Applause, cheering, and tears followed the announcement of Michelin's first-ever Mexico Guide ceremony last night. Mexico is now home to 2 two-star establishments, 16 one-star winners, six green-star recipients (issued based on both sustainability and merit), and a whopping 42 Bib Gourmands, which is no shocker for a country that possesses one of the most active street food vending communities in the world.
Europe's Michelin Guide recognized both Baja Californias, Quintana Roo, Mexico City, Oaxaca, and Nuevo Léon. Most of the usual restaurants got the stars, but there were some questionable omissions.
Noticeably, in a country teeming with life-changing, delicious tacos, only one taquería received a star: Taquería El Califa de León.
It wouldn't be a proper Michelin announcement without some eyebrow-lifting omissions in its star system: In Mexico City, Máximo Bistrot, Masala y Maíz, Contramar, and Mi Compa Chava were all absent, despite all of these classic establishments still being one of the hardest reservations to score in the city (or longest wait to eat in Mi Compa Chava's case). Masala and Contramar did make it to their Bib Gourmand section though, which recognizes more affordable restaurants.
"On the other side it’s the perfect excuse for already overpriced fine dining restaurants to raise prices and make it (even more) unaffordable for a Mexican audience to go and enjoy."
Anais Martinez
"On one side it’s really cool that restaurants and food spots that are often overlooked by other famous lists and who have always been doing an amazing jobs are finally recognized. From small spots like esquina y fugaz to taquerías that are a total institution of the city like Los Parados and Califa del León," says Anais Martinez, a food expert in Mexico City and founder of Devoured MX, the city's leading food tour company.