The Best Lebanese Restaurants in Mexico City

Not only one of the best Lebanese restaurants in the city, but one of the best restaurants full stop. Al-Andalus is housed in an impressive colonial building smack in the heart of Mexico City’s historic centre, meaning it’s within easy reach for pretty much any visitor to the capital. If you’re going in a group, or are just feeling particularly hungry, the must-order menu item is the mesa libanesa, a mixed platter crammed with dishes from shawarmas to hummus and everything in between.

Moving slightly south we find La Nueva Libanesa, which is situated in one of Mexico City’s most traditional yet up-and-coming neighbourhoods – Narvarte. Known for being a hub of Middle Eastern cuisine and culture, Lebanese food thrives here and La Nueva Libanesa is just one of many locales and restaurants you’ll be able to find, serving up traditional grub. However, with its live music and bellydancers it’s most certainly a favourite. We especially recommend going in the afternoon for their buffet menu.

Gruta Ehden, one of the city’s best restaurants, is known for being one of the longest standing Lebanese restaurants in the capital. Opened in the 70s by first generation immigrants, it remains in the family and serves up recipes faithful to the town of Ehden, established way back when. While the savoury dishes are all excellent, the standouts here are the desserts; you can’t leave without sampling the knefe (sweet cheese pastry), and as the vibe is so friendly, this would be an ideal spot to take the kids.

Polanco is home to some of Mexico City’s finest stores, bars and restaurants and they generally come with a price tag to match. Palatial Adonis is just one of the many locales to receive Polanco’s metaphorical seal of approval with its traditional Arabic interior décor and weekly live dance shows. Beyond the aesthetics of the place, the food isn’t to be sniffed at either though; generous portions of Lebanese favourites like shawarma kebabs, amongst other classics, make a visit to Adonis worthwhile.

Don’t be fooled by the underwhelming exterior as Asador Libanés is one of the most highly rated restaurants for Lebanese cuisine in Mexico City, and an essential stop on the foodie trail for anyone looking to delve into a new culinary scene. However, if such overwhelming public acclaim isn’t convincing you to give Asador Libanés a try, then perhaps fair prices, excellent service and some of the most raved about jocoque (a fermented milk dish) in the capital will? We also recommend their pita bread, which is fantastic.

For hummus lovers, there is no better place than El Jamil which is somewhat of a specialist in this creamy, flavoursome side dish. As with all the rest of their dishes, such as typical shawarma kebabs (from which we get the classic Mexican tacos al pastor) and zaatar, the hummus is almost too well presented to eat. If you do decide to stop by this centrally located locale, you must try and grab a table outside and move your dining experience al fresco.

Sticking in the Cuauhtémoc area of the city, we move to El Arez. Many people are more familiar with this spot for the bellydance shows and hookah pipes, but you should really give the food a chance if you stop by this Condesa favourite; from freshly baked pita breads to chicken shawarma and traditional hummus, you can even give the Mexican/ Arabic in origin jocaque a try. With the luxurious interior décor, and outdoor seating options, you can’t go wrong with El Arez.

Finally, we round off our guide to Lebanese cuisine in Mexico City with the perhaps rather appropriately named El Sheik. Everything you want from a Lebanese menu can be found at this restaurant located in the quaint Coyoacán zone of the capital, from freshly prepared falafel to keppe bola and hummus accompanied by pita bread. If you’re truly ravenous, don’t mess about and go straight to the mixed platter section of the menu, truly delicious.