Seafood is a hangover cure in Mexico, and almost everyone eating here is intent on either fixing last night’s damage or getting a head start on creating today’s. On the sidewalk, crowds of locals and tourists alike line up for avid fisherman Salvador Orozco’s creative takes on Sinaloa and Baja seafood. The artful aguachiles (raw shrimp in spicy sauce) rightfully land on almost every table, as do selections from the cold bar—which come with house-made hot sauces.

Despite being roughly four hours from the ocean, there’s a lot of great seafood in Mexico City. And while there are big plates of fish all over town, the gargantuan tower of shrimp, octopus, tuna, and scallops at this bustling marisqueria is one of the most over-the-top ways to dive in. Come for lunch and grab a stool at the counter.

Let chef Salvador Orozco cruise you along the coast of Northern Mexico with this airy and sunlit casual-dining restaurant in CDMX’s Roma neighbourhood. The seafood here has a Sinaloa and Baja bent. “Get the shrimp aguachile smothered in smoky black sauce, juicy oysters, whole grilled shrimp, and fish birria tacos.

More meals to jot down: El Turix is a no-frills taquería vetted by Bon Appetit and CN Traveler serving up cochinita pibil in Mexico City's Beverly Hills district of Polanco; Ranked as one of the World's 50 Best Bars, Baltra is a mixology bar with a Darwin-esque Galápagos theme and some of the best cocktails in the city; Panadería Rosetta is a must-visit bakery with multiple locations—you won't regret the guava-and-cheese pastry; Martinez de Salas suggests the traditional Mexican dishes at Nico's for any meal of the day; Maceda adores Mi Compa Chava for seafood and suggests going for a late lunch during the week to avoid the weekend crowd.

The meal highlight of our most recent trip to Mexico City was lunch at Mi Compa Chava. The restaurant serves incredibly fresh seafood and punchy margaritas in a cool, industrial setting. We loved the aguachile negro with raw shrimp, and the plate of grilled shrimps, but the two highlight dishes were the tostada mamfleis (with otoro tuna, scallops, & guacamole) and the costra de camarón (housemade flour tortilla filled with a cheese crust filled with beans and shrimp, topped with avocado, cilantro, and pickled red onion).

Mi Compa Chava is a bustling, open-air industrial space located also located in Roma Norte. It’s always busy but I’ve been lucky to get a table without a reservation on both my visits by beating the 1pm rush. The atmosphere is fun, almost like a party with corridos playing in the background and the servers performing a dance with their quick and efficient service.

Vas por mariscos, te quedas por el flan, literal en Mi Compa Chava, entre tostadas, tacos de camarón, cervezas bien frías, se esconde una joya dulce que no viene en concha, pero si con caramelo perfecto. Su flan es denso, cremoso, con esa textura que tiembla tantito al llegar a la mesa. Tiene lo mejor del sabor casero, pero con técnica y cariño de cocina top.

Food – amazing seafood, Baja-style, they get a shipment of seafood fresh every other day from Baja and don’t freeze anything. The aguachile will set you on fire. Ambiance – hip, casual, a big warehouse like dining room and a smattering of outdoor seating

Mi Compa Chava Marisquería in Roma Norte serves up the bold flavours of Sinaloa’s seafood, offering fresh tacos de mariscos, ceviche, and aguachile in a lively and casual atmosphere.

Mi Compa Chava started as a pop-up kitchen during the pandemic, and its popularity has risen to the point of patrons lining up for hours before being seated.

A beach fiesta on a city sidewalk, only the music is louder, the presentations are more creative, and the seafood — somehow — is even fresher.

A beach fiesta on a city sidewalk, only the music is louder, the presentations are more creative, and the seafood—somehow—is even fresher.