Spices of life ... a soft taco.Credit: iStock
Ute Junker discovers there's a lot more to Mexican food than crunchy tacos.
Favourite flavours
If you've never eaten Mexican food in Mexico, you've never eaten Mexican food. Forget stodgy, cheese-laden dishes; expect beans, tomatoes, pork and fish livened up with tangy garlic, onion, lime and plenty of chilli.
The local drop
Lesson No. 1: call it mezcal, not tequila. (Mezcal, or mescal, is the generic term; tequila is actually a specific regional variation). There are two ways to drink mescal. There's the uni-student approach - drink it till you drop. Or there's the local approach - savour the differences between various styles and stop at two. If you prefer the latter, head for the tiny La Botica (Campeche 396, Condesa, + 52 55 5211 6045), which has a bewildering range.
Top tables
In a 400-year-old building in the city's historic heart you'll find Los Girasoles (Plaza Manuel Tolsa, Calle Tacuba 8-10, Centro Historico, + 52 55 5510 0630, restaurantelosgirasoles.com). You can indulge in traditional favourites, more modern offerings such as pistachio cream soup, or even rustic dishes such as miniature fried grasshoppers.
Izote is consistently cited as one of the best restaurants in town, which is why you'll need to book in advance to try dishes such as shark fillet done with chillies, onion, garlic and the local epazote herb, or enchiladas stuffed with lobster. (Avenida Presidente Masarik 513, Polanco, + 52 55 5280 1671.)
If you're needing a break from Mexico City's non-stop bustle, head for Ivoire (95 Calle Emilio Castelar, Polanco, + 52 55 5280 0477), an airy French-influenced restaurant with nautical interiors surrounded by swathes of greenery. Great for lingering over lunch.
Budget bite
Mexican tacos are soft rather than crunchy; very different from the version we know. Head to Taqueria El Pastorcito (4503 Lorenzo Boturini Street, + 52 55 5764 1185), which has a reputation for serving the best in town - hence the queues out the front. A production line of cooks dish up tacos made with pork, beef, sausage or tongue, served with a sensational array of salsas.
Special night
With its minimalist decor and mood lighting, the sophisticated Pujol (Francisco Petrarca 254, Polanco, + 52 55 5545 4111, pujol.com.mx) could be in any city. However, its inventive cuisine - a tangy tuna ceviche drizzled with pumpkin seed sauce and mescal foam, or avocado ravioli with corn foam - is unmistakeably Mexican, albeit updated by one of their best chefs.
Locals love
Cafe La Habana (Morelos 62, Zona Rosa, + 52 55 46 2555) is a local institution, an atmospheric cafe that seems to be stuck in the 1950s when, according to legend, a young Fidel Castro plotted his revolution while here. Great coffee and hearty breakfasts, too.
Don't leave without trying
Walk down any street in Mexico City and you'll be struck by delicious aromas from a dozen different street stalls offering local specialities at cheap-as-chips prices. Use a bit of common sense - choose a vendor who's drawing a big crowd and whose equipment looks clean - and you should be fine. Esquites is a delicious version of popcorn - corn kernels boiled with jalapenos and epazote, garnished with lime juice, chilli salt, mayonnaise and cheese.
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