Azul Historico

"Out of the three Azul restaurants in the city, this one is by far the most beautiful. It’s located in an interior patio of a colonial mansion adorned with lush trees and chandeliers hanging from the branches. Their menus, along with every piece of tableware, are designed to celebrate Mexican regional and seasonal specialties. They focus on classics or a theme, which could be mangoes or the cuisine of a specific state. If they have the Veracruz menu, go for it. The chef hails from there, and there aren’t many places in town serving dishes like empanadas with shrimp minilla from that region. We like to head here for breakfast before shopping at the design stores inside the same building—get the hibiscus enchiladas, a wonderful combination of sweet and savory flavors with a hint of acidity, paired with hot chocolate." - mariana camacho

"Out of the three Azul restaurants in the city, this one is by far the most beautiful. It’s located in an interior patio of a colonial mansion adorned with lush trees and chandeliers hanging from the branches. Their menus, along with every piece of tableware, are designed to celebrate Mexican regional and seasonal specialties. They focus on classics or a theme, which could be mangoes or the cuisine of a specific state. If they have the Veracruz menu, go for it. The chef hails from there, and there aren’t many places in town serving dishes like empanadas with shrimp minilla from that region. We like to head here for breakfast before shopping at the design stores inside the same building—get the hibiscus enchiladas, a wonderful combination of sweet and savory flavors with a hint of acidity, paired with hot chocolate." - Mariana Camacho

"What began with Azul y Oro—chef Ricardo Muñoz Zurita’s high-end university “refectory”—is now a multi-restaurant group famed for an almost museum-like reverence for traditional Mexican cooking in all its infinite variety. The downtown iteration, called Azul Histórico, is a gorgeous space in the courtyard of a 17th-century colonial palace (once inhabited by descendants of the Emperor Montezuma) and is now one of the Centro’s most sought-after tables, terribly romantic beneath its tree-and-candlelight canopy. Menus are seasonal and themed—often focusing on cuisine from Mexico ’s regions and states—and are sure to present some delicacies even most Mexicans never knew before. Ask questions and swing just beyond your comfort zone. Out-of-towners and locals alike love the flair with which dishes emerge from the kitchen, in extravagant, eye-catching Mexican pottery."

"Ricardo Muñoz Zurita, the chef behind this small chain of restaurants, has developed and re-discovered certain moles and salsas that were otherwise almost totally unknown in Mexico City, even among serious foodies. The Mole Negro, heavily condimented Chipotle salsa, and Oaxacan tortilla soup are just a few of the highlights that also happen to be among the most affordable when it comes to serious gourmet eats in town. Of his four restaurants, his latest opening on the patio of a 17th-century palace, is definitely the most glamorous, and a heavenly break from the Centro's busy streets."

"In the open-air courtyard of the 17th-century Downtown Mexico Hotel sits the charming Azul Historico, potentially the best of Ricardo Muñoz Zurita's Mexico City restaurants. Muñoz is a gastronomic historian who is precise and dogmatic when it comes to time-honored recipes. His spicy and chile-laden mole negro de oaxaca is legendary, and the cochinita pibil is a classic. There are no wild flourishes here, just well-executed, elegant plates. Try the enchiladas in a mild chipotle sauce filled with hibiscus flowers—the same ones used to make the tangy Jamaica drink." - Scarlett Lindeman