Mexico City has some of the best food in the world, which is exactly why you can’t afford to get it wrong. The city is vast, the choices are constant, and even experienced diners can find themselves making compromises. Add Zona Maco week, when time is limited and reservations are scarce, and deciding where to eat becomes its own kind of logistical problem.
Rather than leaving those calls to chance, we asked the chefs who know the city best—Lucho Martínez of Ultramarinos Demar and the Michelin-starred Em; Elena Reygadas of Rosetta, named the World’s Best Female Chef in 2023; Gabriela Cámara of Bib Gourmand-awarded Contramar; and Tyler Henry of the Thai-influenced Choza—to share how they actually navigate it. Whatever you’re looking for, at any hour of the day, they’ve already figured it out—from breakfast chilaquiles and reliable solo dining to late-night bites and hangover cures.
Best Breakfast
Lucho Martínez: El Cardenal in downtown Mexico City. Don’t miss the conchas con nata.
Tyler Henry: Expendio de Maíz. I encourage a slow breakfast, but most days I come here and grab a few tortillas con sal en ruta to my own kitchen. Divine heirloom masa with a hit of whatever salsa, mole, or guisado they’ve got cooking that day.
Elena Reygadas: Gia. Italian-American breakfast with a diverse menu that should please everyone. Focaccia, egg dishes, fresh-pressed juices.
Gabriela Cámara: Fonda Margarita. Pure Mexico City breakfast energy. Generous, comforting, and not trendy, just delicious.
Best Chilaquiles
Martínez: Lalo!. Ask for the chilaquiles verdes and add eggs.
Henry: La Tonina. OG northern-style home cooking that’s been around since the 1940s and makes obscenely good flour tortillas. The chilaquiles tamaulipecos come with salsa verde, pork, and rajas de poblano. Add a fried egg. Order a gordita de nata fresh off the comal for dessert.
Reygadas: La Esquina del Chilaquil. Tortas de chilaquiles served in bolillo in Condesa.
Cámara: Castacán. Get the chilaquiles with cochinita pibil. It’s exactly what you’d want on a slow Sunday morning.
Best Bakery
Martínez: Odette. Go for the kouign-amann, baguette jamón y queso, and the double chocolate cookie.
Henry: Patisserie Dominique. Dominique is a maestra French baker who bakes the best cakes I’ve tried in my entire life and the best croissants in the city. If you’re lucky, you might find a piece of Galician-style tuna pie in the window.
Reygadas: Saint Panadería. Well-fermented, sturdy hogazas baked daily.
Cámara: Patisserie Dominique. A favorite for those of us who appreciate traditional French bread and pastries.
Best Quick Bite
Martínez: Gorditas de chicharrón from a 40-year-old spot located on the opposite corner of Café Tormenta. I order it con quesillo, solo lechuga, no nopales, both salsas!
Henry: Lonchería Mely. A little fonda serving comida corrida overflowing with love and flavor.
Reygadas: Tacos de birria next to Panadería Rosetta.
Cámara: Tacos de canasta on Calle Tamaulipas.
Best al Pastor
Martínez: A big tie between Taquería Selene and Tacos El Vilsito. Go for the tacos and order five. Don’t eat more or less.
Henry: Tacos El Vilsito. Between 11 p.m. and midnight is when the flavor is best.
Reygadas: Taquería Revolución. Proper char and fat, with well-balanced salsas.
Cámara: Taquería Selene. Don’t skip the salsas!
Best Tacos
Martínez: Tacos El Paisa in Doctores. Go after hours.
Henry: Tacos El Paisa. Four suadero, two campechano, and if you’re still hungry, stroll a few blocks over to Tacos El Betín for pastor, tripa, and lengua.
Reygadas: Tacos de canasta at metrobus Álvaro Obregón.
Cámara: Tacos de guisado are my favorite. Try Tacos Hola El Güero in Condesa for the best next thing to home cooking.
Best Place to Make a Good Impression
Martínez: Taco omakase at Pujol, always.
Henry: Gaba. It’s where I take family and close friends who are visiting. Refined and absolutely fucking delicious.
Reygadas: Bar Nino. The starters and seafood dishes stand out, and the tres leches has become a staple.
Cámara: Cana is refined and classy without feeling stiff.
Best Splurge
Martínez: “Máximo Bistrot. Let Chef Lalo take care of you. Start with bubbles, then order a white, and end with a heavy red.”
Henry: “Nicos. When I think of a splurge it’s less about fine dining and more about hours spent around a table with people you care about with classy service, delicious food, and conversation that never seems to end.”
Reygadas: “Máximo Bistrot has had a long-standing presence in the city’s dining scene. Go for the classics.”
Cámara: “Em Restaurant. You come for the sophistication of technique and ideas, but it retains its intimacy and warmth.”
Best Place to See and Be Seen
Martínez: “Café Tormenta. Grab a media luna and a lechero, don’t rush. Melt into the vibes, meet people, listen to the music, and then start your day.”
Henry: “Oropel for an industry vermouth hang. Tlecan for mezcal cocktails.”
Cámara: “Cantina Covadonga is where long meals and good conversations naturally overlap. It’s great for big groups.”
Best Place to Not Be Seen
Martínez: “Ticuchi. Cave vibes.”
Henry: “Bar el Bosque–get the fish. The OG Lebanese Al Andalus is also a true escape in Centro.”
Reygadas: “Sushi Tatsugoro. Low-lit, private tables, and views over the Diana Cazadora.”
Cámara: “Any good “doriloco” stall, as those things include all the junk food which is a guilty pleasure of mine (and many Mexicans!).”
Best Solo Dining Spot
Martínez: “Fugu Sushi. Do the omakase and don’t miss the crab springroll.”
Henry: “Vacaciones. There is nowhere I’d rather be in the city dining alone (or with a loved one) than a bar seat at Vacaciones eating rustic, nonna-style Italian food. I eat here as much as possible, and I swear every meal is somehow better than the last.”
Reygadas: “Fugu Sushi is small and quiet with a counter-focused experience. Walk-in only.”
Cámara: “El Minutito. It’s easy to linger here alone and get a delicious bite at any time of the day.”
Best Dive Bar
Martínez: “Not a dive bar but Bar Mauro. Great non-alcoholic options too.
Henry: “Cafe Tacobar. Dive bars aren’t really a thing here, but Tacobar is easily the best example and is one where, over the years, I’ve spent many nights bullshitting with Khristian till the early hours of the morning.”
Reygadas: “Ticuchi. Literally a cave. Once you’re inside, it’s easy to lose track of time.”
Cámara: “El Ayer. Unpretentious in the best way.”
Best Wine List
Martínez: “Pujol.”
Henry: “Fugaz or Cicatriz. Or skip wine altogether and go to Bósforo for mezcal. One of my favorite places to drink, listen, and just be in the world.”
Reygadas: “Hugo el Wine Bar.”
Cámara: “Cana. A concise, confident wine list.”
Best Late-Night Bite
Martínez: “Any of the tacos mentioned above, plus Borrego Viudo.”
Henry: “Caldos de Gallina ‘Luis.’ A 24-hour chicken soup with warm tortillas, salsa, and a handful of garnishes.”
Reygadas: “Páramo; food that holds up at the end of the night.”
Cámara: “Los Cocuyos. The kind of spot that actually takes care of you 24/7. Order the suadero and the tongue.”
Best Hangover Cure
Martínez: Pozolería Tixtla. Order the pozole blanco.
Henry: In a perfect hungover world, I’d lazily make my way to Post Café with a joint in hand, have a cappuccino, then get on my bike and cruise to La Tonina to snag a booth for a slow breakfast.
Elena: Campobaja. Baja-style seafood.
Cámara: For immediate recovery go to Taller de Ostiones for cold beers and ultra-fresh oysters.
Best Roma Norte Spot
Martínez: Contramar. The fish is good, but don’t miss the fish meatballs, seafood soup, or the esmedregal al pastor tacos. For dessert, try the fig tart and coconut cake.
Henry: C.O.M.E. A family-run Japanese fonda that’s been rocking for over 15 years with a cult following. It’s unreasonably affordable and feels like being part of a small club of in-the-know, food-loving neighbors. Shu-mai wasabi, edamame asado, wakame algae salad, kabayaki-don, and iced green tea.
Reygadas: Fugaz. A laid-back neighborhood restaurant with a vegetable-forward point of view.
Best Polanco Spot
Martínez: Kleins. A 60-plus-year-old place.
Henry: “I’m rarely in Polanco, but Ron Shu Xia for unpretentious Chinese grub—the soups are massive and hit hard. Ticuchi for a sexier, elevated bar experience with well-executed Oaxacan bites.”
Reygadas: Goya Taller.
Cámara: Pujol. A long-form tasting experience that rewards time and attention.
Best Chocolate
Martínez: La Rifa.
Henry: Chocolatería La Rifa.
Reygadas: Casa Bosques.
Cámara: Chocolates Curryer.
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