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Daniela Galarza

Mexico City Neighborhood Guide: Tepito

Everything you need to know about the neighborhood that's essentially one huge outdoor market

by Nils Bernstein
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by Nils Bernstein
Daniela Galarza

Known as the "Barrio Bravo," Tepito is essentially a huge outdoor market that's especially busy on Sundays, when the neighboring Lagunilla (outdoor) market is also in full swing. Actually one part of the larger colonía Morelos, the neighborhood has a reputation for crime and piracy. The usual urban precautions, understated dress, and good manners will get you far, however, and help score a bargain or two along the way.

Know that the best food here doesn't have an address and won't pop up on a Google map. Look for crispy chicharrón stands, stalls selling tacos de tripa or cabeza, whole fried fish filets sold out of a shopping cart, and buckets of pulque, a thick, fermented beverage that's hard to find outside of Mexico.

Tip: Take the subway to the Lagunilla stop, rather than Tepito, to enter at the heart of the action. Tip #2: This is a neighborhood where hiring a tour guide pays dividends.

See guides to all of Mexico City's greatest neighborhoods — plus everything you need to know about eating in DF, one of the best food cities in the world — in the Eater Guide to Mexico City.

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A respite from the chaos of Tepito, this Spanish restaurant on the neighborhood’s outskirts is known for cabrito (roasted goat) and also has a good paella valenciana.

Peralvillo 30, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City 06200, Mexico
+52 55 3611 4750
+52 55 3611 4750

El Jorullo

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La comida michoacana is the specialty here; start with consomé de birria and move to a molcajete, a mortar made of volcanic stone filled with grilled meats, cheese, and roasted nopales.

Libertad, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City, Mexico

Tacos La Cochinita

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Margarita, the proprietress, has been here since the 1980s, serving masterful Yucatán-style cochinita pibil and terrific tacos al pastor. Choose your pig part (including snout and ear) and have it in tacos or piled into tortas.

Matamoros 151, Morelos, D.F., Mexico

Migas la Güera

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Migas is something of a neighborhood dish of Tepito, and will take Texans by surprise: Here it’s a sort of bread soup, enriched with split pork bones, dried chili, and the pungent herb epazote. Migas La Güera has arguably the best version in the barrio, but try as many as possible, since it’s hard to find outside Tepito.

Toltecas 12, Cuauhtemoc, Mexico City, Mexico

Tacos de Higado Matamoros

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Like many stands in the area, this doesn’t seem to have a name so much as a description of what they sell, which is liver-and-onion tacos. They're said to be the best in the city — though they also may be the only ones you find in the city.

Matamoros & Toltecas, Tepito, Morelos, 06200 Ciudad de México, D.F., Mexico

Templo de la Santa Muerte

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Santa Muerte, a popular folk saint of death, is the unofficial saint of the barrio, and this altar to her is a must-stop. On November 1, thousands of visitors come to pay respects and leave offerings.

Mexico City, Mexico City, Mexico

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Correo Español

Peralvillo 30, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City 06200, Mexico

A respite from the chaos of Tepito, this Spanish restaurant on the neighborhood’s outskirts is known for cabrito (roasted goat) and also has a good paella valenciana.

Peralvillo 30, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City 06200, Mexico
+52 55 3611 4750
+52 55 3611 4750

El Jorullo

Libertad, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City, Mexico

La comida michoacana is the specialty here; start with consomé de birria and move to a molcajete, a mortar made of volcanic stone filled with grilled meats, cheese, and roasted nopales.

Libertad, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City, Mexico

Tacos La Cochinita

Matamoros 151, Morelos, D.F., Mexico

Margarita, the proprietress, has been here since the 1980s, serving masterful Yucatán-style cochinita pibil and terrific tacos al pastor. Choose your pig part (including snout and ear) and have it in tacos or piled into tortas.

Matamoros 151, Morelos, D.F., Mexico

Migas la Güera

Toltecas 12, Cuauhtemoc, Mexico City, Mexico

Migas is something of a neighborhood dish of Tepito, and will take Texans by surprise: Here it’s a sort of bread soup, enriched with split pork bones, dried chili, and the pungent herb epazote. Migas La Güera has arguably the best version in the barrio, but try as many as possible, since it’s hard to find outside Tepito.

Toltecas 12, Cuauhtemoc, Mexico City, Mexico

Tacos de Higado Matamoros

Matamoros & Toltecas, Tepito, Morelos, 06200 Ciudad de México, D.F., Mexico

Like many stands in the area, this doesn’t seem to have a name so much as a description of what they sell, which is liver-and-onion tacos. They're said to be the best in the city — though they also may be the only ones you find in the city.

Matamoros & Toltecas, Tepito, Morelos, 06200 Ciudad de México, D.F., Mexico

Templo de la Santa Muerte

Mexico City, Mexico City, Mexico

Santa Muerte, a popular folk saint of death, is the unofficial saint of the barrio, and this altar to her is a must-stop. On November 1, thousands of visitors come to pay respects and leave offerings.

Mexico City, Mexico City, Mexico

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