While the first ever MICHELIN Guide Mexico selection saw 2 Two Stars, 16 One Stars, and 6 Green Stars, it also saw the addition of 42 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.
Want some of the fluffiest elote pancakes in Baja California? Then chef/owner Blanca Esthela Martínez Bueno's La Cocina de Doña Esthela won't disappoint. Feeling some seafood instead? Then head on over to Humo y Sal and its concise and focused menu of fresh pasta with shrimp and tuna al pastor taco.
Still not satisfied? Then check out below for everything you need to know about these deliciously wallet-friendly spots in Mexico. Bon appétit!
Baja California
Carmelita Molino y Cocina
Cuisine: Mexican
Named for Chef José Figueroa's grandmother, who inspired his love of cooking, this charming Tijuana dining room has an airy vibe with warm-toned wood furnishings, tile-and-concrete flooring, and a screen-covered roof. Corn is revered here and is sourced from small family farms around Mexico, then nixtamalized and ground in-house. Tortillas are prepared on the comal up front for the tacos and tostadas that comprise the menu, while ceviche, and egg dishes round it out. You can't go wrong with chilaquiles dressed with salsa borracha, but don't sleep on the tamal of the day. It's big, prepared in a banana leaf, and may be filled with braised beef rib and roasted local cherry tomatoes.
La Cocina de Doña Esthela
Cuisine: Mexican
From chef/owner Blanca Esthela Martínez Bueno, what began with humble roots in 2008 making burritos for local vineyard workers has evolved into one of the most famous restaurants in the Valle de Guadalupe. It's loaded with charm, from the heavy wood tables to the boisterous crowd of visitors and locals. Breakfast is served all day, and while a no-reservations policy means a wait, it's worth it to sample dialed-in cooking with hearty portions. Get the café de olla and dig into the menu where you'll find huevos of all kinds alongside chilaquiles and gorditas rellenas. House specialties include fluffy elote pancakes and a Sinaloan-style, dried shredded beef with egg, sliced peppers, and onions with stewed beans that beg to be sopped up with housemade tortillas.
Casa Marcelo
Cuisine: Mexican
Casa Marcelo's welcoming facade is enhanced with a flourish of bougainvillea, while the dining area is a courtyard shaded by wood slats and dense trees. This local favorite is owned by Marcelo Castro, a fourth-generation cheesemaker for Ramonetti cheeses, produced east of Ensenada in the Valle de Ojos Negros. It's a popular spot for breakfast with a menu that features local ingredients from the ranch, including the artisanal cheese used to garnish the signature chilaquiles. Come afternoon, lunch items are available and worth sticking around for. The tostada de camaron is a lovely balance of fresh chili heat, herbal brightness and citrus acidity; and the cochinita pibil skillet is a slow-cooked delight to be scooped up with your choice of masa or flour tortillas.
La Concheria
Cuisine: Mexican
The menu is focused and offers items such as oysters, ceviche, and aguachile; as well as warming entrees like the fideo seco en salsa poblano. The baked pasta is prepared and served in a cast-iron skillet and is a delight, enriched with green chili-spiced cream, and topped with clams and mussels. La Concheria is located at Plaza Santo Tomás, once a winery in the center of Ensenada and dating back to 1911. The reclaimed and renovated district features warehouses now housing retail and restaurants, like this worthwhile spot. The restaurant is a slender space with brick flooring, teal walls, and a metal roof. In addition to a few tables there is a counter offering a handful of seats facing the bar and kitchen at the end.
Humo y Sal
Cuisine: Seafood
The menu is concise, focused on seafood, and is impressively prepared. Sashimi, tiradito and oysters are nice precursors to fresh pasta with shrimp, pizza with octopus or the very clever and highly popular tuna al pastor taco with its intriguingly crumbly spice-rubbed fish, pickled onion slivers and avocado puree.The Hussong family is well known in the Ensenada area for their long-running Sano's steakhouse. Located just next door, this sleek box of a dining room bears its own distinct profile. A white tiled open kitchen and bar area are fronted by tables and concrete flooring. The bar menu is displayed on a wall-mounted letterboard and offers local beers and cocktails like the mezcal sour.
Merak
Cuisine: Contemporary
The smell of wood smoke will lead you to this well-appointed outdoor space within the Tres Valles winery, where Chef Joel Quintana presides with a relaxed, affable demeanor. His grill-centric cuisine is hearty and unpretentious, but the flavors and techniques are finely tuned, drawing upon French and Asian influences for cooking that you won't soon forget. A signature dish of alitas de mar ("seafood wings") is a case in point, featuring yellowtail collar impeccably grilled until juicy and lip-smacking, dressed with a luscious tangy sauce that blends guajillo chile oil, ginger, and roasted garlic. More substantial dishes, like grilled beef, lamb, or whole fish, are ideal for sharing, and Chef Quintana will happily curate an impromptu tasting menu upon request.
Sabina
Cuisine: Seafood
This charming restaurant is the full-service offshoot of local culinary legend Sabina Bandera's acclaimed mariscos cart, La Guerrerense, located across the street; founded in 1960, and thrust into the spotlight over the years by Ms. Bandera's creativity. The mouthwatering tostadas offered here at Sabina are identical to those served at the cart and include the version spread with bacalao ceviche and heaped with tender, chopped octopus. Hot items are a bonus here, as in the pozole mariscos. The delightful bowlful features a caldo colorado broth stocked with an abundance of seafood, hominy and diced avocado. Regardless of your order, the product quality is great; down to the tortilla chips accompanied by house-made salsas.
Villa Torél
Cuisine: Mexican
Chef Alfredo Villanueva is at the helm of this spot tucked within the Santo Tomás winery. Framed by lavender bushes and citrus trees, it's entirely outside (read: best visited in season) and shares views of the rolling hills. The breezy ambience is echoed in the casually sophisticated Mexican menu with contemporary French and European touches, as in a crudo of horse mackerel served with blue corn tostadas. Rice with pastrami lengua is a creative dish that manages to be perfectly satisfying, while bold flavors appear in a dish of roasted eggplant with shredded smoked bluefin tuna. Dishes are sized for sharing, and desserts bear the same rustic elegance, with options that span crispy-crinkled layers of phyllo with jocoque, chopped pistachios, and local honey to a wedge of warm date tart.
Baja California Sur
Cocina de Campo by Agricole
Cuisine: Mexican
The cocktail menu is strong and creative. Located in El Pescadero along the highway that leads from Cabo to Todo Santos, this multi-concept space includes a farm shop, as well as a full-service restaurant, set outside within the garden. The contemporary menu leans Mexican with Californian elements, and the cooking is simplified to allow the ingredients to take center stage. Take the tomatoes, for instance. Layered slices topped with Kalamata olives over a coarse basil pesto prove that the best dishes don't need much intervention. Batter-dipped fried fish or the shaved ribeye are winning taco choices. Then, for dessert, the soft vanilla cake with fresh strawberries and cream sauce is a must.
Flora's Field Kitchen
Cuisine: Contemporary
Originally opened by Gloria and Patrick Greene as an organic farm, this ever-so-charming spot has evolved since the late 90s and now features a wine and coffee bar, as well as shops set among the mango trees and this restaurant. It's family run and all heart—they grow their own produce, raise chickens, have an onsite butcher program, and bake all the breads, too. The tempting menu features offerings such as Neapolitan flatbreads, salads, and lighter starters like a flavorful gazpacho. From there choose one of their sandwiches, or an entrée like the pork chop with crispy potatoes. Portion sizes are generous but save room for their sweet treats baked onsite, and house-made ice creams and sorbets.
Metate
Cuisine: Mexican
Metate translates to a shallow stone used for grinding maize or other grains, while the foundation of the menu is antojitos and grilled meats cooked over a wood fire. The tacos Baja presents a duo of blue corn tortillas topped with morsels of flaky white fish encased in squid ink-tinted batter and topped with finely shredded pickled cabbage for a visually stimulating presentation. Located in Cabo San Lucas across the highway from the line-up of hotels, this spot down a dirt road is welcoming and attractive. A white stucco entryway leads to a dining area, a portion of which is arranged on a stone patio shaded by trees strung with lights. The kitchen and tiled bar are also open-air.
Mexico State
Aleli Rooftop
Cuisine: Grills
As its name suggests, Aleli is indeed located on the rooftop, so while the location may not be a surprise, the food is. You'll soon see (and smell) why, as the embers from the grill permeate the air. It's certainly worth snagging a seat at the bar to watch the cook at work on the grill. The menu of traditional Mexican cuisine may not be extensive, but it proudly displays dishes that stand out for their flavor, quality products and presentation. Highlights include brocheta de camarón, pan de papa a la brasa, lomo de pescado zarandeado, and of course the much-loved cheesecake asado. Cocktails and wine complete the sunny picture, but perhaps even more smile-inducing is the palatable price.
Caracol de Mar
Cuisine: Fusion
Caracol de Mar has a prime position in the city center near the Metropolitan Cathedral, but the location isn't the only reason this spot stands out from the crowd. This seafood-focused restaurant mixes Mexican culinary knowledge with touches of Peruvian cuisine, and the moderate prices are a boon in an area not known for being wallet friendly. Begin with aguachile de camarón, a deliciously fresh dish that is as beautiful as it is refreshing. Pulpo al carbón de olote is a well-prepared plate with good flavor and a delightful smoky note. To finish, passion fruit granita and slices of sweet mango is pleasantly simple.
Comedor Jacinta
Cuisine: Mexican
This cozy restaurant is owned by the renowned chef Edgar Núñez. Here, the premise is traditional cuisine that draws on his childhood memories. The dishes are simple, but tasty, with excellent technique and abundant portions--all at a reasonable price. The menu has a botaneria section, with dishes based on corn, and another section with molcajetes, or dishes made in this traditional mortar from Mesoamerica, accompanied by guacamole and handmade tortillas. Some of the outstanding items include tostada de callo de hacha, tacos de tuétano, and huachinango zarandeado. Flan de cajeta is the perfect dessert.
Expendio de Maíz
Cuisine: Mexican
Tucked between two other establishments with no visible sign, Expendio de Maíz invites diners to take a seat at one of four long tables arranged under the covered sidewalk. While there are no reservations, there are a number of seatings, with guests placing their name on the list for the next round. This novel concept offers no food menu; instead, each course is presented as a surprise, one-by-one, until you confirm that you have had your fill. The team sends forth a range of impressively executed plates such as a warm, tender, and crisped yellow masa huarache topped with a thin slice of braised beef along with avocado, cherry tomatoes, queso blanco, and a scattering of lightly dressed young greens. The accompanying salsa is worth slathering on any and all preparations.
Galea
Cuisine: Italian
The focused Italian menu is concise but manages to present a varied selection all the same. Be sure to check the dishes of the day (and note the crudo specials, too) and always order a pasta. In fact, all of the pasta dishes can be made as half portions if you're tempted to try more than one. Focaccia made in-house starts things off, then a plate of gnochetti with ragu de mariscos feeds the soul. Fish of the day in a creamy beurre blanc is a hit, but save room for the panna cotta, given a bit of a Mexican slant here. This corner charmer boasts a terrace out front, while inside, the use of wood keeps things firmly planted between the old and new worlds. There is an amiable, casual vibe to Galea, and with prices that don't break the bank, it's a favorite among locals.
Masala y Maíz
Cuisine: Fusion
It's small, but Masala y Maiz is always busy, drawing eager crowds of young diners who flock here for the vibe and the food. Run by a couple of chefs who infuse the restaurant with a commitment to social causes, this cuisine is different and highly original. Dishes blend Indian, Mexican, and East African cultures to create intense flavors and interesting nuances. This is food that wins you over and most certainly leaves you with an impression. Highlights include samosas de suadero, camarones para pelar and kuku poussin. Panacotta de té limón is a light and refreshing dessert to complete a highly satisfying meal.
Molino El Pujol
Cuisine: Mexican
This small spot in La Condesa feels like a chic neighborhood place with polished concrete and white tiled walls. It saves most of its precious real estate for the kitchen though there is a wood counter with six seats along with an additional handful of seats outside. The concise menu is focused on items made from corn nixtamalized daily on-site (think tamales, tacos, chilaquiles, and enfrijoladas). There are also items to take home like the excellent tortillas—grab them warm if you are lucky. The tamal de calabaza is a freshly steamed orb of flavorful yellow masa studded with bits of tender pumpkin and plated with a petite salad dressed with candied pumpkin seeds.
Raíz
Cuisine: Contemporary
Located on the ground floor of a residential building, this restaurant could easily go unnoticed, but one bite of their contemporary Mexican cooking and you won't soon forget its address. A welcoming staff invites you to take a seat and peruse their menu or opt for one of two tastings. A plantain molote with a bit of pickled onion is a nice opener before savoring the flavors of an aguachile in a cuttlefish ink broth. Tostada de camarón is a spot-on treat, then pescado zarandeado delights with its crispy skin. To finish, arroz con leche is comforting and classic.
Taqueria Los Cocuyos
Cuisine: Mexican
This taqueria in Centro Historico has been a mainstay since 1980. Standing by a cauldron of meats bubbling away, a chef at the front wields a cleaver with lightning speed. An expansive dining room speaks to just how busy this place gets. Offerings are numerous but recent highlights include tender, melting cabeza as well as the classic al pastor, both finished tableside with salsas and a squeeze of lime. Swing for the suadero later in the evening when the meats have had plenty of time to braise.
El Vilsito
Cuisine: Mexican
Even though this famous taqueria is indeed connected to an auto repair shop and opens only at night, the setup is anything but piecemeal. There’s plenty of seating and plenty of servers, with flatscreen televisions, a roaring grill, and spinning trompos. Everyone is here for the al pastor, which features a towering stack of tender, shaved pork, sliced pineapple, and a riot of cilantro and onions. The formidable “gringas” version is deliciously messy, arriving on a flour tortilla coated with cheese.
Comal Oculto
Cuisine: Mexican
On a breezy, tree-lined street in San Miguel Chapultepec, everyone sits shoulder to shoulder at a single communal table stretching the length of two parking spaces. The convivial setting suits this unassuming restaurant, which offers an all-day menu of comforting classics that revolve largely around the comal. A single chef weighs, presses, and griddles everything to order. The gordita especial, packed with chicharron and tender, shredded carnitas, is a favorite. Late night out? Swing for the chilaquiles chamorro with salsa verde and kick it up a notch with the fiery salsa on the table. Other hits include crispy flautas stuffed with melting cheese and a picturesque enmolada covered in a sweet mole poblano. Expect a wait come weekend brunch.
Siembra Tortillería
Cuisine: Mexican
Chefs Karina Mejía and Israel Montero opened this modern taqueria in Polanco in 2019. Located just a few doors down from their full sit-down restaurant, Siembra Comedor, this sidewalk hotspot shells out a wide variety of tacos built on heirloom corn tortillas and quality proteins. Fish al pastor boasts wonderfully charred spices while the arrachera feels like a play on steak frites thanks to the crispy, shoestring potatoes on top. The kitchen works quickly, and tacos are ample in size.
Filigrana
Cuisine: Mexican
This colorful, sun-soaked address from Chef Martha Ortiz has looks and substance in spades. At the base of a residential building in Roma, find a concrete jungle with purple-cushioned chairs, soaring floor-to-ceiling windows, and fully grown trees woven throughout. And much like the space itself, the cooking is equally stylish with thoughtful, playful interpretations of familiar favorites. Start with the gordita, a delicate, crispy disc packed with tender, shredded tongue and garnished with fried epazote leaves. Is there a prettier tamal around? This one is presented as a toasted cube made with fried portobellos and set in a warm guajillo chili sauce. Another highlight is the pozole brujo, featuring superbly tender chicken and a soulful, spicy broth.
Fugaz
Cuisine: Mexican
Chef Giuseppe Lacorazza studied in Buenos Aires and spent time in kitchens in Europe and New York City. The cuisine here has a faint Mediterranean accent to its Mexican foundation and is enhanced by vegetable-dominated preparations. The day's catch may be transformed into crudo tossed with white beans and set atop a creamy almond and brown butter puree, and gnudi are served in a light broth with tender slices of white onion and some Parmesan cheese. The Italian sausage sandwich is a meaty option as well.Located in Roma Norte, the low-key vibe of this pleasant cafe belies some very serious and creative cuisine. Simple but attractive, the setting boasts a bright green facade, sandy-hued terrazzo flooring, light wood furnishings and pale unadorned walls.
Galanga Thai House
Cuisine: Thai
There is a distinct tropical vibe at Chef "Ana" Somsri Raksamran's restaurant, set in a courtyard lined by towering bamboo and decorated with woven reed ceiling pendants and dangling vines. The menu offers a range of impressively prepared Thai cuisine with specialties from the country's northeast, central plains and the south. Gaeng kiew wan is a luscious green curry with a bright hue, noticeable fresh chili spice, and a nice herbaceous quality; stocked with tender beef brisket, organic eggplant, sweet baby corn, and chopped green beans, it's a delight best enjoyed with some freshly made roti canai. Save room for the khao niew ma muang - an eye-popping presentation of perfectly ripe mango with a warm colorful block of sticky rice and scoop of coconut ice cream.
Pargot
Cuisine: Mexican
Chef Alexis Ayala's Pargot is simply arranged with four wood tables on a covered section of sidewalk that shares space with his Tacos los Alexis but his kitchen nook evokes Art Deco design with a terrazzo low wall, brass fixtures and frosted globe lighting. The menu is as tightly edited as the space, featuring a short list of impressively prepared items arranged from small to large. His cuisine displays a Mexican foundation enhanced by creative flourishes. Case in point? Very fresh fish, sourced from Baja California, is transformed into the likes of kebbe crudo dressed with grasshopper XO sauce; or a tostada layered with creamy leek pate, chili ash and avocado puree. Heartier plates have featured a blue crab bisque risotto; or lamb terrine.
Tacos Los Alexis
Cuisine: Mexican
Tacos Los Alexis offers a short list of varied preparations that include volcanoes, costras, as well as delightful tacos. The vegetarian taco is an elegant preparation featuring an excellent yellow masa tortilla topped with huitlacoche wrapped in crisped cheese.Chef Alexis Ayala's taqueria is located next door to his sister spot, Pargot, and the set-up is similar, with a thoughtfully done interior prep area and a handful of tables arranged under a covered sidewalk.
Taquería El Jarocho
Cuisine: Mexican
El Jarocho has eighty years of history backing it up, and this Roma Norte spot has been run by three generations of the same family. Come for breakfast, lunch or early dinner to this former tortilleria where a server will take your order. They're known for their guisado-style tacos, offering a wide variety of proteins and vegetables stewed in a number of different ways. And, while you don't need any extra reason to visit here other than their guisado tacos (the pork flank with a morita chile sauce really seals the deal with its spicy, smoky flavor), don't skip their campechano taco with chopped steak and topped with crispy chicharron. Fresh tortillas are made in-house.
Los Consentidos del Barrio
Cuisine: Mexican
The house specialty is tacos al carbon, with thinly sliced meat that is skillfully cooked on the grill, then diced. Proteins are the focus here, but vegetarian tacos aren't forsaken. Sliced poblano, nopales and mushrooms are among the top choices. Another can't-miss menu item? Their arrachera, or skirt steak, with its perfectly pink center.Climb the stairs to this second-story restaurant with a large dining room with wood tables and black chairs. The built-in charcoal grill keeps things toasty in the dining room, so you may want to grab a seat on the spacious patio with tall tables and chairs.
Tacos Charly
Cuisine: Mexican
Tacos Charly is a popular spot in Tlalpan, the southern part of Mexico City, so arrive early or expect a wait, and bring cash, as credit cards aren't accepted. Come for their suadero, which they confit and then simmer in water for a juicier taco. However, don't skip out on their al pastor tacos; they're prepared at a dedicated station with the cook deftly managing the trompo. Tender and flavorful, the meat is sliced ever-so-thinly and deliciously touched with a bit of rendered fat.
Nuevo León
Tacos Doña Mary La Gritona
Cuisine: Mexican
Read the menu and be ready to order at this spot named after Doña Mary, affectionately known as "la gritona" or "the yeller" because she gently scolds people who slow down the line. Family-run, this taqueria has been around for over two decades. Order outside, get your tacos, then cross the street and sit inside with plastic chairs and tables.Your first decision will be flour or corn tortillas, but there is no wrong choice since both are made fresh onsite. Toppings include onion, cilantro and your choice of three salsas that range from mild to spicy—don't miss the salsa molcajeteada—and while offerings vary by the day, don't leave without trying the tacos de barbacoa.
Oaxaca
Alfonsina
Cuisine: Mexican
At several points en route to this hidden restaurant, you will wonder if you’re lost. But hold steady: A half hour’s drive south of Oaxaca city and down several bumpy dirt roads, this humble, reservation-only destination is as close of an invitation into someone’s home as you’re going to get. Chef Jorge León and his mother Doña Elvia run this idyllic, breezy backyard with tables set under a canopy of trees. The tasting menu is by no means formal or lengthy. Rather, expect a leisurely procession of traditional, comforting dishes like tamal with pickled onions and red cabbage or chile relleno with lentils and avocado slices. A duo of moles with rice and a barbacoa taco round out this homestyle meal complemented with excellent tortillas.
Cobarde
Cuisine: Contemporary
With a primetime terrace that overlooks the Zócalo and across to the cathedral, in a space that oozes style, Chef Pako Cortés is cooking like nobody else. Experience in kitchens from Japan to New York has given him the tools to weave in international flavors with conviction. Meals must begin with toasted naan crowned with beef tongue, capers and yuzu aioli. It is as delicate as it is brilliant. Other dishes are not what they sound like: The salad is unexpectedly addicting, warmed in a tandoor and piled high with bacon, peas and parmesan. The chicken dumpling is actually a deboned and stuffed chicken wing glazed in gochujang. It’s a fun time all-around from start to finish.
La Olla
Cuisine: Mexican
For a restaurant with decades of history behind it, La Olla looks rather ordinary and would be easy to pass by on the street without a second thought. Alas, Chef Pilar Cabrera is a name to know. A champion of traditional Oaxacan dishes and an ambassador for the region, she has run this restaurant and her own cooking school, Casa de Los Sabores, for over 20 years. A comal by the front door is your signal to start with the maiz sampler featuring squash blossom quesadillas and crispy plantain tacos smeared in a finely spiced coloradito. No meal is complete without the mole negro, which is wonderful by itself but stunning with the clever addition of plantain and sweet potato purees. The menu also features a generous number of vegetarian dishes.
Labo Fermento
Cuisine: Asian
A shop in the front sells many of their sauces already bottled, as well as specialty teas and ceramics made by local artisans.You won’t find another restaurant in Oaxaca quite like this one. Chef-owner Joseph Gilbert and his team are obsessed with fermentation and go to great lengths to make their own kimchi, shoyu, miso and more. Asian flavors course through the menu in the form of plucky pork wontons glossed in chili oil, Chinese barbecue pork buns and soothing dashi. One can’t-miss item is the fried chicken that’s marinated in shoyu, garlic and ginger and comes with a clever lemon aioli made with sardine stock. This is the kind of food best for sharing in a space that’s sunny, breezy and high-energy thanks to an open-roof and an edgy playlist.
Las Quince Letras
Cuisine: Mexican
Mole is everywhere at Chef Celia Florián’s restaurant, which opened in 1992. You can find it served with plantains, inside large empanadas, and on top of enchiladas. But from amarillo to coloradito to verde, the one that shines brightest is her mole negro. Black as night, smoky, and tantalizingly charred, it needs nothing more except for a tortilla or a bit of rice. This recipe and many others have deep roots: Florián grew up on a farm in La Ciénega and learned to cook from her mother and grandmother. Another highlight is the wonderful garnachas istmenas, crispy masa cakes topped with tender shredded beef buried under a pile of pickled cabbage. Still to this day, Florián enjoys global recognition for her contributions to Oaxacan cuisine.
Tierra del Sol
Cuisine: Mexican
Chef Olga Cabrera is a force to know. A stone’s throw away from the famous church in Centro Histórico, Cabrera runs three different businesses within a single building. A bakery stocked with sweets perfumes the room, while her Atoleria pours cups of coffee and hot chocolate. The actual restaurant is further back, past the comals cooking tetelas, memelas, tacos and tlayudas, and up the stairs to the shaded rooftop. While serving dishes from her childhood and classics from today, she celebrates farmers and their products, and puts their stories front and center. Salsa made tableside is a welcome touch, followed by fragrant soups and lovely, hearty moles (Laurel mole is a winner.) Lunchtime brings welcome views of the surrounding mountain ranges.
Quintana Roo
Axiote Cocina de Mexico
Cuisine: Mexican
Here in the Riviera Maya, Axiote Cocina de Mexico walks the line between spotlighting local culinary traditions and giving them a modern boost. Inside, the guano leaf-roof lends a palapa style to the dining room. Carefully presented and beautifully served, the generously portioned plates are one hit after another. Start with the tostadas de mais azul, knowing that the spice levels are indeed as described. Guacamole never fails but skip the tortilla chips and go for the chapulines (grasshoppers) instead. Fried and slightly spicy, they're a house signature. Birria de cordero is fork-tender, with elote, nopal, pickled onion and vegetables, and is especially hearty. Laminado de mango, perfectly ripe and accompanied by honey, orange foam and cocoa, is a superb finish.
Cetli
Cuisine: Mexican
Cetli is just outside the city and the tourist hustle and bustle, located along the road that leads to the ruins of Cobà. Inside, white walls are enlivened by colorful paintings and antiques, while wood tables and chairs set a rustic tone. Chef Claudia Perez Rivas has fashioned a truly Mayan experience here, where the generous and tasty dishes are as colorful as the art decorating the walls. Meat and fish are the main inspiration, as in dishes like istak, a fish fillet cooked in seawater and doused with a thick, not-too-sweet white almond mole with a touch of parsley, dark chocolate sauce and sesame seeds. Nimbe, a vanilla and chocolate pancake filled with ice cream, is rich and delightful.
Mestixa
Cuisine: Fusion
Bustling Tulum is the perfect spot for Chef Hinostroza's second restaurant, Mestixa. This intimate spot beckons with its simple but welcoming ambience. Asian accents, including a snake mural and traditional lighting, hint at what's to come on this highly original Asian-Mexican fusion menu. Order the bao, deliciously stuffed with pickled pear, hoja santa, pickled cucumber and cashew macha sauce. Few dishes define this cuisine as well as the birria ramen, made with egg noodles, beef shank, cascabel chili, and tamarind. It's an excellent mix of textures, colors and flavors, and generously sized. Finally, a waffle taco is tucked with yuzu parfait, dried plum and caramelized white chocolate for a sweet sendoff.
Punta Corcho
Cuisine: Seafood
You’ll have an excellent vantage to see the nearby shore from this second-floor perch, whose thatched roof and open-air plan allow the welcome ocean breeze to circulate. Better still, you can enjoy the view alongside a bountiful menu of memorable seafood offerings and tropically inflected cocktails. Shareable starters include puffy gorditas filled with roasted octopus, salsa verde, and melty quesillo, as well as an assortment of vibrant and inventive ceviches and aguachiles. Mains are likewise not boxed in by tradition, with typical Mexican flavors alongside the likes of Provençal butter and horseradish aïoli. With so many options to choose from, decisions can be a challenge, but the friendly staff will be only too happy to steer you in the right direction.
Hero image: Fotógrafo: Galo / Las Quince Letras
