Serving third-wave coffee in a first-wave neighborhood, Gradios (short for Gracias a Dios) is an unpretentious spot with carefully sourced coffee from throughout southern Mexico, including the rare cult-fave Geisha variety from Coatepec in Veracruz.

Known as the “chef’s market,” Mercado de San Juan beats most other neighborhood markets in both selection and quality. Here you’ll find everything from crunchy fried beetles to just-skinned rabbits, rambutans from Chiapas, basil sprouts from Baja, and imported charcuterie. If you’re buying seafood (like the juicy live percebes, or barnacles), the fishmonger might delight you with a big slab of freshly sliced tuna sashimi. Tip: Skip the in-market stalls and walk along nearby Calle López, from Ayuntamiento to Arcos de Belén, for an incredible cluster of food stands and tiny fondas.

Connoisseurs of regional Mexican tipples will love this small, dark bar. Besides a wide and ever-changing assortment of terrific mezcals (very well priced for the quality), you’ll also find hard ciders from the apple-growing town of Zacatlán. It feels like a secret but the word is long out, so go early to grab a seat at the bar, where the bartender will whip up quesadillas to order.

A churrería is just what it sounds like: a place that sells churros. This charming outpost has been owned by the Iriarte family since 1935. The churros are textbook — crisp outside, tender inside — with the essential great hot chocolate to match. El Moro serves seven styles of hot chocolate; the most intense is the español. If you miss checking out this location, there are are now three others in the city.

There are hundreds of taco stands to sample in the Centro, but you may as well start here. The fritanga tacos are shallow-fried in a steel vat and crisped on a central dome. The options include lots of wild cuts (eye tacos, anyone?) but the simple suadero (brisket) is among the best in town. The stand is open morning until late night.

With almost 100 different Mexican microbrews, Hilaria is a great place to explore the burgeoning beer scene. And the “Gastro” part of their name is no joke, with high-end home cooking like ribeye tacos, mushroom soup with squash blossoms and corn, and addictive little quesadillas of hibiscus, huitlacoche (corn fungus), and goat cheese. From 5 until 7 p.m., Monday to Thursday, they screen indie films old and new.