Condesa is a trendy, leafy neighborhood in Mexico City loaded with restaurants and bars.
You can walk around a grab a taco or two at different spots, or settle in at a fine-dining restaurant for a couple of hours and experience what the cities new and established chefs have to offer.
And if cocktails are your thing, you’ll find award-winning favorites and hip new spots in Condesa. Here’s what we recommend.
This is an excerpt from our upcoming book, Eternal Spring: Our Guide to Mexico City.
Our rating system for restaurants and bars
⭐️ Must-see
Pricing for a meal for one person:
💲 MXN $200 or less (USD $10 or less)
💲💲 MXN $200 to $400 (USD $10 to $20)
💲💲💲 MXN $400+ (USD $20+)
Our favorite restaurants in Condesa
🍴 Antolina
Price: 💲💲💲
Cuisine: Mexican farm-to-table
Pros
✅ Friendly staff
✅ English menu
✅ Quiet
✅ Outdoor seating
✅ Indoor seating
✅ Popular with locals
✅ Popular with expats
✅ Open Sunday
✅ Open Monday
✅ No reservation required
Cons
❌ Some English spoken
The first time we visited Antolina, we almost skipped this cute little spot in the southern part of Condesa because we couldn’t find its menu online and we wanted to see what type of food they offered. But when we took an Uber to a nearby taco restaurant, we noticed Antolina was close by, so we walked over and asked if we could see their menu.
We saw that they had mole, which is something we almost always order when it’s on the menu. So, we decided to give the place a chance. It turned out to be a great decision, and we sampled a flight of four moles on a subsequent visit.
They have terrific cocktails with a nice selection of Mexican mezcals and other spirits, and a solid wine selection that includes a favorite vino naranja (orange wine, but made from grapes). There’s always ceviche on the menu, though it changes seasonally. And usually a heavenly tamale.
Over different visits, we’ve some terrific main dishes, including the turkey in black mole, the cochinita pibil, and a surprisingly good hamburger. Each is an upscale, elevated version of a classic.
The cochinita pibil is particularly good. Stephanie has been making this dish for years, ever since we saw it featured in the movie Once Upon a Time in Mexico. We like how Antolina’s version is finely shredded compared to hers, giving it a better blend of meat and sauce.
On our first visit, we shared the poached pears for dessert, which was centered around a traditional dessert called nicuatole that’s made from corn and sugar. It was a great ending to a delicious meal, and one we tried to walk off by exploring a less familiar part of Condesa afterward.
🍴 Azul Condesa ⭐
💲💲💲Upscale, traditional Mexican
We came across Azul Condesa on one of our first trips to Mexico City, and it’s since become one of our favorite spots for a nicer dinner, or even for dessert.
We’re fans of their moles, especially the mole negro (black mole). And we almost always share the heirloom tomato salad, which has never disappointed. They also have a nice list of classic cocktails, and a solid wine list focused on Mexican and Spanish wines.
When you enter, the host might try to seat you at a table close to the kitchen, but we recommend asking for another table—it gets warm near the cooking surfaces. We like to sit upstairs, where greenery and candles make the space feel cozy. The room toward the back on the first floor is also nice.
🍸🍴 Baldio
💲💲💲Upscale Mexican
Baldio opened in mid-2024 and one of our neighbors insisted we try it. She gets us—we’ve had a couple of really nice meals at Baldio, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see this place showing up on some of Mexico City’s “best of” lists before long.
You can sit at a bar and watch the chefs in action or take a table inside or outside. Don’t pass up the bread and butter—it might be the best butter you’ve ever eaten. The menu changes frequently, but we’ve liked the esquites (corn) and anything made from pork. Dishes are shareable, which gives you a great opportunity to try more of what they have to offer.
⚠️🍴 Esquina Común
💲💲💲Trendy Mexican
This leafy rooftop spot earned a Michelin star, so if you want to get in, you’ll need to plan ahead. They generally have two seating times in the afternoons, and to make a reservation you can send a message on Instagram or see what’s available on Open Table. Either way, plan to book several weeks ahead of time.
Esquina Comun has a curated menu with plates designed to share. On the day we visited, there were six options, plus dessert:
We liked the dishes we shared, and they had a good wine selection, including an orange wine we enjoyed.
But we found the menu a bit limited. To share four items, which is reasonable for two people, we had to choose four of the six main-dish options:
Fish zaragalla and rice croquettes
Corn doblada with sweet potato and pirámide cheese
Chickpea salad
Smoked plantain with shrimp and coconut
Wagyu beef with yuca
Doradita with white beans
Mango cream with coconut crumble
We would have liked to see more options on the menu. We’re lucky we like seafood, because on the day we visited three of the six options were fish.
🍸🍴 Merotoro ⭐
💲💲💲Upscale, creative Mexican
Merotoro is one of our favorite special-occasion restaurants in Mexico City. It’s been in business for 15 years, and that experience shines through in the food, service, and ambiance.
The name describes their menu, which is centered around seafood and meat from Baja California. Expect to find familiar ingredients in creative pairings and presentations.
They offer 20 to 25 items on their menu, divided into:
First courses: Lighter dishes like salads, ceviche, and tartare.
Second courses: Appetizers like seafood stew, grilled octopus, risotto, or paella.
Third course: Main dishes like fish, shrimp, chicken, or ribs.
We’ve found that two dishes in total is usually plenty for one person.
We’ve had good luck getting into Merotoro without a reservation and even changing our reservation time at the last minute when we were running late. But if you really want to get in—and we think you should—play it safe and book a table.
⚠️🍸🍴 Ostreria 109
💲💲💲Seafood
We really like seafood and when we saw an oyster restaurant featured in the Michelin Guide we were eager to give it a try. Even though only a couple of tables were occupied, the service was so inattentive we were relieved that we hadn’t ordered a bottle of wine. We only ordered appetizers, so we ate them, paid and left.
🍴 Tacos El Güero
💲Taqueria
We were introduced to this little taco shop when we took a taco bike tour of Condesa and Roma Norte. It’s a meat-lover’s dream, with a bubbling pot of slowly cooking meats ready to be chopped and added to your tortilla.
We recommend trying two or three different types. Along with familiar options like al pastor (pork) and bistec (steak), you’ll find less-common choices like tripe and cabeza (head).
Even though we’re fans of this place, we recommend it only if you’re nearby. There are so many great taco stands in Mexico City that it usually doesn’t make sense to travel to find one.
🍴 Tacos Hola El Güero
💲Taqueria
This taco restaurant earned a mention in the Michelin Guide, and, like most of the taco place we recommend, it’s worth a visit if you’re in the area. In fact, we like it better than Taquería El Califa de León, which earned a Michelin star.
Tacos Hola El Güero has 20-plus offerings on their menu board—a mix of meat and vegetarian options—but they don’t always have everything. Take a peek behind the counter and see what looks good. No one working there spoke Spanish when we visited, but they were friendly and eager to help us find the taco types we wanted.
If you time it right, you might be able to grab one of the little outdoor tables. That way, you don’t have to stand up to eat. To us, that’s a plus.
🍴 El Tizconcito ⭐
💲Taqueria
You’ll find al pastor tacos throughout Mexico City, and El Tizconcito is the place that invented them. Stop by, grab a table, and order a couple “con todos,” with onion and cilantro, or “sin todos,” plain.
Within minutes, you’ll have seasoned, spit-roasted pork on a corn tortilla, topped with a bit of fresh pineapple—watch the taquero deftly slice it off the pineapple on the top of the spit.
We like to stop by El Tizconcito for a quick meal. The food is delicious, and the service is reliably fast.
🍴 Xel-Há Bar
💲💲Traditional Mexican
Xel-Há Bar is a few blocks away from Condesa’s tourist center, so you’re likely to find more Mexicans and fewer visitors enjoying a meal here. Don’t expect to see an English menu or an English-speaking server, though.
What you can expect is classic Mexican fare like cochinita pibil, arrachera (skirt steak), pollo con mole, and a lot more options—the menu is extensive. Friends introduced us to this place, and we liked it so much we went back again just a day or two later to try more of the menu options.
Our favorite bars in Condesa
🍸Baltra Bar ⭐
💲💲💲Cocktail bar
We’ve found that a lot of award-winning bars are great for a visit, but they don’t have that welcoming vibe that makes you want to come back again and again. Baltra Bar is different. Even though it’s often listed as one of the top bars in Mexico, Latin America, or the world, the staff is so warm and welcoming that we’ve been back many times.
The menu changes regularly, so you can try something new or order a classic cocktail. If you’re not sure what to get, share your favorite spirits and flavors with your server and ask for a recommendation. Or try our favorite, the Sumi.
If you really want to get into this bar, we recommend booking a reservation. But we’ve also had luck showing up right when they open, as well as stopping by before dinner to book seats for a couple of hours later.
🍸 Bijou Drinkery Room
💲💲💲 Cocktail bar
In true speakeasy form, Bijou’s entrance isn’t obvious. Look for the entrance to L’oie Foodie Rooftop and check in with the greeter there. Soon after, you take an elevator and you’re escorted through parts of the Superior de Gastronomía culinary school and into the cocktail bar.
Bijou, which means jewel, has a Rubik’s cube-inspired menu. Each side of a completed cube has the specifications for a certain cocktail, like “rum,” “plum,” and “bitter” for the plum negroni (recommended).
The cube is fun, but you can just order from their menu of custom, classic, and best-selling cocktails if you want to keep it simple.
There’s a small food menu, including pizzas, tuna tostadas, and some amazing sliders served with fries.
It’s a good idea to get a reservation at Bijou, but you can try your luck if you’re in the area. There were a couple of empty tables when we visited. If you can’t get in, try 🍸Rubi, a sister restaurant to Bijou with great cocktails, food, and staff.
🍸Diente de Oro
💲💲Whisky bar
For our first experience with Diente do Oro, we couldn’t get into Baltra Bar so we went around the corner to Diente de Oro. We discovered that even though it might not have the name recognition of Baltra Bar, it’s a solid place for a cocktail in its own right.
They serve whisky- and bourbon-based classics like the whisky sour, old-fashioned, and boulvardier. If whisky isn’t your thing, they have plenty of cocktails based on other spirits, like gin, tequila, and mezcal.
Our only complaint? They’re becoming so popular that it can be hard to get in sometimes.
🍸🍴 Rubi Wine Cocktails ⭐
💲💲Cocktail bar
This cocktail bar opened in January 2025, and we were so impressed on our first visit there that it’s become a go-to spot for the two of us or as a place to get a drink with friends.
As the name implies, all the cocktails include a wine component, like sparkling wine or vermouth. There’s a lot of attention to detail here, such as homemade juices for cocktail ingredients and a fridge filled with chilled glasses.
The staff is friendly, attentive, and quick to suggest a drink based on your mood or flavor preferences. We like their takes on the lychee martini, jazmin negroni, St. Germain spritz and espresso martini.
The food menu is limited, but there are enough options to make a meal of things like the cheese plate, beef tiradito, hamburger, and pork belly with sweetbreads. The dishes are generously sized, and we find sharing two is plenty of food.
The food is next-level in terms of flavor and presentation, thanks to Rubi’s partnership with the adjacent cooking school, Superior de Gastronomía, which claims some of the city’s top chefs as graduates.
We’d love to get your feedback as we build out our guidebook. Please ❤️ if you like what you see here or 💬 with any thoughts or suggestions.
This list made me hungry haha! Mole in Mexico City sounds absolutely divine.
Big fan of Ostreria 109! And glad I could see Bijou thanks to you... Should the speakeasy inside Enricos's be sad it didn't make the list?