9 Best Restaurants in Alameda Central, Mexico City

Background Illustration for Restaurants

We've compiled the best of the best in Alameda Central - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

Café La Habana

$$ | Juárez Fodor's Choice

In a city with as much depth and history as Mexico City, Café La Habana still manages to stand out. Opened in 1952, it has hosted famous writers (Gabriel García Márquez, Roberto Bolaño, and Octavio Paz, to name a few) and revolutionaries (Che Guevara and Fidel Castro planned the Cuban revolution over coffee here), and yet with all its fame, this unhurried and simple diner is a laid-back place to take a break from the world. The food, while decent, is not the star here. Come for the coffee and the history. 

Café Fodor's Choice $$ Lunch Dinner
Av. Morelos 62, Mexico City, 06600, Mexico
55-5535–2620
Known For
  • Incredible history
  • Decent food that takes a backseat to the ambience
  • Great coffee

Something incorrect in this review?

Fonda Mi Lupita

$$ | Alameda Central Fodor's Choice
Some of the best mole to be found in central Mexico City comes out of a giant clay pot that, at first glance, looks bigger than the entire dining room of this modest, family-run fonda. Opened in 1957, Fonda Mi Lupita specializes in mole from the eastern side of Mexico state, where the dish leans toward the rich, savory flavors of mulato chilies. You'd be hard pressed to find a better rendition anywhere nearby.

Fritz

$$ | Alameda Central Fodor's Choice

Close to the border of the Juárez neighborhood sits this locals' favorite German restaurant, which has been in business since 1947. Serving authentic German food and a very extensive list of German beers, it has been paid a visit by many famous players in Mexican history, as proudly displayed on the walls near the bar. Antiquated German beer signs add to the quaint charm of this small but popular restaurant.

German Fodor's Choice $$ Lunch Dinner
Av. Dr. Río de la Loza 221, Mexico City, Mexico
55-5709--2305
www.elfritz.rest
Known For
  • House-made pretzels and mustard
  • Pork sauerbrauten in creamy gingersnap sauce
  • Hard-to-find German beers
Restaurant Details
Closed Mon.

Something incorrect in this review?

Recommended Fodor's Video

El Huequito

$$ | Alameda Central

General consensus says that this miniscule taco stand on the border between the Plaza San Juan and Chinatown serves the best al pastor in Centro, and has been doing so since 1959. There are now three branches around the neighborhood, and several more scattered around town, but the original remains the best by far.

El Puerto de Alvarado

$$ | Alameda Central
This seafood stand in the Mercado San Juan sells some of the market's freshest fish, which are also served up as ceviches and tostadas for diners who stop at the tables across the aisle. This is the place to try fresh almejas chocolatas ("chocolate" clams, named for the color of their giant shells), so fresh they'll move under a squirt of lime juice.
Mexican Family $$ Breakfast Lunch Quick Bite
Ernesto Pugibet 21, Mexico City, 06010, Mexico
55-5512–6095
Known For
  • Raw seafood including excellent ceviche
  • Incredibly fresh fish
  • Traditional market atmosphere
Restaurant Details
No dinner

Something incorrect in this review?

El Rancho Birrieria

$$ | Alameda Central
When the last match ends at Arena Mexico, slip outside and down the block to this spot for a big bowl of birria, a hearty beef stew ideal for a chilly night. The vibe is all neon, metal chairs, and blaring banda music, a continuation of the zero-subtlety atmosphere at the arena, but the birria is tasty and the doors open late.
Mexican $$ Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Doctor Carmena y Valle 31, Mexico City, 06720, Mexico
55-5588–2387
Known For
  • Live banda, salsa, or rock on Friday night
  • Loud and raucous crowds
  • Deals on beers

Something incorrect in this review?

Farmacia Internacional

$$ | Alameda Central
Located on Bucareli, a grand avenue lined with opulent turn-of-the-century apartment buildings, Farmacia Internacional is a perfect specimen of a café: all warm wood, pleasant light, good coffee, and the kind of light, simple cooking that can feel hard to come by in this neighborhood. Stop in for a freshly baked cookie in the morning, a glass of wine in the evening, or a midday salad.

Finca Don Porfirio

$$ | Alameda Central

At the top of the Sears building, you'll find an only okay coffee shop with one of the city's most famous and beautiful views of Bellas Artes. You will need to buy something to enter, so grab a drink or a pastry and enjoy the view below.

Café Best Bet $$ Lunch Dessert Quick Bite
Av. Juárez 14, Mexico City, 06000, Mexico
55-6650–4036
Known For
  • Mediocre drinks and food
  • Long lines
  • Most photographed view of Bellas Artes in town

Something incorrect in this review?

Tirasavia

$$ | Alameda Central

A pretty café on the border of Centro and Juárez, with a focus on farm-to-table cuisine, Tirasavia is a sweet, sunny spot for a coffee, breakfast, or a cold beer or glass of wine in the afternoon. Set in the street-level corner of a spare, glass-and-concrete modernist building occupied by architecture firms, photo studios, and a design company, this place is the happy cousin to its moodier, bolder neighbors and as pleasant a place as any for a quick refuel.

Mexican Best Bet $$ Breakfast Lunch Dinner Brunch
Bucareli 108, Mexico City, 06000, Mexico
55-4053–4602
tirasavia.com
Known For
  • Gorgeous design with onyx counters and sage-green walls
  • Pretty presentations of breakfast standards
  • Outdoor tables
Restaurant Details
Closed Sun.

Something incorrect in this review?