The best restaurants in Polanco also happen to be some of the best restaurants not only in Mexico City, but in the world.
I don’t say that based on my own rankings.
Two of the world’s top 50, and indeed one of the world’s top 10 restaurants are right here in Polanco.
But there are also plenty of great restaurants in Polanco that for one reason or another, don’t get the international recognition they deserve.
This luxury-laden neighborhood is home to some of my favorite places not only high-end eats but for seriously good tacos, too.
For other restaurant recommendations, check out my guide to the best restaurants in Mexico City right now or my guide to street food in Mexico City.
The Best Restaurants in Polanco Mexico City
These are the best restaurants in Polanco based on my own experience of living here for almost four years and enjoying the delights that this glorious foodie-loving neighborhood has to offer.
They are listed in no particular order, I love them all.
The decadent mole madre at Pujol around the outside with the young mole on the inside. It was served with tortillas made with hoja santa, a native herb, and it was amazing.
1. Pujol
What is there to say about Pujol.
This is the original fine-dining spot in the city. Pujol put Mexican cuisine on the world stage.
Chef Enrique Olvera was one of the first chefs in the world to take a taco and put it on a fine dining plate. He’s also brave enough to serve a sauce as his main dish.
And let me tell you, it’s one heck of a sauce.
That mole madre alone makes Pujol worth a visit, but the rest of the Mar course is outstanding too. The octopus there was perhaps one of the best plates of food I’ve ever eaten.
There’s also a vegetarian tasting menu and a recently added taco degustation.
2. Quintonil
Quintonil is without a doubt one of the best dining experiences that you can have in Mexico City. It is without a doubt one of the best restaurants in Polanco and I highly recommend making a reservation here if you haven’t already.
Quintonil may not rank as high as Pujol in the top 50 restaurants in the world, but in my opinion, the experience is simply better.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t go to Pujol. Pujol is amazing. That mole is amazing.
But Quintonil has more flexibility. Chef Jorje Vallejo has more freedom to create menus that change and grow with the seasons and with his experience. There isn’t one dish on the menu that the restaurant has become known for, so the menu can evolve.
Book a table at Quintonil here.
The delectable aguachile from Cuerno Masaryk
3. Cuerno Masaryk
Cuerno is up there with the big hitters for the quality of food and service. The menu is a nice combination of Mexican classics and creative takes on traditional Mexican dishes.>
The aguachile here is by far the best I’ve ever eaten. The sauce remains quite traditional, but the real surprise is the fried shrimp heads filled with chicharron. It was such a delight to eat.
The other dish that really blew me away was the cochinita pibil. The pork was so luxurious, so soft, so melt-in-your-mouth. It was served with freshly made tortillas and 6 spicy salsas to sample.
However, you can’t come to Cuerno and not order a steak. We had the heart of the filet which was perfectly pink in the middle and so tender. The table next to us shared an enormous tomahawk steak that looked incredible.
Book a table at Cuerno Masaryk here.
4. Comedor Jacinta
If you can’t make it to Pedregal to sample chef Edgar Nuñez’s restaurant Sud 777, or if you can but you loved it so much you need more, then I highly recommend lunch at Comedor Jacinta.
Comedor Jacinta is Nuñez’s more casual home-cooking style place right in the heart of Polanquito. It’s one of my favorite restaurants in Polanco for lunch and where I always bring visitors when they come to the city for the first time.
The menu has a little something for everyone with savory soups, tlayudas, juicy steaks, and whole cooked fish.
My personal favorite dish and one that I always order when I go is the pork terrine. It’s just so packed with flavor and the texture is like butter.
Book a table at Comedor Jacinta here.
The amazing pork terrine from Comedor Jacinta – one of the many delicious plates of food we had here on my last visit.
5. Blanco Castelar
I wish the interior of my apartment looked even a little bit like the interior of this restaurant.
Blanco Castelar is gorgeous. The building it’s in, the decor, the service, and the food. It’s definitely one of the best restaurants in Polanco.
The style of food here is a little bit of a mix. There’s everything from perfectly fresh sashimi to fois gras and tacos de lechon.
The menu is extensive without feeling confused and despite the fact that it’s a sort of Asian, Mexican, European fusion, it works. The food is impeccable.
I’ve been twice and I’ve tried something different each time. You can’t go wrong with any of their hot appetizers, but my absolute favorite is perhaps the confit duck spring roll.
It comes with a mole sauce and it’s so decadent and rich. You could easily make a lunch out of sharing a bunch of the appetizers.
Book a table at Blanco Castelar here.
The amazing octopus from Pujol – a truly delicious dish.
6. Tori Tori
For top-notch sushi, you’ve got to try Tori Tori.
There are tons of restaurants in Polanco that claim to make sushi, but most are a sort of take on traditional sushi. Many are made with fried fish or have cream cheese inside the maki rolls.
If you are closer to Lomas de Chapultepec, head to Hotaru, sit at the sushi bar, and order the chef’s menu of the day. You will not be disappointed.
However, if you prefer to stay in Polanco, go where the locals go and queue for a table at Tori Tori, it’s well worth the wait.
It’s especially busy with the weekday lunch crowd, so either head here for an early lunch or wait until dinner time to grab a table.
You can not prebook a table for this location.
7. Dante
Have you noticed that all of the street names in Polanco are after poets, writers, philosophers and other world thinkers? This restaurant decided to stick with the trend.
trendy about this restaurant. It’s all classics both inside and on the menu.
This place is a carnivore’s dream with their own aged beef on the menu, it’s a must-try. They usually serve the beef on a still-sizzling tray with nothing but a little cracked salt on top.
Add a few sides like the bone marrow and the mashed potatoes and definitely don’t skip dessert.
8. Orale Arepa
Feeling like a little Venezuelan flavor? This is one of the best Venezuelan restaurants in the whole city.
Be sure to come hungry because the portions are huge, but so are the flavors.
The arepas are the main event and there are literally over a dozen fillings to choose from. The Reina Pepiada is my favorite with shredded chicken and cilantro mayonnaise, but I also love the Llanera, which is with ribeye beef.
You cannot make a reservation for this location.
9. Surtidora Don Batiz
This is a great spot for brunch or lunch. They do huge plates of chilaquiles, saucy enchiladas, as well as a seriously good ceviche.
They’re all about the Mexican classics and they do them very well. It’s also one of the most affordable places to have a sit-down lunch in Polanco without sacrificing quality.
It’s located in the Polanquito neighborhood just around the corner from Parque Lincoln. Grab a chair outside and enjoy the people watching.
You don’t need to make a reservation for this location.
The best cochinita pibil tacos in Polanco and perhaps in the entire city.
10. Taqueria El Turix
Taco lovers cannot miss a stop at the hole-in-the-wall El Turix.
They specialize in one thing and they do it better than anyone else in Mexico City in my humble opinion (and quite a bit better than a lot of places in Merida where the dish is actually from!).
You can have it in a taco, which is my preferred vessel. However, you can also have it in a torta (a fluffy white bread roll) or on a panucho, which is a tortilla that has been sliced open and filled with refried beans and then fried.
The meat is so tender and the sauce that it’s cooked in is packed with flavor. They’ll ask you if you want it with pickled red onions, which I highly recommend saying yes to. Don’t worry, they’re not spicy.
If you don’t like spice, avoid their salsa, which you’ll find on all of the tables.
It’s very busy on a weekend at lunchtime, so if you plan to go then, just know you’ll likely have to wait in line. You simply order from the taco man and then when you’re finished you pay one of the other staff.
11. Dulce Patria
I was introduced to Dulce Patria by a friend who absolutely loves this place. We headed here for lunch, which to my surprise, was insanely busy. Whether you come mid-week for lunch or on the weekends for dinner, be sure to make a reservation.
It wasn’t until after we ate there that I learned more about the head chef, Marta Ortiz. She was on an episode of Masterchef UK talking about her restaurant in Mexico City as well as her newly opened restaurant in London.
The food focuses on traditional Mexican flavors and ingredients, but like many of the restaurants on this list, she turns them into pieces of art and deliciously modern plates of food.
Book a table at Dulce Patria here.
The delectable and beautiful dessert at Dulce Patria in Polanco
12. Marché Dumas
This isn’t a solitary restaurant, but a fancy food hall. It’s home to plenty of quick eats and great restaurants in Polanco where you can try several different dishes or just eat at different restaurants while still having lunch with your friends.
Inside you’ll find a brightly lit courtyard with different picnic benches to sit at. I usually choose a table and then head to one of the stalls that I like.
They’ll give you a number to put on your table and once you’ve ordered and paid you can sit down and they’ll deliver the food to you.
The pizza there is seriously good and far more affordable than many of the other pizza options around the area.
There’s also a cute sushi place there that does healthy sushi-bowl options worth checking out if you want a light lunch.
Another reason to stop into Marché Dumas is for the specialty shop inside where you can buy jams, sauces, seriously good imported cheeses that are otherwise hard to find, and charcuterie meats of really excellent quality.
You can either have a nice cheese and meat board with a glass of wine there or you can have slices of different things wrapped up to take home.
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