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We've compiled the best of the best in Greater Mexico City - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
A must-visit for fans of traditional Mexican cuisine who think they've tasted it all, this barely adorned, simply elegant restaurant in a pleasant workaday neighborhood—a 20-minute Uber ride from Polanco—is the domain of chef Gerardo Vázquez Lugo (whose parents opened Nicos in 1957), a stickler for ingredients sourced from small producers and dishes that can seem nuevo but are all rooted in history. The sopa seca de natas—several crepes layered with cream, tomato, and poblano chiles—is a 19th-century recipe from a convent in Guadalajara, and the octopus stewed in its ink with pecans, almonds, and pine nuts is a generations-old recipe from Veracruz.
If you watched the addictively tantalizing Netflix food show Taco Chronicles, you may have witnessed the scenes of al pastor deliciousness filmed in this humble but beloved taqueria on Calle Lorenzo Boturini, which is actually lined with great eats, including a few others featured on the program (such as Taquería la Autentica and El Buen Taco). In this no-frills spot that's open until at least 1 am nightly (it doesn't open, however, until around 4 pm), you'll of course want to sample the al pastor tacos, but you'll find dozens of other kinds, plus fantastic birria. This strip of taquerias is about 5 km (3 miles) east of Roma.
One of the most beautiful restaurant settings in the city, this gracious 1837 hacienda in Tlalpan Centro oozes history and personality, from the peacocks strutting about the sweeping lawns and gardens to the plates of sophisticated, haute Mexican and European cuisine served on hand-painted plates. Although open late most evenings, it's especially nice to relax here over midday comida, soaking up the garden views while supping on chile relleno stuffed with duck and topped with tamarind sauce, or filet mignon topped with a rich mushroom sauce.
Renowned for birria, this unfussy restaurant popular with families and locals serves a few kinds of the spicy stew popular in western Mexico states like Michoacán, including surtida (goat and a mix of other meaty bits like ribs, tongue, skin, and such) and the less adventurous but still robustly flavorful maciza (with pork). Expect a crowd—and maybe a wait—on weekends, when there's also sometimes mariachi music. It's on the city's south side, about 1 mile from UNAM (it's a short Uber ride from Universidad metro).
This unpretentious taco shop on a modest street in otherwise posh Lomas de Chapultepec draws a mix of workers, foodies, and even the occasional celebrity for its flavorful tacos. La Onda opened in 1970 and was one of the first places on this side of town to specialize in tacos al pastor, which remain its signature dish. But there's cochinita pibil and arrachera variations, too, as well as tasty chiles rellenos and enchiladas verdes.
