With Carmela y Sal, Gabriela Ruiz — whose first restaurant, Gourmet MX, is located in the southern state of Tabasco — brings her culinary vision to the city’s corporate district of Palmas. Cacao, banana leaves, plantains, coconuts, and other tropical ingredients from her home state come together harmoniously in dishes like the “Christmas” suckling pig and the orange peel-fed lamb confit. Ruiz’s cocktails — which feature spices, flowers, and fruit — are a delightful surprise.

Hidden away down a small alley in Polanco, Nom is an intimate speakeasy-style bar and restaurant that fits 16 people per sitting. The omakase menu changes daily according to ingredient availability, and features dishes like hamachi and clam with yuzu vinaigrette and wagyu short-rib dim sum. Reservations are a must, and you can choose between a five-course menu at lunch or the longer nine-course dinner version with optional wine pairings.

Spanish-style haute cuisine has a new haven in Mexico City: Nosso. An elegant dining room and well-curated wine cellar are built around a small but outstanding menu, where the amuse-bouche (an Ell Bulli-style spherified olive) pays tribute to the molecular trend of the early 2000s. Still, most of Nosso’s tasting menu dishes and a la carte options feel current, including a perfect lobster, Spanish-style rice, and an oxtail stew to come back for.

If you dropped the ball on making those Pujol reservations, go to Condesa to get a glimpse of Enrique Olvera’s magic. This is strictly a tortilleria, but you can still try small bites like a blue corn avocado taco, corn water, bean stew, and the best corn on the cob you’ll ever have — the chicatana (flying ant) mayonnaise is the same version featured on Pujol’s tasting menu.

Café Milou is a petite brasserie located on a quiet Condesa street. The classic French menu is simple, but all dishes star local ingredients, from the pork rillettes, terrines, and trout confit to heartier options like roasted chicken or bone marrow with capers. The charcuterie and cheese selection are musts, best enjoyed with a glass from the mostly French wine list.

This small Condesa restaurant has become a favorite lunch destination among locals, who come for its peerless view of Parque Mexico and informal bistro-style menu with wine pairings. Take in the vistas over octopus and clam stew or the creamy rice with wild mushrooms.

For a late-night taco binge, go to Taquería Orinoco, which specializes in northern-style tacos characterized by quality beef and huge flour tortillas. Skip the al pastor taco and go straight to the steak with cheese and the chicharron (pork skin) tacos, or, even better, the pirata: a big flour tortilla taco with melted cheese and rib eye. The terrific tacos pair well with Orinoco’s five house-made salsas and the smashed fried potatoes.

Nested just a few steps away from one of the most beautiful plazas in the Roma neighborhood, Sartoria is currently the Italian restaurant for Mexico City. Chef Marco Carboni — an alum at Massimo Bottura’s Francescana — has created a vibrant and contemporary trattoria executing classic Italian dishes with top ingredients from Mexican producers. The menu’s essentials include octopus carpaccio, seafood risotto, and handmade gnocchi paired with a wine list featuring remarkable Italian wines at fairly good prices.

Located inside downtown’s iconic San Juan Market, Mariscos Don Vergas puts a spotlight on Sinaloa-style seafood. The owner hails from that northern coastal state and brings all of the produce as well as seafood, like clams, shrimp, snails, crab, oysters, and more, from Sinaloa each week. The resulting menu is not a set list of dishes, but rather the catch of the day prepared as a series of ceviches, aguachiles, stews, and tacos. Don Vergas is only open on weekends and holidays. Follow it on Instagram to see the current calendar.