By price, quality, and originality, this guide to chiles en nogada in Mexico City is a compass for playing it safe with this seasonal dish.
The World Cup is already over, and to ease the hangover of no longer having international matches, crazy celebrations, and a good number of memes, we propose starting with our traditional list of chiles en nogada in Mexico City.
The season has already begun and will not last beyond September, so go all out and try one of these chiles en nogada tested and guaranteed by the Chilango team.
Chiles en nogada are not usually cheap; the cost depends greatly on the ingredients, their quality, and even more so on the preparation. Literally: they are not enchiladas, and their preparation is labor-intensive. On this list you will find several options, some more lavish than others, but if there is one thing we guarantee, it is that you will have a quality chile.
Nicos
Perhaps the most famous and classic one in Mexico City. From the hands of Chef Gerardo Vázquez Lugo, once again this year comes the most anticipated and sought-after chile en nogada by many residents and tourists: a chile that follows the most traditional recipe, with all the seasonal fruits, chopped beef and pork, an exquisite Castilla walnut nogada that is abundant, well-balanced, and smooth in texture; and, of course, the typical light and delicious Pueblan coating, although you can also order it without the coating.
This delicacy has no flaws, as all the ingredients are brought directly from Calpan, Puebla, and have extraordinary quality and freshness. We recommend pairing it with a Mexican wine and ordering some water bread to soak up the sauce.
- Location: Av. Cuitláhuac 3102, Clavería
- Until September 30
- Cost: $670
- Instagram: nicosmexico
Los Danzantes
It is perhaps the restaurant with the most traditional chile en nogada in Coyoacán. The pink nogada has already become something diners specifically seek out, but the original is not far behind, along with the desserts and cocktails they prepare for this festival. This 2026, this kitchen, led by chef Sergio Camacho, honors tradition by combining seasonal ingredients with the highest quality. They present a blanched poblano chile, stuffed with beef and pork picadillo, grated apple, San Juan pear, criollo peach, plantain, almond, pine nut, raisins, and crystallized fruit. Castilla walnut nogada finished with pomegranate and fresh parsley.
The pink chile is made with an ancho chile softened with piloncillo, cinnamon, and spices, stuffed with duck and seasonal fruits, accompanied by pine nuts, almonds, raisins, and a subtle touch of cocoa. Pink Castilla walnut nogada with beetroot and bougainvillea, finished with fresh pomegranate and parsley. The third option is vegan and features peanut nogada and a filling of heirloom apple, milk pear, peach, and plantain, accompanied by pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, pine nuts, and a subtle touch of cinnamon.
- Location: Parque Centenario 12, Coyoacán
- From August 3 to September 27
- Cost: $590 (traditional), $620 (pink nogada), $504 (vegan)
- Instagram: @losdanzantes
Cascabel
Chef Lula Martín del Campo presents her traditional chile en nogada, respecting the traditional ingredients of Puebla: sweet and savory flavors, seasonal fruits, spices, Castilla walnuts, and pomegranate. The recipe is available with or without the coating, depending on the diner’s preference, but always faithful to her vision of preserving and sharing the country’s gastronomic heritage. The highlight of this chile is that the nogada is smooth, creamy, and easy to digest. There is also a vegetarian chile en nogada, an alternative that preserves the essence and flavors of the original dish but uses mushrooms instead of meat.
- Location: Av. Javier Barros Sierra 540, Santa Fe, inside Park Plaza I
- Until September 30 (the season may be extended)
- Cost: $440
- Instagram: @cascabel_cdmx
Oda al Trópico
Chef and gastronomic researcher Ramón Torres, originally from Tabasco, presents a chile en nogada through his catering service Oda al Trópico. It includes pine nuts, sliced toasted almonds, and golden raisins (approved by raisin haters) brought from San Andrés Calpan, Puebla. The nogada is prepared with fresh walnuts, goat cheese, cream, sherry, sugar, salt, and cinnamon, which goes perfectly with the beef and pork in the filling; everything is, obviously, topped with pomegranate, parsley, and some extra Castilla walnuts. It can be ordered with or without the coating.
- Location: Calzada de la Viga 4, Esperanza (Tamaiz) and Berlín 33, Juárez (Casa de Cultura de Tabasco). By order only through Instagram or WhatsApp and for takeaway.
- Until September 29
- Cost: $380
- Instagram: @oda_altropico
Angelopolitano
This restaurant has become a must during chile en nogada season. Its chef, Gerardo Quezada, is from Puebla and obviously knows his way around the dish. Every year he presents his most traditional option, but his menu also includes creations for those who want to innovate or experiment, such as the lamb version with macadamia nut nogada, or the confit duck version with mixed-nut nogada; there is even a vegan quinoa version with vegan nogada. But if traditional is what you are looking for, there are also three options: the traditional one, which is coated as Pueblans dictate; the classic one, which is served without the coating; and the Angelopolitano, an original and secret recipe from the chef’s great-grandmother, made with a mixture of beef and pork, all the traditional fruits and seeds, and a smooth nogada made with Castilla walnuts, almonds, goat cheese, and dry sherry, a true delight that tastes like tradition.
- Location: Puebla 151, Local A, Roma Norte
- Until mid-September
- Cost: $495–$615 plus pairing options
- Instagram: @angelopolitanocdmx
Carmela y Sal
This restaurant in Las Lomas has established itself as one of the city’s best places for chile en nogada, and it is no surprise, as chef Gabriela Ruíz Lugo always sticks to tradition while adding a contemporary touch that makes all the difference. This year, the chile filling is made with baked short rib and seasonal fruits brought directly from Calpan, Puebla. The nogada has plenty of texture, is thick, and has a subtle sweetness; the chile is so tender that they recommend eating it with a spoon as part of the experience, as they say this was how it was originally eaten so that you could get a little bit of all the ingredients.
As every year, this chile is presented with rose petals, and they recommend pairing it with mezcal, white wine, or red wine. All three are excellent options, although our favorite was mezcal.
- Location: Torre Virreyes, Pedregal 24, Lomas Virreyes
- Until mid-September
- Cost: $690 plus pairing
- Instagram: @carmelaysal
Corazón de Maguey
This traditional Oaxacan restaurant in the center of Coyoacán presents its Festival of Stuffed Chiles of Mexico, where the chile en nogada could not be missing. A journey through traditional recipes that invites diners to travel bite by bite through the country, discovering how the same ingredient can become infinite expressions of our culture. This year they prepared a traditional chile en nogada, stuffed with beef and pork picadillo, accompanied by panochera apple, San Juan pear, criollo peach, almond, pine nut, and raisins. Covered in traditional Castilla walnut nogada with a touch of sherry. The old-style chile en nogada is coated, stuffed with turkey, beef, and pork (shredded), seasoned with charred tomato and seasonal fruit grown in San Nicolás, Puebla. Almonds, pine nuts, and raisins. Covered with Castilla walnut nogada, double-cream cheese, and mezcal.
Try the other options from this gastronomic festival, such as the x’catic chile with suadero and asadero cheese, a jalapeño with potatoes and chorizo, and a mulato chile hydrated in piloncillo, cinnamon, and spices, stuffed with Mexican-style sardines.
- Location: Parque Centenario 9A, Coyoacán
- From August 3 to September 27
- Cost: $479 (traditional), $490 (old-style)
- Instagram: @corazondemaguey
Xuva’
This is the Oaxacan interpretation of chile en nogada. As neighboring states, Oaxaca and Puebla share elements of their cuisine, including moles, but also stuffed chiles. The chile en nogada presented by this restaurant, led by chef Juan Aquino, is prepared with ingredients collected from Oaxaca’s seven regions, while remaining faithful to the Pueblan recipe. It is stuffed with pork and beef, plantain, pear, apple, peach, jícama citron, raisins, almonds, and pine nuts; the nogada has rum as its surprise ingredient and includes almonds, walnuts, goat cheese, and a touch of vanilla. It is not coated, and pomegranate, quelites, and a coral made with Parmesan cheese are used for decoration. “The result is a little piece of my community, Santa María Zacatepec. It tastes like Oaxaca,” says the chef.
- Location: Salvador Díaz Mirón 128, Santa María la Ribera
- Until September 30
- Cost: $650
- Instagram: @xuvarestaurante
Tagers
In addition to ennogadas and desserts such as the Capricho de la Marquesa or the marzipan concha, this Puebla-born restaurant shines this season with its family recipe for chiles en nogada. These are coated—the golden coating represents Baroque art—with ground meat and criollo fruits grown in Calpan, almonds, and a nogada with the ideal texture and graininess, made with fresh goat’s milk cheese produced in Chignahuapan, Tepeyahualco, and Zacatlán, perfect for soaking up with water bread. They also offer a vegan chile whose nogada is made with almonds.
- Location: Av. de la Paz 40, San Ángel
- Until September 17
- Cost: $499 (chile and a glass of Care Rosé wine pairing) or $455 (traditional or vegan chile)
- Instagram: @tagersmx
Los Panchos
At this restaurant, the chiles en nogada have the backing of a recipe that has remained unchanged for eighty years. Mariana Guadarrama, corporate chef at Los Panchos, maintains the traditional preparation that Doña Carolina, the founder of the restaurant, used to create a dish weighing half a kilogram, with the highest-quality ingredients. And although it may seem impossible to finish, its excellent flavor will not let you leave a single bite behind. The chile is served on an elegant Talavera plate, giving it a distinctly Pueblan touch. In addition, throughout the month of September, every order comes with a complimentary shot of tequila, which serves as a pairing. To finish the meal, there is also a seasonal dessert: chile en nogada snow ice.
- Location: Tolstoi 9, Anzures
- Until September 30
- Cost: $580
- Instagram: @lospanchosrest
Magda
For 2026, the Magda restaurant in San Ángel presents chef Eduardo Cordero’s traditional chile en nogada ($495). This impressive dish, weighing approximately 750 grams, is completely filled with stew and covered in a delicious, creamy walnut sauce, decorated with parsley, almonds, and pomegranate to recall the colors of the Mexican flag.
To complement the experience, head bartender Erick Márquez suggests an exceptional pairing with the Jardín de Granada cocktail ($185). This drink, made with mezcal, pomegranate liqueur, prickly pear, and lemon, is as refreshing as it sounds. A highly recommended combination!
- Location: Museo del Carmen 4, San Ángel
- Until October 4
- Cost: $495–$615 (chile en nogada with pairing)
- Instagram: @magdasanangel
El Tajín
This restaurant in the southern part of the city offers two chile en nogada options this season. The classic is stuffed with two types of meat and features a sweet, textured nogada made with Castilla walnuts, goat cheese, cream, and sherry. The filling has a touch of dehydrated xoconostle that replaces citron but gives it a unique and special flavor. This chile is not coated but is smoked over charcoal, giving it a rich and intense flavor.
If you want to take a bit of a risk, there is a version made with ancho chile instead of poblano and stuffed with duck, but with all the fruits required by the recipe and a special touch: crystallized fig. This experiment is an explosion of flavors. The nogada is more savory than sweet but balances perfectly with the flavor of the duck and chile, which has a sweet touch.
- Location: Av. Miguel Ángel de Quevedo 687, San Francisco, Coyoacán
- Until September
- Cost: $550 (traditional), $585 (duck)
Ladurée: A Mexican Classic with a French Accent
Yes, you come for the macarons. But this season, it is worth coming for the chile en nogada. Ladurée, the iconic French maison, brings one of the most beloved dishes of Mexican cuisine to its table with a proposal that demonstrates that a classic can also be dressed in French haute cuisine without losing its essence.
The recipe starts with a poblano chile stuffed with beef, which delights with its dried fruits, dried apricot, sultana raisin, and dehydrated apple. Each bite offers a pleasant contrast of textures and subtle sweetness.
Meñique arriba for the nogada. The sauce is creamy, light, and has a pronounced walnut flavor that envelops the dish without stealing its prominence. The result is an elegant, balanced chile en nogada faithful to the season.
The portion is medium-sized, enough to leave you satisfied. However, if you have a big appetite, we recommend starting with an appetizer. We tried the roasted tomato cream soup with goat cheese, an option that prepares the palate very well for the main course.
To complete the experience, you can pair the chile en nogada with a glass of rosé wine or a Maestro Dobel tequila, two options that enhance the flavors of this seasonal recipe.
Tip from a connoisseur: leave room for dessert. The Flan Vanille, caramelized and wrapped in puff pastry, will make you say “oh là là.”
- Location: Julio Verne 93, corner with Virgilio, Polanco III Sección, Miguel Hidalgo
- Until September 20
- Instagram: @LADURÉE MÉXICO
Source: chilango
