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Mexico City Dining

Eating out seems to be the main pastime in the capital, with restaurants, cafés, taquerías and juice stands on every block, many of them very reasonably priced, even in the heart of the Zona Rosa, along Reforma or just off the Zócalo. As throughout the country, those on a tight budget wanting to eat well should make their main meal a late lunchtime comida. It is still the main meal for working people, but evening dining is very much the norm in restaurants frequented by the well-heeled. Costs vary enormously. There are excellent bargains to be found all over the city in small restaurants and taquerías, but as you move up into the mid-range places you’ll be paying something approaching what you would at home. At the top end you can soon find yourself paying big money, especially if you order something decent from the wine menu.

The choice of where to eat is almost limitless in Mexico City, ranging from traditional coffee houses to fast-food lunch counters, and taking in Japanese, French, Spanish , expensive international and rock-bottom Mexican cooking along the way. There’s even a small Chinatown of sorts where a cluster of Chinese restaurants line C Dolores, just south of the Alameda. There are also the traditional food stalls in markets throughout the city. Merced is the biggest, but not a terribly pleasant place to eat: at the back of the Plaza Garibaldi, there’s a market hall given over to nothing but food stands, each vociferously competing with its neighbours.

Mexico City also abounds in rosticerías , roast chicken shops, serving tasty set meals and crispy chicken with beer, in a jolly atmosphere. There are a couple on 5 de Febrero. For licuados, sodas, ice cream, fruit salads and tortas, try a jugería , and pastelrías , or cake shops, sell cheap pastries and bread rolls for economical breakfasts.

More so than anywhere else in the country, Mexico City has become flooded with chain restaurants . International franchise establishments have a firm foothold here with McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Dunkin’ Donuts and Pizza Hut all well represented downtown and in the wealthier suburbs. They’re not especially cheap by Mexican standards but can be a comfort when everything else seems too hard. On the whole you’re better off at one of the Mexican chains found in many of the same areas. The best known are Sanborn’s , not particularly cheap but good for a breakfast of coffee and pan dulce or for reasonably authentic Mexican food tailored to foreign tastes: the most interesting by far is the Casa de los Azulejos . VIPS are almost equally widely scattered, and serve somewhat sanitized Mexican dishes in an American diner atmosphere, good for when new in town and still learning the ropes.

The area around the Zócalo and west through to the Alameda is packed with places to eat, many catering to office workers (which often close by early evening) and to tourists, the latter staying open later. The selection is fine for grabbing something while you’re seeing the sights but, with a few notable exceptions, you’re better off elsewhere for serious dining. Most visitors seem to end up eating in the Zona Rosa where there’s a huge stock of more upmarket places wedged into a few blocks. The standard is high and new places open all the time, but by far the most active area for cafés and mid-range restaurants is Condesa , about twenty-minutes’ walk south of the Zona. We’ve mentioned a few in this area, but they are really just starting points, and the real pleasure is in simply wandering around and seeing what grabs your fancy. Top-class restaurants are mostly concentrated in Polanco . The southern suburbs of San Ángel and Coyoacán are also good hunting grounds and it is worth sticking around for your evening meal after a day’s sightseeing.

Dress standards are mostly casual, but the better the restaurant the more out of place you’ll feel in trainers and a T-shirt. A few of the very best restaurants require jacket and tie, something we’ve mentioned where appropriate.

Something else to look out for that is becoming common in the better restaurants is a cover charge of US$1-3 per head that is automatically added to the bill.

The choice of where to eat is almost limitless in Mexico City, ranging from traditional coffee houses to fast-food lunch counters, and taking in Japanese, French, Spanish , expensive international and rock-bottom Mexican cooking along the way. There’s even a small Chinatown of sorts where a cluster of Chinese restaurants line C Dolores, just south of the Alameda. There are also the traditional food stalls in markets throughout the city. Merced is the biggest, but not a terribly pleasant place to eat: at the back of the Plaza Garibaldi, there’s a market hall given over to nothing but food stands, each vociferously competing with its neighbours.

Mexico City also abounds in rosticerías , roast chicken shops, serving tasty set meals and crispy chicken with beer, in a jolly atmosphere. There are a couple on 5 de Febrero. For licuados, sodas, ice cream, fruit salads and tortas, try a jugería , and pastelrías , or cake shops, sell cheap pastries and bread rolls for economical breakfasts.

More so than anywhere else in the country, Mexico City has become flooded with chain restaurants . International franchise establishments have a firm foothold here with McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Dunkin’ Donuts and Pizza Hut all well represented downtown and in the wealthier suburbs. They’re not especially cheap by Mexican standards but can be a comfort when everything else seems too hard. On the whole you’re better off at one of the Mexican chains found in many of the same areas. The best known are Sanborn’s , not particularly cheap but good for a breakfast of coffee and pan dulce or for reasonably authentic Mexican food tailored to foreign tastes: the most interesting by far is the Casa de los Azulejos . VIPS are almost equally widely scattered, and serve somewhat sanitized Mexican dishes in an American diner atmosphere, good for when new in town and still learning the ropes.

The area around the Zócalo and west through to the Alameda is packed with places to eat, many catering to office workers (which often close by early evening) and to tourists, the latter staying open later. The selection is fine for grabbing something while you’re seeing the sights but, with a few notable exceptions, you’re better off elsewhere for serious dining. Most visitors seem to end up eating in the Zona Rosa where there’s a huge stock of more upmarket places wedged into a few blocks. The standard is high and new places open all the time, but by far the most active area for cafés and mid-range restaurants is Condesa , about twenty-minutes’ walk south of the Zona. We’ve mentioned a few in this area, but they are really just starting points, and the real pleasure is in simply wandering around and seeing what grabs your fancy. Top-class restaurants are mostly concentrated in Polanco . The southern suburbs of San Ángel and Coyoacán are also good hunting grounds and it is worth sticking around for your evening meal after a day’s sightseeing.

Dress standards are mostly casual, but the better the restaurant the more out of place you’ll feel in trainers and a T-shirt. A few of the very best restaurants require jacket and tie, something we’ve mentioned where appropriate.

Something else to look out for that is becoming common in the better restaurants is a cover charge of US$1-3 per head that is automatically added to the bill.

Around the Zocalo

Bertico Café , Madero 66. Spacious and friendly café specializing in pasta dishes (US$4.50) and gelati (US$1.50), but also good for breakfast, sushi (from US$2) and great coffee. Metro Zócalo.

Bolivar 12 , Bolivar 12 (tel 5521-2016). Fairly upmarket restaurant in a colonial courtyard serving predominantly Mexican dishes, especially grilled meats (US$8-10) and seafood (US$8-12). From 10pm on Friday and Saturday (and occasionally Wed & Thurs) there’s live Cuban music, for which there’s a US$6 cover. Metro Allende.

Café Antequera , Filomena Mata 18. Fairly plain restaurant with 1950s Formica tables and chairs, serving reasonable budget breakfasts with egg dishes starting under US$2 and Oaxaqueña specialities from US$4. Metro Allende.

Café Belcourt , Cuba 57. Small reasonably priced Algerian-run café away from the busiest streets that serves good coffee, mini pizzas, delicious empanadas and tasty cakes in pleasant surroundings. Metro Allende.

Café de Tacuba , Tacuba 28. Good coffee and excellent food at a price, though this doesn’t deter the folk who’ve been packing it out since 1912. One of the country’s top rock bands is sponsored by the café and thus bears its name. Metro Allende.

Café el Popular , 5 de Mayo 52. Cheap place serving simple food 24hr a day and almost always crowded despite the perennially surly service. It’s a little cramped with a fast turnover, but great for breakfast (from US$2.50), coffee and snacks. There is now a second branch at 5 de Mayo 10. Metro Allende.

Café Emir , Uruguay 45. Modernized café that’s been operating since 1936 and serves good espresso, empanadas and a Mexican variation on baclava. Metro Zócalo.

Casa de los Azulejos , Madero 4. Flagship Sanborn’s restaurant in a wonderful sixteenth-century building with prime seating around a fountain in an enclosed three-storey courtyard. Food comprises Sanborn’s stock in trade of well-prepared Mexican staples at moderate to high prices. Good breakfasts go for US$3-4, and a decent place to take a lunch break during sightseeing, with chicken fajitas for under US$7 and several good comidas corridas (also US$7). Metro Bellas Artes.

Danubio , Uruguay 3 (tel 5512-0912). Established restaurant that has specialized in seafood in all its guises since 1936. As ever, the best deals are the set lunches, in this case a full six courses for US$9, though you can also order from the menu, with most dishes priced at US$5-6. Metro San Juan de Letran.

Dulcería de Celaya , 5 de Mayo 39. A wonderful stop for those with a sweet tooth: a sweet shop, with candied fruit comates and dulce de membrillo . Metro Allende.

El Vegetariano , Filomeno Mata 13 (tel 5510-0113). Healthy and nonsmoking vegetarian restaurant that’s inexplicably decorated with mountain photos. The best deal is usually the four-course menu del día (US$4). Metro Zócalo.

Frida Café , Isabel la Católica 1. Good espresso and a small range of cakes (all served on or in styrofoam) justify a quick break in this small, modern café, though the hard stools don’t encourage you to linger. Metro Allende.

Hosteria de Santa Domingo , Belissario Dominguez 72 (tel 5510-1434). Highly atmospheric, this moderately priced restaurant in part of a former convent really looks the part, with decorations hanging from the ceiling, artesanía all over the walls and, usually, a pianist and singer in the corner. The food, though good, isn’t quite as good as they seem to think it is; even their year-round signature chiles en nogada (US$13) - a green, white and red combo of green pepper stuffed with beef, pork, almonds, cream sauce and pomegranate seeds - is better done at a few other places. Bring your dictionary to translate the unfamiliar menu, and note that a compulsory tip is automatically added to the bill. Metro Allende.

Jugos Canada , 5 de Mayo 49. Very good torta and juice bar, though a little pricey. Metro Allende.

Kam Ling , 1a Cerrada de 5 de Mayo 14 (tel 5521-5661). Straightforward Chinese food in seriously large proportions to eat in or take away. Set menus go from around US$3.50 to US$7, and there are individual dishes (US$3.50-5) such as squid and green pepper in oyster sauce, and chicken and vegetables, all washed down with huge pots of jasmine tea (US$1). Metro Allende.

La Terraza , 7th floor of Hotel Majestic . Restaurant with a great terrace that’s perfect for watching the Zócalo life go by over a coffee or a beer (US$2.50). The buffet breakfast (7-11am; US$9) and buffet menú comercial (Mon-Fri 1-5pm; US$8) are also both good, and in the evening there’s à la carte dining with well-prepared Mexican standards for US$5-12. Metro Zócalo.

Los Alcatraces , Madero 42. Daytime caféteria and restaurant with outdoor seating in a plant-filled, though noisy, recess off Madero. It catches the midday sun, making it a good spot for their three-course lunches (US$3-4). Metro Zócalo.

Los Girasoles , Xocoténcatl 1 (tel 5510-3281). One of the most appealing restaurants in the centre, with Mediterranean decor, a casual atmosphere and great food served up at moderate prices. Start with the blue corn quesedillas (US$4) and perhaps follow with the trout (US$10) served up on an ornate pewter platter bursting with sunflowers, then finish with a rose-petal pie and espresso. Closes 8pm on Sun. Metro Allende.

Panificadora La Vasconia , Tacuba 73. One of the best bread and cake shops in the centre with a huge range of Mexican staples at low prices. Metro Allende.

Pasteleria Ideal , Uraguay 74. Bakery with a good range of pastries, but worth a special visit to see the huge array of outrageously ornate wedding cakes. Metro San Juan de Letran.

Tacos Beguis , Isabel la Católica 10. Bustling little restaurant serving a great range of tacos (from US$0.50), tortas, tostadas and breakfasts. Metro Allende.

Vegetarianos del Centro , upstairs at Madero 56 (tel 5521-6880). This sunny, spacious vegetarian restaurant lurks behind an unprepossessing stairway entrance but offers some of the best-value vegetarian food around, usually with piano accompaniment at lunch time. The best deal is usually the four-course US$3.50 menu del día , though they also do great breakfasts (from 9am). Metro Zócalo.

Around the Alameda

Cafetería El Cuadrilatero , Luis Moya 73 (tel 5521-3060). Like Mexico City’s other wrestling cafés, El Cuadrilatero - “The Ring” - is owned and run by an ex-wrestler whose old masks are framed on the walls along with photos of his glory days. The food’s good too including standard Mexican mains, burgers and tortas (US$5) that are big enough for a wrestler or two mere mortals. Metro Balderas.

Centro Naturista , Dolores 10, south of the Alameda. Macrobiotic canteen with soups and juices, tortas and quesadillas, and a US$2.50 set menu. Metro Bellas Artes.

Chung King , Dolores 27 (tel 5510-3355). Reasonable Cantonese and Szechuan restaurant, just one of several similar places in this mini-Chinatown. All the expected main courses for around US$6. Metro Bellas Artes.

El Café del Palacio , inside Bellas Artes. An elegant restaurant in Art Deco surroundings with limited views of Tamayo’s murals as you dine off linen tablecloths amid business lunchers and pre-theatre diners. Meals are moderately priced especially if you go for the two-course menu del Palacio (available 2-5.30pm; US$11-15 depending on the main course). Dishes include Waldorf salad, smoked turkey breast sandwich, duck in Jamaica sauce and almond and pear tart, plus there’s a decent wine list. Closes 8pm. Metro Bellas Artes.

Zona Rosa

Bellini’s , Av de las Naciones (tel 5628-8305). A revolving restaurant some distance south of the Zona Rosa at the top of the World Trade Center - the city’s tallest building - this is where business people come to impress their clients, but is also the pick of the crop for a romantic candlelit dinner. Dishes from an international menu are all prepared to the highest standards, service is impeccable and men are required to wear jacket and tie. Metro Chilpancingo.

Bio Café , Londres 163. Great little café with an intimate atmosphere and tasty food that’s organic but not determinedly wholesome. Their big burritos are excellent (US$2.50) as are the croissants, baguettes and chicken salad, and it is worth sticking around on Friday evenings for live acoustic music as you sip an espresso coffee or a beer. Metro Insurgentes.

Blah Blah Café , Londres 171 at Vesuvio. Dark little café that’s good for coffee and snacks during the day, then usually pumping to groovy beats until late.

Champs Elysées , Reforma 316 (tel 5535-3698). One of the capital’s finer French restaurants that’s been reliably feeding the Mexico City elite for almost forty years. Look out on El Ángel as you feast on truly excellent food, complemented by something from the extensive wine list, delicate desserts and a great cheeseboard. Reservations required and expect to pay US$40 for a full meal. Closed Sun. Metro Insurgentes.

Dolce Café , Londres 211. Small and peaceful café a little away from the main bustle of the Zona, serving good coffee, baguettes, croissants and assorted salads and pastries either inside or at a couple of pavement tables. The prices are modest for the area. Metro Insurgentes.

El Faro de Belgrado , Belgrado 9 (tel 5207-6077). Posh Spanish-style fish restaurant offering such delights as arroz a la marinera (seafood paella), or squid braised in its own ink, as well as Basque specialities. Closed Sat. Metro Insurgentes.

La Lanterna , Reforma 458 at Toledo (tel 5207-9969). Long-standing and convivial trattoria with an intimate and suitably Italian feel, enhanced by pasta freshly made in-house and combined with some delicious sauces. The segundi piatti are equally wonderful. Metro Insurgentes.

Meson del Perro Andaluz , Copenhague 26 (tel 5514-7480). Very popular Spanish restaurant with a lively atmosphere.

Restaurante Vegetariano Yug , Varsovia 3. Worthy contact point for vegetarians and vegans, with set breakfasts, salads, antojitos in bright cheery surroundings. There’s a particularly good buffet lunch upstairs for US$4.50 from 1pm (daily except Sat), and a great comida corrida. Open weekdays until 10pm, weekends until 8pm. Metro Insurgentes.

Condesa

Agapi Mu , Alfonso Reyes 96 (tel 5286-1384). About the best Greek restaurant in the city, but very low-key and affordable as long as you don’t go too mad on the retsina and Hungarian wines. It’s especially fun from Thursday to Saturday when there’s live music and Greek dancing. Closed Sun. Metro Juanacatlan.

Fonda Garufa , Michoacán 93 (tel 5286-8295). Popular Argentine and Italian restaurant with plenty of streetside tables where you can tuck into their excellent steaks or something from their extensive range of inventive pasta dishes, all at moderate prices. Metro Juanacatlan.

Koffie Café , Amsterdam 308 at Celaya. Modern café spilling out onto a quiet leafy street making it a great spot for a US$3-4 weekend breakfast, especially if you like good strong coffee. Later on, Italian salads, pasta dishes and stuffed baguettes all come in at around US$4 and an international selection of mains mostly cost under US$7. Metro Sevilla.

Los Aroces , Michoacán 126 (tel 5286-4287). The title defines the essence of this fashionable rice restaurant where every imaginable species of rice (and many you’d never dreamed of) is put to work in almost every dish, from soup to dessert, on a multinational menu. Most dishes are in the US$8-10 range. Metro Juanacatlan.

Segundo Paso Café , Amsterdam 76 at Parras (tel 5553-3902). Relaxed low-lit corner restaurant and café, open on both sides to pavement seating. Salads, pasta dishes and mains such as chicken breast served with al dente vegetables are all well prepared and complement Iberian dishes such as Spanish tortilla and Serrano ham served with black olives and cheese. Most mains US$5-7. Metro Juanacatlan.

Polanco

El Buen Comer Mercellín , Edgar Allan Poe 50 (tel 5282-0325). Little more than the garage of a suburban home but with a very convivial atmosphere, this lunch-only restaurant specializes in regional French cuisine with particularly tasty seafood dishes and fondues. A full meal will cost under US$15 and reservations are essential. Closed Sun. Metro Polanco.

La Góndola , Hegel 406 at Presidente Masarik (tel 5255-0912). Modern Italian restaurant with floor-to-ceiling windows and polished wooden floors and serving well-prepared Italian staples at moderate prices. Try the pollo diablo , chicken marinated in olive oil, garlic and herbs, the linguine with mussels, or the Roquefort and spinach ravioli, which all go for US$8-10. Metro Polanco.

Tutta Dolce Café , Presidente Masarik 360. Great café, one of several in this area, serving good espresso coffees (flavoured if required), stuffed croissants (US$2.50-4.50) and delicious cakes such as raspberry torte or chocolate gâteau. Metro Polanco.

San Angel and South

San Ángel is most easily reached by bus or colectivo - see the San Ángel account. The nearest Metro is Miguel Ángel de Quevedo, over 2km distant.

Addetto , Revolución 1382 (tel 5662-5434). Smart modern Italian establishment combining a deli and spacious dining areas. It is a little inconveniently sited, but worth the journey for delightfully sticky rissotto dishes (US$7), pizzas (US$5), and a wide range of mains US$7-10. There’s a US$2 per head cover. Metro Barranca del Muerto.

Crepêrie du Soliel , Madero 4c. Small and peaceful café that’s good for an espresso, cakes and, of course, crepes.

El Arroyo , Insurgentes Sur 4003, Tlalpan, 6km south of San Ángel (tel 5573-4344). Well off the beaten path but worth the journey, this unusual restaurant comes complete with its own small bullring (used by novice bullfighters in bloodless corridas from April to Oct) and has almost a dozen dining areas that can jointly serve over 2500 diners. As you’d imagine there’s always a lively atmosphere helped along by mariachis , but the Mexican food is good too, and they usually keep at least four types of flavoured pulque .

El Café Solo Dios , Plaza San Jacinto 2. Popular take-away spot for good, low-cost espresso made from Chiapas beans. Flavours available.

Fonda San Ángel , Plaza San Jacinto 3 (tel 5616-3801). Moderately priced restaurant specializing in contemporary Mexican cuisine.

Los Irabien , Av La Paz 45 (tel 5616-0014). Jacket-and-tie dining in a gorgeous restaurant bedecked in fine art. Come for wonderful breakfasts or anytime for highly imaginative twists on traditional Mexican dishes including such appetizers as Roquefort chipotle soup (US$6.50), or casserole shrimp in garlic (US$10). Closed Sunday evening.

San Ángel Inn , Diego Rivera 50 at Altavista (tel 5616-0537). Very popular, upmarket restaurant surrounded by the gardens of a beautiful old hacienda with linen tablecloths, heavy wooden furniture and a restrained but elegant air (jackets required for men). The menu has some European overtones, but is predominantly Mexican with some slightly less-common dishes such as huitlacoche, a kind of fungus that grows on corn, which is here served in crepes. Reservations required.

Coyoacan

Café El Parnaso , Carillo Puerto 2. Predominantly sidewalk café with attached bookshop; a good spot for light snacks or just a coffee.

El Globo , cnr Hidalgo and Corbolocalco. Local outpost of this excellent chain of French-inspired bakeries. Pricey but very good.

El Jolgario , Higuera 22. Excellent modern restaurant with an international menu, almost half of it meat-free. The imaginative combinations aren’t always a success but try one of their excellent salads (US$5, half portion US$2.50), or one of the US$5 mains: tandoori nuts and vegetables on rice, chicken breast with nopal cactus, and chile relleno with spinach and mushrooms. Wash it down with one of their “spiritual” non-alcoholic cocktails.

El Tajín , Centro Veracruzano, Miguel Ángel de Quevedo 687, Coyoacán (tel 5659-4447). Veracruz specialities at medium to high prices; the fish dishes, such as Huachinango ‘a la Veracruz and Mojarra al Mojo del Ajo , are exquisite.

La Vienet , Viena 112 at Abasolo. A good place for refreshments in between visits to the Kahlo and Trotsky houses, this small daytime café serves great coffee and cakes as well as antojitos, and paella on Sunday. Closed 12.30-1.30pm and all day Saturday.