Holbox in Los Angeles is 26th on the Top 50 Restaurants list
Not that long ago, Mexican restaurants would have been little more than an afterthought for critics selecting the best restaurants in North America. How things have changed! The entries on North America's 50 Best Restaurants 2026 include five acclaimed establishments focused on the vibrant cuisines from diverse regions of Mexico. el Restaurante congratulates them all.
No.42 Pasqual, Washington, DC This hearth-focused restaurant from Matt Conroy and Mexico City –born Isabel Coss (they of famed French neo-bistro Lutèce) — is named after San Pasqual, the patron saint of cooks and kitchens. It was chosen for “its flame-licked dishes is prepared with obsessive attention to detail, cutting-edge technique and a sense of storytelling and the sentimental.”
No.36 Corima, New York City. In just two short years, Fidel Caballero’s restaurant, with its modern take Mexican cuisine inspired by the Chihuahuan desert and the culinary traditions of Ciudad Juárez and El Paso, has risen to the top. “The menu showcases northern Mexican ingredients and techniques, reimagined with precision and creativity,” the announcement about the award winners said of Corima (a name that translates to “circle of sharing” in northern Mexican culture).
No.30 Acamaya, New Orleans. Described as “a love letter to Mexican mariscos,” Acamaya — which debuted in 2024 — “treats Mexican takes on the Gulf's bounty with the same sense of reverence as New Orleans' own storied seafood traditions, carving out a distinctive place within the city's dining scene,” the story about the awards said. That “love letter” is written by sisters Lydia and Ana Castro (the latter of whom was head chef of the former Lengua Madre, the NOLA restaurant known for its inventive modern Mexican tasting menus.
No.26 Holbox, Los Angeles. Informality meshes with “zippy, clean flavours and well-considered heat” in dishes served at what has become a hot spot inside Historic South Central L.A.’s Mercado La Paloma. Here, diners share communal tables to enjoy Chef Gilbert Cetina's menu inspired by “oceanic summer adventures in his native Yucatán Peninsula” — think tacos, tostadas, ceviches and aguachiles, prepared with conscientiously sourced fish and seafood.
No.8 Quetzal, Toronto. In 2019, chef Steven Molnar reimagined this restaurant that had debuted in 2018, transforming it into a destination for “upscale regional Mexican cuisine prepared with Canadian ingredients and cooked over a custom-made, eight-metre-long indoor fire pit.” Adding to the appeal: the “ ambitious bar programme, spotlighting mezcal and tequila in imaginative cocktails along with thoughtful non-alcoholic options of reimagined Mexican classics.”
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