Quintonil

Quintonil opened in 2012 on Newton street in Polanco as a casual restaurant with a daily menu, and it has since grown into a fine-dining restaurant that The World's 50 Best named the best in North America in 2025, when it ranked third in the world. It is led by Jorge Vallejo, who runs the kitchen, and Alejandra Flores, who oversees hospitality and service. The two met in 2009 while working at Pujol, and Vallejo also trained at Noma in Copenhagen. The restaurant received two Michelin stars in the first Michelin Guide Mexico in 2024, and Vallejo received the Estrella Damm Chefs' Choice Award in 2022.

The name is that of a type of amaranth, from a Nahuatl word for an edible wild plant, and the cooking is built on heirloom vegetables, native herbs and insects, with many dishes based on plants. Today the restaurant serves a single tasting menu that changes with the seasons. In autumn 2026 it is titled "Nuestro México", and there are optional drink pairings. The restaurant asks that the tasting menu be served to each guest individually and not shared, so everyone at the table takes part.

Reservations are made only through the booking section of the website, which links to the Tock platform, and the restaurant states that it does not take bookings by email. Given its rankings, plan well ahead, particularly if your dates are fixed. Opening hours are 13:00 to midnight from Monday to Saturday, and it is closed on Sundays, so both a late lunch and a dinner sitting are possible.

This is a restaurant for a special occasion or for travellers who have come to Mexico City for its food, and the tasting menu is priced accordingly. Set aside around three hours for the full menu. Mention allergies and dietary requirements when you book so the kitchen can plan. There are three published phone numbers if you need to contact the team, and the October 2026 menu and price are shown on the website.

Quintonil is at Newton 55 in Polanco, in the borough of Miguel Hidalgo. Pujol is also in Polanco, and the Museo Nacional de Antropología lies on the Polanco side of Chapultepec forest, so a morning at the museum followed by a long lunch here is a natural pairing.