The best restaurants and bars in Mexico City: 34 spots that aren't tourist traps

"In Mexico City, markets are bursting with fruits and spices and everything is ridiculously fresh and oozes flavor. An excellent street taco can beat out a Michelin-starred restaurant almost any day. It's all part of the magic of this high-altitude urban valley. Can there be a better metropolis in the world to eat right now? I'm willing to be persuaded - but I lived in Mexico City five years longer than I intended to because of the food."

"This is a list of restaurants and bars that offer a portrait of a metropolitan dining scene flourishing in new ways but also resilient in its traditions, molded by more than 20 years of life and travel there. I privilege the city's classics - intentionally outside of the current expat bubbles - and my personal gems. I have also found revelatory dining experiences at well-known restaurants that have earned their stars and airfare-level prices."

"Keep in mind that there's also a lot of properly bad food in Mexico City, like anywhere else. My rules are: Avoid food stalls too close to moving traffic or smelling mostly of oil; if a place is always empty, neighbors are letting you know for a reason. Everyone's experience unfurls differently. You might stumble upon the best Lebanese meal of your life in a fonda libanés in Colonia Narvarte. Or enter a nirvana induced by quesadillas at a stand outside the Merced market."

Markets in Mexico City burst with fruits, spices and exceptionally fresh ingredients, and street tacos often outshine high-end restaurants. The city's high-altitude valley nurtures a dining scene that both flourishes in new directions and remains rooted in long-standing traditions shaped by decades of local life and travel. The recommendation set emphasizes classic neighborhood spots outside expat bubbles alongside personal favorites and noteworthy starred restaurants. International culinary influences coexist with local staples. Practical guidance warns against stalls near moving traffic or heavy oil smells and advises avoiding persistently empty venues. Discoveries can happen anywhere, rewarding tourists who adopt a local's mindset and explore mindfully.

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