Street tacos in Mexico City, Mexico
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For the first time ever, Mexico is co-hosting the men’s FIFA World Cup, and from June 11 to July 19, matches will take place across Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey, bringing global attention to three cities that each represent a different expression of Mexican cuisine.
In Mexico City, street food and centuries-old dishes sit alongside contemporary fine dining; in Guadalajara, Jalisco’s celebrated culinary traditions, including birria and the region’s tequila heritage, take center stage; and in Monterrey, the bold flavors of northern Mexico, rooted in grilled meats and cross-border influences, shape the table.
To help visitors eat like locals, I asked a chef from each host city to share the restaurants that best reflect how and where they eat today.
Mexico City
As the country’s capital, Mexico City is a world-renowned gastronomic mecca. With a vibrant culinary ecosystem found in the street food scene—marked by incredibly flavorful bites found at highly affordable prices—the city has also made a splash in global fine dining over recent decades. Chefs including Patricia Quintana and Monica Patiño were part of the culinary movement that led to Enrique Olvera opening Pujol in 2000, pioneering modern Mexican fine dining. Since then, a new generation of chefs has built on that legacy, earning international acclaim while celebrating the country’s regional ingredients and culinary heritage.
Interiors of Chef Fabiola Escobosa’s restaurant, Cana
Cana Restaurant
Fabiola Escobosa is one of the chefs carrying that legacy forward, having joined Olvera’s team as Executive Chef of Casamata in 2019. By spring 2023, the doors to her first restaurant had opened: CANA, located in Mexico City’s Juárez neighborhood.
Born in Mexicali to a pastry chef mother, Escobosa found her culinary calling at a young age. Frequenting Ensenada seafood carts (carretas), she quickly took to local products and techniques that remain at the core of her cooking today—whether at CANA or her new restaurant GIA, paying homage to her years spent working in New York City.
- Favorite local restaurant right now: Ultramarinos. I actually just went this past weekend!
- The one dish to order there: The caracol (sea snail) to share. I also ordered the clams, a seafood tower, and a taco gobernador—everything was absolutely delightful.
- Why I love the place: I love how fresh the seafood is—it’s incredibly savory—and I love that they serve everything with flour tortillas. The service is also excellent, they always have great music, and the atmosphere is relaxed with a wonderful casual vibe.
Guadalajara
As the cultural heart of Jalisco, Guadalajara is a masterclass of culinary contrasts. Centuries-old family recipes sit beside boundary-pushing contemporary restaurants, but chief among them all is the city’s deep respect for local ingredients and tradition.
For Guadalajara-born chef Francisco “Paco” Ruano, consistency, creativity and innovation have defined his approach to modern Mexican cuisine. His flagship restaurant Alcade is a whopping testament to that, having earned international acclaim, including recognition from the Michelin Guide and The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. From chinchayote with panela cheese and avocado leaf oil to cajeta flan with smoked bone marrow and wood sorrel jelly, each dish reflects the creativity that has made Ruano one of Mexico’s most celebrated chefs, so I asked him where he likes to eat when he’s not in his own kitchen.
Dishes served at Alcade
© María Laura Castro M 2025
- Favorite local restaurant right now: Kasuga
- The one dish to order there: Order the omakase
- Why I love the place: It’s a great journey of Guadalajara and Japan through the hands of a Japanese chef that loves Mexico.
Monterrey
Chef Rodrigo Rivera-Río
KOLI Cocina de Origen
Alongside brothers Patricio and Daniel, Chef Rodrigo Rivera-Río launched KOLI Cocina de Origen in 2015 with the goal of promoting the northeastern gastronomy of Nuevo León. Having grown up with a deep connection to the land and an appreciation for farmers (his father worked in agriculture and livestock), sustainability and reliance on local producers remain central to his ethos.
Dishes such as meteoritos de atropellado reflect that approach, paying tribute to the gastronomic culture of Nuevo León through inventive contemporary technique. And at KOLI, the brothers have created a convivial, community-driven space that feels like an extension of their own home, a philosophy of hospitality that runs through everything they do—and extends to the restaurants Chef Rivera-Río chooses to recommend.
- Favorite local restaurant right now: Cometa
- The one dish to order there: The lechón al ataúd and the crab tacos
- Why I love the place: Because it captures the essence of contemporary Mexican cuisine while staying true to its roots. The restaurant combines creativity, technique and outstanding ingredients in a way that feels both refined and approachable, making every visit memorable.
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