Plant Based Guide To Mexico City
fresh breakfast tacos from La Pitahaya Vegana
by Fran Allen, CNP
Mexico city is warm and friendly city, filled with so many amazing things to do and see. It’s easy to get lost in the colours, sights, sounds and smells walking around. My husband Steve and I went to celebrate his birthday. We visited towards the end of March and the weather was so comfortable, warm and sunny with a refreshing breeze. This is a city that loves food! We were told we would have a difficult time finding vegan options but that is just not the case. There are interesting and delicious options on every corner. I feel so grateful to have the opportunity to visit this place and can’t wait to go back again! Here are a few of my favorite spots in Mexico City:
The pastelitos de guayaba y queso at Panadería Rosetta
Cafes
Our first stop immediately after landing was to Panaderia Rosetta to try their pastelitos de guayaba y queso. It was well worth it. The coffee was good but pales in comparison to the delicious pastries. They were beautiful, buttery and so decadent. Croissants are my favorite food, so I hold them to an exceptionally high standard and these delivered. If gluten and dairy aren’t your thing, they have a rotating menu of delicious seasonal gf and vegan treats to enjoy too. They have a beautiful dining space but we were so excited to be in the sunshine we got ours to go and enjoyed on the bench out front.
A friend had told me about this place and luckily it was a short and beautiful walk from our apartment in the morning. The space is gorgeous, very modern and minimal with lots of outdoor seating to relax and enjoy your drinks. We only had coffee from here but it was delicious. We came back several times. I highly recommend the Cafe Chada which is essentially a shot of espresso over ice and horchata. It was so damn good.
The Cafe Chada from Buna Cafe Rico
This cafe was super close to where we were staying and consistently at the top of every best of the city coffee lists for good reason. The space itself is beautiful, nicely designed with murals with a giant rubber tree growing out of the middle of the space. The coffee was amazing! Definitely a favorite of our trip. They didn’t offer any vegan pastries or snacks but had a full breakfast and lunch menu with several options.
Restaurants
The Enfrijoladas from La Pitahaya Vegana
By far my most favorite meal on the trip was this one. We went back a few times during our stay and were never disappointed. Everything is made from scratch including the beautiful pink tortillas used to make their tacos.
I had Enfrijoladas made with beet tortillas stuffed with roasted plantains, toasted almonds and covered in a savory black bean sauce topped with fresh coconut ‘cheese’ and spicy salsa. It was a hearty breakfast and kept me going all day. I highly recommend checking out before hitting all of the galleries and museums for the day.
We wandered in to this little cafe and were completely blown away by the food. I learned this was the first completely vegan restaurant in Mexico City. Most of the menu is beautifully made traditional mexican dishes like flautas, tacos and quesadillas with a plant based twist. They also offer vegan ramen and a few asian inspired dishes I found to be interesting. One of my favorite courses was a take on Elotes (mexican street corn) with fresh baby corn, charred and served with a very convincing house made cotija, aioli and matcha. The dishes here are thoughtful, delicate and smaller portioned than the other restaurants we visited. Expect a really interesting meal and a higher price point.
The Elotes from Los Loosers
This is a great little spot close by the Frida Kahlo Museum in Coyoacán. Really simple, traditional food and all Vegetarian. Most of the menu is pretty adaptable so easy to make vegan. We each had Flautas for lunch and an iced tea and it came to under $10 CAD. Cheap and cheerful, a great spot for lunch when wandering around the Coyoacán neighborhood.
Taco Stands
an assortment of fresh tacos from Gatorta
This taco cart is amazing, all of their sandwiches and tacos are 100% vegan and very affordable. We went in the afternoon and it was quite busy. Unlike most of the taco carts it’s not open very late so make sure to pop by for lunch. They have really good pickles and toppings to add to your tacos, my favorite being the pickled nopales. They have a selection of six ‘meats’ you can order made from either tofu or wheat gluten. I had the pastor and pibil and they were both great with lots of spice. It’s pretty close to Arena Mexico, so a great cheap option for a quick dinner before wrestling.
This taco cart is the perfect place for late night street food. They’re been around for years and now have two locations. I prefer the tacos to the tortas but both are great. It’s great to hang out and watch all of the people go by this bustling night stand. I love the mushroom and epazote and the green chorizo tacos.
At first we assumed this taco cart was related to the California plant based chain, but it is not. They make great fast and easy tacos with lots of freshly prepared toppings. There is a cute bar close by and they are happy to deliver the tacos to you there while you’re having drinks. It’s cute and convenient and open late. They also have a bunch of vegan desserts available like tiramisu and cheesecake, if you’re craving something sweet.
I hope this helps inspires you to visit this amazing city filled with bright, beautiful delicious plant food!