Michelin-Starred Restaurants in Mexico / Quintonil: from a simple eatery to a two-Michelin-star restaurant.
Quintonil is the culinary vision of chefs Jorge Vallejo and Alejandra Flores, who have managed to fuse Mexican tradition with haute cuisine in an unusual and fascinating way.
By Alejandro Pohlenz
If your restaurant receives a Michelin Star, it means “a very good restaurant in its category.” Two stars signify: “excellent cuisine, worth going out of your way for,” and three stars: “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.” Quintonil, like Pujol, has been awarded two of these shining medals.
Why Quintonil?
The name Quintonil refers to a traditional herb that “symbolizes what is essentially Mexican: a humble, nutritious, flavorful, and ancestral plant.” The story of this place begins when Jorge Vallejo and Alejandra Flores branched off from Pujol to start their independent journey in 2011. At the time, they offered “a casual daily menu,” more like a humble eatery far from the quality they would eventually achieve. However, their talent and dedication led to a metamorphosis that today grants them two luminous Michelin Stars.
The focus here is the tasting menu, although there are a few à la carte options. Both emphasize the use of unconventional herbs and vegetables—many endemic to Mexico—combined with carefully selected proteins. You can find ingredients like Durango beef, Michoacán pork, or fresh fish from Baja California.
Some menu highlights
Now, the tasting menu published on their website requires some explanation/translation.
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Chileatole de colinabo: a thick pre-Hispanic potion made with corn, chili, garlic, and epazote.
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Taco dorado de atún, hongos lactofermentados y chitnextle de chapulín: the chitnextle is an Oaxacan sauce made with pasilla chili and other ingredients.
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Gordita de vaca, queso de bola de Ocosingo, Chiapas, relleno de chicharrón Wagyu con hormiga chicatana: a beef gordita with Ocosingo Chiapas cheese, stuffed with Wagyu pork crackling and flying ants from Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Puebla (I recall that in Chiapas there is an edible ant called “Zin-zin”).
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Rib-eye añejado de Tequisquiapan, garum de huitlacoche, mole de espárragos y hojas de primavera: “garum” is a fermented fish sauce.
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Finally, crème fraîche, a fermented French cream.
It’s worth noting that Quintonil ranks seventh in the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants.” Pretty impressive, right?! (Of course, the tasting menu is quite pricey.)
- What we love and you must try: gordita with yuca, Ocosingo Chiapas cheese, and stuffed with Wagyu chicharrón.
- What we like less: well, I’m not a fan of eating insects.
- Address: Av. Isaac Newton 55, Polanco, Miguel Hidalgo, CDMX
- Opening days & hours: Closed on Sundays. Monday to Saturday, 1:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.
- Ideal for: lunch and dinner
- Payment: cash and cards
- Nearby public transport: Metro Polanco
- Accessibility: yes
- Reservations: required
- Phone: +52 55 5280 2680
- Pet Friendly: no
- Suitable for children: not recommended for children under 12
- Vegan options: yes
