Guide · Mexico City
Which of Mexico City's 2026 openings are worth booking? These eight, from a French dining room that opened in April to a seafood spot that opened in August, every one of them eaten at and filmed on my own visit.
Updated October 10, 2026 · By Jane Novikova
The short answer · pick your night
Every one of these opened in 2026. Five landed in Roma Norte and Juárez, and two share a single mansion at Praga 14.
For the French debut
Opened on 30 April 2026 at Oaxaca 80 in Roma Norte by Max Righi, a young chef and certified sommelier who trained at Per Se, Eleven Madison Park and Pujol. Contemporary French fine dining, a 480-bottle cellar and the chef himself greeting the room.
The beef Wellington is priced for two. Closed Tuesdays.
For the big room
A Mediterranean sea-and-fire restaurant by Fuente de Cibeles, brand new when I filmed it in July: three floors of jungle interiors, a walkable net over the lounge, whole fish and aged chuletón at 150 pesos per 100 grams.
Bring a group to share the big plates. Valet at the door, and WhatsApp books faster than OpenTable.
For the import
Big Mamma Group, the French team behind Europe's maximalist Italian trattorias, opened its first Latin American restaurant at Praga 14 in Juárez in 2026: a mirrored garden, a secret bar and library nooks, with handmade pasta and Neapolitan pizza.
The hotspot of the season, so book well ahead.
For the one upstairs
Chef Paco Hidalgo opened his contemporary Mexican restaurant in 2026 on the upper floor of the same Praga 14 mansion, directly above La Bellezza. A one-page menu with real flavour and real portions, about 1,000 to 1,500 pesos for three courses.
The quieter, more personal meal of the two at Praga 14.
For the fire house
Opened in 2026 in the old Club Petanca space by Bernardo Galindo with chef David Castro Hussong of Fauna. Choose a protein and it comes with eight sides for tacos: short rib from 600 pesos, wagyu cross ribeye at 4,200 a kilo.
Half a kilo feeds two. Open until midnight Tuesday to Saturday.
For the New York arrival
The New York seafood, sushi and steak brand opened in September 2026 inside one of the last original mansions on Paseo de la Reforma, with a beautiful terrace, sashimi, rolls and tableside hot-rock wagyu.
Book the terrace. Expect about 100 dollars a person.
For the tasting menu
The 2026 project of Gruppo Noi, the Italian-Mexican group behind Magazzino, with chef Cosimo Branca at Juan de la Barrera 112 in Condesa. Tasting menus of three or five courses, the five at about 2,000 pesos, and a serious cellar.
Book ahead and take the wine pairing if it is an occasion.
For the small one
A small seafood spot that opened in August 2026 on Medellín in Roma Norte, named after the painani, the Aztec relay runners who carried fish from Veracruz to Moctezuma. Oysters, ceviches, aguachiles, tostadas and tacos.
Order the rock shrimp tostada and the fish taco muñeco. Weekends fill up fast.
How I picked
Every restaurant here opened in 2026, and I ate at and filmed each one in the months after it opened. Opening lists are usually written from press releases before anyone has eaten there; this one is written after.
They are ordered by what each one is: a French debut, a big room, an import, the chef upstairs, a fire house, a New York arrival, a tasting menu and the small one.
Questions
La Belle Epoque, the French dining room Max Righi opened at Oaxaca 80 in Roma Norte on 30 April 2026. For a group, URSO; for the scene, La Bellezza.
La Belle Epoque at Oaxaca 80, URSO by Fuente de Cibeles, La Pantera Asador on Colima and Payna on Medellín. All four are walkable from each other.
Two 2026 openings in one mansion: Big Mamma Group's La Bellezza downstairs and chef Paco Hidalgo's Atte. upstairs. They are completely different evenings one floor apart.
Payna, a small seafood spot in Roma Norte with oysters, tostadas and tacos. La Bellezza is also reasonable for the level, at 750 to 1,500 pesos a person.
No, none of the eight is in the Michelin Guide Mexico. They all opened in 2026, so this list is about what is new and good rather than what is already awarded.
For La Bellezza, La Belle Epoque and Catch, yes, well ahead. URSO and La Pantera book easily on WhatsApp. Payna is small and fills up on weekends.
Foodie map · Mexico City