15 Best Restaurants in Side Trips from Mexico City, Mexico

Decorated with brightly colored papeles picados and tables with Talavera tile tops, friendly and traditional Antojería Nacional is a bit of a contrast with the many hip and modern spots in this neighborhood of Cholula close to the campus of Universidad de las Americas. The specialty of this hugely popular spot is traditional street food—tortas milanesas, chicken pelonas, chorizo gorditas, and more.

High ceilings, dangling wood beams, and distinctive light features hint at the marriage of traditional and contemporary approaches to Mexican cuisine at this stylish restaurant across from Museo Amparo. Creative takes on mole are a specialty, including sweetbreads with escamoles (ant larvae) and a white mole sauce, and 36-hour-braised short rib with an ancho chile adobo sauce, but you'll also find dried-beef tartare with jalapeño oil and blue-corn masa filled with black beans, pork shank, and cotija cheese. Save room for the inventive desserts. 

This sprawling, open-air restaurant in an affluent neighborhood northeast of downtown has a lush garden setting that makes it a perfect choice for a relaxing meal on a balmy day, of which there are many in Cuernavaca. The farm-to-table-inspired menu features a mix of classic and contemporary dishes, such as shrimp tacos with a mildly spicy sambal salsa, aguachile with tangy passionfruit sauce, or pasta with classic fettuccine carbonara.

Set in a beautiful, open-air space with enchanting terraces, gardens, and views of Cholula's famous pyramid and church, which is just a block away, this is one of the town's most romantic destinations for any meal of the day---it's open from early in the morning until late (except for Sunday, when it closes at 6). The menu focuses mostly on modern interpretations of Mexican favorites like chiles en nogada (which can be prepared vegetarian on request) and chicken enchiladas bathed in a rich mole poblano, but some pastas and international dishes are served, too.

Although best known for the artisanal mezcals produced by its widely known and well-regarded Conejo en La Luna label, this bustling restaurant with a long, covered patio is a great option for grabbing a meal before or after your time visiting the adjacent pyramids. It's one of the area's better breakfast options, with a nice range of classic Mexican egg and chilaquiles dishes, and later in the day you can enjoy hearty fare like lamb barbecue (on weekends only), escamoles (ant larvae) sauteed in herb butter, and tacos filled with cecina (locally produced cured beef). It's open until 6 on weekdays and 7 on weekends, making a potential early-dinner option after exploring the ruins. There's a second location in CDMX's Condesa neighborhood.

Downtown Cuernavaca is a bit lacking in trendy dining, but this casually fashionable open-air restaurant in stylish Las Casas B&B Hotel serves some of the most beautifully plated and delicious food in the city. It's a mix of contemporary Mexican and Mediterranean dishes, from sea bass risotto with roasted artichokes and kalamata olives to grilled chicken in a rich mole negro with caramelized bananas and hand-made blue-corn tortillas. There's also a selection of creative pastas, pizzas, and salads. Be sure to save room for the homemade desserts. 

This eatery does a welcome, contemporary take on the cemita, Puebla's version of the classic Mexican torta sandwich. The smoked brisket comes with a plantain puree and flavorful pepper sauce while the chilaquiles are garnished with watercress in avocado oil. The usually basic milanesa (breaded pork loin) has a Parmesan-garlic breading and artisanal cheese from the nearby town of Chipilo. Terrific soups and salads round out the menu. The stylish decor and hip crowd is a rarity in conservative Puebla.

Among the city's countless restaurants specializing in Pueblo-style mole sauces, this relaxing spot set in a gracious galleried building with wood-beam ceilings, soaring arches, and tile floors is one of the finest. The sampler plate with chicken or cheese enchiladas smothered under three different kinds of mole sauce are a delicious way to learn about the differences in preparation of these complex sauces. Other beloved dishes like Tacos árabes with shaved lamb and albóndigas (meatballs) with a slightly spicy jalapeño sauce are executed perfectly here. The friendly staff can help explain the differences among the many kinds of mole sauces offered. 

This unusual restaurant and organic farm in the lush Atongo Valley to the east of town produces artfully plated salads, such as fresh-made burrata with roasted beets, as well as heartier dishes like an earthy huitlacoche risotto with Parmesan, all made using ingredients grown on-site. Dining is in an open-air garden structure with an arched ceiling as well as at tables amid the flowers and plants, and the views of the surrounding mountains are breathtaking. The cocktails and desserts are also inspired by what's grown here—consider the chocolate brownie with pistachio, house-made chocolate sauce, and rosemary ice cream. A DJ spins music many evenings.

Walk a couple blocks south of Tepotzotlán's main plaza, which is lined with mostly unmemorable restaurants, to reach this beautifully designed modern Italian spot set in a handsome old building with towering windows and brick walls. The extensive menu features creative pastas, pizzas, and sandwiches served on house-baked artisan breads---try the linguine with shrimp and octopus sauteed in garlic or the Argentinean-style choripán sandwich, with chorizo, a mix of cheeses, and chimichurri sauce. 

Although there's a charming downstairs seating area, the rooftop terrace of this delightful bistro serving creative Mexican dishes as well as pizzas and gastropub fare is hard to beat, with its views overlooking the town's central plaza and the steep cliffs that frame Malinalco. Highlights from the diverse menu include a tiradito of raw cecina with serrano chiles, marinated wild-boar tacos, and trout topped with pineapples, ham, and cheese in a lightly spicy sauce. Among the pizzas, the Yucateca-inspired pie with tender cochinita pibil and cured purple onions is a favorite. Save room for the traditional corn cake with whipped cream and berries for dessert.

This stylish restaurant set on the rooftop terrace of the enchanting Hotel Boutique Pueblo Lindo offers not only some of the best views in town, but also delicious, beautifully presented modern Mexican dishes. Start the day with huevos rancheros, fresh seasonal fruit, and one of the decadent house-baked pastries; later in the day, try the grilled fish of the day with pureed potatoes and a mango salsa, or enchiladas with chicken and hibiscus flowers. Everything is prepared with care and using fresh, often seasonal ingredients. 

Across the street from the dramatic spires of Parroquia de San Andrés Cholula, this simple sandwich shop serves delicious versions of classic tortas as well as Puebla's beloved version of these hearty sandwiches, the cemita. Try it with chicken milanesa (with thinly pounded and breaded chicken) or local sausage with all the fixings, including cheese, avocado, jalapeños, and chipotles in adobado sauce.

The colorful flagship branch of the popular ice cream and sorbet parlor stands out for its beautiful displays of Day of the Dead figures and other sculptures and crafts. You'll find an encyclopedic menu of flavors, including local fruits and vegetables (date, mango, mamey, beets, corn) and other distinctive options like coconut with chiles, pine nut, rose petal, and tres leches.

Be prepared to wait for a table, especially on weekend evenings, at this hugely popular no-nonsense restaurant just off Plaza Borda that's famous for pozole. There are three options---green (available only on Thursday and Saturday), red (served only on Thursday), and white, the classic version that's on the menu daily. These rich and hearty soups, especially if you order a large portion, are quite filling, but if you aren't completely full, save room for an order of queso fundido or chicken tostadas.