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A plaza in the Polanco district of Mexico City.

5 Posh Restaurants in Mexico City’s Polanco District

Much like the shopping in Polanco, the restaurants here tend to be well-thought-out, high-end affairs. You can still find food on a budget here, but it's definitely not the majority of the food scene in Polanco. The trend is for pricier, nicer, "experience" meals. Bear in mind also that other neighborhoods like Condesa and Roma are nearby, if you're looking for yet more choices on top of the dizzying array you're presented with here.

Pujol

Pujol

Pujol offers Mexican food, but that’s not really saying much in Mexico City. More specifically, Pujol blends traditional Mexican dishes with contemporary techniques using all local ingredients. They offer a seven-course prix-fixe menu for around $90 USD. The general consensus is that Pujol is worth that cost. The restaurant has become a destination unto itself. Not only is Pujol considered the best restaurant in the city by the Wall Street Journal, it's also one of the top restaurants in the world, according to Restaurant magazine.

Sir Winston Churchill's

The brainchild of Rey Fernandez and his English wife Jane Pearson, Sir Winston Churchill's offers British classics like Beef Wellington and Yorkshire pudding out of an old Tudor manor. Special attention is called to the service, including the piano player. A place like this could skate by on the novelty of being an English restaurant in Mexico City, but from the delighted tourists to the many locals who come here for special occasions, Churchill's is a special place. It’s pricey, but you get what you pay for.

Dulce Patria

Chef Martha Ortiz Chapa draws on deep regional traditions to craft new dishes in a space where both the food and the decor celebrate Mexico's cultural heritage. The dining room of Dulce Patria has two floors, each with a terrace, and the room is done in pinks and reds with hand-painted furniture. The food is good, though more than a couple of reviewers have remarked that the presentation may have taken precedence over flavor. Still, the plating is phenomenal, and many dishes—in particular, the duck mole—are singled out for praise.

dulce patria

Anatol

It almost doesn't seem fair to include Anatol—it's affiliated with the hotel Los Alcobas, just like Dulce Patria is. And yet, it's such a beloved part of the scene here it seems remiss not to include it. Their food is seasonal, consciously-sourced, and centered around small plates. That isn't to say that food is dainty here—their Christmas menu included a turducken, that legendary chicken-in-duck-in-turkey meat mashup made famous by John Madden.

Quintonil

Quintonil came onto the scene in 2012 and has already established itself as one of the best restaurants in the country. This shouldn't come as a tremendous surprise since its head chef is Jorge Vallejo, who trained under Enrique Olvera at Pujol. Vallejo is very concerned with ecological footprint, and he takes the seasonal farm-to-table ethos of Pujol even further. Quintonil gets much of its produce from its own urban orchard. Despite their position as haute cuisine—or perhaps because of it—Quintonil is focused on warmth and hospitality. Vallejo's wife, Alejandra Flores, manages the front of the house personally. The entire experience is about handcrafted, personal care in food and service alike.

2nd Course: Smoked crab "tostada" with lime, radish, and habanero mayonnaise

(featured image via Flickr)

Last Updated: August 20, 2016