The Best Mexican Food in Spain
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The best Mexican food in Spain, according to the experts: the Michelin Guide, The 50, and The Infatuation have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Ajonegro comes out on top, and the good stuff runs deepest in Madrid and Barcelona.
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COME by Paco Méndez and Xuba Tacos hold the next two places. The Michelin Guide shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with Eater next.
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Rank 1. Ajonegro
Fusion Mexican
A Michelin-starred restaurant in Logroño where two chefs who met working under Jordi Cruz at ABaC have built something quietly personal: a fusion of Mexican and La Rioja cooking, à la carte or tasting menu, that nudges spice toward European comfort without losing the point. The tacos al pastor with Iberian pork and grilled pineapple are the clearest argument for what happens when two culinary traditions decide to take each other seriously.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: 1 Star
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
A Tie
Two places have the exact same Score, so they share #1. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #1 Ajonegro (this place) 85.680
- #1 COME by Paco Méndez 85.680
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Rank 1. COME by Paco Méndez
Modern Mexican
Snacks and welcome drinks greet you at the door before you've even found your seat, which sets the tone for this Michelin-starred modern Mexican tasting-menu restaurant from Paco Méndez. The kitchen weaves together Mexican flavors, Mediterranean ingredients, and the molecular legacy of El Bulli into a single creative menu. The drinks list leans hard into micheladas, tequilas, and mezcal, which is either a warning or a promise depending on your Tuesday.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: 1 Star
- The 50 The 50: The 50 Discovery
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- The 50 The 50 Discovery
A Tie
Two places have the exact same Score, so they share #1. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #1 Ajonegro 85.680
- #1 COME by Paco Méndez (this place) 85.680
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Rank 3. Xuba Tacos
Mexican
A trompo slowly charring spiced pork is a rare sight in Barcelona, and at this taco spot in Eixample it's the main event. The al pastor arrives on handmade blue corn tortillas alongside carne asada, but the kitchen also runs wilder, with sea bass in black beer batter and sautéed lobster tail with cilantro emulsion. Seasonal specials keep regulars coming back, and the micheladas are not optional.
The awards
- The Infatuation The 25 Best Restaurants In Barcelona
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Barcelona
Why #3, not #4
Both places show 78. This one's exact Score is 78.3 and the next is 77.9, so it ranks first. We round what you see, but we rank on the exact number.
- #3 Xuba Tacos (this place) 78.3
- #4 Barracuda MX 77.9
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Rank 4. Barracuda MX
Pacific Coast Mexican
The sea bass a la talla arrives split between a red guajillo marinade and a green poblano one, and that division tells you what kind of restaurant this is: a casual Pacific Coast Mexican spot that takes fish seriously. Roberto Ruiz, who put Mexican fine dining on the European map at the now-closed Punto MX, runs a looser room here, with ceviches, tacos, and guacamoles that lean bright and coastal rather than heavy.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Eater Eater: The 34 Best Restaurants in Madrid, Spain
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Eater The 34 Best Restaurants in Madrid, Spain
Why #4, not #3
Both places show 78. This one's exact Score is 77.9 and the one above is 78.3, so it ranks second. We round what you see, but we rank on the exact number.
- #3 Xuba Tacos 78.3
- #4 Barracuda MX (this place) 77.9
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Rank 5. Bailara
Modern Mexican
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Six places have the exact same Score, so they share #5. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #5 Bailara (this place) 68.544
- #5 Can Simoneta Gastronòmic 68.544
- #5 El Bajío 68.544
- #5 Jiribilla 68.544
- #5 Puntarena 68.544
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Rank 5. Can Simoneta Gastronòmic
Mexiterranean Mexican
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Six places have the exact same Score, so they share #5. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #5 Bailara 68.544
- #5 Can Simoneta Gastronòmic (this place) 68.544
- #5 El Bajío 68.544
- #5 Jiribilla 68.544
- #5 Puntarena 68.544
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Rank 5. El Bajío
Mexican
The name comes from the lowland plateau region that stretches across several Mexican states, and the restaurant carries that geography seriously. It's a full-service Mexican dining room in Madrid, run by a team that keeps "las mayoras," the traditional matriarchs of Mexican cooking, involved in the kitchen. The menu leans into regional classics adapted just enough for a Spanish crowd without losing the plot.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Six places have the exact same Score, so they share #5. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #5 Bailara 68.544
- #5 Can Simoneta Gastronòmic 68.544
- #5 El Bajío (this place) 68.544
- #5 Jiribilla 68.544
- #5 Puntarena 68.544
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Rank 5. Jiribilla
Mexican
A Catalan chef spent nearly two decades in Mexico, came home, and opened this Mexican restaurant beside the Sant Antoni market. Mole sauces, corn tortitas, and aguachiles run through the menu, and a mezcal cocktail tends to follow most dishes to the table. The cooking is Mexican in spirit but with a thread of Catalan instinct running underneath it, which makes it a little harder to place and a little more interesting for it.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Six places have the exact same Score, so they share #5. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #5 Can Simoneta Gastronòmic 68.544
- #5 El Bajío 68.544
- #5 Jiribilla (this place) 68.544
- #5 Puntarena 68.544
- #5 Ticuí 68.544
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Rank 5. Puntarena
Pacific Mexican
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Six places have the exact same Score, so they share #5. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #5 Can Simoneta Gastronòmic 68.544
- #5 El Bajío 68.544
- #5 Jiribilla 68.544
- #5 Puntarena (this place) 68.544
- #5 Ticuí 68.544
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Rank 5. Ticuí
Mexican
Corn tortillas pressed fresh each morning on a traditional comal set the rhythm at this contemporary Mexican restaurant near the Prado. The menu leans into sharing, moving between cold dishes and things off the griddle, with the cooking rooted in Mexican tradition but not shy about modern moves. The sister restaurant to Puntarena, it draws a crowd that arrived hungry and ordered more than planned.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
A Tie
Six places have the exact same Score, so they share #5. We don't pick a winner we can't back up.
- #5 Can Simoneta Gastronòmic 68.544
- #5 El Bajío 68.544
- #5 Jiribilla 68.544
- #5 Puntarena 68.544
- #5 Ticuí (this place) 68.544