The Best Restaurants in Mexico City- According to Michelin Guide and World’s Best Restaurants
Six years ago, we asked the Michelin Guide if we could be one of their “inspectors” to create a Michelin guide for Mexico City. At the time, they told us they did not have any plans to offer a Michelin guide for Mexico City or Mexico. So, imagine our jumble of emotions when Michelin announced its first guide to Mexico released on May 14, 2024. We were excited and proud of the restaurant recipients, and also a bit perturbed because we were not a part of it.
If you travel for food, these are the best restaurants to dine at according to the Michelin Guide and World’s Best Restaurants.
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How Do Restaurants Earn a Michelin Star?
Michelin Stars are awarded to restaurants offering outstanding cooking based on five criteria: the quality of the ingredients, the harmony of flavors, the mastery of techniques, the chef’s personality in his dishes, and the consistency of the entire menu and dining experience over time. Though they say the staff and décor are not part of the criteria, it is part of the experience.
Who Judges the Restaurants?
Michelin “inspectors” are anonymous food and hospitality experts with a minimum of 5 years of experience in the food and beverage industry. This is a full-time job with extensive international travel to dine in the world’s best restaurants. In our opinion, being an inspector would be one of the best jobs in the world!
How Do the Michelin Inspectors Decide to Give a Star?
Different inspectors will dine at a certain restaurant over several weeks ordering a variety of dishes. After a certain time, the inspectors will get together in a committee to discuss and share their experiences. Using the criteria above, they will decide if each inspector had a consistent experience at the restaurant and award stars based on that.
Cliff Notes on the Michelin Guide to Mexico
From Playa del Carmen and Monterrey to Oaxaca and Ensenada, the Michelin Guide covers all the hotspots of Mexican dining. 62 out of 157 restaurants are located in Mexico City. Dining at all 62 restaurants even with a 6-month tourist visa would be quite a feat. In this post, we’ve narrowed down the list to the restaurants that have Michelin stars and are consistently ranked on Latin America’s Best Restaurants List and World’s Best Restaurants List.
MICHELIN GUIDE FOR MEXICO CITY
TWO 2-star restaurants: Pujol and Quintonil
FIVE 1-star restaurants: Rosetta, Sud 777, Em, Taqueria El Califa de Leon, Esquina Común
Bib Gourmand (best value for the money): 20 restaurants
Another 35 restaurants have honorable mentions for exceptional cooking.
LATIN AMERICA’S BEST RESTAURANTS IN MEXICO CITY
- #12 Quintonil
- #15 Pujol
- #31 Sud 777
- #36 Rosetta
- #48 La Docena (Polanco)
- #55 Maximo Bistrot
- #81 Nicos
WORLD’S BEST RESTAURANTS IN MEXICO CITY
- #7 Quintonil
- #33 Pujol
- #34 Rosetta
- #82 Sud 777
QUNITONIL
Quintonil is the introvert of the culinary scene with a more subdued and zen-like atmosphere. The name Quintonil is derived from a green Mexican herb similar to coriander that features in some of the dishes and cocktails. You have a choice of a la carte or the tasting menu, but we always opt for the tasting menu. One of the most popular dishes is the charred avocado with escamoles which will blow you away.
We’ve eaten here twice and loved every moment. This family-owned restaurant is run by Chef Jorge Vallejo in the kitchen while his wife Alejandra Flores and staff pamper you in the dining room. The décor is relaxing and provides the perfect ambiance for a special occasion.
In 2020 during COVID, Quintonil temporarily closed but continued supporting the local suppliers by selling boxes of fresh ingredients to his customers. Chef Vallejo also bought ingredients from farmers and prepared meals for hospital patients and poor families through the project Comidas Solidarias.
PUJOL
Chef Enrique Olvera of Pujol has spent time with indigenous tribes in Oaxaca learning about their traditions and food preparation. Bringing this knowledge back to the kitchen, each course tells a story about where it is from and the people who cultivate it. One of his most famous dishes is the aged mole paired with the new. The aged mole has been simmering for years and depending on when you go, will be well over 1000 days old.
We’ve eaten at Pujol twice trying both the multi-course menu and the Taco Omakase. Both offer a mother mole course contrasting with a young mole. You can see and taste the difference between the two. The young mole is a combination of bright chilis while the mother mole has more chocolate and dried chili notes. Both are delicious. With the Taco Omakase tasting menu, you also get a choice of beer, wine, or mezcal paired with each course. Eating at Pujol is pricey, but it is well worth it.
Where to Stay: Both Quintonil and Pujol are located in Polanco. We loved Pug Seal which was a short walk to both these restaurants (unless you are in heels) and Parque Lincoln. Search for your perfect hotel on Booking.com.
ROSETTA
Led by the Best Female Chef 2023 Elena Reygadas, Rosetta is a favorite special occasion dining spot for tourists and locals. Combining her training in French and Italian cuisine with her Mexican family traditions and seasonal ingredients, Rosetta and Chef Reygadas are legends in the Mexican culinary world.
Try dishes such as potato gnocchi with huitlacoche or a unique Mexican dessert of white heirloom cacao and hoja santa chocolate.
Reygadas has opened other restaurants across Mexico City such as the casual restaurant Lardo and the French Bistro Café Nin. Even if you have limited time in the city, don’t miss her bakery Panaderia Rosetta. The bakery has made a name for itself and supplies many restaurants across the city with its bread and pastries. And if you only have time for a drink, Salon Rosetta is above the restaurant. The room is fascinating, but the drinks are small and pricey.
In 2019 Reygadas published her first cookbooks with many of Rosetta’s favorite recipes and an exploration into how Mexican traditions influence the ingredients.
Where to Stay: Rosetta, La Docena, and Maximo Bistrot are located in Roma Norte with several hotel options. Stay within walking distance at the Roso Guest House or check Booking.com for other hotel options.
SUD 777
Located outside the usual tourist spots in Mexico City, Sud 777 is a gorgeous restaurant with vibrant food to match. The different rooms interconnect seamlessly yet give each couple or group a bit of privacy. The menu changes monthly, and most of the products are locally sourced.
We can personally recommend the sweetbreads in a veal reduction, octopus, and duck breast with mole Amarillo.
Chef and co-owner Edgar Nuñez trained in France with stages at El Bulli and Noma, two of the most well-known restaurants in the world. He joined Sud 777 as executive chef in 2008.
He created Kokeshi by Sud 777, an offshoot of the main restaurant serving Asian cuisine. His other restaurant in Mexico City is Comedor Jacinta, based on his grandma’s recipes. Branching out to the beach, Maria Dolores located at the all-inclusive Atelier Resort in Playa Mujeres, is a fine dining restaurant with a 9-course tasting menu of contemporary Mexican cuisine. Internationally, Nuñez opened Aguafresca, a joint venture with Chef Juan Manuel Barrientos in Medellin, Columbia, offering the finest Mexican food and mezcal south of the Panama Canal.
EM
Veracruz native Lucho Martinez and his wife Fernanda have worked tirelessly in the best gastronomic kitchens including Quintonil and Maximo Bistrot. Mentored by Chef Eduardo “Lalo” Garcia of Maximo Bistrot, he opened Em (named after his daughter) as a testament to his beliefs in community and excellence in Haute Mexican cuisine.
Dine a la carte on favorites such as Caesar salad tostada with lobster and macadamia nuts, crispy fried chicken, or the Pork rib tamale with black mole. Can’t decide? Let the chef choose for you with an 8-course tasting menu.
ESQUINA COMUN
Esquina Común translates to “Common Corner”, but there is nothing “common” about the cuisine here. Traditional Mexican dishes with international flair grace the menu. This is Chef Ana Dolores González second restaurant after Expendio de Maiz in Roma Norte. Chef Ana and her team are architects building flavors and textures in each dish.
Try the fish pâté with pumpkin flower pesto as a starter before diving into short ribs or fish gorditas. The menu is small but creative, and the terrace creates a relaxing oasis from the hustle of Mexico City. Note: Esquina Común is only open Thursday-Sunday.
Where to Stay: Find hotels in Condesa on Booking.com.
TAQUERIA EL CALIFA DE LEON
Not all Michelin-star restaurants are “white tablecloth-fancy” places. Taqueria El Califa de Leon is Little more than a hole-in-the-wall eatery with a handful of seats and menu choices. Its dedication and consistency to its ingredients and cooking earned it a Michelin star.
This taco restaurant was popular before, but now the influencers are packing in to get a taste (and selfie) of these delicious tacos. Take a friend, and order one of everything; steak, chop, rib, and their signature gaonera, a thinly sliced beef filet seasoned only with salt and a squeeze of lime and seared on the grill. Note: Reservations are not accepted, and it’s a cash-only restaurant.
Where to Stay: Taqueria El Califa de Leon is located north of the Monumento de Revolucion. Stay at Fiesta Americana or Casa Prim Hotel Boutique near other fantastic restaurants in Roma Norte and the Hanky Panky Bar, ranked on the World’s Best Bars List.
MAXIMO BISTROT
Chef Eduardo Garcia opened Maximo Bistrot in 2012 and has been a dining destination ever since. The focus is on the food, and each dish is prepared with the highest quality of ingredients with emphasis on color, texture, and flavor.
Chef Garcia spent time at Pujol and Le Bernardin in New York before opening Maximo Bistrot. Today he continues to stretch his cooking techniques and ingredient knowledge with two other restaurants, the 30-seat Lalo and the French Brasserie Havre 77, reminiscent of a Parisian café.
Try the duck confit with mushroom risotto or any of the fresh seafood dishes.
NICOS
Nicos is another restaurant located outside the usual tourist attractions, but still worth the Uber ride. This fine dining restaurant has been a fixture on the Mexico City dining scene for well over 60 years.
Located 20 minutes north of Polanco, the white tablecloth service and hearty Mexican dishes are a taste of homemade Mexican cuisine. María Elena Lugo Zermeño opened Nicos back in 1957 and can still be seen today chatting amongst the diners while her son, Chef Gerardo Vázquez Lugo creates each masterpiece back in the kitchen. The mother-son duo recently received the Lifetime Achievement Award for contributing to Mexican cuisine.
Try the Carne Asada al Carbon or the Fillete Nicolasa with a caramelized apple and hibiscus flower sauce.
LA DOCENA
If you love oysters, La Docena is a must. This seafood-centric restaurant has the freshest seafood in the middle of the country. We loved the food here so much, that we dined there twice. Feast on the seafood tower with its oysters and chocolate clams. And for dessert, you will have a hard time choosing between the chocolate lava cake and the cajeta lava cake. Just get both!
The flagship restaurant is located in Guadalajara, and two more restaurants have been opened in Mexico City (Roma Norte and Polanco (which made Latin America’s Best Restaurants List 2023).
Where to Stay: Polanco and Roma Norte are both excellent neighborhoods close to the Zocalo and Parque Chapultepec attractions.
Where to Stay in Mexico City
Polanco is a perfect place to stay if you are only going to dine at Pujol and Quintonil from this list. However, we prefer Roma Norte because there are more options ranging from taco stands and international cuisines to fine dining. Roma Norte is a short drive to most of the restaurants mentioned in this post. Zoom in to our logo to see the best hotel options.
But There’s More…
This is just a small sampling of the fantastic restaurants in Mexico City. Stay tuned because we plan on bringing you more foodie options from Mexico City’s fabulous neighborhoods.
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