12 Best Restaurants in Mexico City for Tacos, Seafood & Vegan Food | CDMX Food Guide 2025

12 Best Restaurants in Mexico City for Tacos, Seafood & Vegan Food | CDMX Food Guide 2025

Imagine tearing into a $3 taco that tastes like it belongs on a tasting menu, then crossing the street to dine under chandeliers at a Michelin starred icon. That contrast is Mexico City in a bite. Ancient corn, cuttingedge technique, and a city-wide devotion to flavor that never plays favorites. From curbside griddles to candle lit courtyards, the capital’s kitchens blur the line between street food hustle and high-end artistry, turning every meal into a dialogue between past and present. Today, we’re sampling the highlights, one neighborhood, one pallet punching dish at a time. Welcome to the itinerant traveler. Where are we headed today? passengers. Stick around as we count down 12 of the best restaurants in Mexico City that prove why CDMX tops every foodies bucket list. If you discover a new favorite, smash that like button, share it with a fellow food lover, and drop your recommendations below. Let’s kick things off with number 12, Marcado Decoyakan. We’re starting at street level. Marcado Deooan isn’t just one of the go-to markets in town. It’s your all accessess pass into Mexico City street food at its most colorful and chaotic. Just a short stroll from the Freda Carlo Museum. This market buzzes with clanging pans, shouts from griddles and stools stacked high with tostadas topped with octopus goinita bibil or slow simmering pole. It’s a feast under one roof and easily ranks as one of the best street food in Mexico City spots for good reason. Want the full experience? Go on a weekday morning. Bring small pesos. Cash is king here. And sample those salsas with caution. They bite back. After you’ve eaten your fill, wander through the cobblestone lanes and leafy plazas just outside. It’s not just food. It’s your first taste of the city’s soul. Number 11, Elvis Visito. As night falls, the line between auto shop and taco shrine disappears. El Vilito transforms from a working garage into one of the most iconic Mexico City restaurants for late night eats. By 8:00 p.m., flames flicker off spinning spits of chile marinated pork. Machete wielding cooks work with brutal efficiency, and the scent of grilled pineapple fills the air. Their signature tacos, al pastor, charred just right and crowned with a quick slice of fruit, are pure CDMX legend. If you’re chasing the best tacos in Mexico City, every trail eventually leads here. Here’s the move. Arrive early to beat the standing room only crowd. Ask for your tacos conto with onions, cilantro, and pineapple. And bring pesos for faster service. Because at El Vilito, you’re not just grabbing tacos. You’re stepping into a Mexico City street food ritual. Number 10, Plantasia. We’ve hit the streets. Now, let’s slow it down. Because even in Mexico City’s food chaos, there’s room for calm. Plantasia brings the jungle indoors with lush greenery, low lighting, and a 100% plant-based menu that’s made a cornerstone of vegan food in Mexico City. This isn’t just tofu and sprouts. It’s tamarind lace pad thai, silky tomka, and taro donuts that melt in your mouth. No surprise Plantasia shows up on short lists for the best restaurants in Roman nonte Mexico City. It’s stylish, soothing, and totally plant-based. It’s also home to the city’s first zero proof botanical bar, where kombucha and herbal infusions take the place of Mezcow. No buzz, no compromise. Whether you’re vegan or just need a break from tacos and meat, Plantasia resets your taste buds in all the right ways. Number nine, La Eskina del Chilakil. This corner stall in Condeza may not look like much, but La Eskina del Chilakil is a heavyweight in Mexico City street food. Each tora is a flavor avalanche across the bolo roll overflowing with salsa soaked chilakil crema quo fresco and a choice of Milana or coinita. It’s pure, glorious chaos, served hot, handheld, and dripping. No surprise, it’s become a fixture on lists of the best places to eat in Mexico City. With nothing but a sidewalk, a canopy, and a line forming before 8:00 a.m., this spot proves that some of the best restaurants in Mexico City don’t have walls or chairs. Show up around 9:00 a.m. to skip the worst of the crowd. Bring cash and head to nearby Park, Mexico before your sandwich implodes. Number eight, Laithahaya Vigana. Just a few blocks from the Roman Norte buzz, Laahaya Vigana flips the script on traditional tacos. Starting with the tortillas themselves dyed a vibrant pink using dragon fruit. Inside this tiny mural line space, you’ll find mushroom al pastor tacos, banana stuffed mole, and some of the most creative plant-based dishes in town. Quietly, it’s become one of the best restaurants in Mexico City with vegetarian options without ever trying to be mainstream. For anyone wondering what to eat in Mexico City beyond the usual meat heavy classics, this spot proves you don’t have to sacrifice flavor or flare. Show up early, especially on weekends, and don’t hold back at the salsa bar. Smoky, spicy, and citrusy flavors are all part of the experience. Number seven, Takeria Elran Abaniko. You haven’t really tapped into Mexico City street food until you’ve had breakfast ganas at Taria Elcran Abaniko. Just a short walk from Metro San Antonio Abat. This old school favorite serves pork the way Mishan intended. Crispy, rich, and gone by early afternoon. Order the costa if you like crunch, the certida if you want the full fat experience, and do it fast. Lines move quick and the good stuff sells out. Locals crowd the curbside counter while salsa music blares inside, giving you that perfect morning buzz that only comes from tacos and traffic noise. If you’re chasing the best tacos in Mexico City, this spot should be locked into your map. With a 4.6 and six-star average from over 47,000 Google reviews. It’s not just a local favorite. It’s a street food institution. It’s quick, messy, cash only, and absolutely worth it. Number six, Lasudas. At lastudas, Wajaka’s boldest flavors come to life on a single oversized tortilla. And yes, it’s just as intense as it sounds. Dubbed the Wajakan pizza, the Tlayuda is a crispy corn base piled high with reffried beans, Wajakan cheese, salsa, and your choice of meats. From smoky tahaso to sashina or even chapalinz, this spot might be laid-back, but it’s easily one of the best restaurants in Mexico City for adventurous eaters looking to go beyond the taco. Nestled in Del Valenote, it’s a standout among casual Mexico City restaurants for how authentically it captures southern Mexican street food without ever feeling like a tourist trap. Pro tip, come early to snag a seat and pair your Dlayuda with mecal or their creamy house horchata. Number five, Angelop Polyano. If Puebla had a second home in CDMX, Angelo Polyano would be it. Set in Romanote, this intimate spot is a crash course in publano classics. Rich mole pablano over stuffed semitas and the seasonal showstopper chile and noada. It’s not just cozy, it’s curated with dishes that stay fateful to tradition but land with a sense of occasion. Chef Gerardo Quazadas brings polish without pretense, making Angelo Polyano one of those must try Mexico City restaurants that feels like a warm Sunday lunch with family if your grandma plated like a fine dining chef. Book ahead, especially between July and September when Chileon no season draws a crowd. And whatever you do, don’t skip dessert. The tletches hits different here. Number four, Fonda 99.99. Some restaurants feel like they’ve always been there. Fonda 99.99 is one of them. This long-standing tribute to Yucatan cooking is a staple of any serious Mexico City food guide. And with citrusy coinita pibil, smoky sa de lima, and crispy panuchas that taste like they came straight from Marida. You’ll find it in Benonito Huarez now where loyal regulars line up before noon or after the 3:30 lull for plates that rarely top 100 pesos. It may look modest, but Fonda 99.99 easily earns its spot among the best restaurants in CDMX. When the original location closed, locals staged a sidewalk sitin that tells you everything you need to know. Order an aua de chaya, wrap it up with a marquesita and keep an eye on the closing time. They shut early and take Mondays off. Number three, Mika Java Marisquia. If you dropped a scenal beach shack in the middle of Roman Norte, you’d get Mika Java. That’s exactly the vibe. With yellow tables, bander music, and seafood trucked in fresh each morning, this marisia feels more like a daytime party than a restaurant. Expect bone marrow tuna tostadas, shrimp auac chileles with real bite, and towering seafood platters made to share. It’s loud, it’s fast, and it’s one of the best restaurants in Mexico City if you’re craving a break from tacos and moles. Show up right at noon or after 4 p.m. to beat the wait. And bring friends. This place is built for passing plates, downing micheladas, and leaning into the chaos. Number two, the Azul Trilogy. Historico, Condeza, and Dioro. Few places honor Mexico’s regional cuisine with the depth and discipline of Azul. A trio of restaurants that feel more like culinary institutions than just places to eat. Azul Historico, set in a 17th century courtyard in Centro, doesn’t just serve tradition, it anchors it. It’s a rare spot that truly earns its place among the best restaurants in Mexico City. Centro Historic Rico, a place where history and hospitality share the same table. Azul Condesa leans more contemporary, nestled in a leafy patio that mirrors the neighborhood’s creative energy. And Azuli Oro, tucked inside Unam, feels like a culinary think tank, academic, affordable, and fiercely committed to regional accuracy. Together they reshaped the idea of fine dining restaurants in Mexico City. Trading excess for intention and flash for fidelity to flavor. Number one, Puhol. At the top of Mexico City’s food chain sits a quiet house in Polano. And inside it, Puhol. This is where chef Enri Vera redefined modern Mexican cuisine dish by dish with a tasting menu rooted in heirloom corn ancient moles and precise technique. Whether you choose the seven course corn or sea menu or the takamicazi bar, every bite feels like a meditation on time, place, and memory. As one of the best restaurants in Mexico City and arguably the most influential, Bhol has earned its reputation not just through Michelin stars, but through restraint, storytelling, and a deep respect for tradition. It’s also one of the most famous restaurants in Mexico City. Known worldwide for its molly madre molevo, a pairing of new and 3,500 day age mole that’s become culinary legend. This isn’t just a reservation. It’s a right of passage and the perfect final stop on a journey through a city where food isn’t just eaten, it’s revered. Thanks for joining the itinerant traveler on this journey through the best restaurants in Mexico City. From bustling markets to Michelin starred masterpieces. Until next time, passengers, safe and happy travels.

12 Best Restaurants in Mexico City for Tacos, Seafood & Vegan Food | CDMX Food Guide 2025

Imagine tearing into a three-dollar taco that tastes like it belongs on a tasting menu—then crossing the street to dine under chandeliers at a Michelin-starred icon. That contrast is Mexico City in a bite: ancient corn, cutting-edge technique, and a citywide devotion to flavor that never plays favorites. From curb-side griddles to candle-lit courtyards, the capital’s kitchens blur the line between street food hustle and high-end artistry, turning every meal into a dialogue between past and present. Today we’re sampling the highlights—one neighborhood, one palate-punching dish at a time.

Welcome to The Itinerant Traveler. Where are we headed today, Passengers? Stick around as we count down 12 of the best restaurants in Mexico City that prove why CDMX tops every foodie’s bucket list.

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Mexico City is one of the world’s most exciting culinary destinations, and in this video, we’re counting down the 12 best restaurants in Mexico City that every foodie needs to experience. From taco stalls tucked behind auto shops to Michelin-starred icons redefining modern Mexican cuisine, these spots showcase the full spectrum of Mexico City food. Whether you’re after a quick bite of street food or a fine dining tasting menu, this guide highlights where to eat in Mexico City and why each stop earns its place.

We start with the chaos and color of Mercado de Coyoacán—an essential introduction to Mexico City street food—then move to El Vilsito, where tacos al pastor are sliced beneath flickering flames in a converted garage. Vegan food lovers will find plenty to savor at Plantasia and La Pitahaya Vegana, two of the most innovative plant-based restaurants in Roma Norte. For a truly local experience, La Esquina del Chilaquil and Taquería El Gran Abanico serve up iconic dishes like tortas and carnitas that define everyday CDMX eating.

But Mexico City’s best restaurants don’t stop at the street. At Las Tlayudas, Oaxacan flavors are piled high on crisp tortillas, while Angelopolitano delivers poblano classics like mole poblano and chile en nogada in a cozy Roma Norte setting. Fonda 99.99 keeps Yucatán cooking alive with dishes like cochinita pibil and sopa de lima, beloved by locals for generations. If you’re craving seafood, Mi Compa Chava Marisquería brings the energy of a Sinaloan beach shack right into the heart of Mexico City, with bone-marrow tuna tostadas and towering shrimp platters.

Rounding out the list is the Azul restaurant trilogy—Azul Histórico, Azul Condesa, and Azul y Oro—each honoring regional Mexican food with depth and detail, and of course, Pujol, where chef Enrique Olvera’s mole madre and corn-focused tasting menu have earned global acclaim. These restaurants aren’t just about great food—they’re about storytelling, memory, and the evolving identity of Mexican cuisine. If you’re planning your trip and searching for Mexico City’s best restaurants, or building out your foodie bucket list, this video is your essential Mexico City food guide.

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