasma screen where you can watch the food being prepared. The menú de degustación verde costs M$430 but is a real banquet if you are a serious (very hungry) gourmet, with seven courses, including sopa de alcachofa y pistache pulverizado (creamed artichoke and pistachio soup) and raviolis rellenos de huitlacoche en salsa de tres quesos (ravioli stuffed with truffle-like corn fungus in a three-cheese sauce).
reviewed
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Antigua Hacienda de Tlalpan
The setting is sublime; an 18th-century hacienda tastefully resurrected into one of the city’s quintessential colonial-style restaurants. The dining rooms are set around lovely gardens, complete with showy peacocks and a small pond with swans. The menu reads like a novel, with a vast choice including some delectable soups: pumpkin flower, cold avocado, lobster bisque and black bean. Follow this with a fish or spicy meat dish like roast pork loin in a chili sauce.
reviewed
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La Casa de Las Enchiladas
Indecisive Librans should avoid this place; five choices of tortilla, 11 of filling, 10 of sauces, and seven of topping, including cilantro, cheese and sour cream. You can’t go far wrong (or leave hungry), whatever three-enchilada plato you choose. The look is scrubbed pine, bright lights and pastel walls. There is a second restaurant at Liverpool 169 in Zona Rosa, complete with a children’s play area; a definite family favorite.
reviewed
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La Sábia Virtud
Nouvelle cuisine from Puebla is lovingly presented at this cozy spot. Mole is the main thing, prepared in the classic Santa Clara convent style or the restaurant’s own verde version. It laces enchiladas, various kinds of stuffed chilies, and champandongo, a sort of tortilla lasagna, which readers of the novel Like Water for Chocolate may recall as a dish the protagonist, Tita, prepares for one of her suitors.
reviewed
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El Jardín de San Agustín
The cuisine here is authentic Yucatecan, with dishes like sopa de lima (chicken soup with limes, coriander, onions and garlic), arroz con platano (rice with plantains), and la milanesa con papas (steak baked or fried in egg and breadcrumbs with roasted potatoes) on the menu. The dining room is large and cheerful with brightly painted tables and chairs overlooking the plaza. There is live music at weekends.
reviewed
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Corazón de Maguey
Adorned with old bidones (glass containers used to transport pulque and mezcal ), this attractive new restaurant does Oaxacan fare like gut-busting tlayudas (large tortillas folded over ingredients like squash blossom and mushrooms) and more elaborate dishes like rabbit in salsa borracha (pulque and chili sauce). It all goes down nicely while sipping on a smoky mezcal.
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Coox Hanal
Started in 1953 by boxer Raúl Salazar from Mérida, this establishment prepares Yucatecan fare just as it’s done in don Raúl’s hometown. The poc chuc (grilled pork marinated in orange juice), papadzules (tacos stuffed with chopped hard-boiled egg and pumpkin-seed sauce) and cochinita pibil (pit-cooked pork) are top-notch. Tables are set with the obligatory four-alarm habanero salsa.
reviewed
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Ixchel
‘Fusion’ is an overused term among Condesa and Roma bistros, but this late-night supper club takes it seriously. Ixchel’s innovative chef deftly fuses Mexican elements (grasshoppers, squash blossoms) with Mediterranean and Asian fare (risotto and tempura). The upstairs club, Love, adds another dimension (Wednesday to Saturday nights), with DJs supplying the appropriately chilled ambience.
reviewed
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Biko
Co-owned by San Sebastián chef Bruno Oteiza, the menu is based on traditional Basque recipes that have been given the nouvelle treatment, such as tuna steaks served with ham and dried fruits. The dining room is unostentatiously chic and less bleakly minimalist than some top-end restaurants in these parts. There is an adjacent bar with bucket seats, intimate lighting and rooftops views.
reviewed
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La Fonda del Hotentote
In the wholesale-paper district, this lunchtime-only comedor (dining room) brings a touch of class to Mexican standards without putting on airs. Standouts include red snapper tamales, nopales in chile guajillo sauce (cactus paddles in a sweet, mild chilli sauce), and pollo tocotlán (chicken steamed in maguey leaves with aromatic herbs). Desserts are equally enticing.
reviewed
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V Zona Rosa
This justifiably popular restaurant is fronted by a taco stand with freshly prepared fillings. Inside, the decor is of the Formica-style school with three TVs, efficient (elderly) service, a congenial English-speaking manager and a great-value three-course lunch menu. Enchiladas, tortas, soups, chicken chilaquiles and fresh fruit salads are a taster of what’s on offer.
reviewed
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Del Bosque
Part of a lakeside trio, Del Bosque overlooks the smaller, more tranquil (ie no pedalos ) Lago Menor. Brilliant blue wine-and-water glasses on the tables catch any sun rays, brightening up an otherwise somewhat stuffy dining room. The weekend buffets are your best value, with an expansive breakfast and lunch spread available. Afterwards you can waddle round the lake for exercise.
reviewed
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El Cuadrilátero
Owned by luchador (wrestler) Super Astro, this shrine to lucha libre features a wall of wrestlers’ masks. Not just wrestlers, but also ordinary denizens of the Centro frequent the joint for its gigantic tortas, versions of which are displayed at the entrance. If you manage to consume a 1.3kg cholesterol-packed Torta Gladiador in 15 minutes, it’s free.
reviewed
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Sanborns
Although not as splendid as the Sanborns original in the historic district, the interior here is still magnificent with ivy-twined columns, looming stained glass windows and a lofty vaulted ceiling. The food is, sadly, only average – aside from the breakfast, order chilaquiles (crushed soft corn tortillas covered in green chili sauce and topped with cheese).
reviewed
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El Lago
This restaurant is more famous for its fabulous views and who’s who clientele than (of late) for its food, which is good, rather than exceptional. Push the boat out with a seafood dish like grilled sardines with a arugula salad and grab a pew next to the picture window overlooking the lake. The dining room is seriously grand and the service predictably efficient.
reviewed
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Pujol
Famed Mexican chef Enrique Olvera offers a contemporary take on classic Mexican dishes in this smartly minimalist room. Delectable offerings include the robalito al pastor (marinated sea bass) and the costillas de mole de olla (braised short ribs). Indecisive eaters can sample five of Olvera’s signature dishes by ordering the menu degustación.
reviewed
