Pujol vs. Quintonil

Wait, Mexico City is a fine dining destination?

When you think about the food in Mexico City, you may think of street tacos and mezcal bars. In fact, Mexico City is one of the best culinary cities in the world, with two restaurants on the Worlds 50 Best list (Pujol, at number 12, and Quintonil, at number 24) and six on the Latin America’s 50 Best list. (Note: they don’t do Michelin stars in Mexico, which is why they don’t have any Michelin-rated restaurants!)

If you’ve got limited time, don’t want to break the bank with two expensive meals, or can only get a reservation at one, you may find yourself struggling to decide which restaurant to prioritize. Never fear! I’ve broken down the pros and cons of each to help you figure out which of these gems is the one for you!

Price

The tasting menu at Quintonil is a bit cheaper, at about $110pp for 10 courses. At Pujol, you’ll get 7 courses (plus a couple “freebies”) for about $120pp. We actually decided to order a la carte at Quintonil, which turned out to be much more budget-friendly. We ordered two appetizers, three entrees, and two desserts (plus a couple “freebies,” similar to those we received at Pujol), and ended up paying about $110 total.

Food

This is a tough one, and is also highly dependent on your own palate. Pujol’s menu is more seafood- and veggie-forward (a plus for me), whereas Quintonil has many more meat dishes. This is partly why we decided to forego the tasting menu at Quintonil; there were many more seafood and veggie options on the a-la-carte menu. In general, you can’t go wrong at either, and everything we had at both restaurants was exquisite! That said, if I had to choose, I think that overall I liked the food at Quintonil just a tiny bit more.

Ambiance

Again, a very tough choice. We sat in the courtyard at Pujol, which was idyllic, peaceful, and exceedingly pleasant. The inside of the restaurant also looked very chic and airy. At Quintonil, we were seated at the bar, which gave us a prime view into the open kitchen. Let me say, this was quite an experience, which I highly recommend! The outdoor area at Quintonil is also nice, but is really just a sectioned-off area of the sidewalk, and nothing like the otherworldly “secret garden” atmosphere at Pujol. So if you can get a seat at the bar at Quintonil, go for that. Otherwise, Pujol wins on ambiance.

The Bottom Line

In the end, it may come down to which one has reservations available… and if that’s the case, you’ll have a wonderful experience at either! Otherwise, it’s really just a matter of preference. If you want more variety and the ability to order a-la-carte, Quintonil is for you. If you’re more of a tasting menu kind of person, you’ll have a tougher decision. Hopefully the comparisons I’ve provided here are some help!