Eating Our Way Through Mexico City: A Guide to Our Favorite Tacos and Pastries

Mexico City had been on my list to visit for years and my biggest reason for wanting to visit was simple: tacos. They say if you love a food, go to the source, right? Well, I love tacos and I was ready to make the trip to the source. As I started to plan our trip though, I realized there is way more to the food scene in CDMX than just tacos and I couldn’t wait to explore it. 

As soon as we landed and checked into the hotel, we went out in search of our first tacos of the trip. We made our way to Taquería Orinoco which has multiple locations across CDMX. We ordered so many tacos they had to bring us a tray. While a lot of the best Mexico City taco restaurants serve tacos with the traditional toppings of cilantro and onions, Taquería Orinoco goes all out. We had al pastor tacos piled high with avocado and cheese, chicharrón tacos with pickled onions and salsa as well as their version of fries - a side of roasted potatoes. 

Extremely satisfied but craving something sweet, we headed to Churrería El Moro for churros. We left with a bag full of fresh, hot churros and hot chocolate for dipping. We walked around the beautiful Roma neighborhood until we reached our hotel, fingers covered in cinnamon and sugar, very full and ready to sleep. 

On our second day we took a trip out to Teotihuacán to see the ancient pyramids which have been standing for centuries. Our day started at 3:30 AM and was full of Pulque tasting, breakfast in a natural cave and a glass of Lambrusco at 7 AM to celebrate a wonderful hot air balloon ride with the best views of the pyramids. Back in CDMX and after a well earned nap, we were ready for dinner, and this was a meal we were very excited for. Rosetta, located in the Colonia Roma neighborhood of Mexico City, has earned the distinction of a Michelin Star and has been on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list three years in a row. As soon as you walk into Rosetta, you know you’re in for something special. The restaurant is very light and with hanging plants it almost feels as if you’re sitting in the middle of a courtyard. And if the decor is special, the food is out of this world. Jon and I are both pasta people so we of course split two pasta dishes from the seasonal a la carte menu. If I had closed my eyes and you told me we were magically transported to Italy, I would have believed you. 

After dinner we walked off our pasta and headed to Wallace Whiskey Bar. Jon is a big fan of Scotch and whiskey cocktails so we’re always on the look out for bars with a long whiskey list and a few good reds for me. True to its name Wallace Whiskey Bar had a list of whiskeys as long as your arm and was a great stop for a night cap. 

We loved Rosetta so much that on our third day in town I insisted that we wake up early and head to Pandería Rosetta, the sister bakery to Rosetta, conveniently located right across the street and supplying bread to the restaurant. We loaded up on pastries and sandwiches and headed back to our hotel’s roof deck to enjoy our haul. The line was long but their popularity is well-deserved. The pain au chocolat was flaky and buttery with delicious chocolate evenly distributed throughout and the baguettes were crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and overflowing with prosciutto and burrata. This stop alone is worth booking a flight to CDMX. 

We visited the Museo Nacional de Antropologia during the day in order to work up a big appetite for our dinner plans. Months before our trip we booked a Mexico City street food walking tour through Eat Like a Local Mexico. Our guide Carla showed us around CDMX and took us to the best street food spots the city has to offer. We tried cemitas, traditional al pastor tacos, empanadas, churros and stopped for a pulque tasting. Every time we stopped at a new food cart we watched in awe as the cooks cut pastor from rotating spits or seamlessly pulled crispy tortillas from hot vats of oil. Every cart smelled better than the last and we devoured everything Carla put in front of us. One of our stops was at a food cart that had a variety of traditional tacos to offer and Jon, who is always willing to try anything, was brave enough to try an eyeball taco while I took a video. If you’re planning a trip to Mexico City, we highly recommend booking a food tour with Eat Like a Local Mexico. Not only do they know the best places to eat in the city but they give back to the community and help fund career training for young girls.

Our fourth morning started with a run through a beautiful park in the La Condesa neighborhood and ended with more pastries from La Bohême and extra large sushi rolls from Omusubi House. You don’t go to Mexico City in search of sushi but these sushi rolls are absolutely worth stopping for. And while not many bakeries could live up to Pandería Rosetta, La Bohême’s pan dulce and empanadas sure hit the spot. 

Contramar was a restaurant that continuously popped up in my research of CDMX. Every article, blog and instagram post said that the fish tacos and tuna tostadas are stand outs in a city full of tacos and they were right. We were lucky enough to snag an outdoor table and we enjoyed the beautiful day with beers, tacos and tostadas. The fish was delicious and the perfect light but filling lunch we were looking for. 

Rounding out our day, we had dinner at Máximo Bistrot. Walking into Máximo, you notice the high ceilings and how open the restaurant feels. The menu highlights all of the local and seasonal produce featured in each dish and really showcases the farm-to-table experience that Máximo provides. The food was amazing and a new way to experience Mexican cuisine. Jon had a steak dish and I tried yet another pasta dish. Who knew pasta played such a big role in Mexico City cuisine? Their Michelin Star is well earned and fully explains why I couldn’t stop talking about this meal for weeks. 

On our final day in CDMX, I wanted to enjoy pastries and tacos one more time. We started our day with pastries at Eno. Sitting outside in the warm sunshine with my chocolate croissant made me rethink hopping on a plane the next day to head back to Philadelphia in January. We spent the rest of the day walking around the city, which is quite large and has a lot of ground to cover. We stumbled across an art festival, Palacio de Bellas Artes, street vendors and beautiful parks. To end the trip we visited Los Cocuyos, a taco restaurant that Anthony Bourdain also visited on his travels to Mexico City. This is as traditional of a taco place as it gets. On the menu is pork, chicken, brisket and sausage, as well as, brain, snout, tongue, eye and head. The tacos were simple but delicious - if we had stayed in CDMX longer, you would have found me here again. 

After our trip to Mexico City, I can confirm, if you love a food, go to the source. We now compare all tacos we have to Los Cocuyos and Taquería Orinoco and even pastries are compared to Pandería Rosetta. Every year when the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list is published and Rosetta is still on it, we squeal with excitement like we own the place. We explored this beautiful city through its amazing cuisine and will forever try to persuade anyone who loves tacos, and good food in general, to visit CDMX.