Food to Try in Mexico City

Mexico City is a serious food city — restaurant guides rank it consistently among the top 10 in the world. Here’s what to eat and where.

Tacos

Tacos al pastor — the defining Mexico City taco: pork marinated in dried chillies and achiote, stacked on a vertical spit (trompo) and shaved onto a corn tortilla with pineapple, onion, and coriander. The technique arrived with Lebanese immigrants in the 1960s. El Vilsito in Narvarte (open until 4 am) and Los Cocuyos in the Centro are two of the city’s most consistent spots.

Tacos de canasta — “basket tacos”, pre-made and sold from bicycle baskets in the morning: beans, potato, chicharrón (pork rind), or nopales (cactus). Very cheap. Good near Metro stations early morning.

Tacos de guisado — stewed filling tacos. Women’s cooperatives and market fondas serve these; the Mercado de Medellín and the Mercado de Portales are good spots.

Mercado food

The best everyday eating is in the markets. Mercado de Medellin (Roma) has a good food court section. Mercado Jamaica specialises in flowers but the surrounding streets have excellent budget fondas. Mercado San Juan in the Centro is a covered market with a range of international and Mexican ingredients; some stalls do prepared food.

Pozole

A hearty hominy soup, pre-Columbian in origin — the Mexico City version is typically red (rojo) or green (verde). Pozole El Tambor and the fondas around the Mercado de Portales in the south of the city serve good versions. Pozole is traditional on Thursday in Mexico.

Tlayuda

A large, crispy-edged Oaxacan tortilla spread with black bean paste, tasajo or other meats, quesillo (Oaxacan string cheese), and vegetables. Oaxacan restaurants in Roma and Condesa serve good versions; the neighbourhood around the Mercado de Medellín has Oaxacan street food stalls.

Mezcal and pulque

Mezcal: the craft mezcal movement is strongest in Mexico City. Bars in Roma and Condesa serve single-origin mezcals; La Botica, In Situ, and La Clandestina are established venues. Ask for a flight to compare different agave varieties.

Pulque: the fermented agave drink, pre-Columbian. Not widely sold outside Mexico. La Clandestina de la Purísima in the Centro is the most famous pulquería; others cluster around Metro Merced.

Where to find quality

• Best value: market fondas, taco stands outside Metro stations in residential areas
• Best sit-down modern Mexican: Roma Norte restaurants — Contramar (seafood), Máximo Bistrot, Expendio de Maíz
• Best traditional: the Centro Histórico fondas around Calle Uruguay and the Mercado de la Merced
• For chilaquiles breakfast: neighbourhood cafes in Roma and Coyoacán from 8 am onwards