Mexico City is one of the great eating cities of the world, and you can do it at every price level. Street stalls serve some of the best meals of the trip, markets are theaters of color and aroma, and the top restaurants are in global rankings. The key is to eat often, in small portions, and to let curiosity guide you. This guide covers what to order, where to start and how to eat safely and politely.
Start with tacos
The capital's signature taco is al pastor: marinated pork stacked on a vertical spit, shaved onto small corn tortillas with pineapple, onion and cilantro. The dish has roots in Lebanese immigrant cooking, adapted over the twentieth century to local tastes. Also try suadero, a soft beef cut from the plancha, longaniza sausage, tripe, tacos de canasta steamed in baskets, and tacos de guisado, stewed fillings served at lunchtime. Order a few at a time, and add salsa gradually, since they range from mild to fierce.
Beyond tacos
Breakfast brings chilaquiles in green or red salsa, huevos a la mexicana and fresh juices, with cafe de olla spiced with cinnamon. Street snacks include tlacoyos, oval masa cakes filled with beans or cheese, quesadillas made with fresh masa, esquites (corn in a cup with mayonnaise, chile and lime) and elotes on a stick. Tamales are sold in the morning from carts and bikes with a familiar call. Tortas, sandwiches on soft rolls, make a hearty lunch, and pozole, a hominy soup, is a weekend classic.
Go to the markets
Mercado de San Juan is known for exotic meats, cheeses and gourmet ingredients, Mercado Medellin for Latin American produce, and Coyoacan's market for tostadas and fruit. Mercado de Jamaica is famous for flowers, and La Merced is the vast traditional heart of the city's food trade. Markets offer fresh juice, small restaurants called fondas and an introduction to chiles, herbs and moles. Go in the late morning, bring small bills and take your time. A guided market or food tour makes the first visit easier.
Drink well
Mezcal, made from agave, is everywhere, from tasting rooms in Roma to cantinas in the center. Sip it slowly with orange slices and sal de gusano. Pulque, a fermented agave drink with ancient roots, has returned in modern pulquerias. Beer is often served with lime and salt, or as a michelada with tomato juice and spices. Aguas frescas such as horchata, jamaica and tamarind are refreshing and cheap, and coffee culture is strong, with excellent local roasters. Cantinas are traditional bars where snacks arrive with each round.
Higher-end dining
The city is home to restaurants known worldwide for modern Mexican cuisine, such as Pujol and Quintonil in Polanco, and cocktail bars like Fifty Mils at the Four Seasons. Reservations open weeks or months ahead and fill quickly, so plan these first. Contramar is a legendary seafood lunch spot that also needs advance booking. Mid-priced restaurants in Roma and Condesa offer creative menus with less fuss, and many are walk-in friendly at off-peak times.
Eating safely
Choose busy stalls with fast turnover and locals in the queue, watch food cooked in front of you and avoid raw salads at the quietest places. Drink bottled or purified water and be cautious with ice at unfamiliar spots, although restaurants that serve tourists normally use purified ice. Carry basic stomach remedies, pace yourself on the first day because altitude and spice can both be strong, and wash your hands before eating. Most visitors eat widely without trouble.
Sweet things and snacks
Save room for bakeries, where conchas, orejas and cuernitos come warm in the morning, and for churros dipped in thick chocolate, especially in Coyoacan and the historic center. Ice cream and paletas, fruit-based popsicles, come in flavors from rose petal to tamarind, and nieves de garrafa are hand-churned sorbets sold by the scoop. Fruit cups with chile, lime and salt are a perfect afternoon snack. If you want to take something home, look for artisan chocolate, mole pastes and roasted coffee in the markets.
Etiquette and cost
Tip 10 to 15 percent in restaurants and a little extra at taco stands if service was good. Lunch, between about 1pm and 4pm, is the main meal, and dinner often begins late. Many places close earlier on Sundays or on Monday. Cash is essential at stalls and markets, while cards are accepted in most restaurants. A cooking class or a food tour is a fine way to learn the basics, and bakeries, ice cream shops and chocolate stores deserve space in your schedule too. Eat, wander, repeat.