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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Café El Popular
So popular was this tiny round-the-clock café that another more amply proportioned branch was opened next door to catch the considerable overflow. Fresh pastries and good combination breakfasts are the main attractions. Café con leche (coffee with milk) is served chino style (ie you specify the strength).
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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Pastelería Ideal
Mexico’s most glorious array of wedding cakes is on offer at this old-fashioned bakery: this is the place if you need a 70kg, multistory gâteau for your nuptials. Otherwise, there’s a huge variety of breads and pastries with odd names like ‘railroads’ and ‘dark rocks’, whose allusions can only be guessed at. Grab a pair of tongs and stack up your steel tray, then get rung up by one of the scores of girls in blue aprons.
reviewed
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Bistrot Mosaico
A slice of Paris just west of Av Insurgentes, this unpretentious bistro is the successful creation of French restaurateur François Avernin. It’s trendy for a reason: the service is stellar, the salads fresh and varied, and the wines well chosen. Picnickers can stock up on pâté and escargots at the deli counter.
reviewed
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Taquitos Frontera
One of a few late-night taquerías along Roma’s main drag, this is a humble alternative with cheerful staff, a smoky open grill and leather tables and chairs. In addition to the main attraction, there are great sides like frijoles charros (cowboy beans) and cebollitas (grilled green onions).
reviewed
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Churrería El Moro
A fine respite from the Eje Central crowds, El Moro manufactures long, slender deep-fried churros (doughnut-like fritters), just made to be dipped in thick hot chocolate. It’s a popular late-night spot, perfect for winding down after hours.
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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Café la Blanca
White-coated waiters and orange upholstery set the tone for this 1960s relic offering hearty breakfasts and daily lunch specials. Sit at the U-shaped counter or grab a table by the window for people-watching over a cappuccino.
reviewed
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Mercado Medellín
Features an extensive eating area with cheap and filling comidas corridas, as well as several excellent seafood restaurants.
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 …
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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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Jaso
Smoothly run by husband-and-wife team, Jared Reardon and Sonia Arias, who met at the New York-based Culinary Institute of America, progressive palates can dine on dishes such as red snapper with giant asparagus or roast pepper porcini with citrus sauce, all relying on impeccably sourced ingredients. The homemade ice cream choice includes irresistible flavors like blueberry with triple cream cheese and raspberry with hazelnuts and chocolate. There’s plenty of swagger on the interior front, with seductive small spaces and stylish decor touches.
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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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Casino Español
The old Spanish social center, housed in a fabulous Porfiriato-era building, has a popular cantina-style eatery downstairs and an elegant restaurant upstairs. Stolid execs loosen their ties here for a long leisurely lunch, and the courses keep coming. Spanish dishes, naturally, are the highlights of the menu, though tacos dorados (chicken tacos, rolled and deep fried) and chiles en nogada (stuffed chilies, which are fried in batter then served in sauce) are equally well prepared.
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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Blah Blah
Mysteriously described as a progressive bar in their advertising, this Argentinean parrilla (grill) is, indeed, run by an enthusiastic young team and the decor is modern (ish), with stone-clad walls and earth colors, but the food is meaty and traditional, with gut-busting grills like sausage, gizzard, beef and ribs. There are dishes that don’t require finger bowls, such as chicken breast with orange sauce and apple and, for the truly faint-hearted, Greek salad.
reviewed
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Cambalache
You can expect a good grilling at this, one of the better steak houses in town. The front window provides a taste of what’s to come, with steaks roasting on the spit. During the week, the low-ceiling dark wood dining room gets packed with local businessmen dining on a menu that, aside from the steaks, includes suckling pig, mixed grill, veal sweetbreads, fondues and (would you believe) a blessedly digestible watercress salad with a choice of Roquefort or bacon dressing.
reviewed
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Jardín del Corregidor
Just across from one of the southern exits of the park, this Spanish-owned restaurant (part of the Park Villa hotel) has a magnificent lion and lioness in a large back garden pen; apparently bought on the street and brought home by the owner’s son when they were cubs (a step up from the usual abandoned kitten!). The food is traditionally Spanish; try the garlic mushrooms, followed by pulpo a la gallega (octopus Galician style) and chocolate fondue with fruit.
reviewed
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Rayuela
Join the line for breakfast on Sunday mornings. Chef Raul’s fluffy herb, cheese or mushroom omelets with a fresh tomato sauce are legendary. His mother, charming Socorro, runs the show, and her interest in art is reflected in the decor and paintings (for sale). Eat inside or under the archways on simple tasty dishes like spaghetti with pesto, fondue, crepes and chilaquiles rojos (fried strips of tortilla in a tomato and chili-based sauce, sprinkled with cheese).
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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Tierra de Vinos
The focus is on the wine, with hundreds of vintages lining the cellarlike walls, but there’s also fine Spanish cuisine to complement your chosen tipple. Sit at the front bar and nosh on tapas while sampling the month’s featured vintage or take a table in the lively rear dining room. Waiters gladly suggest what to have with, say, a plate of paprika-laced patatas bravas (florals such as a shiraz), or sea bream over black rice (go with a barrel-aged tempranillo).
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