48 Hours in Mexico City: The Greatest Food Crawl of My Life
Mexico City is having a moment. It has, objectively, the best food scene in the Western Hemisphere and a growing argument for best in the world. Here's what I ate in 48 hours and where.
Morning: Mercado de Jamaica
Start at the Jamaica flower market at 7am. Walk through aisles of cempasúchil marigolds, roses, and plants. Then find a breakfast stall inside for chilaquiles — tortilla chips in salsa verde, topped with crema, cheese, onion, cilantro, and a fried egg. This is the correct way to start a day in Mexico City. ₱60 ($3).
Afternoon: Tacos al Pastor
El Huequito in the historic centre is the originator of tacos al pastor. The spit-roasted pork shaved with pineapple in a soft corn tortilla is the platonic ideal of a taco. Order four. They're small. Then walk five minutes to Mercado de San Juan for extraordinary cheese, charcuterie, and produce from every region of Mexico.
Evening: Fine Dining
Mexico City is home to several of Latin America's best restaurants. Quintonil, Pujol, and Rosetta consistently feature on world's best lists. I ate at Rosetta in Roma Norte — a beautiful house turned restaurant, tasting menu, wine pairing, €80 per person. One of the ten best meals of my life.
Photos (1)
Tips & Advice
- Altitude sickness is real at 2,240m. Take it easy on day one. Drink lots of water.
- Uber is very cheap and much safer than hailing street taxis.
- The historic centre is safe during the day. Stick to busy areas at night.
- Carry small bills — ₱50 and ₱100 notes. Taxi drivers and street vendors rarely have change.
Recommendations (2)
El Huequito
restaurantThe original tacos al pastor since 1959. Historic centre. Four tacos is a proper serving.
Rosetta
restaurantOne of the best restaurants in Mexico City. Book 2 weeks in advance. Roma Norte.
About the contributor
Sarah Chen
@sarahtravels
Architecture photographer & street food enthusiast. 40+ countries and counting. Based in Singapore.