Time to tackle a big subject: the best restaurants in La Condesa neighborhood of Mexico City! After having lived in this neighborhood (and also nearby in Roma and Escandón), I have eaten at SO many places over the years.
If it’s variety you want, this is one of the best areas of Mexico City to stay. Condesa has a reputation for being fancy and gentrified but you can still get bang for your buck when it comes to mean street tacos and quesadillas (in fact, they probably won’t even cost you a buck).
There’s also great international food here. From Thai to tacos, there’s something for every budget and dietary requirement (though vegetarians may want to check out my guide to the Roma Norte restaurants where most of the plant-based eateries can be found).
Atmospheric restaurants in La Condesa (lunch and dinner)
If it’s a nice evening meal you want in stylish surroundings (think date night or entertaining family and friends), I suggest the following places.
La Capital
This is one of my favourite restaurants in Condesa because the food is high quality without the prices being high. Mains start from 200 pesos which is standard for this neighborhood but there are few places where you’ll get food this good for the price.
The vibe is high end, creative Mexican food. You can experience authentic flavours while having a more sophisticated evening than standing at a taco cart (although I definitely recommend doing that too during your trip!).
La Capital is a great place to eat as a group and try several things. The cauliflower in black mole is tasty, but my favourite dish is the tuna. I also like the fideo seco (noodles) encased in avocado. The desserts and cocktails are all amazing, especially the chocolate lava cake.
Lardo
This is one of the most famous restaurants in Condesa but also the whole city! If the idea of delicious Mediterranean dishes don’t persuade you, maybe the thought of Panaderia Rosetta baked goods (see this handy map of where to find them across the city) including the famous guava rolls will!
After the brunch time rush, the menu switches to include nibbles, wood-fired dishes including aubergine parmigiana and pizza, burrata salad, grilled meat and fish, cheeseboards, and desserts.
Lardo requires a ressy well in advance so, if you haven’t made one, visiting outside of peak hours and waiting to bag a spare table is your best bet.
Esquina Comun
Esquina Commun is a third-floor hidden rooftop restaurant with a speakeasy-style entrance. If that doesn’t pique the interest of dining enthusiasts, I don’t know what will!
What’s unique about this intimate eatery is the ever-changing daily menu of six small dishes. If you have no dietary requirements, order all six between two people as a tasting menu.
It changes regularly but we tried dishes like squash and burrata tostadas and rib-eye steak with peach and pear mole. The miso banana blondie was a dream!
Everything is beautifully presented and tastes as good as it looks. Expect to pay around 1,000 pesos per person based on sharing six small plates with a soft drink.
A booking is essential, often weeks in advance. Follow their colorful IG for more details and book by sending them a direct message.
Azul Condesa
Azul is another of the most famous restaurants in the city with branches in the Historic Center of CDMX and Condesa.
In season, they are famous for their nogadas (large green chili peppers stuffed with ingredients and served in creamy walnut sauce). They even have a vegan option.
Outside of this season, you can still try their chili relleno (stuffed chilis) and other traditional Mexican dishes like sopa de tortilla, enchiladas, and their legendary roasted duck with mole sauce.
Like La Capital, it’s somewhere to eat Mexican food without breaking the bank. Main dishes start from 200 pesos. I love the decor and details; our sopa de tortilla was served in this delightful La Catrina pot.
International restaurants in La Condesa
If you’re visiting as part of a longer trip, you may want a break from Mexican food. You’re in luck because La Condesa is the place to do it. There are so many lovely restaurants serving high quality dishes from a range of cuisines and cultures.
Son de Sal
My friends and I had been saying for a while there isn’t much fresh pasta in Mexico City. Imagine our excitement when a new restaurant opened in Condesa serving authentic homemade Italian food.
Son de Sal is a relaxed cafe that’s currently just open for lunch (but I believe that’s set to change). We tried a couple of pasta dishes, tomato soup with grilled cheese (10/10), and the salad of the day (fresh and beautifully presented).
Choose from fresh pastas like fettuccine and tortellini, and sauces including cheese and arrabbiata. The staff can recommend pairings if you’re unsure. We loved the rich cheese sauce but thought the arrabbiata needed a touch more chili. The tortellini was phenomenal!
Mendl
With New York-quality bagels (and prices to match), Mendl may be the epitome of gentrification in Condesa, but you can’t deny the food is sublime. The star dishes are the lox bagel, Reuben, and breakfast sandwich with pastrami and pickles.
However, recent reviews suggest the service is somewhat lacking.
Pizza Nosferatu
There are lots of great pizza places in CDMX. Some of my other favourites are Pizza Felix, Madonna, and Dr Pizza in Roma Norte, and Cancino with branches in several areas.
When it comes to my favourite pizza restaurant in Condesa, there’s no contest. Pizza Nosferatu wins every time! They have a great range of combinations that you won’t have seen elsewhere but always deliver. There are plenty of veggie choices.
It’s a small restaurant with just a few outdoor tables but the cozy vibe and excellent range of craft beer and mezcal more than suffice. They also deliver if you’re feeling a night in.
Merkava
The brainchild of Mexican chef, Daniel Ovadia, this Middle Eastern-inspired restaurant has been around for years with rave reviews the whole time.
On the menu at Merkava is every flavour of hummus you could dream up like including roasted garlic and eggplant, including mains like elevated shawarma in pita, and sides like tzatziki, Jerusalem artichokes, and more.
Prices are on the high end but it’s all worth it!
Breakfast restaurants in La Condesa
If there’s one thing that Mexico always does well (although why pick just one?), it’s breakfast. Eggs, beans, meat, and salsa can hardly go wrong!
From typical dishes like chilaquiles and huevos rancheros to globally popular brunch options like avocado toast, there are so many places to eat in Condesa that it’s hard to pick. Luckily, I already did the hard work for you…
Chilpa
You can’t visit Mexico without trying chilaquiles! While every breakfast restaurant serves the ubiquitous dish of tortilla chips in red or green salsa with a choice of toppings, some places do it better than others.
Chilpa is a popular place specializing in chilaquiles with a fun twist: you build your own bowl. Keep it classic with egg or meat, or experiment with ingredients like panela cheese and shrimp. Either way, avocado is a must!
La Esquina del Chilaquil
For something completely different to the boujee brunch restaurants in La Condesa, get yourself to the back of the line (ideally before 10am) for La Esquina del Chilaquil, a modest street food stand serving tortas (sandwiches) that are anything but basic.
Choose between red and green salsa with your tortilla chips, crema, cheese, and milanesa (fried meat cutlet) or cochinita pibil (slow-cooked pork); veggies can ask for it without this.
It’s the best and cheapest breakfast that 65 pesos can buy in this neighborhood. You may have to wait 45 minutes in line but it’s worth it! Remember to bring cash as they don’t take card.
Read my review of La Esquina del Chilaquil and tips for visiting
Hule
Another example of the dream brunch cafe with smoked salmon bagels, egg sandwiches (I agonized between the two and picked this), and quality coffee. The only thing that could make Hule more hip is the fact it’s also a record shop!
Fruto de Raiz
Although the service is slow and the coffee isn’t the best, I like Fruto de Raiz for the amazing topped toast dishes. Go for burrata with heirloom tomatoes or fig and goat’s cheese.
Grab a soft drink or kombucha and drink coffee elsewhere; I’ll mention my favourite specialty coffee shops next.
Superette
For huge galettes (like crepes) topped with decadent ingredients, head to Superette. As far as I know, no other Condesa restaurants serve these. There are countless combinations from cured meats to salmon, cheese, and veggies.
They also serve other dishes like pancakes and eggs, but I think the galettes are the highlight. Later in the day, it’s a relax spot for a glass of vino.
El Caimencito
For huge portions and generous ingredients, the best place to visit for morning brunch (or hearty lunch) is El Caimencito. The chilaquiles are unrivalled with toppings including egg, chicken, bacon, and even the ‘land and sea’ option with steak AND shrimp.
Later in the day, they do amazing seafood dishes like tostadas and aguachiles, plus cocktails. Rather than a chic, hipster-style brunch restaurant replicating many around the world, El Caimencito has more of an authentic Mexican feel and neighborhood vibe.
Malcriado
This is another cool kid on the block with quality coffee and upscale brekkie dishes like shakshuka, avocado toast, French toast, and – of course – chilaquiles. There’s a constant crowd of foreigners and affluent locals at Malcriado enjoying the sunshine with their stylish pals.
Cafes and bakeries
If it’s coffee and cakes or croissants you’re after, you’ll be spoiled for choice in Condesa. If there were a quarter of the number of bakeries in the area, there would still be a lot!
Mama Carmela
This might be my favourite bakery in the city not just because of the amazing baked goods (the almond croissant and guava roll are to-die-for!) but the cool coffee art. I’ve never seen this elsewhere in the city.
Choose any milk blend like a cappuccino or flat white and for just an extra 10 pesos, the barista will create a work of art on your drink. I got four pink pigs. Wild!
There’s just two tables so Mama Carmela isn’t somewhere to linger all day but it’s great for a quick bite or grabbing takeaway goods.
Ficelle
This cafe and bakery has been around for years and it’s a nice place to sit outside. They do flakey, French-style patisserie so well. Ficelle is just around the corner from Mama Carmela so a bakery crawl could be in order?
Pan Para Todos
This modest cafe is nothing fancy but the bakery goods are out of this world especially the roulettes with pistachio and guava jam! The coffee is decent too, plus there’s outside seating.
Borel
Borel is another of my favourite places to eat in Condesa for yummy baked goods, brunch dishes, and the perfect flat white (based on taste and visuals).
Churreria El Moro
We can’t forget everyone’s favourite churner, El Moro, when talking about desserts in La Condesa. You won’t find fancy cruffins and croissants here, instead you’ll find classic churros galore, rolled in sugar and dipped in sweet dips (such as chocolate, cajata AKA caramel, and sweet milk). The drinking chocolate is on point, too.
There are several cafes in the city but the Condesa restaurant is the most atmospheric with outdoor seating beside Parque Mexico and live music often playing.
Where to eat in Condesa for authentic TACOS
Now for the good stuff! Yes, bakery goods and brunch are fantastic but you can get them anywhere… And you certainly can’t get tacos this good overseas.
Even in an upmarket area of Mexico City like Condesa, there are taco stands everywhere, but here are a few renowned taquerias where every meal’s a goodun…
Don Juan
A longstanding taqueria for meat lovers is Don Juan, known for their rich suadero (pork) tacos served with melted cheese. I can’t deny they were dreamy!
Tacos Hola
Tacos guisado (stew tacos) are what’s good at Tacos Hola El Güero. Choose from huge vats of meat, seafood, and veggie ingredients and pay just 25 pesos a taco, served with two tortillas, rice, beans, and salsas. It’s one of the cheapest places to eat in Condesa.
For a quick, healthy eat, I like the calabaza (squash) tacos. The only dish I’ve tried and not liked is the torta de cameron (shrimp cake).
El Pescadito
Baja-style fish tacos? Say no more! El Pescadito serve simple shrimp and fish tacos as well as some unusual options like battered cheesy chilis served with or without seafood. The best bit is dressing them up with colourful sides and salsas from the serve-yourself bar. Cheap, cheerful, and delicious!
El Greco
Arabe style tacos are a dish from Puebla, brought by Lebanese immigrants and now popular across the country. The best thing to eat at El Greco (which opens from 2pm) is the gringa with pita bread, al pastor meat, cheese, and avocado.
La Hortaliza
More stew-style tacos featured on the Netflix Taco Chronicles show. La Hortaliza isn’t my favorite taco restaurant in Condesa as it’s just a nondescript place on the highway and the food didn’t blow me away. But the chile relleno tacos (that they were out of) look good so maybe give them a try!
El Kaliman
To try a bunch of different taco-type dishes, El Kaliman is a popular late night joint. We ate costilla (ribs), gringas (wheat tacos with meat and cheese), and chicharron de queso (crispy fried cheese with dips).
Healthy food in Condesa
In need of some clean eating after one too many street tacos? Detox at…
Mora Mora
This is a vegan cafe and grocery store where you can buy all the plant milks, healthy foods, supplements, and faux meats your healthy heart desires.
After a recent foodie holiday where I’d indulged every day, Mora Mora’s healthy bowl with grains, veggies, red cabbage, avocado, and sweet potato sorted me out, washed down with a matcha latte, naturally.
The Green Corner
For more healthy bowls and brunch/lunch dishes, visit the Green Corner in a pretty location near the Hipodrome. Eat at the cafe or browse the organic products in their healthy food store.
Thanks for reading!
More food & drink guides to CDMX:
- 35+ best bars in Mexico City
- Speakeasy bars in CDMX
- Breakfast restaurants in CDMX
- Restaurants in Roma Norte
- Cafes in Condesa
- Ultimate Mexico City cafe guide
- Mexico City taco guide
- Best desserts in CDMX
- Vegan food in CDMX
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