The MICHELIN Guide Mexico selection added five new One Stars and 2 Green Stars, but it also saw the addition of 12 new Bib Gourmands. A Bib Gourmand, for those that need a refresher, are restaurants that offer the best value for money—and these spots are exactly that.
Whether it's contemporary cooking in a cool, modern space, Korean cuisine, or Mexican-minded meals with Asian and global influences, these dozen exciting spots with wallet-friendly menus are a must-add to your rotation.
View the Bib Gourmands for 2025 below.
Mexico City
Taquería Los Milanesos
Cuisine: Mexican
Far from any tourists, find this taqueria by looking for the orange awning, then following the yellow walkway hung with colorful flags overhead. Or, you could just follow the heady scent of meat. It's a simple space where you'll almost walk through the kitchen to the smattering of tables in the dining room, but you're not here for ambience; you're here for the tacos. These are Milanese-style tacos with breaded and fried pork cutlets sliced into thin strips and piled high atop tender corn tortillas. The meat is flavorful and tender, and with a squeeze of lime and house-made spicy green or smoky red salsa, it's a terrific treat. You won't go home hungry but do come with cash.
Contramar
Cuisine: Seafood, Mexican
Chef Gabriela Cámara's Contramar has been open since 1998, but it's not resting on any laurels. Set on a busy street, this buzzy spot (read: reservations are key) enchants from start to finish and is all about seafood. Kick off the meal with a tostada, perhaps one topped with diced, raw scallop tossed in a salsa macha, before savoring pulpo a la Gallega, a simple dish of tender octopus and potato cubes dressed with olive oil, flaky sea salt, and a healthy dose of paprika. Pescado a talla, with red and green rubs on each side, is their signature dish, but there are many tempting main dishes. Finally, pick your pleasure from the dessert tray ferried around by staff.
Gaba
Cuisine: Mexican
With its concrete flooring, chunky wood chairs with woven leather seating, and exposed brick wall, this La Condesa restaurant is loaded with charm that's amplified by the warm staff. While its intimate in scale, there's nothing timid about the cooking. By day, it's a cafe with an approachable menu, but by night it comes alive with Chef Victor Toriz's bold and unexpected plates designed for sharing. From the textures to the flavor combinations, his unabashed personality comes shining through in dishes like roasted and fresh grapes in a spiced crème fraîche. Charred cabbage with caramelized cabbage purée with nori oil, roasted and pickled raisins and a house-made granola is yet another unexpected dish. For dessert, cake topped with avocado mousse and horchata ice cream is highly original.
Jowong
Cuisine: Korean
This stylish Korean restaurant cooks with confidence and clarity. Seafoam-green banquettes and ash-blonde wood finishes set the stage for a tight menu that leads with vibrant banchan like kimchi and smashed cucumbers. Large groups will find joy in a prime-rib barbecue feast that covers every inch of the table with more dishes and bites. Or one could take a break from meat and opt for the gimbap rice. Served warm and flecked with seaweed, it comes decorated with a colorful array of daikon, perilla, spinach, mushrooms, and pinwheel egg omelettes. Such attention to detail in each component is in line with this team’s careful approach. Dessert is equally impressive. Banana cake with banana cream and coffee ice cream tastes as good as it looks.
La 89
Cuisine: Mexican
In beautiful Roma Norte, head to this brightly lit nook for an excellent selection of carne asada tacos, birria, and tortas. Nothing is rushed or done without care, as the kitchen takes its time grilling everything to order. Quesabirria is a winner with and without the delicate consommé. Carne asada features excellent sear and seasoning. Also not to be missed are the fantastic tortas, built on excellent bread and layered with precision. The sparse dining room is a simple affair of plastic stools and metal tables.
Pink Rambo
Cuisine: Contemporary
The dishes are as distinctive as the decor, with an eclectic blend of shareable plates infused with plenty of personality. This is cooking that's free of boundaries; a menu where empanadas sit side-by-side with shrimp dumplings and fried chicken. Order a slew of items (don't worry—the plates are small) and find yourself surprised by how simple yet sensational they are (the tostada brings this point home). A brioche bun tucked with crispy oysters is a good follow-up, but it's the textbook-perfect flan that will have you returning before long. There's certainly nothing ordinary about Pink Rambo. This unique spot in Santa María la Ribera proudly shares their irreverence, and just in case you're questioning their quirk, take a look at that buff Jesus doing a pull-up on the large crucifix hanging over the kitchen.
Plonk
Cuisine: Mexican
Set on a tree-lined street in La Condesa, this is exactly where you want to be on a nice day. The outdoor area piles on the charm (think a counter built around three sides of a tree), while inside is intimate and romantic. Chef Flor Camorlinga's creative, contemporary dishes often weave together Mexican and Asian mindsets, as in shrimp udon and cheddar cheese with gochujang or bone marrow with cotija and kimchi. It's all designed for sharing and is complemented by an impressive natural wine selection. The doradito, a paper-thin blue corn tortilla topped with dorado crudo, mild, smoky salsa, and macadamia nut is a standout for its crisp flavors, while the smoked marlin tamal is amped up with an impactful almond and chili morita sauce. Desserts rotate but definitely don't skip.
Tacos del Valle
Cuisine: Mexican
In the style of a retro diner with cute bar stools and reflective surfaces, this attractive little taqueria specializes in finely seasoned pork and beef cooked on the trompo, which spins and spins alongside roaring flames. These meats are the high points, at once tender wonderfully charred, and simply presented on corn tortillas. Dress them yourself with a trio of salsas presented in small squeeze bottles. Other offerings like the Tacos Arabe or the Tijuanita come dressed far more lavishly.
Ultramarinos Demar
Cuisine: Seafood
Located in the trendy Roma neighborhood, this corner spot features an interesting diner-meet-bistro look with loads of gleaming stainless steel along with an open kitchen fronted by a counter set with stools. Meanwhile, Chef Lucho Martinez's seafood-loving menu has it all, with a raw section to pastas and main dishes, but don't gloss over the daily specials, either. A blue corn tostada layered with seafood pâté and steamed shrimp is a nice opener, as is a bowl of thick and satisfying clam chowder. Tuck into a lobster roll or a softshell crab sandwich, if available, before enjoying every last lick of the vanilla soft serve with lemon peel.
Vigneron
Cuisine: Contemporary
It's just a sliver of a space in Roma Norte, but Vigneron makes a big impression. It's dark and moody with just a sprinkling of tables (plus a communal table). Chef Aram Abisahi's dishes are best shared for a deeper exploration of his contemporary, French-punctuated cuisine. Roasted matchstick carrots plated with creamy stracciatella may seem simple at first glance but showcase a clever use of flavor and texture. Crispy polenta topped with stone crab salad made with miso mayo is another winning dish before tucking in to a pasta course or hearty roasted chicken. To finish, the walnut cake layered with semi-dark chocolate ganache is the perfect choice. While the menu is concise, the mostly European wine list is surprisingly extensive.
Voraz
Cuisine: Mexican
This spot on a corner in Roma offers a few design nods to its former life as a mechanic's shop (spy the tool cabinets doing double duty as the host stand and service station). The industrial chic vibe is hip yet casual, just like the contemporary, creative Mexican menu with an evolving collection of snacks, small plates, and shareable main dishes. There's something for everyone here, where you'll discover distinctive dishes like a savory, chaya leaf-infused churro sided by warm, aged Cotija cheese sauce. Wood-fired whole chicken with a bitter orange glaze and homemade achiote paste is good for a group, but don't sleep on dessert. Pecan pie with maple honey, vanilla ice cream, and soft Mexican mountain cheese is a can't miss.
Oaxaca
Xaok
Cuisine: Mexican
Right off a busy street, this restaurant looks like a stylish hotel from the outside. Further in, find a well-appointed dining room and a comfortable patio overseen by a friendly team that is equally happy to see you. Infused with global inspiration, the cooking here makes the most of local ingredients, prepares them with care, and presents them in style. Think roasted broccoli with hoja santa puree, gnocchi with oxtail stew, and a particularly good confit pork with mole negro and a banana and apple puree. A recent dessert of tiramisu made with Oaxacan coffee and mamey made for a perfectly sweet send-off. To drink, there is little offered in the way of beer, cocktails, or wine. Instead, find a selection of juices, sodas, and coffee.
Hero image: José Galicia / Xaok
Thumb image: Hane Garza / Voraz
