This probably isn’t the first time you’ve heard of Contramar, and it won’t be the last. It’s legendary for its seafood-focused menu, and you should absolutely make a point to come here for the tuna tostadas and whole fish covered in red and green sauce. Make a reservation for lunch, when the sprawling dining room becomes an all-out party. If this is your first time in CDMX, a meal at Contramar is essential dining.

Plaza Rio de Janeiro could easily be considered the heart of Roma—it’s home to two of the colonia’s most iconic landmarks, La Casa de las Brujas and the statue of David—and it’s also where you’ll find some really excellent restaurants. This includes Marmota, which might just be the best of the bunch. All of their meat is farm-raised, most of their produce is sourced locally, and just about everything on the hearty menu is cooked in a wood oven and comes out nice and smoky.

You probably already know that Orinoco has some of the best tacos in town, and even if you’ve been before, you should still prioritize at least one late-night visit during your trip. Definitely get a round of the tacos de chicharrón—instead of crispy, potato chip-like slices of fried pork rinds, Orinoco’s are soft on the inside and seared on the outside, resulting in a fun mix of textures. And, yes, you should also try their tacos al pastor, which are arguably the best in all of CDMX.

Rosetta is a beautiful restaurant inside a townhouse, with a menu that’s predominantly Italian with a Mexican twist. Expect things like pillowy ricotta-stuffed ravioli swimming in a creamy lemon sauce, and tagliatelle punched up with some chile de árbol. Our favorite time to be here is lunch when the room fills with light, but if you’re traveling with a significant other and looking for a romantic night out, dinner at Rosetta should be at the top of your list.

Chicken is a key ingredient in enchiladas, mole, and chilaquiles, so a restaurant entirely focused on poultry makes a lot of sense in CDMX. The options here are varied: you can get a Middle Eastern-inspired grilled flour tortilla sandwich slathered with labneh and shredded chicken, as well as the city’s most famous dish, tacos al pastor, with chicken subbed in for pork. We like to come here for a late lunch and get the whole roasted chicken with a side of rice, potatoes, guacamole and tortillas.

Hugo feels like a Lower East Side transplant with a Mexican twist, which we guess is what happens when two former New York residents relocate here and open a place. Their wines, of course, are a highlight—they’re mostly natural, and many of them come from Mexico’s wine region in Valle de Guadalupe. Food-wise they keep it simple, with small plates of things like kampachi crudo and fennel with fava beans (though they also make a fantastic roasted chicken).

Dooriban’s Korean home-cooking style took Mexico City’s Korean food scene by storm after the chef started making “Kimchi Mama Park” out of a ghost kitchen in colonia Juarez. The success of that kimchi was so notable that a freestanding restaurant was inevitable. The kimchi bokkeumbap, a bacon fried rice with that excellent fermented cabbage, is the main event, only eclipsed by the Korean fried chicken wings with a delightfully messy gochujang sauce.

There might be more excellent tacos per square block in Mexico City than anywhere else in the known universe. And while most of them are filled with delicious meats and fish, we’re pretty confident that there are no better vegan tacos than those at Por Siempre Vegana. The taco de milanesa, served with avocado, is incredible, and worth the almost constant wait for a table here during peak hours.

Máximo Bistrot is a restaurant that’s kind of French, kind of Mexican, and one of the best spots in town for a hot date or group dinner. It’s a fun, atrium-like space with great cocktails and an equally fantastic wine list, and they do delicious spins on dishes you’ve seen before, like a caesar salad with homemade headcheese. You can go à la carte, but there’s also a tasting menu with an optional wine pairing.

Noodles are the focus at this newish spot from a chef whose grandfather invented one of Mexico’s most coveted snacks, cacahuates Japoneses, or Japanese peanuts. Following this family tradition, Fideo Gordo fuses traditional Mexican flavors with well-executed Asian dishes. The lamb obi udon—which mixes barbacoa with serrano chiles and handmade udon noodles—is a standout on the focused menu. Don’t just stick to noodles, though: the make-your-own tuna and kampachi taquito is a perfect appetizer.