Mexico’s culinary landscape mirrors the diversity of its varied geography, with myriad options to discover the true complexity of the country’s palate.
“Mexico’s gastronomic traditions can be seen on almost every street, at small taquerias and regional restaurants,” says Cesar Aceves Araiza, special projects for the Mexico Tourism Board. “But there’s a group of young cooks widening the borders of that tradition to explore what 21st century high-end Mexican cuisine actually means.”
Mexican Metros
Mexico City sets the standard when it comes to culinary prowess.
“Mexico City's culinary scene is energetic, diverse and exciting, rivaling cities like Paris and New York, and attracting top international chefs and restaurateurs,” says Hugo Vela, vice president general for CANIRAC (National Chamber for The Restaurant Industry). “You can find everything from gourmet fare in Michelin-star restaurants to casual street carts serving traditional treats. Simply stroll down the sidewalks of distinct neighborhoods like Santa Fe, Roma and Polanco, where the dining options are abundant.”
Groups can sample some of the country’s haute cuisine at Mexico City’s many heralded fusion restaurants, such as Pujol, featuring the creations of chef Enrique Olvera, who melds contemporary and traditional influences. Groups of up to 12 can utilize Pujol’s private event space. Meanwhile, the Spanish and Mexican modern fusion cuisine of Mikel Alonso, executive chef at Biko, is a local favorite.
Champs Elysees, a longtime celebrity-luring French restaurant, recently moved to a new location in Polanco, offering views of Reforma Avenue. The new location welcomes groups.
Young chef Edgar Nunez’s French-influenced Sud 777 has become a destination for gastronomes keen on sampling items like wheatgrass and goat cheese ice cream. The restaurant’s three levels, including gardens, are open to groups.
Aside from the varied dining experiences, groups can also partake of a culinary tour with Eat Mexico. The company focuses on street food, markets and fondas—mom-and-pop joints with just a few tables.
“Our tours are designed for people who want to dig deeper into Mexican food, and navigate the scene as a local would,” says Lesley Tellez, Eat Mexico’s owner. “We take you anywhere from street stands to tiny, family-run restaurants. And we can design custom food experiences you won’t find anywhere else through our network of local chefs, foodies, farmers and people passionate about the local scene.”
Custom tours are an option, with past experiences including a visit to a rural corn farm and a program highlighting the city’s spice shops.
Eat Mexico also operates tours in Puebla, the birthplace of two of Mexico’s most famous dishes: mole poblano and chiles en nogada. On its mole tour, the company can take groups to see where mole pots are shaped and fired.
Known mostly for its tequila tasting venues such as Mundo Cuervo, Guadalajara also stakes its claim as a culinary destination. Locals head to Chapultapec and the outlying Tlaquapaque for taco stands and torta vendors, while creative fusion fare is dished out in gourmand-centric venues like Lula Bistro.
Groups can sample the city’s main dishes with Guadalajara Food Tours, visiting historic cafes and newer culinary hot spots, as well as sampling staples such as the torta ahogada or “drowned sandwich.” The company also offers a pub crawl.
Los Cabos
Fresh produce, abundant seafood and an array of well-heeled chefs help place Los Cabos on the forefront of Mexico’s dining scene.
“Los Cabos is really growing as a unique culinary destination,” says Julieta Hernandez Vargas, commercial director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board. “Trends include organic farms and restaurants. These farms are supplying organic produce, poultry and meat to local chefs. And if you go, you can find celebrities there.”
One of the most popular farm-to-table locales is Flora Farm, drawing the likes of George Clooney, Bono and even hosting the wedding of Adam Levine and model Behati Prinsloo. Set on 10 acres in the hills above San Jose del Cabo, Flora Farm includes Field Kitchen, a restaurant, and Farm Bar, specializing in craft cocktails, as well as it farm.
Groups can host receptions in the herb garden amphitheater, lakeside lawn or hilltop altar, among other spaces.
Huerta Los Tamarindos, an organic farm and restaurant in San Jose Del Cabo, offers farm tours and cooking classes. Each class starts with a tour of the fields, where guests gather their ingredients. The chef then offers an in-depth discussion of each recipe the students will learn how to prepare.
Meanwhile, the destination’s top culinary event is Sabor a Cabo, an annual festival that takes place at the end of the year and spotlights local chefs and guest chefs from around the world, wine tastings, artisanal beer tastings and other events.
“Meeting planners can wrap a program around the festival for attendees who like great food and wine,” Vargas says.
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Pacific Coast
Along the Pacific Coast, tourist destinations like Ixtapa, Acapulco, and Puerto Vallarta offer menus heavy in local seafood.
“In Puerto Vallarta we have a very rich dining experience that is constantly evolving,” says Nacho Cadena, chef at La Leche, one of Puerto Vallarta’s most popular restaurants. “Our chefs are often traveling to new locations, exchanging ideas with other chefs from around the world, and we often host international chefs in our restaurants who are in turn inspired by our local cuisine. This allows us to continue our tradition of evolution while maintaining our culinary past.”
La Leche can provide groups with a dining experience that includes all the senses, according to Cadena, incorporating food with music and art.
Cooking classes are available for groups at El Arrayan, where chefs can teach more than 35 recipes from diverse regions throughout Mexico. Arte Culinario can also offer cooking classes and wine pairings for groups.
Vallarta Food Tours’ food tasting and walking tours introduce visitors to Puerto Vallarta’s culture through its cuisine, from off-the-beaten path eateries to popular taco stands.
Puerto Vallarta also offers a number of gastronomy events throughout the year.
For 10 days in November, Festival Gourmet International, held in Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit, showcases approximately 30 guest chefs from around the world who participate in chef’s tables, winemaker dinners, chocolate pairings, cooking demonstrations, and tequila and wine tastings.
Some of Riviera Nayarit’s properties offer cooking lessons for groups, including St. Regis Punta Mita, Four Seasons Punta Mita, Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit, Imanta Resort and Hotel Garza Canela, where chef Betty Vazquez is renowned for her delicious creations at El Delfin Restaurant.
The area’s newest restaurant is Eva Mandarina Beach Club, focusing on fish and seafood, as well as craft cocktails.
Gastronomy plays an important role in the Sun Triangle, encompassing Acapulco, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo and Taxco.
“Our cities boast a rich gastronomic history of more than 165 years,” says Javier Aluni Montes, secretary of tourism for the state of Guerrero. “Over the years, our unique culinary tradition has adapted to new international trends, while remaining true to the authenticity of the area.”
According to Montes, Zihuatanejo is embracing vegan and vegetarian trends, so much so that the Viceroy Zihuatanejo launched vegan and vegetarian menus.
“Rather than merely offering a few special dishes like many other hotels, we wanted our guests to enjoy complete menus with choices and options,” says Martin Kipping, general manager at Viceroy Zihuatanejo.
One of the more recent restaurants to open in Zihuatanejo, La Katrina, focuses on regional mezcals and traditional dishes. La Katrina is a popular spot for groups.
In Acapulco, the latest entry to the dining scene is Shrine, which specializes in international flavors and can host groups of up to 200 inside and on its outside terrace.
Mexican Caribbean
Along the Yucatan Peninsula, cuisine takes its own identity, with dishes like pollo or cochinita (chicken or pork) pibil—meat marinated in achiote, bitter orange and spices.
“With culinary tourism on the rise, Cancun has met these needs by offering group culinary experiences that showcase Mexican cuisine and the Yucatan roots that this part of the country is known for, whether it’s cooking classes at top restaurants or learning about and tasting the Yucatan’s traditional cuisine at a local Mayan village,” says Jesus Almaguer, CEO of the Cancun Tourism Board.
Options to savor Yucatecan cuisine in Cancun include El Posito, owned by a local family, while Cancun is home to three AAA Five Diamond Award-winning restaurants: Fantino, the Club Grill at The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun and Le Basilic at Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach. Other hotels offer fine dining venues like Tempo in Paradisus Cancun, headed by Michelin-star chef Martin Berasategui.
Meanwhile, the Cancun-Riviera Maya Wine & Food Festival showcases notable restaurants and chefs. Groups can also attend the annual Holbox Gastronomic Festival Holbox on a small island off the coast.
