The husband
After winning over the people of Valle de Guadalupe with his Baja-style cuisine at Fauna Restaurant, Chef David Castro Hussong has finally brought his skills to the capital. His neighborhood restaurant in Lomas de Chapultepec offers Mediterranean-style dishes with a twist; pumpkin blossom with hummus and octopus tostadas with matcha and avocado are two of the most inventive combinations.
The exterior of Cariñito
Marco Vallejo
One of Cariñito’s tacos
Marco VallejoCarinito
This hole-in-the-wall taquería serves just one thing: Southeast Asian-inspired pork belly tacos. Well, that and a vegetarian option once in a while. Filled with surprising ingredients like mint and basil, the flavors nod to Mongolian and Thai cuisine, and almost every week a new chef is brought in to create different unique dishes. Order and follow with a beer or sour cider.
Nadie’s Coffee
Located in the same place where estridentists– supporters of the avant-garde movement of the early 20th century, stridentism – once gathered to talk shop, the idea of Café de Nadie (“Nobody’s Cafe”) was conceived by a group of DJs, who share between them a collection of more than 1,500 vinyl records. Unsurprisingly, the music is at the center of everything, but the food and drinks have a lot of merits too. Celeb chef Pedro Peña (of Buenos Aires’ Niño Gordo, La Carnicería, and acclaimed Florería Atlántico) is behind the gastropub-style menu; try the kimchi croquettes or the mushroom tacos.
My Compa “Chava”
Inspired by the seafood carts of Sinaloa, chef Salvador Orozco (Chava is his nickname) highlights ingredients straight from the Pacific. Order the Señora Torres, a huge tower of raw and cooked shrimp, tuna, octopus and scallops, piled high and topped with a brilliant salsa.
A spread at Pollo Bruto
Juan Pablo CelisPollo Bruto
Born and raised in Monterrey, northeast Mexico, DJ and chef Pollo Bruto de Nano serves up chicken prepared countless ways: whole chicken in a green, yellow, or red salsa; Chicken Tacos; crispy chicken wings (perhaps the best in town); chicken burritos and bowls; and side dishes like frijoles charros and pinto beans simmered with bacon and chorizo that are anything but an afterthought.
Hugo
Created by the creators of Café Milou, this French bistro with a curated wine list highlights sparkling rosés from Auvergne, orange wines from Georgia and natural wines from Tecate, near the US-Mexico border. Light bites like oysters and crab are great for sharing; plates of schnitzel and roast chicken offer heartier dishes.
A version of this article originally appeared in the September/October 2021 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here.
