Let’s face it; Mexican food is the biggest reason I love to visit Mexico. It’s cheap and delicious. On my first trip to Mexico City, I joined a food tour around the Polanco neighborhood. On my next trip, I built my entire itinerary around finding the best food in Mexico City. If a trip to CDMX is in your future, these are my picks for where to eat in Mexico City.
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Traditional Mexican Food
If you’re used to Tex-Mex or American versions of Mexican food, you’ll find the traditional Mexican food in Mexico city slightly different. (much better, in my opinion!) Street tacos rule when it comes to Mexican cuisine. I love the simplicity of Mexican tacos; there’s no cheese or sour cream. Usually, you just have flavorful meat with pico de gallo or cabbage slaw. Tacos are often served with just the meat in a corn tortilla, and you’ll be given a platter of garnishes like cilantro and salsas to add as you wish. Simple and delicious, made with local ingredients.
After two food-based trips to Mexico City, this is the best food in Mexico City that I tried. Of course, I hope to keep adding to this list with every visit.
Casual Mexico City Restaurants
Generally, the cheaper the Mexican food, the better it is. Back home, I always say the best Mexican restaurants are the ones with bars on the windows! In Mexico City, you don’t have to spend a lot to have an amazing meal. I always spent less than $10 for a meal plus a Coke or bottled water. Check out these spots for cheap and delicious Mexican food.
- El Caifan – with a location near Alameda Central and Avenida Reforma, this place looks like it could be pretty touristy. However, the food was so good, I ate here twice! You can sit at a counter around the grill and watch them hand-make tortillas. If you stay at the Hilton Mexico City Reforma, this will be your go-to taco joint.
- Tacos El Caminero – just off of Avenida Reforma near Le Meridien hotel, this spot had really tasty tacos al pastor. They have a huge variety of tacos, each costing about $1.25.
- Mata Comedor Cantina – this spot in the Centro Histórico is a bit more upscale but still affordable. The dining room is tucked away on the 2nd floor above a bar, so it felt a little less touristy than other nearby options. Although it’s a Jalisco specialty, I had a torta ahogada here that was really good.
- Mercado Roma – in keeping with the trend of food halls, Mexico City has a few, too. This hip spot in Roma Norte has several fast food stalls, as well as a Que Bo chocolate shop and an El Moro churro shop.
- Tostadas Coyoacan – this spot in the Coyoacan Market is known for having the best tostadas. I tried a chicken mole and it was tasty. The agua fresca here is really good, too!
- Mexico City street food – Don’t just stick to restaurants; Mexico City has fantastic street food. Any place where the locals are lined up will be fine. Just make sure you have cash on hand.
Upscale Mexico City Restaurants
Despite what I just said about cheap Mexican food, there is quite the upscale foodie scene in Mexico City. Pujol is rated as one of the best restaurants in the world. I checked a month in advance and I was unable to get a reservation for one! I will definitely check out Pujol on my next visit. Note that an expensive meal in Mexico City is between $25 – $30 for an entree and a drink. Still a great deal for fine dining!
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- Testal – My hotel concierge recommended this restaurant and it was fantastic! There are so many things I wanted to try that I could have easily had dinner here a few times. I started with Crema de Huitlacoche y Elote. For my entree, I had tacos de pulpo, or octopus tacos. Everything was delicious!
- Huitlacoche is also known as corn smut; it’s a mold that grows on corn and is a delicacy in Mexico.
- Guzina Oaxaca – I ate at this Polanco restaurant on a food tour. It’s the first place I ever tried Sopes. (also known as picadita, it’s a small tostada with a thick masa base) It’s also the first time I’ve ever enjoyed mole, as they have several different varieties.
- Agua Y Sal – this Polanco seafood restaurant has an upscale vibe with several varieties of ceviche, including a tasting menu. I had a tuna tostadas and agua fresca that was simple and tasty!
- Fonda Fina – I tried this Roma restaurant based on reviews and recommendations. I didn’t love it, but I think I went a bit too fancy with what I ordered, based on my excellent experience at Testal. I would definitely give them another shot but stick to something more traditional. Nevertheless, my bill was only $19 so not a huge loss.
Traditional Mexican Beverages
I’m not a big alcohol drinker, so I tend to drink a lot of Coca-Cola and filtered water in Mexico. Of course, tequila is the most popular adult beverage in Mexico. I’ve even toured the town of Tequila and surrounding agave fields on a day trip from Guadalajara and learned the proper way to sip it. But, it’s still not my favorite. There are a couple of tasty beverages I recommend having while you are in Mexico. (Besides Mexican Coca-Cola, which is way better than the US version!)
- Agua Fresca – served at most fast-food and casual restaurants, you can choose from dozens of flavors. Very refreshing, and it’s usually made with filtered water, so you don’t have to worry about getting sick.
- Atole – this is a hot corn-based drink. I had the cinnamon version (it also comes in a chocolate flavor) and it was the perfect accompaniment to a churro.
- Mexican Hot Chocolate – a richer hot chocolate with a bit of spice. You can even find the “Abuelita” brand in the States.
- Pulque – this is an alcoholic drink, made from fermented agave. It’s a by-product of tequila and is a bit of an acquired taste. I think it’s better than tequila, so definitely try it if you have a chance.
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Traditional Mexican Desserts
Another reason I don’t drink much when traveling is that I’d rather spend the calories (and money) on dessert. I have a wicked sweet tooth, and apparently, I inherited this from the Amesquita side of my family, because Mexicans love their sweets! These are a few of my favorite Mexican desserts to have in Mexico City.
- Churros – you can get churros just about anywhere now, but how about a churro ice cream sandwich? Stop by El Moro, which has several Mexico City locations. Get the “consuelitos” which are 3 little ice cream sandwiches made with churros. All for the bargain price of less than $3.
- Chocolate – the Mayans discovered cacao many years ago, so chocolate has always had a place in Mexican culture. There’s even a chocolate museum in Mexico City. I really like Que Bo chocolate – they have tons of fun flavors and they are beautifully prepared. These make a great gift to take home.
- Ice Cream – ice cream, or helado, is everywhere in Mexico. The parks seem to be filled with families out for a stroll enjoying ice cream.
- Flan – this is a caramel custard type dessert popular in Mexican culture. I had a coconut flan at El Caifan that was really good.
- Pastries – of course, the best sweets of all are the “pan dulce” or sweetbreads. My favorite is the concha, which has a sugary crust on top. Maque Bakery in Condesa is one of the best places for fresh pastries.
Of all of these Mexico City restaurants, I will absolutely go back to Testal, El Caifan, and El Caminero. But what other restaurants should I try in CDMX? Tell me in the comments!
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