Food

In Mexico City you can enjoy a wide variety of traditional Mexican dishes as well as cuisine from around the world. There’s everything here, from the most exclusive restaurants to simple, traditional ones called “fondas”. Not to mention covered and open-air markets. And of course, Mexico City’s amazing street food — tacos are just the beginning.

Restaurants

Travelers might be most interested in two types of restaurants in Mexico City:

• Restaurants that serve traditional Mexican cuisine in an equally traditional atmosphere, such as Café Tacuba.
• The stars of Mexico City’s culinary scene – cuisine ranging from updated Mexican, to Italian, to Franco-Mexican fusion.

In addition, there are:

• “Comida corrida” places, where you get a set menu for about 100 to 150 pesos (~5.50–8 USD) in a humble environment
• American coffee shop-style places (the Denny’s kind, not the Starbucks kind), but have better food: these chains are everywhere – Sanborns, VIPS and Toks.
• Hip international restaurants are found especially in Condesa and Roma — Italian, French, Japanese, Spanish, and a couple Thai and Indian places.

See the Restaurants chapter for our list of favorite Mexico City restaurants.

Street Food

The variety of street food is simply amazing and it’s here that you’ll find some of Mexico City’s best and tastiest cuisine. Street stalls are licensed and inspected and are generally hygienic. However, those who wish to decrease the risk of tourist tummy are advised to stick to restaurants. The busier the stall or stand, the faster the food turns over and so they are generally a safer bet.

On the street try tacos and other similar items such as sopes and huaraches. You will find “regular” meat tacos, “tacos al pastor” (spit-roasted pork marinated in cinnamon and orange), tacos made of “carnitas” (tender diced pork), and tacos “guisados” (various meat or veg combinations in different types of sauces). There are regional specialities like birria. And there are fresh fruit cups, freshly squeezed juices and fruit-flavored milkshakes (licuados).

Indoor Markets

Each Mexico City neighborhood has one or more covered markets.

• San Juan market in the Centro Histórico is the place to go for gourmet food (see article by Nicholas Gilman).

• Medellín market in Roma Sur is known for South American food.

Street Markets

Street markets are known locally as “tianguis” and street food is a big part of almost all of them. Condesa’s market on Pachuca street on Tuesdays is well known for fresh, high-quality and organic food. You may also try the Sullivan street market in the Cuauhtémoc neighborhood on Saturdays and Sundays. Or Tuesdays in Polanco at Ejercito Nacional and Jaime Balmes.