eat like Bourdain
🇲🇽 Where Bourdain Ate in Mexico City
10 places across Parts Unknown & No Reservations
“Mexico City is one of the most underrated food cities on the planet. The markets alone are worth the trip.”
Bourdain was a fierce defender of Mexican food and Mexican culture. He repeatedly called Mexican cuisine one of the world's greatest, and Mexico City was his gateway to it. He explored markets, street stalls, and high-end restaurants with equal enthusiasm.
What Bourdain Loved About Mexico City
The markets — La Merced, San Juan, Coyoacán — sensory overload in the best way
Street tacos at 2am after mezcal — the perfect end to any night
Mole — the complexity and depth of a sauce that takes days to make
The mezcal culture — he helped popularize mezcal in America
Pujol and the high-end Mexican cuisine that rivals any fine dining in the world
Episodes Featuring Mexico City
Parts Unknown — S4 E3: Mexico City
A celebration of Mexican food, culture, and resilience
No Reservations — S4 E15: Mexico
Falls in love with Mexican cuisine — and defends it fiercely
Travel Tips for Eating in Mexico City
Tony's Advice
Go to a market. Eat everything that scares you. That's the Bourdain way in Mexico City.
Find a place to stay in Mexico City →What to Skip
- ✕Hotel zone restaurants that serve 'international cuisine'
- ✕Anywhere that treats salsa as an afterthought
- ✕Tourist trap cantinas in the Zona Rosa
Every Place Bourdain Visited in Mexico City
10 placesEscuela de Box Rudy Perez
Avenida De Los Bosques
Tony visited this boxing gym to speak with boxer Jorge Lacierva
MIGAS La Guera
Toltecas
Located in a large public market in the neighborhood of Tepito, which is known to be a rough area to live in. Tony and hosts had migas: Cracked ham bones stewed with garlic, onion, cascabel chiles, and epazote; thickened with stale bread and served with tortillas.
Máximo Bistrot
Avenida Álvaro Obregón
Tony ate in Chef Eduardo Garcia's kitchen at this restaurant, one of the hottest places in Mexico. He ate abalone with chiles, lemon, and brown butter; confit of suckling pig, "topped with grandma’s salsa and served on a tortilla."
Cantina La Mascota
Peatonal Dolores
Tony met with Carlos, who took over his job as head chef at Les Halles. Breakfast with tequila. Food is free with drinks.
Calle Bajío & Chilpancingo
4 Sur (chilpancingo)
Site of Dona Anastasia's blue corn quesadillas stuffed with various fillings. It's a food stand on the corner.
Eating your way through Mexico City? Stay within walking distance of these spots.
Tacos El Huequito
Calle Ayuntamiento
Arguably the best al pastor tacos in the city
Pulquería Las Duelistas
Aranda
Not sure if this is the exact pulqueria is (where they serve pulque, an alcoholic cactus sap drink) and some sort of Mexican moonshine
Fonda Margarita
Calle Adolfo Prieto
Family style breakfast. Huevos rancheros, beans, tortitas, stews, chicharron
Xochimilco
Calle Xaltocan
Tony hired a boat to learn the history of the canals here, remnants of the ancient Aztec city that originated here (and later became Mexico City)
Latin American Gym
1 Oriente (anillo De Circunvalación)
Wrestling
Where to stay in Mexico City
All hotels →Hotels and rentals around the places he ate — his spots are pinned on the map.
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More atlases
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