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20 Unique Restaurants in Mexico City You Must Try
Mexico City is a foodie town. There are amazing, world-renowned Mexico City restaurant spots with a tasting menu of Mexican cuisine that will make your taste buds dance.
If that’s what you’re seeking, this list isn’t for you. Sorry, but we aren’t fine dining Michelin star chasers. We’re more street food people.
We also tend to seek out cool and quirky, themed restaurants that entertain Little Man while we’re waiting for the food to arrive. CDMX doesn’t disappoint in this area either!
After spending over a month there, we found the most unique restaurants in Mexico City experiences that will delight your eyes as well as your tongue.
Warning: None of the restaurants on this list have been checked for fancy foodie requests like wine lists or local ingredients. Keep reading, though, if you’re seeking unique restaurants in Mexico City in which to eat.
Most Unique Restaurants in Mexico City
Every unique restaurant in Mexico city on our list is outside Centro, but most of them are pretty easy to get to from the Historic Center as well as other popular tourist neighborhoods in the city.
1. Catfecito Cat Cafe
☑️ Address: Avenida Baja California 266, Colonia Condesa, Cuauhtémoc, 06100 Ciudad de México, CDMX
☑️ Hours: 12 pm – 8 pm Tuesday to Saturday
This Mexico city lounge combines a love of adoptable felines with tasty snacks and beverages.
From burgers with cat faces burned into the buns to desserts shaped like cats, every food item here is all about cats. There are even cat-head-shaped conchas!
Fun Fact: Conchas are shell-shaped Mexican sweet bread (pan dulce) sold at bakeries (panaderias) throughout the US and Mexico.
Even the drinks are cat-themed! If you order a coffee beverage, there are cute little cat footprints on top. And if you prefer an adult drink, they even have a line of artisanal microbrew beers called Meow.
The best part is that all the cats are living at Catfecito in partnership with a local rescue. Every kitty there is adoptable if you fall in love with one!
2. Cereal Station
☑️ Address: Cuernavaca Calle, Colonia Condesa, Cuauhtémoc, 06140 Ciudad de México, CDMX
☑️ Hours: 10 am – 7 pm daily
Walking into Estacion Cereal is like walking backward in time. The walls are covered in vintage cereal box designs from floor to ceiling. I saw several boxes of brands that I know were discontinued in the 1980s!
This cereal shop allows you to mix up to three kinds of cereal, add unlimited toppings to the mixtures, and even choose custom-color milk to pour on top.
Fun Fact: The kinds of milk offered include lactose-free, almond, and soy varieties in addition to regular milk.
While most of the cereals here are sugar-laden varieties, often with marshmallows, there are some healthy choices. Well, sort of. Frosted Mini-Wheats and Raisin Bran were available when we visited. But what’s the fun in that?!
A Harry Potter Cafe
There are FOUR unique restaurants in Mexico City that are Harry Potter-themed. Each is in a different neighborhood with a very unique vibe. Some are pretty far from the city center, but clearly, CDMX is full of Potterheads!
3. El Caldero Chorreado
☑️ Address: Avenida Pdte. Plutarco Elías Calles #1886, Banjidal, Iztapalapa, 09450 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
☑️ Hours: 1:30 pm – 9:15 pm Wednesday to Sunday
The Leaky Cauldron is a casual eatery south of Centro Historico that sells Harry Potter merchandise in addition to the themed decor and food.
Tasty Tip: Butterbeer is one of the Leaky Cauldron’s house specialties.
It was actually the first Harry Potter-themed restaurant in CDMX. This means it’s also pretty busy, so if you go during prime dining hours contact the restaurant to make a reservation.
4. El Meson de Tres Magos
☑️ Address: Andorra 16, Carmen, Benito Juárez, 03540 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
☑️ Hours: 1 pm – 9 pm Tuesday to Sunday
The most famous Potterhead Mexico City restaurant experience in the city is “The Inn of the Three Magicians,” which is located in the Benito Juárez neighborhood.
Here you can order anything from butterbeer to poly juice potion as well as some pretty exotic foods. You can also watch on screen one of the films of the saga.
5. Incantatum Velox Roma
☑️ Address: Puebla 269, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX
☑️ Hours: 12 pm – 8 pm Tuesday to Sunday
Located in Roma Norte, Incantatum is a coffee shop more than a full-service restaurant. For only 60 pesos, you can enjoy a dessert and coffee while oggling the wall-to-wall decor and quotes from the magic world of Harry Potter.
6. Patronus
☑️ Address: Mixcoac 21, Merced Gómez, Álvaro Obregón, 01600 Ciudad de México, CDMX
☑️ Hours: 1 pm – 8 pm Monday to Friday; 1:30 pm – 8 pm Saturday
Patronus has a delicious American-inspired menu including burgers, milkshakes, and even something called pizza dogs. They’re a combination of hot dogs and pizza, and allegedly the restaurant is famous in CDMX for these tasty bites.
The restaurant is also decorated with various items easily recognized in the Harry Potter movies, including the Sorting Hat and some flying brooms.
Our favorite thing about Patronus is the mini birthday cakes you can order that are stylized like the cake Hagrid gives to Harry in the movies.
7. Comicx
☑️ Address: Ejidale 1 Nte. 259, Buenavista, Cuauhtémoc, 06350 Ciudad de México, CDMX
☑️ Hours: 1 pm – 11 pm daily
We chose to come here because Little Man loves Marvel superhero movies. However, we quickly discovered that this place is one of the most kid-friendly restaurants in Mexico City!
There is a free video arcade with several old-school video game stands. In addition, there is a two-story play structure built into the sidewall of the restaurant. Plus, the kids’ meals come with a free toy!
Comicx serves a combination of Mexican and American fare. The pizzas are allegedly pretty tasty but we found their burgers to be just okay. However, their traditional Mexican pastor tacos are pretty amazing!
8. Down the Rabbit Hole
☑️ Address: Casa del Obrero Mundial 839, Álamos, Benito Juárez, 03400 Ciudad de México, CDMX
☑️ Hours: 12 pm – 9 pm Tuesday to Friday; 10 am – 9 pm Saturday, Sunday
Down the Rabbit Hole is an Alice in Wonderland-themed coffee shop. It specializes in coffees, crepes, desserts, and milkshakes.
Fun Fact: The theme is based on the books, not the movies.
Because it’s more of a coffee shop than a restaurant, go for afternoon tea rather than a meal. It gets pretty busy on weekends, so pick a weekday if you can.
9. El Meson de Cid
☑️ Address: Humboldt 61, Colonia Centro, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06040 Ciudad de México, CDMX
☑️ Hours: 12 pm – 6 pm Sunday, Monday; 12 pm – 10 pm Tuesday to Saturday
This Medieval theme restaurant serves tapas and Spanish food. It has a lovely ambiance to enjoy a meal there at any time. However, this place offers a truly unique restaurant in Mexico City experience on Sundays.
Pro Tip: Each week, at 8 pm, they serve a traditional medieval dinner.
This includes a hog roast. In addition to the meal, there are jugglers, dancers, magicians, and Medieval period music.
Dining during regular restaurant hours doesn’t require reservations. However, to take advantage of the special Sunday Mexico City restaurant experience, you must make reservations in advance.
10. Hello Kitty Cafe
☑️ Address: Plaza Carso Shopping Center, Upstairs Next to InSpark
☑️ Hours: 10 am – 7 pm daily
This upscale dessert and coffee bar in the Polanco neighborhood is incredibly popular with locals and tourists alike. We tried to go twice and the walk-in line had a 2+ hour wait!
Pro Tip: Make reservations to avoid waiting in long lines.
Once you get into the cafe it’s worth the effort, though. Each dessert and food item is Hello Kitty-themed. It’s a lot of fun! And the food tastes good, too.
11. Joe Gelato
☑️ Address: Calle Versalles 78, Juárez, Cuauhtémoc, 06600 Ciudad de México, CDMX
☑️ Hours: 12 pm to 7 pm Tuesday to Sunday
This gelato cream shop serves traditional flavors, like vanilla and chocolate. However, it also sells unique options, like Mezcal with Tamarind gelato or Red Wine sorbet.
The flavors are all made on-site. They change daily. This photo is what was available on the day we visited. So take this as a guide rather than a promise before your visit.
12. La Strega
☑️ Address: Maricopa 11, Nápoles, Benito Juárez, 03810 Ciudad de México, CDMX
☑️ Hours: 8 am – 6 pm Sunday; 8 am – 11 pm Monday to Saturday
This slightly creepy, witch-themed restaurant serves Italian and Mediterranean fare. The tamarind margaritas and the homemade bread are really tasty!
It’s a bit more upscale in the evenings, with lots of people going there for dates. So if you want to have the creepy vibe with a bit more casual feeling, go for breakfast instead.
13. Salem Witch Store & Coffee
☑️ Address: Diagonale San Antonio 1747, Narvarte Poniente, Benito Juárez, 03020 Ciudad de México, CDMX
☑️ Hours: 9:30 am – 10 pm daily
The decor at this witch-themed coffee shop is on the nose, with broomsticks and black cats. They even serve drinks with flying witches or pointy hats sprinkled on top!
Fun Fact: Apparently, they even conduct seances from time to time.
It’s a large space, with three whole floors decorated in the witchcraft theme. There is a beautiful roof garden as well as a tiny and lovely grilling terrace. The food is pretty delicious, too.
14. Trooper Gourmet
☑️ Address: Calle Antillas 502, Portales Nte, Benito Juárez, 03300 Ciudad de México, CDMX
☑️ Hours: 2 pm – 8:30 pm Sunday; 2 pm – 10 pm Monday to Saturday
This Star Wars-themed unique restaurant in Mexico City is a treasure trove for Star Wars fans. Someone clearly collected Star Wars paraphernalia for decades before opening this restaurant.
Fun Fact: There’s even a coin-operated arcade game, so bring some pesos.
Little Man said this place has some of the best burgers he’s ever tried. He’s become a bit of a burger connoisseur so this is high praise. I’m inclined to agree with him, though. Skip ordering fries though. Ours were undercooked and had a weird, sweet seasoning.
Pro Tip: Go early on a weekday if you can, or be prepared to wait for a table.
We visited Trooper Gourmet on Star Wars Day (May 4). It was really busy! I thought it was just the “holiday.” However, apparently, it’s always crowded. This makes sense because there are only eight tables in the entire restaurant.
15. Zombie Diner
☑️ Address: Calzada de Tlalpan 618, Moderna, Benito Juárez, 03510 Ciudad de México, CDMX
☑️ Hours: 1 pm – 10 pm Sunday; 1 pm – 11 pm Monday – Thursday; 1 pm – 1 am Friday and Saturday
CDMX loves Zombies so much that there’s a restaurant dedicated to them. This unique restaurant in Mexico City experience is not for the faint-hearted, though.
The decor inside has a fair amount of fake blood, and several of the zombie displays are pretty realistic.
If you go on a weekend evening, it’ll be pretty busy because there is live music from local bands. A lot of them are tributes to US grunge and metal bands of the 1970s-1990s. So expect it to be loud.
Pro Tip: If you have very young or very sensitive kids, you may want to hold off on visiting this one.
We saw a family entering with two young kids that both looked to be under six. When the parents started to enter the restaurant, both of the kids burst into tears and one tried to run away.
16. Doncella Cafe
☑️ Address: Ezequiel Montes 73, Tabacalera, Cuauhtémoc, 06030 Ciudad de México, CDMX
☑️ Hours: 12 pm – 8 pm Tuesday to Saturday, 9 am to 1 pm Sunday
If you love Disney, then you need to put Doncella Cafe on your Mexico City itinerary. This unique restaurant in Mexico City experience is modeled on Disney princesses.
From Aladdin’s lamp and Belle’s rose to Sleeping Beauty’s spinning wheel and Mulan’s pagoda, there are tokens of every princess in this restaurant.
Even the food is crafted to reflect the princesses. From burgers with crowns burned into the bun tops to desserts that look like Snow White’s apple or Cinderella’s glass slipper, everyone will find something to enjoy here.
Pro Tip: Make reservations because it’s almost impossible to walk in and eat.
17. Helado Obscuro
☑️ Address: Avenida Tamaulipas 67A, Colonia Condesa, Cuauhtémoc, 06140 Ciudad de México, CDMX
☑️ Hours: 12 pm – 7:30 pm daily
This isn’t just another weird flavored ice cream shop. Well, it is. But this unique restaurant in Mexico City experience also sells ice cream with alcohol in it!
And all the flavors have cute titles. Some are even named after mythical creatures, like Frankenstein or Chewbacca.
Don’t worry, not all the ice cream has alcohol! There are some non-alcoholic flavors as well so the kiddos don’t have to sit and watch you eat it all.
18. La Caracola Magica
☑️ Address: Calle Chichimecas 432, Ajusco, Coyoacán, 04300 Ciudad de México, CDMX
☑️ Hours: 1 pm to 8 pm Saturday and Sunday
This Sponge Bob Square Pants-themed unique restaurant in Mexico City takes a bit of planning to get to.
The Magic Conch is located in southern Coyoacan, so the easiest way to visit would be before or after seeing the Frida Kahlo house.
From pictures of Sponge Bob on the wall as Employee of the Month to cute, themed food, anyone who loves Sponge Bob will enjoy a meal here.
19. Level Up Game Bar
☑️ Address: Monterrey 227, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX
☑️ Hours: 2 pm – 10 pm Sunday, Wednesday, and Thursday; 2 pm – 12 am Friday and Saturday
Each table in this unique restaurant in Mexico City has its own TV and gaming console. You can order food and drinks while playing video games with your group.
250 pesos gets you an hour of gameplay on an emulator console. That money can be used toward food or drink orders.
The focus here is on old-school games, so think NES and Sega titles rather than Playstation 6 or XBox Series X. If you take your kids, go early because it can get rowdy in the evenings.
Also, be prepared to explain to them how the games work and why the graphics are bad if they haven’t seen 8-bit programming before.
20. La Gruta
☑️ Address: Circuito Arqueologico, Av. del Puente S/N, 55820 San Francisco Mazapa, México
☑️ Hours: 8 am – 7 pm daily
This is the only unique restaurant in Mexico City experience not actually located in the boroughs of the city. However, it’s within walking distance of the Teotihuacan pyramids.
Pro Tip: If you take a day trip, stop here for lunch before returning to CDMX.
This is a unique restaurant in Mexico City (well just outside it) in a totally different way. It’s in a cave! You actually walk down a couple of flights of stairs into what is basically a dried-out cenote.
While much of the food isn’t very kid-friendly, the menu does have quesadillas and guacamole.
If you are traveling with picky eaters, who won’t even eat those things then you may want to skip this place. There are no burgers or chicken nuggets here.
Getting to the Most Unique Restaurants in Mexico City
These unique restaurants in Mexico City are located all over the place. CDMX is one of the places we don’t recommend renting a car to get around.
Traffic is horrible most of the time, parking can be difficult, and there are many rules about who can drive on which days.
Instead, either take public transit or rideshare. It costs 5 pesos to take the red buses you see all around the city. They have large, designated stops on major streets throughout the city.
In addition, it costs 6 pesos to take the subway. Each line is color-coded and transfers between lines are free, so it’s pretty easy to use.
In addition, Uber is plentiful in Mexico City, as are Didi and Beat. If prices aren’t surging, you can generally find a ride between neighborhoods for under 100 pesos ($5 USD). Even at the worst surge times, prices rarely exceed 200 pesos ($10 USD).
Related Reading:
11 Safest Neighborhoods in Mexico City
29 Best Things to Do in Mexico City with Kids
Conclusion: Most Unique Restaurants in Mexico City
The most unique restaurants in Mexico City are as diverse as the city itself.
While we generally write our blog for traveling families, we saw groups of just adults everywhere we ate in CDMX. They had just as much fun as we did!
While there are a ton of fun things to do in Mexico City, there are also a lot of really fun places to eat.
Make sure you include at least some of the spots on this list in your next visit to the largest city in Latin America!
