The Best Restaurants in CDMX for 2022

Quintonil

Oh my goodness – yes, this was worth the hype for the quality of dishes, flavours, and overall experience.

Staff are personable without being stuffy and if you manage to snag a seat at the bar, you can be privy to all of the kitchen action. You can check out the full experience here.

Restaurant Rosetta on Colima

Be careful, there are two. One of the coolest and best restaurants in CDMX – gorgeous, contemporary dishes, nail-bitingly beautiful decor inside and out, plus the people-watching is spectacular 😍

Hugo’s

On my very first day in Mexico City, I marched up to a stylish guy on the street and asked him where I should go eat.

He recommended this place and promised it was one of the best restaurants in CDMX. Good shout, because it was a SPOT. 👌🏽

Flavo
What a hidden gem! Super friendly staff, insane good food, albeit portions that are a little small. Worth the price though. 

Just read that it’s now closed and it was just a pop-up… so glad I got to experience this. Check out the pics and mourn over what could have been.

Nosh

Found this scenic location by happy accident in the leafy expat suburb of Condesa. Lovely little spot to munch and chill. 

Puerto Prendes 

Wow factor – decor, drinks, food. Come here and you won’t be disappointed.

Definitely a place to take to impress your date, and in true respectful feminist style – only you as the woman will be addressed, by the gorgeous waitresses. Sorry, boys.

Galanga

Another winner with decor to boot. This place was a joy, from start to finish – possibly one of the best restaurants in Mexico City. Do the beef redang and don’t look back. 👅

Fifty mils at The Four Seasons

You can walk around the courtyard, marvelling at the sumptuous decor, fairy light strewn gardens, fountains, Instagrammable neon signs and not spend a dime.

But you’ll want to eventually, at sleek cocktail bar Fifty Mils, where all the pretty expats hang out. 

Contramar

An old faithful. The seafood quality is superior, the octopus is huge and Oh my God-worthy, charred to perfection. JUST DO IT.

You can find the entire episode here.

Filigrana
Met the nicest waiter in all of Mexico City on a self-date at this pretty establishment by celebrated Mexican chef Martha Ortiz 👩🏽‍🍳

It’s so rare that you meet someone who exudes true hospitality and Gonzales embodied that to the core with his recommendations, attention to the dining experience and genuine interest in people. It felt like chatting with a friend 🤗

Great food too, they care a lot about keeping you happy.

Maximo Bistrot – Was definitely satisfied by this experience at this iconic Mexican foodie landmark. Ate up a storm at Maximo Bistrot 🍽 on the menu was crab tostada 🦀 lamb loin 🐑and French toast for dessert 🍞

Check out the full experience here.

La Jacinta

Located just outside the regular expat haunts but still in a touristic area, their bone marrow sopes will have you weeping with gratitude. Just stick to three, not six (as I did on my last day 😭).

The scenic amble from San Angel to Coyoacan is also recommended 🤸🏽‍♀️

Toledo rooftop

Mixed reviews – they willingly allow foreign girls, but not foreign girls with men.

The views are nice and this is a great place to go if you’re a girl and you want your whole night covered by thirsty dudes who want conversation and the possibility of your number. 

Masala y Maiz
I was grateful to be introduced to this place by a new buddy; a fusion of Indian and Mexican cuisine with startlingly creative combinations – think Vindaloo chicken wings, mussels in rassam (South Indian soup) and this dry pani puri-type dish with raw veggies and chaat.

Les Moustaches

Upper class French eatery, ask to be seated in the gorgeous yellow room upstairs, replete with chandeliers and grand piano.

On the pricier side, located in the business district.

Lorea

Reliable, unfussy Mexican haute cuisine which has been noted in The World’s 50 Best ‘Discovery’ category, by chef Oswaldo Olivia.

Find the entire episode here. 

Kiin Thai-Viet Eatery
Always packed local place with great dishes and casual vibe. A close second to Galanga.

The night we dined there, a torrential downpour took place (it was monsoon season, after all). The staff handled it all expertly, and with humour.

Cicatriz Cafe
Everybody at this venue is impossibly cool but in a creative, understated way – you’ll find a mix of chic locals and entrepreneurial expats chattering in English, which somewhat assuaged my deflation with learning a new language. 

This is the perfect twinkly candlelight date spot for a night out with your boo – plus they do a MEAN fried chicken sandwich.

Balmori Rooftop
Not a bad spot to hang, although it looks better in pictures.

Great food and open later than most places in Mexico City, which is a relief – because you always need somewhere to go, right? 

Ojo de Agua
Yes, it’s a chain located all around town, however it’s my favorite place for ‘healthy days’ in Mexico City 🥗 with a scenic vibe and cafe feel.

Aleli – Adjacent to Lorea. Wonderful, top notch food in a more casual dining setting.

There are both rooftop and indoor dining sections for you to chow down.

Zanaya at the Four Seasons

Decent food, come here to float through the courtyard (as previously mentioned at the start of this post) but include people-watching and eavesdropping on conversations that are almost entirely in English. 

Pujol

Saved the most famous for last. Some inventive dishes (in particular the Chicatana ant sauce-laden baby carrot served in an entire carved out pumpkin).

There’s a spectacular vibe for people watching. Make sure you reserve 3+ hours for the tasting and waddle away in the satisfaction that you can now tell people you went. 

Catch all the action and prices in the YouTube episode here.

A more in-depth written review of each dish is here, should you be more of a reader.

I hope you enjoyed my take of what I truly believe are the best restaurants in CDMX for 2022!

Let me know your thoughts and if you have any more to add to the list.