Eating and Drinking in Mexico City

When you visit Mexico City, you’ll discover exciting cuisine, fantastic restaurants, and more! Use this guide to learn about the cuisine and plan your meals.

What to Eat in Mexico City | Travel Blog | Fearless Captivations

When I think back on our Mexico City trip, most of my memories revolve around food! (You’re not surprised, are you? 😉 ) From multi-course meals at world-renowned restaurants to tacos on the sidewalk, Mexico City is rich with options and delicious bites. If you’re a foodie, you will be thrilled with what you find in Mexico City and it’s sure to evolve your thinking about Mexican food.

Here’s a huge guide to eating and drinking in Mexico City. I’ll explain a few of the dishes and give more information about where to enjoy craft beer and the best restaurants! Hopefully, all the food will make you feel like this:

Tacos make me happy!

Tostada

What to Eat and Drink in Mexico City

For me, eating in Mexico City was a playground. There was always something new to try, and even if I had tasted it before, Mexico City’s version seemed so much richer. There are only a few of the many things you’ll taste!

Taco – We’ll start off easy. 😉 You’ll recognize this dish and it is plentiful everywhere! Be sure to try beef tongue and al pastor.
Torta – Another popular dish, this is a sandwich (like a sub) with similar taco ingredients inside. You could get it pressed.
Tostada – This is an open-faced taco but the taco is firm like a tortilla chip. It usually comes with melted cheese on top. Look for a “volcano” tostada.
Quesadilla – This will likely be closed like an empanada and could be fried.
Caldo de Camarón – shrimp soup
Churros – Fried dough with cinnamon and sugar? Yes. Make sure you dip it in chocolate.
Horchata – One of my favorite drinks, horchata is made with rice milk and cinnamon.
Mezcal – This is a distilled liquor made from agave. It is usually consumed straight (not in cocktails) and has a smoky flavor. For reference, tequila is made from only blue agave.
Agua Fresca – Fresh fruit juice and pulp in cold water is a refreshing drink.
Pastries – There are TONS of different kinds of pastries. Look for signs that say panadería or pastelería.
Insects – Chapulines (grasshoppers), gusanos (maguey worms), escamoles (ant larvae), and alacránes (scorpions) are a few of the insects you can try in Mexico City.

Grasshoppers!

Quesadilla – tortilla stuffed, sealed, and fried! Cheese on top instead of inside.

Volcano Tostada

Craft Beer in Mexico City

You may know the big brands – Tecate, Modelo, Dos Equis, and Corona – but did you know craft breweries are booming in Mexico City? You’ll likely find more bottles and cans than drafts because of a local bias about cleanliness but they do exist!

Where to Drink Craft Beer:

El Bebian inside MercadoRoma

Mexico City Craft Breweries to Visit:

Mexico City Food Tour

A great way to try a bunch of restaurants, get to know the city, and meet other travelers is taking a food tour. We loved ours with Eat Mexico! We did the Navarte at Night tour where we enjoyed several establishments for food and drink and enjoyed a craft beer bar, a mezcal tasting, and street food. I hear great things about their other tours too and would have done them if I had the time!

I also considered Club Tengo Hambre for a food tour.

Gringa taco from El Vilsito

Mexico City Restaurant Recommendations

Below are some restaurant recommendations. Get ready for an abundance of pastries and tacos. Plan out your eating (if you’re a type-a planner like me) or walk around and find a busy taco stand. Also, check out markets (mercados) for cheaper food options.

Pastries

Mexico City is carb heaven and a gluten nightmare. So good and they’re everywhere! You can easily walk down the street, see pastries in the window and locals pulling goods on trays, and know you’re in the right place. If you try one pastry, I hope it’s a churro!

Casual Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner

I’ll be honest, most of these are taquerias. Because why are you not eating tacos all the time while in Mexico City?? (Ok, some of these places do have things besides tacos.)

Azul
ChilaKillers
El Huequito
El Vilsito – Mechanic shop by day, taco shop by night
La Casa de Toño
Lardo
Tacos Tony – best beef tongue taco!
Taqueria Los Cocuyos
Taqueria Orinoco

Taqueria Orinoco

El Vislito

Tacos Tony

Food Halls and Food Markets

Mercado del Carmen
Mercado de Coyoacán – look for the fried quesadillas at a stall with yellow signs
MercadoRoma or MercadoRoma Coyoacán – two locations for a modern food hall

MercadoRoma

La Otilia, one location located in MercadoRoma

Tacos at Mercado de Coyoacán

Formal Lunch or Dinner

Some of the world’s best and Latin America’s best restaurants are located in Mexico City. You will likely need to make a reservation for these options.