The Nine Best Mexican Restaurants in New York City

The Nine Best Mexican Restaurants in New York City



A
city heaving with every cuisine imaginable, New
York
has a saturated restaurant scene that can make it hard to
discern the good from the bad. We’ve gorged our way through the
city’s Mexican restaurants, sipping the spiciest margarita and
chowing down the freshest tacos, so the only thing you have to do
is pick between Michelin stars and street-cart style.

NYC’s best spots for Mexican food


restaurant

Oxomoco

Hands down the current coolest Mexican restaurant in New York
City, Oxomoco is popular enough that tables here are hard to come
by (they’re usually taken up by designers and start-up owners). In
the heart of Greenpoint, its aesthetics are just what you’d expect
of a talk-of-the-town restaurant in 2019 – muted tones, a sexy,
curved bar and plants trailing from the ceiling. Beyond the crowd
and the setting, the menu is a serious standout. The antojitos are
fun to share with a big group – stock up on chilli-lime popcorn and
smoked mango to tide you over while you sip on Oaxacan Summers, a
cocktail chock-full of coconut rum and pineapple. For mains, the
grilled sea bass with mole and vegan beet “chorizo” tacos are
non-negotiables.

Address

128 Greenpoint Avenue
Brooklyn
NY 11222


bar

La Esquina

A Mexican restaurant that’s an eatery, bar and cool underground
club all in one, La Esquina is your one-stop-shop for a foolproof
fabulous night out (without having to deal with a bouncer between
dinner and dancing). There are a couple of locations, but the SoHo
flagship is by far the best – step through its mildly tattered
deli-style exterior, march downstairs and aim straight towards the
kitchen to get to the heart of the action. The low-lit and sultry
brick-lined interior perfectly sets the scene for a decadent night
out, so throw on your favourite party dress and invite your closest
friends for an intimate start to the evening with dinner here. The
queso fundido with tortilla chips and shrimp and mixed veggies on
the grill are great, especially when paired with sides such as
nopales with pico de gallo and sautéed kale. Once you’ve fueled up,
grab a mezcal mule and hit the dance floor.

Address

114 Kenmare Street
10012


restaurant

Casa Enrique

A fabled Long Island City cantina, Casa Enrique’s unassuming
front entrance conceals what goes on inside every night – that
being tables full of people diving into the city’s only
Michelin-starred Mexican dishes. The menu comprises classic choices
done well, such as market-fish tacos, chicken enchiladas with salsa
verde and mole over chicken and rice (the restaurant’s speciality).
While we know that the term “authentic” is painfully overused,
that’s just what the food here is. What’s more, thanks to the Casa
Enrique’s distance from the streets of NoHo and Williamsburg,
you’ll be far from the masses of trend-driven restaurant-goers
(though the space is very photogenic).

Address

5-48 49th Avenue
NY 11101


restaurant

Rosie’s

If there’s one thing you’ll notice about Rosie’s, it’s that it’s
never, ever empty. As buzzing on a Tuesday evening as it is during
Sunday brunch, this spot on the border of NoHo and the East Village
is a 2nd-Avenue staple, and one that you can always count on for a
good time. Whether you’re people-watching on the sprawling terrace
in summer or huddling around the central bar, you can’t go wrong
when you’re craving good Mexican in a fun environment – just be
sure to make a booking if you don’t want to spend an hour waiting
by the bar. The guacamole is fantastic and the chips are perfectly
fried, so make sure to get a big basket for your group. The tacos
delivered on a wooden platter are served on just-made tortillas,
the tamarind margarita will have you asking for another right away
and the kale enchiladas taste nowhere near as healthy as they
sound. You really can’t go wrong here.

Address

29 East 2nd Street
NY 10003

This image is on holiday

restaurant

Jajaja Plantas Mexicana

A rare plant-based alternative to most of the city’s meat-heavy
Mexican restaurants, Jajaja puts a green spin on your classic
nachos by adding in vegan chorizo and turmeric-infused queso
fundido, or whipping up empanadas with beetroot and pumpkin. The
buffalo cauliflower, dinosaur-kale salad and hijiki-coconut
calamari are also some of the best offerings on the menu, but be
warned: the meat and dairy alternatives are as filling as they are
delicious, so order your dishes little by little rather than going
overboard from the beginning, no matter how tempting it is to get
more. Locations in the Lower East Side, West Village and Brooklyn
make this an easy after-work pitstop, and Jajaja does delivery.

Address

162 East Broadway
NY 10002


restaurant

ATLA

A sleek, dark concrete space filled with plants, low tables and
a long bar, Atla welcomes NoHo’s chic crowd for late dinners before
they saunter down the street to dance at Gospël. Dine here and
you’ll be surrounded by the city’s movers and shakers from the
world of art, fashion and film worlds as they enjoy a low-profile
meal of fish milanese with cucumber. If you’re here with a crowd,
get things started with the herb guacamole and margaritas before
ordering the cauliflower tacos al pastor, arctic char and farmer’s
cheese tostada roulettes and hearty maitake mushrooms in salsa
verde. Bear in mind that the menu here leans toward the pricier
side, so plan this for a glam night out.

Address

372 Lafayette Street
NY 10012

This image is on holiday

restaurant

Tacombi

Perhaps New York’s most popular Mexican spot for 20-somethings,
Tacombi is the best taqueria in town. Originally a VW truck serving
tacos on the beach in the Yucatán, it’s now got multiple locations
across the city, as well as a Montauk address catering to
Hamptonites. With 13 taco varieties on the menu at any given
moment, there are far more options than the four or five choices
you’ll find at your typical Mexican restaurant. Choose from classic
al pastor, Baja crispy fish and Acapulco shrimp, or go for veggie
offerings such as beer-battered poblano peppers and fresh avocado
tostadas with spicy black bean spread. The restaurants are fun and
colourful, and most of them maintain the taco-truck vibe from
Tacombi’s early days.

Address

267 Elizabeth Street
NY 10012


restaurant

La Contenta

A Lower East Side gem with only 14 seats, La Contenta is a
vortex that draws local cool kids and partygoers, but manages to
avoid attracting swells of tourists. Thanks to this balance (a
trick feat in this neighbourhood), you’ll feel like you’re part of
the in-crowd as you settle down at a corner table and order a round
of pisco punch. The towering house nachos, tortilla soup and
quesadillas with huitlacoche make a great start to your meal,
followed by braised chicken in mole with plantain or pan-roasted
shrimp enchiladas. The late-night weekend menu also has serious
pull for those who have hit a few of the bars along Ludlow
Street.

Address

102 Norfolk Street
NY 10002


restaurant

Claro

A Lower East Side gem with only 14 seats, La Contenta is a
vortex that draws local cool kids and partygoers, but manages to
avoid attracting swells of tourists. Thanks to this balance (a
trick feat in this neighbourhood), you’ll feel like you’re part of
the in-crowd as you settle down at a corner table and order a round
of pisco punch. The towering house nachos, tortilla soup and
quesadillas with huitlacoche make a great start to your meal,
followed by braised chicken in mole with plantain or pan-roasted
shrimp enchiladas. The late-night weekend menu also has serious
pull for those who have hit a few of the bars along Ludlow
Street.

Address

284 3rd Avenue
Brooklyn
NY 11215

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