Restaurant in Mexico City, Mexico
Michelin-recognised contemporary cooking, no splurge required.
Martínez in Roma Norte holds back-to-back Michelin Plates (2024, 2025) at a $$ price point — rare value for Michelin-recognised contemporary cooking in Mexico City. Chef Maycoll Calderon runs a technique-forward kitchen that rewards both a weekday lunch and a full evening sitting. Book one to two weeks ahead; booking difficulty is assessed as easy.
Roma Norte has a way of concentrating serious cooking into modest-looking addresses, and Martínez on Calle Puebla is a clear example. Chef Maycoll Calderon runs a contemporary kitchen that earned back-to-back Michelin Plates in 2024 and 2025 — the guide's signal that a restaurant is cooking at a consistently high level without yet crossing into starred territory. At the $$ price range, that credential matters: Michelin recognition at this price tier in Mexico City is a strong indicator of value. If you are looking for ambitious contemporary cooking without the four-figure bill that comes with Pujol or Quintonil, Martínez is worth your time.
The address — Puebla 90 in the northern stretch of Roma , puts Martínez in one of the city's most walkable dining corridors, within easy reach of the neighbourhood's other strong restaurants and bars. Based on the building's context in Roma Norte, expect a compact dining room rather than a sprawling space: the neighbourhood's converted residential buildings typically produce intimate, room-scale dining that rewards going with a small party of two to four. The physical setting works in favour of conversation and attention to the plate rather than spectacle. If you are travelling to Mexico City specifically for its restaurant scene and want an overview of the city's options, our full Mexico City restaurants guide gives useful context on where Martínez sits in the broader picture.
This is the comparison worth making before you book. At a Michelin Plate restaurant in the $$ bracket, lunch is almost always the higher-value option: lower ambient noise, more attentive pacing, and , at many contemporaries in this tier , a condensed menu at a reduced price. The Michelin Plate recognition at Martínez applies to the kitchen's overall standard, not a specific service, which means the cooking quality should hold across both sittings. That said, dinner at a Roma Norte contemporary tends to draw a more engaged crowd and a fuller room, which can work for or against you depending on what you want from the experience. For first-timers who want to assess the kitchen without committing to a long evening, a weekday lunch is the lower-risk entry point. For those who want the full-service experience with the neighbourhood's evening energy, dinner is the right call , just be aware that a popular $$ Michelin Plate address in Roma Norte will fill up. Hours are not confirmed in our current data, so check directly before planning around a specific sitting.
Calderon's presence at the pass is the anchor of the Michelin case for Martínez. The Michelin Plate is awarded to the kitchen's current execution, not a reputation built over decades, which means the recognition is tied directly to what Calderon is producing now. The cuisine classification is contemporary rather than specifically Mexican, which signals a kitchen that is drawing on technique and ingredient combinations beyond a single tradition. For explorers who have already covered the canonical modern Mexican addresses , Pujol, Quintonil, Lorea , Martínez offers a different register. The Google rating of 4.1 across 512 reviews is honest rather than exceptional: it suggests a strong kitchen with the occasional inconsistency, which is not unusual for a restaurant cooking at this level in this price tier.
Booking difficulty is assessed as easy. A $$ contemporary with Michelin Plate recognition in Roma Norte is not the kind of address that requires three-week advance planning under normal conditions, unlike the $$$$ tier where reservations at Pujol or Quintonil can require significant lead time. That said, weekends and peak dinner slots will move faster than weekday lunches. If your dates are fixed, book a week or two ahead to be safe. The booking method is not confirmed in our data, so check the restaurant's current channels directly. No dress code data is available, but a Roma Norte contemporary in the $$ range typically runs smart-casual without enforcing formality.
For visitors building a broader itinerary around Mexico's contemporary dining scene, Martínez makes a good complement to higher-end addresses rather than a substitute. Elsewhere in Mexico, if you are considering Le Chique in Puerto Morelos, Animalón in Valle de Guadalupe, or KOLI Cocina de Origen in Monterrey, Martínez sits comfortably in the same conversation about serious regional cooking at accessible price points. Within Mexico City itself, it pairs well on a multi-night itinerary with Em or Lorea if you want to compare the $$$ tier against what Calderon is doing at $$. Other Roma Norte and Colonia Roma addresses worth considering on the same trip include Botánico, Cana, and Bajel. For everything beyond dinner, our full Mexico City hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide cover the rest of the itinerary.
Martínez, Puebla 90, Roma Norte. Contemporary cuisine. Chef Maycoll Calderon. $$ price range. Michelin Plate 2024 and 2025. Google 4.1 (512 reviews). Booking: easy, no confirmed advance booking method in current data. Hours: confirm directly. Dress: smart-casual expected.
See the full comparison below.
Martínez is a contemporary restaurant in Roma Norte with back-to-back Michelin Plates (2024, 2025) and a $$ price point , which makes it one of the better-value entry points into Mexico City's serious dining scene. Chef Maycoll Calderon runs the kitchen with a contemporary rather than strictly Mexican approach. First-timers should be aware that hours and booking methods are not available in our current data, so confirm both directly before visiting. The Google rating of 4.1 across 512 reviews is solid rather than flawless, which is honest for this tier. Start with a weekday lunch if you want a lower-pressure first visit.
Specific menu items are not available in our current data, and we do not invent dishes. What the Michelin Plate recognition does confirm is that the kitchen is executing at a consistently high level across its menu. Chef Calderon's contemporary approach suggests a menu that moves beyond Mexican regional templates, so expect technique-forward plates rather than a traditional Mexican repertoire. Ask the front-of-house for their current recommendations when you arrive , at a kitchen operating at this level in the $$ tier, the team should be able to steer you toward what is working leading that week.
Booking difficulty is assessed as easy. One to two weeks ahead should cover most situations, including weekends. This is not a $$$$ address where demand consistently outpaces supply, so you are unlikely to face the multi-week waits common at Pujol or Quintonil. That said, peak evening slots on Friday and Saturday will move faster than weekday lunches. If your dates are fixed, book as soon as they are confirmed rather than waiting until the week before.
Menu format details are not confirmed in our current data. If a tasting menu is offered, the Michelin Plate recognition at a $$ price point is a reasonable signal that the kitchen can execute it at a level that justifies the format. For a benchmark: tasting menus at Em or Lorea at the $$$ tier will cost meaningfully more for a comparable or incrementally better experience. If Martínez offers a tasting format at the $$ price, it is likely the stronger value proposition in Mexico City's mid-tier contemporary category. Confirm the current menu structure directly with the restaurant.
Yes, at the $$ price range, Martínez is worth it. Michelin Plate recognition in consecutive years at this price tier is uncommon and signals a kitchen that is consistently outperforming its price point. The 4.1 Google rating across 512 reviews is honest , not a polished outlier , which means the experience is repeatable rather than occasionally brilliant. If your budget allows only one serious meal in Mexico City, the $$$$ addresses like Pujol will deliver a more complete high-end experience. But if you want Michelin-recognised contemporary cooking at a price that leaves room for more meals across your trip, Martínez is one of the clearer answers in the city.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martínez | Contemporary | Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | Easy | — |
| Pujol | Mexican | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Quintonil | Modern Mexican, Contemporary | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Rosetta | Italian, Creative | Michelin 1 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Em | Mexican | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Lorea | Modern Mexican, Mexican | Unknown | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Martínez and alternatives.
Go in knowing this is a Michelin Plate contemporary kitchen at a $$ price point in Roma Norte — one of the city's most concentrated dining neighbourhoods. Chef Maycoll Calderon runs the kitchen, and the recognition is for current execution, not legacy or ceremony. It books easily, so there is no pressure to plan weeks in advance. Puebla 90 is walkable from most of the neighbourhood's other serious addresses, which makes it easy to pair with a broader itinerary.
Specific dishes are not documented in Pearl's venue record, so a prescriptive order guide would be speculation. What the data does confirm is a contemporary format under a named chef — that typically means a composed menu where the kitchen sets the direction rather than a long à la carte list. Ask the room what is moving that day; at a Michelin Plate kitchen in the $$ range, the staff answer matters more than any printed list.
Booking difficulty at Martínez is assessed as easy. A $$ Michelin Plate contemporary in Roma Norte is not competing for reservations the way higher-profile Mexico City addresses like Pujol or Quintonil do. A few days' notice should be sufficient for most visits, though weekend dinner slots at any well-regarded neighbourhood restaurant can fill faster. Booking online or calling ahead is still advisable to confirm format and availability.
The format details are not in Pearl's venue record, so confirming whether a tasting menu is offered would require checking directly with the restaurant. At a Michelin Plate contemporary at $$ pricing, the value case is generally strong regardless of format — the price-to-recognition ratio is the draw here. If a tasting menu is available, the $$ bracket means the outlay is well below comparable Michelin-recognised addresses in the city.
At $$ with two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024 and 2025), Martínez clears the value bar without much debate. For this level of culinary recognition in Roma Norte, the price is at the accessible end of the Mexico City contemporary dining spectrum. If you are weighing it against Rosetta or Em at similar price points, the Michelin credential gives Martínez an edge in terms of external validation — though the format and cuisine direction should match what you are after before booking.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
