Mexico City with the Chef Behind the 9th-Best Restaurant in the World
The ultimate guide to one of the world's culinary capitals
The Relisher is the place where the world’s top chefs reveal their favorite spots in their home cities. This week, we spoke with Chef Jorge Vallejo of Mexico City’s renowned Quintonil, which he established over a decade ago. Since 2015, Quintonil has consistently secured a place on the prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
Today, this ultramodern Mexican gem proudly holds the ninth position, reaffirming its reputation as one of the top dining destinations worldwide.
Chef Jorge honed his craft at some of the world’s most acclaimed gastronomic establishments, including Enrique Olvera’s restaurant Pujol in Mexico City, as well as Noma in Copenhagen.
It can be especially difficult to find hidden gems or even decide where to go in Mexico City given its sheer size and population of 22 million. We met with Chef Jorge Vallejo to get the insider’s insights on unmissable spots to visit in this vibrant culinary city.
*At the end of the interview there is a summary with links and price ranges for all the places mentioned.
Favorite Restaurants
“Every time a chef or an international friend visits Mexico City and asks for recommendations on the best places to eat in Mexico City, I always share these places:
“Nicos : This is a traditional Mexican restaurant run by a mother and her son for over 60 years. The food is from the Mexico City region. It feels like you’re eating at a friend’s house as they make you feel at home. You can find lots of locals here. Their guacamole, Mezcal, Mexican wines, and Chilaquiles (a traditional Mexican breakfast consisting of fried tortilla chips with salsa) are incredible.
“Galanga : This is a fantastic traditional Thai restaurant. They own a farm where they grow herbs and special ingredients from Thailand. This place is special in the sense that the ingredients are from Mexico yet the dishes are Thai — it’s a super interesting mix. You must order here the mussels curry, green curry, and sticky rice dessert, made from smoked coconut ice cream — it’s unbelievable.
“If I had to choose one ultimate restaurant in all of Mexico City, Maximo Bistrot would be it. This is a vegetable-centric restaurant, where the menu is constantly changing as it’s adapting to the seasons. They use the freshest ingredients and produce sourced from the countryside. The onion fondue is one of the most innovative dishes here. I also adore their ice cream made with olive oil, goat milk, and pistachios. It’s my favorite desert in the world. Make sure to make reservations well in advance here.”
The Perfect Day
“Go to the Nápoles Sunday Market, where you can marvel at and taste the freshest fruits, vegetables, herbs, and anything else you can imagine. Grab tacos de barbacoa (lamb cooked tacos) for breakfast.
“Make your way to the Roma Norte neighborhood to have excellent coffee and pastries in the Italian pastry shop, Panadería Rosetta. I love their rol de guayaba (guava roll) – a handmade pastry filled with guava and sweet cheese. It’s the perfect blend of acidity and cream.
“Explore the beautiful Roma Norte neighborhood where you can enjoy the parks, or visit the Jumex Contemporary Art Museum. “Get lunch at Mi Compa Chava, a traditional Mexican seafood restaurant. I love this place because it delivers an authentic local experience. It’s loud (in a good way), crowded and the seafood is among the freshest you can find in town.
“Order here the aguachiles (shrimp marinated in lime juice sprinkled with chiles and cilantro); pescado zarandeado (fish smothered in chile and spices); tostada de almeja (raw fish and avocado marinated in lime and cilantro wrapped in a tortilla); and Clamato (their version of a bloody mary mixed with clam juice and beer).
“After lunch, stop at Onora Casa boutique — this is a gorgeous design store that sources the highest quality of Mexican artists craftsmanship. You can take home a piece of Mexican art.”
“Get drinks and dinner at Botanico, a new restaurant that opened less than a year ago. They have a beautiful terrace decorated with a variety of cactuses. The atmosphere here is relaxed and romantic. I love their mussels clams with French fries, as well as their braised rib sandwich.”
Mexican Street Foods Not To Miss
“Mexico is a mecca of street food. My favorite street food is tacos, but there is so much variety that they cannot fit into one category.
“At Tacos El Vilsito you’ll have the best taco de pastor — a taco with pork marinated in spices, bright chilis, pineapple, and salsa all wrapped up in a flour tortilla. Street food shops in Mexico are open at specific hours of the day. For example, El Vilsito operates as a car garage during the day, and from 8 pm – 3 / 4 am as a taco shop.
“I come to Los Panchos for their tacos de carnitas — pork belly confit where all of the crispy parts of the pork are mixed with spices wrapped in a thin tortilla that’s fried.
“I also love their Taco de Gordita de chicharrón — a taco wrapped in pita bread topped with ground beef, sour cream, lettuce, and tomato.”
“Go to Los Cocuyos and try the tacos de suadero, taco campechano, taco de tripa, and taco de lengua (steamed tongue taco). They open late at night too.
Where to Sleep
“Brick Hotel is a beautifully designed, cozy boutique hotel located in the Roma neighborhood. It only has 17 rooms and so it feels like you’re living in your own apartment in Mexico City.”
“St. Regis Mexico City is my favorite luxurious hotel located downtown – it enjoys an amazing location since it’s very central and you can get to most places from here very easily.
“Las Alcobas is a boutique hotel located in the posh neighborhood of Polanco. I love the location here as it boasts many art galleries and coffee shops.”
Chef Jorge’s Most Important Tip For Visiting Mexico City
“In my opinion, Mexico City is like New York City. There’s TONS to see, do, eat, and so I recommend doing your research before visiting so that you can properly enjoy your trip. Also, make reservations to restaurants well in advance.”
HERE is the Google Map with all of the locations listed above.
Just discovered your Substack via Brook Reitz's and am loving the concept/interviews. Also, while they are of course delicious, it's very refreshing to see Mexico City suggestions that aren't the same ol same ol :)—bookmarking this list!