40 Condesa & Roma Norte Restaurants + Cafes, Mexico City

Mexico City locals will tell you Don Juan serves the best tacos in Condesa. Here I tried beef (bistek) tacos with Oaxacan cheese. I was impressed by the juiciness of the meat and the generous salsas and toppings to choose from.

This Condesa restaurant is very casual: grab a taco and eat it standing or perched on a bench outside.

Just one taco left me feeling stuffed; they were delicious but you won’t need many. Don Juan sell out by 5pm so visit for lunch instead of dinner.

El Tizoncito is a chain of restaurants in Condesa and Roma that claim to have invented tacos al pastor although sshh, I’ve heard this isn’t true. Still, I will forgive them because their tacos al pastor are mouthwatering.

If you’re not yet familiar with this dish, tacos al pastor came to Mexico thanks to Lebanese immigrants who settled in the capital. Using kebab meat to fill their tacos, they invented a new dish which is now popular across the country. Tacos al pastor are usually topped with pineapple, onion and cilantro (coriander).

The best thing about El Tizoncito is that however many tacos you order, they’ll come with a stand of tortilla chips and dips. Try the pale-coloured bean sauce which is now bottled and sold because locals love it so!

For a tasty meal at any time of day (apparently 2am is prime taco time for El Tizoncito), order at least three of these small tacos. There are also gringas (large wheat tacos with meat, melted cheese and pineapple) plus cheese fundido, soups, huarches and other classic dishes.

You can’t deny the appeal of Tacos Orinoco. Unlike other street stalls, this is a sit-down restaurant specialising in one dish: moreish meaty tacos.

The menu is short and sweet: choose between three types of meat, either trompo (al pastor), rez or chicharron.

I went for al pastor as I was new to Mexico and confused by the options but later went back and tried one of each served with crispy potatoes, something this restaurant is famous for. Wash it all down with a cold beer.

There are several of these restaurants in Roma Norte and they all get as busy as each other so go early if possible!

This busy street stall is famous all around the country. If you don’t know the words torta and chilaquiles, we need to change that.

Tortas are Mexican sandwiches packed with meat, cheese, veggies and salsas. Chilaquiles are fried tortilla chips topped with salsa, cream, cheese and often a fried egg.

What could be better than either of these dishes? Oh yes, combining them!

La Güera Tortas de Chilaquiles serve iconic chilaquiles tortas: indulgent tortas overflowing with chilaquiles, red or green salsa, and chicken or pork. Vegetarians can ask for them with just chips and salsa.

It’s best to arrive by 8am and get in the queue so they don’t sell out. Usually they’re all gone by 11am.

Tortas Al Fuego

Want a chilaquiles torta at any time of day without the line-up? Tortas Al Fuego serve tasty tortas with all number of fillings for 30-50 pesos. However, my favourite dish is the chilaquiles torta which is a bargain at 32 pesos.

It’s served from 8am-8pm so if you’ve missed the breakfast rush at La Güera Tortas de Chilaquiles, head here for lunch. This Roma Norte restaurant also serves tacos, gringas and other Mexican classics with veggie, meat and seafood toppings.

How many times have I been to El Moro? I can’t even count. This churro cafe is a chain with a few branches in Mexico City, the original in the Zocalo.

However, the prettiest El Moro is this one in Condesa. The white building with tiled walls looks out over Parque Mexico with outside seating and leafy surrounds.

Order four churros and dip them in liquid chocolate, cajeta (caramel) or condensed milk, or add a hot chocolate to your order and drip them straight in your drink. Heaven!

When wandering around the leafy parks of Condesa, you should definitely have a Clemont ice cream in hand.

This ice cream bar serves a number of flavours from coffee to matcha, fruit and chocolate. The ice cream is so rich and creamy.

If you really want to indulge in the Condesa food scene, there’s no better place than Ficelle Boulangerie Patisserie.

This bakery is French rather than Mexican, giving me another accent to butcher while ordering. There are endless macaroons, fruit tarts and other elegant cakes to choose from.

It’s a million miles from Mexican street food but I wanted to include everything in this Condesa and Roma food guide. Prices are inflated but it’s worth it for a treat.

Secret Donut Society

You won’t find a quirkier place to eat in Roma Norte than The Secret Donut Society. This hipster dessert bar is hidden away in an otherwise plain shop.

When you enter, all you’ll see is a luminous menu and yellow retro phone. You’ll have to work out for yourself how to order your doughnut and where to find it! No clues from me.

This ice cream bar in Roma serves delicious alcoholic ice creams. The tipsy mango ice cream was delicious and the staff were very friendly, letting me sample different flavours before purchasing.

Pick up a cup and eat it while wandering through Roma’s leafy parks.

Forte: This is probably my favourite coffee shop in Roma CDMX. Not only is the coffee excellent but the croissants and other pastries are absolutely delicious. I also love the hipster decor and the fluffy dog that seems to live here.

Cucurucho: This open-plan cafe in central Roma is a lovely place to sit outside with a book and people-watch. They even serve Mexican fusion drinks like coffee with horchata (cinnamon milk).

Clara y Ema are one of those places that serve just one signature dish but do it so well. Their delicious egg and cheese brioche breakfast buns can be upgraded to include bacon or sausage.

The combo with a huge and coffee for 140 pesos is a bargain!

Find the Condesa branch at Calle Juan Escutia 127 and a branch just north of Roma Norte at Calle Marsella 14.

Lalo is a busy, colourful cafe in Roma where guests share tables and the lines stretch down the street on weekends. Is it worth it? Probably but if you can visit on a weekday instead, do that.

While the other dishes look tasty, I don’t think you can beat the warm French toast topped fruit compote and a melty dollop of ice cream.

As the name suggests, this bright and colourful cafe serves chilaquiles, in other words, fried tortilla chips with all manner of toppings. You can have meat, salsa, fried, egg, nopales (cactus), mole, cheese and more.

Chilakiler’s Loungería is a few minutes west of Condesa in Tacubaya but I’m including it anyway because it’s the bomb. They don’t take card so remember to bring cash.

Food markets in Condesa and Roma

If the best Roma and Condesa restaurants sound too fancy for your tastes, why not browse a food market and grab something on the go? I would suggest…

As long as you’re not expecting an authentic Mexican food market from Mercado Roma, you will enjoy this vibey venue with its hipster feel. Lots of the Roma and Condesa restaurants and cafes have pop-up stalls here serving their signature dishes.

You can eat brunch, sip coffee and try Mexican dishes at slightly inflated prices compared to local restaurants and street food. Expect to pay around 100 pesos a meal.

Mercado de Medellin

For a bustling and authentic market, you can ditch Mercado de Roma and come down to Mercado de Medellin.

This Colombian market in Roma Sur is packed with fresh fruit, flowers, butchers and street stalls. It’s the total antidote to the hipster cafes in Condesa.

There’s also a section of sit-down restaurants at the back where you can eat authentic food for 50 pesos. Make the most of the paquette meals which often include a soup and a drink for around 80 pesos.