For a taste of some genuine Pre-Hispanic cuisine, head for Don Chon. For the last 40 years, Don Fortino Rosas, known as “Moctezuma’s chef” has run a restaurant whose menu features such delicacies as ground rattlesnake, ostrich in plum and tequila sauce, armadillo in mango sauce and fried grasshoppers with guacamole, a delicious snack to accompany a drink. Good appetisers are the tostadas de pejelagarto, corn wafers topped with the flesh of a prehistoric reptile endemic to the estuaries along the southern banks of the Gulf of Mexico; jalapeño chillies stuffed with cheese or tuna and the spicy panuchos with pork or venison, a spicy snack from the Yucatán peninsula. For those who find nothing on the menu that takes their fancy, Don Chon will prepare a dish of xoloescuintle, the Mexican hairless dog, as long as the customer brings the dog. A selection of delicious desserts are on hand to cool the mouth down, like coconut cake or various flavours of fruity ice-creams.

Regina No. 160, Colonia Centro. Tel. 5542 0873. Nearest metro station: Pino Suárez

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Just along the street from La Tecla, one of the best seafood restaurants in town is Contramar. The atmosphere of this airy and spacious restaurant is reminiscent of those in the tropical coastal cities, such as Veracruz. Cooled by spinning ceiling fans, the decor is maritime and minimalist, while itinerant musicians stroll around offering the kind of melancholic ballads only Mexicans seem to be able to sing so convincingly. Offers delicious dishes prepared with both traditional and innovative recipes, available from the permanent menu or the list of the day’s specials, which never cease to surprise. Very popular among the local executives, given its position between the Roma and Condesa neighbourhoods, both fashionable residential and office districts, characterised by wide, leafy avenues, providing a respite from the noise and traffic. Reservation required.

Durango 200, Colonia Roma. Tel. 5514 3169. Nearest metro station: Insurgentes

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