Restaurant in Mexico City, Mexico
Michelin-starred omakase at a $$$ price.
Em is the most compelling value in Mexico City's Michelin tier: a $$$, one-starred omakase from chef Lucho Martinez that blends Mexican ingredients with Japanese technique in a quiet, focused Roma Norte room. OAD ranks it #348 in North America for 2025. Book three to four weeks out minimum — Saturday slots go fast.
The misconception worth clearing up first: Em is not a Japanese restaurant that happens to be in Mexico City. It is a Mexican kitchen that uses Japanese technique as a structural tool — omakase as a format, not as an identity. If you arrive expecting a hybrid novelty act, you will miss what is actually happening here. What chef Lucho Martinez is doing at Em is using restraint and seasonal discipline to deliver cooking that Michelin has recognised with a star in both 2024 and 2025, while keeping the room and the price point closer to a neighbourhood dinner than a formal tasting occasion.
That gap between the calibre of the cooking and the relative accessibility of the experience is the reason to book. At $$$ per head, Em sits a full price tier below Pujol and Quintonil, yet it holds a Michelin star and an Opinionated About Dining ranking that places it among the top 350 restaurants across North America in 2025. For a special occasion where you want genuine culinary ambition without the $$$$ price tag or the formal weight those rooms carry, Em is the most compelling argument in Roma Norte right now.
The dining room at Em is deliberately minimal. This is not a space trying to impress you with its interior design. The atmosphere is quiet and focused during service — the energy comes from the plates, not from a buzzy crowd or a soundtrack. If you are coming for a date or a celebration, that atmosphere works in your favour: conversation is easy, and the pacing of an omakase format means the meal has a natural shape to it rather than requiring you to negotiate a menu together. For a business meal where you want to demonstrate taste without staging a performance, it lands the same way.
Noise is not an issue here the way it is at louder Roma spots. Em operates evenings only, Thursday through Monday (5:30 to 9:45 pm), with Tuesday and Wednesday closed. That schedule means the kitchen is running at full attention on the nights it operates. Saturday is the most in-demand booking; Thursday opening is the path of least resistance if your dates are flexible.
Em's menu is seasonal and changes with the kitchen's produce sourcing. The omakase format means the chef decides the sequence, which is the right way to eat here , the à la carte option exists, but the full omakase is where the culinary logic of the meal becomes clear. The blending of Mexican ingredients and Japanese structural discipline is not a gimmick at this level of execution; it is the specific reason Em has a Michelin star rather than just a loyal local following. Expect unexpected flavour pairings and a level of precision that justifies the $$$ price tier decisively.
If you are travelling through Mexico for serious eating, Em belongs on the same itinerary as Expendio de Maíz and Máximo , all three represent different angles on what serious Mexican cooking looks like in 2025. For a broader picture of where Em fits in the city's dining scene, see our full Mexico City restaurants guide. And if you are building a longer trip around Mexico's leading tables, compare Em against Animalón in Valle de Guadalupe, Levadura de Olla in Oaxaca, and Le Chique in Puerto Morelos for a national picture of what the country's starred kitchens are doing right now. For Mexican cooking at this level outside of Mexico, Cariño in Chicago and Alma Fonda Fina in Denver are the strongest reference points in the United States.
Booking at Em is hard. A Michelin star and a limited operating schedule (five evenings per week) compress demand significantly. Book as far in advance as the reservation system allows , three to four weeks minimum is a realistic baseline, and weekend slots will go faster than that. If you are planning a special occasion around a specific date, do not leave this to the last minute. The Google rating of 4.2 across 589 reviews reflects a restaurant that consistently delivers, which only adds to booking pressure. For planning everything else around your visit, see our full Mexico City hotels guide, our full Mexico City bars guide, and our full Mexico City experiences guide.
Em is the most value-dense Michelin-starred booking in Mexico City right now. It delivers starred-level precision and a genuinely considered omakase experience at a price point one full tier below the city's most famous kitchens. For a special occasion dinner where quality matters more than spectacle, it is the right call , provided you book early enough to actually get in. For a more casual evening in Roma Norte, Esquina Común or Taquería El Califa de León offer strong neighbourhood alternatives without the advance planning.
Em is an omakase-first restaurant: the kitchen sets the menu, and the experience follows a deliberate sequence. Arrive knowing that the format is the point , do not come expecting to build your own meal from a broad à la carte list. The price is $$$ (a full tier below Pujol or Quintonil), the room is quiet and focused, and the cooking is technically ambitious. A Michelin star in both 2024 and 2025 confirms this is not a neighbourhood casual despite how it is priced.
For a bigger-budget, landmark occasion: Pujol ($$$$) is the city's most recognised table. For modern Mexican at the same $$$$ tier with a produce-driven approach, Quintonil is the stronger comparison. For something more casual and significantly cheaper: Rosetta ($$) is excellent for Italian-inflected creative cooking in Roma, and Contramar ($$) is the go-to for seafood. If you want serious cooking at a lower price point, Expendio de Maíz is worth considering.
Yes, at the $$$ price point, the omakase at Em delivers a return you would expect to pay $$$$ for at comparable restaurants. A Michelin star and a top-350 OAD ranking in North America are meaningful benchmarks here. The à la carte exists, but the omakase is the format the kitchen is built around , ordering à la carte is a lesser version of the same visit.
Em's omakase format and minimalist room are leading suited to intimate parties , twos and fours work naturally with the format. For larger groups, contact the restaurant directly before booking; there is no confirmed private dining information available. Do not assume a large group booking is direct at a small omakase restaurant without checking first.
Three to four weeks minimum is a realistic floor, and weekend slots (particularly Saturday) will go faster. Given the five-evening-per-week schedule and consistent Michelin recognition, this is a hard booking by Mexico City standards. If you have a fixed date for a special occasion, book as soon as the reservation window opens.
It is one of the better options in Mexico City for exactly this purpose. The omakase format gives the evening a clear shape, the room is quiet enough for real conversation, and the cooking delivers enough ambition to make the occasion feel considered. At $$$ rather than $$$$, it also does not require you to absorb the financial weight that Pujol or Quintonil carry. For a birthday, anniversary, or a dinner you want to remember for the food rather than the spectacle, Em is a strong choice.
At $$$ for Michelin-starred omakase in Mexico City, yes. The comparison that matters: Pujol and Quintonil are both $$$$ and deliver excellent cooking, but Em closes the quality gap at a meaningfully lower spend. OAD's 2025 ranking of #348 in North America puts Em in serious company. The price is fair for what you receive; the harder variable is whether you can get a reservation.
No specific dietary accommodation information is available from the venue's published data. As a general rule, Michelin-starred omakase kitchens at this level of preparation can usually work around common restrictions , but you must flag them clearly at the time of booking, not on arrival. Contact Em directly when you book and be specific about what you cannot eat.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Em | Mexican | Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in North America Ranked #348 (2025); Chef: Lucho Martinez document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function() { var el = document.getElementById("Achievements_chefs"); if (el && el.parentNode) { el.parentNode.removeChild(el); } });; Named after the chef's daughter Emilia, Em offers an avant-garde seasonal omakase and à la carte menu, blending Mexican and Japanese culinary traditions with unexpected flavor pairings. The minimalist dining room provides a blank canvas for the visceral culinary drama unfolding on the plate.; Michelin 1 Star (2025); Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in North America Ranked #408 (2024); Michelin 1 Star (2024) | Hard | — |
| Pujol | Mexican | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Quintonil | Modern Mexican, Contemporary | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Rosetta | Italian, Creative | Michelin 1 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Comedor Jacinta | Mexico, Mexican | Unknown | — | |
| Contramar | Modern Mexican, Seafood | Unknown | — |
A quick look at how Em measures up.
Em runs an omakase format: the kitchen sets the sequence and you follow it. Chef Lucho Martinez blends Mexican and Japanese techniques, so expect combinations that may not match what you think 'Mexican tasting menu' means. The room is minimal and quiet — this is a focused, eyes-on-the-plate experience, not a social scene. At $$$, it sits at the more accessible end of Mexico City's starred dining, which makes it a strong first serious tasting menu booking in the city.
For a higher-budget landmark occasion, Pujol ($$$$) is the city's most recognised table and delivers a different register of modern Mexican. Quintonil ($$$$) is the produce-driven alternative at the same tier. Rosetta in Roma is a looser, more wine-bar-adjacent option if the omakase format isn't your preference. Contramar is the right call for a casual seafood lunch with no tasting menu commitment. Em sits at $$$ with a Michelin star, which makes it the value case among this set.
Yes. Em holds a Michelin star and a 2025 OAD Top Restaurants in North America ranking (#348), and it prices at $$$, a tier below Pujol and Quintonil. That gap matters: you are getting starred-level cooking without the $$$$ outlay. The omakase format means there is no à la carte hedge — you are committing to the full sequence — but at this price point the return is clear.
Em's omakase format and minimalist room suit twos and fours most naturally. Larger groups are harder to place in a setting built around a focused, sequenced experience. If you are booking for six or more, check the venue's official channels to confirm availability and format before assuming it will work. For a large group dinner, Pujol or a restaurant with more flexible seating may be a better fit.
Three to four weeks minimum is a realistic floor. Em operates five evenings per week (Monday, Thursday through Sunday), which compresses availability significantly. Saturday slots will go fastest. Book as early as your plans allow — this is not a walk-in restaurant, particularly post-Michelin recognition in 2024 and 2025.
Yes, and the format works in your favour here. An omakase gives the evening a clear arc — arrival, sequence, finish — which suits a birthday, anniversary, or significant dinner better than an open à la carte menu. The room is quiet enough for conversation without competing noise. At $$$, it is also more achievable than Pujol or Quintonil for the same occasion at $$$$.
At $$$ for a Michelin-starred omakase in Mexico City, yes. The direct comparison: Pujol and Quintonil both sit at $$$$ and deliver strong cooking, but Em's price tier gives it a clear value case. OAD ranked Em #348 in North America in 2025, which places it in credible company at a price point that does not require you to stretch.
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