Best Tacos in Mexico City's Historic Center: A Walking Taquería Route

The best-known places for tacos in Mexico City's Historic Center are Taquería Arandas (5 de Mayo), Tacos de Canasta Los Especiales (Madero), Los Cocuyos (Bolívar), Ricos Tacos Toluca (López) and El Huequito (Ayuntamiento). All five are in the Centro and you can link them in one afternoon walk from Hotel Catedral (República de Guatemala 16), right behind the Metropolitan Cathedral.

This guide is only about tacos: where, what to order and how. For sit-down restaurants, breakfast or cantinas, see our guide to where to eat in the Historic Center; for the city's whole food scene, read what to eat in Mexico City.

The route at a glance

Hours are based on the MICHELIN Guide and 2025–2026 local press. They can change, so check before you go.

The walking route, stop by stop

The route starts a few steps from the hotel and ends near Mercado de San Juan, always along busy central streets.

1. Taquería Arandas (5 de Mayo 46). The stop closest to the Zócalo and the only one on the list open around the clock. It serves al pastor, suadero, tripa, longaniza, cabeza and carnitas, plus gringas, alambres and tortas. There is an English menu, handy if your companions don't speak Spanish.

2. Tacos de Canasta Los Especiales (Madero 71). Basket tacos are made early and kept warm wrapped in cloth inside baskets. Fillings are few (potato, beans, carne en adobo and chicharrón in green salsa) and you top them with salsas, pickled chiles, cabbage and guacamole. The MICHELIN Guide added them to its 2026 selection and calls them some of the least expensive tacos you can find. Combine the stop with a stroll down Calle Madero, about 5 minutes from the hotel.

3. Los Cocuyos (Calle Bolívar). A counter taquería running since 1980, famous for its suadero and head-meat tacos: tongue, cheek, brains, eye and snout. The meat simmers in a big pot right in front of you. It earned a Bib Gourmand in the MICHELIN Guide Mexico 2026. It is tiny and you eat standing on the sidewalk.

4. Ricos Tacos Toluca (López 103). Specialists in handmade Toluca-style chorizo and sausages: order the Toluca chorizo and the obispo, a large pork sausage. They come with fries, grilled or raw onion and cilantro. Open in the daytime only and closed on Sundays.

5. El Huequito (Ayuntamiento 21). It opened in 1959 as a tiny hole-in-the-wall (huequito) selling only tacos al pastor, hence the name. The original Ayuntamiento location still operates; the pastor comes with pineapple and house salsas.

Optional detour: El Califa de León, at Ribera de San Cosme 56 (San Rafael), became the first taquería to receive a MICHELIN star in 2024. It lost the star in the 2026 edition but is still recommended by the guide. It is outside the Centro: take a taxi or transit and expect a line.

Taco styles you'll find downtown

The Centro is a good place to try the most typical Mexico City styles in one afternoon.

• Al pastor: adobo-marinated pork roasted on a vertical spit with pineapple, a descendant of the shawarma brought by Lebanese immigrants.
• Suadero: a beef cut slow-cooked in fat on a griddle with a sunken center; soft and juicy.
• De canasta: filled tortillas "sweated" in a basket; best by day and very cheap.
• De guisado: a double tortilla with home-style stews (chicharrón, rajas, potato with chorizo, mole).
• De cabeza: steamed beef head cuts; maciza and cachete are good starters.
• Campechano: two meats mixed, usually suadero with longaniza.

How to order like a local

Ordering tacos is quick: say how many, which kind and how.

• "Me da tres de pastor con todo" (three al pastor with everything): "con todo" means onion and cilantro (and pineapple on pastor).
• "Sin cebolla" (no onion) or "sin cilantro" if you prefer.
• Salsas sit on the counter or table; try a drop first, some are very hot.
• At many taquerías you pay at the end: say how many tacos you had and what you drank.
• Order two at a time and repeat what you like, so you have room for more stops.

Prices in general terms

Tacos are still one of the cheapest meals downtown. As a rough guide, a taco meal with a drink at places like these usually runs between 100 and 200 Mexican pesos per person, and basket tacos cost even less. Carry cash in small bills: Los Especiales and Ricos Tacos Toluca don't take cards, according to the MICHELIN Guide.

Hygiene and safety

Eating tacos downtown is part of the trip, and a few simple habits make it easier.

• Choose places with lots of customers: high turnover means freshly cooked food.
• Check that whoever takes the money isn't handling the food, or uses a glove or bag.
• On your first day or with a sensitive stomach, start with well-cooked meats (al pastor, suadero) and go easy on raw salsas and vegetables.
• Drink bottled water, or aguas frescas at busy places.
• At night, stick to lit, busy streets and keep your phone away between stops. See our guide on safety in the Historic Center.

FAQ

What are the best tacos in the Historic Center?

The best known are the suadero at Los Cocuyos (MICHELIN Bib Gourmand 2026), the basket tacos at Los Especiales on Madero, the chorizo at Ricos Tacos Toluca and the al pastor at El Huequito. For tacos at any hour, Taquería Arandas on 5 de Mayo is open 24 hours.

Where can I eat tacos near the Zócalo?

Taquería Arandas (5 de Mayo 46) and Los Especiales (Madero 71) are a few blocks from the Zócalo and a short walk from Hotel Catedral.

Are there taquerías open late downtown?

Yes. Arandas is open 24 hours and Los Cocuyos serves into the early morning. Ricos Tacos Toluca and Los Especiales close earlier.

Do downtown taquerías take cards?

Some do, but many don't. Bring cash; Los Especiales and Ricos Tacos Toluca are cash only.

Where to stay

To walk this route without taxis, sleep steps from the first stop. Hotel Catedral is at República de Guatemala 16, behind the Cathedral and 2 minutes from the Zócalo, with Restaurante Catedral and the Terraza Bar overlooking the Cathedral to end the day. Learn about our Historic Center hotel, see the rooms and book direct for the best rate and free cancellation up to 48 hours before arrival.