Mexico City’s Hottest Restaurant Openings for 2017

Pujol has been on the scene for a long time (a hugely respectable 17 years) and in that time it has managed to gain a formidable reputation for itself as Mexico’s best restaurant. However, Pujol has recently moved to a new and improved location in Polanco which gains it a spot on our new openings guide. This time around, head chef Enrique Olvera has made it a far more Mexican dining experience, from the almost entirely Mexican sourced furnishings to the kitchen layout. We highly recommend reservations.

An Italian name and a European menu come together in perfect harmony at Padella, which officially launched last year and already has plans to expand. The best Mexican ingredients are put to skilled use in each and every dish… minus the French cheese and jamón serrano of course. Padella is a place where homely dishes combine with modern twists, and each plate is beautifully put together, from the mussel soup to the exquisite short ribs perched on a bed of mash potato. Even the listed building itself is cosy yet modern, and the waiters are not only the right level of attentive, they’re also notably knowledgeable about each (surprisingly economical) dish.

From the chef who brought you La Roma’s exquisite Yuban, Michoacán-born Fernando Martínez Zavala, comes Seneri, a new Mercado Roma based restaurant which specialises in dishes from Martínez’s home state. While much of Mexico’s culinary attention is directed towards Oaxaca, rare is the place that offers authentic Michoacán dining options; that’s arguably what makes Seneri so special. Everything from the menu to the modern, simple aesthetic of the restaurant is well thought through and Seneri really looks set to reprogram what we think about traditional Mexican cuisine.

Although it sounds like it’s named after a celebrity child, Mia Domenicca is actually one of the hottest new restaurants on the Mexico City scene right now, which specialises in turning seasonal produce into to-die-for Mediterranean influenced cuisine. For that reason, there are only a few dishes on the small but perfectly formed menu at any one time, although each is just as fantastic as the last and you can be assured that each time you go, something new and exciting will be waiting for you. Get there fast before everyone cottons on!

If the name sounds vaguely familiar, that’s because Cantina Fina is the sister restaurant of Roma favourite Fonda Fina, both of which are headed up by Chef Juan Cabrera. While Cantina Fina has been around for a couple of years now in its current Polanco destination, it’ll soon be upping sticks and moving to an as-yet-unspecified new location. For that reason, we couldn’t exclude Cantina Fina from the hottest (upcoming) restaurant openings this year in Mexico City! Whatever dish you order, make sure to accompany it with a decent mezcal.

La Roma’s Lorea officially opened its doors in February of this year, and this innovative joint is still garnering buzz across the city making it one to watch in 2017. This is no surprise either, when you consider that Lorea has all the hallmarks of a restaurant that will get people talking; the menu is composed of nothing but tasting menus (made up of between nine and a whopping 14 separate courses) and reservations are not just advisable, but obligatory.

Gourmet markets are taking hold in Mexico City of late, and the addition of Parián Condesa is a much-welcomed newbie on the capital’s dining scene. Situated, as the name suggests, in Condesa, at Parián Condesa there are upwards of ten different eating establishments huddled under one roof, from the vegan favourite Te Pone Vegan, to the innovative ice cream stores with liquid nitrogen desserts. Even the fussiest of eaters will be satisfied here.

Although the name may translate as ‘Jacinta Canteen’, Comedor Jacinta is so much more than that. The pet project of Chef Edgar Núñez, it offers up 100% Mexican sourced and inspired dishes such as Oaxacan tlayudas, sopes and the ever-classic mole with chicken and rice. Everything about Comedor Jacinta is simple, laid-back but always very well thought through and executed, from the décor to the dishes, so if you’re looking for somewhere that straddles the fine line between ‘fancy’ Mexican and traditional Mexican, look no further.

Parián Condesa isn’t the only gourmet market to make our list, with Coyoacán getting in on the act too, as a result of Mercado del Carmen Coyoacán’s inauguration in October of last year. Just as in Condesa, you can find a wide variety of cuisines, styles and options under one roof – 22 to be exact! Mexico City favourite Butcher and Sons can be found there, as can vegetarian Aura, Venazuelan La Arepica and chilaquil specialists Chilagüiches.

Did you think we’d finished with gourmet markets? Absolutely not! Our final nomination for the hottest Mexico City restaurant openings you must try in 2017 is Cocina Abierta. This time offering a selection of 15 different locales, Cocina Abierta is ideal for groups or solo diners, as you can sit at the bar and sample a bit of everything. Big name Mexico City restaurants like Dulcinea, Moshi Moshi, French bakery La Boheme and even Churrería del Carmen can be found there, so you’ll be spoilt for choice.