Mexico City - Where to Eat
There's no shortage of information out there about where to eat in Mexico City—or CDMX as locals call it—and the choices can seem overwhelming. Good eats abound around every corner! During our CDMX stay, we tended to eat in our our B n' B's neighbourhood because after a long day of touring there's nothing better than taking a short walk for dinner. Condesa (where we stayed), and the flanking neighbourhoods of Roma Norte and Roma proper, are well-off with lots of chic cafés, glittering restaurants, and happening night spots. Consider staying in these locales, and it'll make trip navigation a breeze!
Two caveats for would-be travellers. First, lunch—called la comida, which translates simply as 'food'—is the main meal of the day in Mexico City, and restaurant hours correspond accordingly. Many of the hipper joints are just lunch spots, with approximate hours of noon-6 p.m. It's common for Mexico City dwellers to schedule lengthy business lunches, or savour drawn-out meals with friends/family for several hours, so don't expect to be hurried from the table—enjoy! But DO expect wait times common to Friday night bustle elsewhere in North America and Europe, and DO plan your day around hitting up your preferred restaurants if you're a foodie.
Second, Mexico City is home to some world-renowned restaurants (Pujol and Quintonil come to mind), but if you're planning on going book well-in-advance (min. ~3 weeks). Due to the last minute nature of our trip, we missed out, but if you're prepared you don't have to!
FOR BREAKFAST (Desayuno)
Chilaquiles—a traditional Mexican breakfast where crisp tortilla triangles serve as a base for mole or salsa—as served at Frëims on Amsterdam, Hipódromo, Ciudad de México.
If you're the health-conscious type that drinks your breakfast, you can't go wrong with Elixir Juice House. Try the zingy, wake-you-up-in-the-morning 'Super Celery', which hits you with refreshing cucumber, ginger and lime.
Prefer something heartier? Take in the ambience at Frëíms outdoor patio while ordering up their sizeable chilaquiles, 'Grand Slam', or 'Benedictine' (eggs-benny). As a bonus, this place has lots of vegetarian dishes and serves your morning caffeine jolt just how you like it: choose from french-press, drip, pour-over, siphon, AeroPress or other haute-café options.
Or maybe you'd just like to snack-n'-go? It doesn't get more quintessentially Mexican than a churros for breakfast, and any one of El Moro Churreria's locations has got you covered. Order a paquete (package) of four and a chocolate Mexicano (Mexican hot chocolate) for your dipping delight.
Outside Elixir Juice House on Amsterdam in Condesa, Ciudad de México.
A 'paquete' of four churros at El Morro Churreria on Álvaro Obregón, Roma Norte, Ciudad de México.
FOR LUNCH (La Comida)
Birriaramen—a fusion of birria (a traditional stew) and ramen—and artisanal beer at Caldos Ánimo, Calle Pennsylvania, Nápoles, Ciudad de México.
Oh, the joys of the weird and wonderful birriaramen, fusion star of the Nápoles neighbourhood restaurant Caldos Ánimo! Part birria—traditional Mexican stew typically made from goat or mutton, but made here with beef—part Japanese ramen, this dish is sure to cure your hangover blues or a worked-up appetite after a morning of touring. Sample their selection of artisanal Mexican beers for a complete lunch experience (assuming you enter sans hangover).
Looking for a seafood fix? If you can't stand the lines at the always bustling, but infinitely divine Contramar (it made every travel food list we could find), try out the more casual El Pescadito. Huge portions (order two, not three tacos for a filling meal) are topped off by your choice of fixin's at the immaculately clean salsa/salad bar. Our favourite was the tacos de camarón (shrimp tacos), featuring light, airy batter.
Overstuffed tacos at El Pescadito on Calle Atlixco, Condesa, Ciudad de México.
SNACKING (Botanas)
Eating our ice-cream al fresco at Clemont Helados on Ozuluama, Hipódromo, Ciudad de México.
There are few things better than a mid-afternoon stroll in the park while eating ice-cream, and Helados Clemont just off Parque México will allow you to do just that. Or stay, and enjoy the curb-side ambience with their outdoor seating if your feet are too beat—either way, you're in for a sweet treat.
If you prefer your stroll with a mid-afternoon coffee/pastry, the above-mentioned Frëíms allows true coffee-lovers to relish in choice, or Blend Station showcases Mexican beans in everything from Americanos to cold-brews to a flat-white. Take a peak at the live tree dominating the café's main eating area, or return for a tosta de aguacate (avocado toast) or açai bowl at breakfast to take in the full effect.
Artisanal ice-cream at Clemont Helados, on Ozuluama, Hipódromo, Ciudad de México.
Lattes at Frëims on Amsterdam, Hipódromo, Ciudad de México.
FOR DINNER (La Cena)
Three tacos 'de longaniza', eaten street-side, at Taqueria Los Cocuyos, Calle de Bolívar, Centro, Cuidad de México.
Our hands-down favourite for supper, lunch, anytime really is the lauded Taqueria Los Cocuyos. Perfect for late-nights eats when everything is closed, this is street-eating at its best. Try the campechano (mixed meat) taco if you just can't choose, longaniza taco if you're in the mood for some Spanish flair, or cabeza (roasted beef head) taco if you're feeling more adventurous.
Another late-night saviour is hopping El Califa, with numerous locations around the city. Cheery waiters deliver chicharrón de queso (a wholly cheese spin-off of the pork skin favourite), rib-eye tacos, and 'Gringa' pastores (similar to a quesadilla) at frenetic pace, meaning you can be in, out, and stuffed in thirty minutes flat.
Snag cheffy European fare with an accompanying new-age red at Roma Norte's trendy Loup Bar. Candle-lit ambience and knowledgeable staff make you want to stay and sip hours after your meal.
Or, savour the smoky delights of Oaxacan cooking at Pasillo de Humo where you can watch your chefs work while you eat. For mole, try the Pulpo Frito en huaximole (fried octopus), or get the mixed Molcajete Oaxaqueño from the grill served in its eponymous stone mortar.
Rib-eye tacos with all the fixins' at El Califa restaurant on Altata, Hipódromo, Ciudad de México.
Buen Provecho.
Want to do more in Mexico City? Check out our Top Ten and Walking Tour of Condesa posts!
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