The choice of where to eat is almost limitless in Mexico City, ranging from traditional coffee houses to fast-food lunch counters, and taking in Japanese, French, Spanish , expensive international and rock-bottom Mexican cooking along the way. There's even a small Chinatown of sorts where a cluster of Chinese restaurants line C Dolores, just south of the Alameda. There are also the traditional food stalls in markets throughout the city. Merced is the biggest, but not a terribly pleasant place to eat: at the back of the Plaza Garibaldi, there's a market hall given over to nothing but food stands, each vociferously competing with its neighbours.

Mexico City also abounds in rosticerA­as , roast chicken shops, serving tasty set meals and crispy chicken with beer, in a jolly atmosphere. There are a couple on 5 de Febrero. For licuados, sodas, ice cream, fruit salads and tortas, try a jugerA­a , and pastelrA­as , or cake shops, sell cheap pastries and bread rolls for economical breakfasts.

More so than anywhere else in the country, Mexico City has become flooded with chain restaurants . International franchise establishments have a firm foothold here with McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Dunkin' Donuts and Pizza Hut all well represented downtown and in the wealthier suburbs. They're not especially cheap by Mexican standards but can be a comfort when everything else seems too hard. On the whole you're better off at one of the Mexican chains found in many of the same areas. The best known are Sanborn's , not particularly cheap but good for a breakfast of coffee and pan dulce or for reasonably authentic Mexican food tailored to foreign tastes: the most interesting by far is the Casa de los Azulejos . VIPS are almost equally widely scattered, and serve somewhat sanitized Mexican dishes in an American diner atmosphere, good for when new in town and still learning the ropes.

The area around the ZA?calo and west through to the Alameda is packed with places to eat, many catering to office workers (which often close by early evening) and to tourists, the latter staying open later. The selection is fine for grabbing something while you're seeing the sights but, with a few notable exceptions, you're better off elsewhere for serious dining. Most visitors seem to end up eating in the Zona Rosa where there's a huge stock of more upmarket places wedged into a few blocks. The standard is high and new places open all the time, but by far the most active area for cafA©s and mid-range restaurants is Condesa , about twenty-minutes' walk south of the Zona. We've mentioned a few in this area, but they are really just starting points, and the real pleasure is in simply wandering around and seeing what grabs your fancy. Top-class restaurants are mostly concentrated in Polanco . The southern suburbs of San A?ngel and CoyoacA?n are also good hunting grounds and it is worth sticking around for your evening meal after a day's sightseeing.

Dress standards are mostly casual, but the better the restaurant the more out of place you'll feel in trainers and a T-shirt. A few of the very best restaurants require jacket and tie, something we've mentioned where appropriate.

Something else to look out for that is becoming common in the better restaurants is a cover charge of US$1-3 per head that is automatically added to the bill.