San Juan Market (Mercado San Juan) is actually two buildings, located a block apart. One focuses on fruits, meats, and veggies, while the other is filled with stalls serving full meals (expect plates like flautas or birria), juices, and pastries. Food lovers, rejoice: Fresh fish counters offer catch-of-the-day from both coasts; wild meat markets have unique offerings (deer, alligator, iguana, wild pig, scorpion); and all over are imported European meats and cheeses.

One of the oldest markets in Mexico City, San Juan Market is a hotspot of culinary delicacies, rarities, and oddities you’ll struggle to find anywhere else in the capital. There is no doubt that your inner foodie will be drawn magnet-like to this grand produce market. There’s all the usual fruit and veg, but it’s perhaps better known as the place to buy lesser-seen meats.

Paco marched “mi no habla Español” and a group of four around the historical part of the city to hole-in-wall kiosks and family-run tortillerias, to vendors squatting on the curbs, frying thick purple maize torpedo-shaped tlacoyos, and the San Juan market, known as the “chef’s market”. In the land where tomatoes, avocados, maize, ataulfo mangoes, chillies, vanilla and cacao, it’s speculated, originate, you’d do yourself a disservice to skip over the markets. A fruit vendor reminds us that dragon fruit were first grown in Mexico, as he slices the fuchsia skin to reveal the white seed-speckled flesh.

Address: Balderas S/N, Colonia Centro, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06040 Cuauhtémoc, CDMX, Mexico | Phone: +52 55 5510 1828 | Website | Market open 10 am to 7 pm daily (closes 6 pm Sundays). If you’re looking to shop for local handicrafts or folk art, or just a colorful souvenir to take home from Mexico, definitely check out the market at the Mercado de Artesanías La Ciudadela, close to the historic center. At this market, you’ll find stalls of artists and vendors lined up along the street and hawking their art and wares to locals and travelers alike.

Located in the heart of the city center and with 150 years of existence, this is one of the oldest markets in the Mexican capital, which has become an important place to visit in Mexico City for food lovers. If you have a curious palate, this is the place to visit because, in addition to the usual products, you will find several exotic meats such as ostrich, iguana, crocodile, paca (a large rodent that lives in tropical areas of America), armadillo and even skunk. And even more: you can find a huge multitude of insects!

Many a Mexico City street food tour stops for a bite in the Mercado de San Juan because it’s filled with out-of-the-ordinary delicacies. There’s a particularly extensive number of edible creepy-crawlies to try, as well as a rather good selection of cheese and cured meat. Depending on the stall, you can try chapulines (grasshoppers) served over tacos or tostadas topped with crocodile meat, as well as slightly more pedestrian fare like tortas with serrano ham and lightly flavoured nieves made with local fruits.

Street food markets are the epicenter of fast food culture in the city, with La Merced and El Mercado de San Juan standing out as must-visit destinations. Here, foodies can explore an array of stands serving everything from seafood tostadas and cochinita pibil tacos, to exotic offerings such as chapulines (fried grasshoppers). These bustling markets provide an authentic glimpse into the local lifestyle, where food is not only a necessity but a celebration.

If you’re more of a carnivore than a vegetarian, Mercado de San Juan will definitely excite you with its eclectic meat selection. Armadillo, iguanas, skunks, and deer are sold here, along with not-as-exotic small cattle like goats and pigs. Tepezcuintle (or lowland paca) meat arrives from Honduras and wild boar meat from Texas; there’s also ostrich, buffalo, Florida crocodile… everything you can imagine and more — even lion meat.

There are many markets in the historic center, and it can be overwhelming to choose between them, or even know where to go. Since Aztec times, people from throughout Mesoamerica flocked here to sell their wares, trading valuable cacao and shells for obsidian, quetzal feathers, and precious metals. In the 2020s, this practice continues with tianguis (temporary markets) that pop up around the city, and lively neighborhood markets.

Mercado de Curiosidades Mexicanos San Juan (San Juan Market of Mexican Curiosities), at Ayuntamiento and Dolores in the Centro Histórico, is a handicraft venue open Monday to Saturday 0900-1900 and Sunday 0900-1600. Nearby, the Mercado la Ciudadela, on the corner of Balderas and Dondé, is a covered market with a wide variety of artesanía from all over Mexico. Prices are fair but expect to bargain; open daily 1030-1830.

The Mercado de San Juan is not just an artisan market but also a culinary paradise. Located in the historic center of Mexico City, this market has gained fame for its wide variety of gourmet ingredients, exotic meats, and local delicacies. While it may not be a traditional artisan market in the strictest sense, it is a treasure trove for those seeking high-quality artisanal food products.

El Mercado de San Juan es un mercado más pequeño y uno de los más prestigiosos de la ciudad. Este mercado es un tipo gourmet donde los chefs y los amantes de la comida van a comprar productos de alta gama y comer carnes y quesos europeos en los puestos de comida. Aquí encontrará ingredientes exóticos como insectos, percebes, escorpiones y carne como caimán, iguana, armadillo y jabalí.

Located just south of Bellas Artes in the historic center, Mercado San Juan is Mexico City's most exotic food market. Since the 1970s, the vendors of San Juan have procured rare meats, edible flowers, seafood, imported cheeses, and local delicacies for Mexico City's chefs and foodies. With the amount of raw meat on display, this market is not for the faint-hearted.

Location: Ernesto Pugibet No. 21, Centro, Cuauhtemoc, 06000 Ciudad de Mexico, CDMXType of Market: Gourmet Food MarketOpen: Daily, 8:00-18:00. Mercado de San Juan is renowned among foodies for its exotic offerings and high-quality produce. This market caters to a diverse palate, with everything from traditional Mexican ingredients to international delicacies.

Started as a small-scale tianguis around 150 years ago, Mercado de San Juan is a market to find fresh vegetables, imported food ingredients, high-end products, seafood, meat, and everything for food connoisseurs. Known as a chef's market, this place is indeed a gourmet destination primarily. Built in 1955, this place is the oldest municipal market in Mexico.

Despite visiting Mexico with our kids several times, our kids can still be finicky about Mexican food. We worry that our kids don’t eat as much as they do back home, so we like to supplement with fruits and veggies. It was surprisingly difficult to find fresh produce around central Mexico City; although there are candy stands on every street corner.

Let me be clear: Mexico City is the breakfast capital of the world. Nowhere else invests more in a proper first meal. In the coming days I will indulge at the famous Fonda Margarita, a family-friendly dive beneath a corrugated roof in a quiet southern neighbourhood, which stops serving at noon or whenever the food runs out.

Located in Mexico City, the Mercado de San Juan is an iconic market that offers a wide range of products, including jewelry. Known for its gourmet food and exotic meats, this market also houses several jewelry vendors who sell a variety of handmade items. From silver to gold, you can find almost anything here.

Of all of the famous markets in Mexico City, this one is by far the best known. What most people don’t recognize is that this market is actually made up of two parts that are a block away from each other. The heavily visited touristy side specializes in exotic meats and ingredients from around the globe.

Mercado de San Juan – The Fuente de Sodas Rufina, in Mexico City long before the new trendy markets arrived, is considered the gourmet market par excellence of the city. Here you can find top quality products, in addition to some that can’t be found anywhere else.Ernesto Pugibet #21, Centro.

Mercado de San Juan is a traditional market located in the historical center that has been open since 1955. It is one of the best markets in Mexico City that sells all the traditional meats and produce plus some more exotic foods. Some stalls here will sell insects and scorpions to eat.

The area surrounding the Chilpancingo Metro Station is where you’ll find plenty of street food stalls that will serve all of the most common dishes, although if you want to experience the Mexican flavors in more of a market environment, nowhere beats the sprawling Mercdo San Juan.

Considered one of the best food markets in Mexico City, Mercado de San Juan specializes in gourmet food and exotic dishes for the more adventurous visitors. This is the place to go if you’re big on trying different kinds of quirky dishes, but regular food is also available.

The Mercado de San Juan is a must-visit for those looking to dive into Mexico’s rich culinary heritage. This gourmet market offers a variety of exotic ingredients, traditional delicacies, and fresh produce. Location: Near the historic center, in the Cuauhtémoc borough.

From the visit to the San Juan Market to bustling around in the kitchen learning new things kept us laughing and sharing with Alex. Both Alex and Ale were a delight welcoming us into their home and enjoying the meal we cooked. Can’t recommend this experience enough.

San Juan Market (Mercado de San Juan) is one of the oldest markets in Mexico City. Although the market was built in 1955, the area has been associated with food vendors since the 1900s. Today, the market is famous for serving a wide range of exotic kinds of meat.

For a very local culinary experience, visit the Mercado de San Juan. Kids will be intrigued by the chance to see and taste something completely new, like edible insects or exotic fruits. Or head to the wacky cake museum on the second floor of Pasteleria Ideal.

I believe Mercado San Juan or La Merced may be your best bet to what you are looking for. Restaurant wise, you may try Azul Historico or Azul Condesa, Pasillo de Humo for Oaxacan food, Amaya or Merotoro (mar de cortez seafood / same owner) just to name a few.

I love photographing foodie markets – they’re filled with so much excitement and color. And this one’s no different. I’d consider Mercado de San Juan a local market, and we saw plenty of locals buying their produce and meat here for the week.

Mexico is known for tucking into tortas de bacalao (cod sandwiches) around Christmastime, but at La Rambla, a centro histórico sandwich shop, you can get them year-round. They’re a touch on the small side though, so maybe order two.

Take your kids to the Mercado de San Juan, where you can find everything from tacos to fresh seafood. For a sweet treat, head to El Moro, a famous churreria that has been serving up hot churros and chocolate for over 80 years.

Mercado San Juan Pugibet is known on the tourist circuit for its gourmet produce and weird meats. If you want to eat a beetle or a scorpion, this is the place for you!. It’s also known for selling gourmet and imported foods.

Mercado de Sonora (Spanish): Close to the Centro, this market specializes in pottery and dishes, live animals, herbal medicines and items related to the occult. On Saturdays, a tianguis is set up outside the market building.

Mercado de San Juan is a food lover’s paradise in Mexico City. You’ll find an incredible array of gourmet ingredients and exotic meats here. It’s often called the “chef’s market” due to its high-quality offerings.

This is a very different type of market compared to La Ciudadela. The San Juan Market is more than 150 years old and is frequented by locals looking for fresh fruit, exotic ingredients, and gourmet delicacies.

With over 200 stands selling everything from homemade mole sauce to colorful embroidered blouses. The best time to go is during the weekend. Because there are special events such as live music performances.

Gastro/ Mercado Exotico21 2a Calle Ernesto Pugibet, Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico. This is an amazing place to try all the exotic cuts of meats, fruits, and vegetables. You can also find unlimited seafood.

Here you will find all sorts of "gourmet" foods, such as crocodile, iguana, and lots of insects. Don't worry, there is also a plethora of 'normal' food as well. How many of these animals do you recognize?

But if you’re in the market for traditional handicrafts and folk art, or artesanias, there are two markets that are a must, el Mercado de Artesanías de la Ciudadela and el Mercado de San Juan.

Indeed, this upscale food market is especially famous for tasting local cheeses and meats. You will see lovely wooden tables right between the rows. All of them with vegetables and fish.

San Juan Market provides a full-on working-class food experience. However, there is a yuppified market one block north and west. It is filled with touring tourists and fancy displays.

The lively Mercado de San Juan is famous, maybe infamous, for selling interesting edibles, like scorpions, armadillo, iguana, and hormigas chicatanas (winged ants), and others.

Okay, so this isn't street food but it is an exotic food market. They serve your typical Mexican dishes but they also serve exotic meat and bugs. We tried the scorpions here!

A traditional food market in the center of Mexico City where you can find almost anything and everything from around the country. Calle de Ernesto Pugibet 21, Colonia Centro

From tropical fruits, mole pastes, and exotic meats and seafood, to crickets, tarantulas, and scorpions, you’ll see some interesting stuff in this market.

San Juan Market: Just a short walk from the main square, San Juan Market is the place to try exotic foods like grasshoppers (chapulines) and rare cheeses.

There is no better way to learn and appreciate the culture of Mexico (and Mexicans) than by visiting the San Juan market.