Pigeon

A Michelin-Recognised Café in Roma Norte Worth Booking for Lunch

Imagine settling into a leather banquette beneath Art Deco tilework in one of Roma Norte's most photographed buildings, ordering steamed mussels and a glass of something cold, and spending two hours not thinking about your afternoon. That's the Pigeon pitch — and for a $$ restaurant with a Michelin Plate (2025) and a 4.3 Google rating from 546 reviews, it delivers well above its price point. Book it for lunch. That's where the value is clearest.

The Venue

Pigeon sits inside La Casa de Las Brujas at Plaza Río de Janeiro 56 in Roma Norte, occupying a corner position in the Edificio Río de Janeiro. The room is the first thing that earns its keep: bold patterned tiled floors, marble tables, leather banquettes, pale walls, and warm lighting combine to create the kind of space that would feel at home in a European brasserie. The building itself is one of Roma Norte's landmark structures, and Pigeon uses the corner location to good effect. Expect natural light and street views during the day. This is, in short, one of the more photogenic dining rooms in the neighbourhood — but the food is what justifies returning.

Chef Mercedes Bernal runs a menu that reads broadly international rather than Mexican. Charcuterie, steamed mussels with French fries, pork schnitzel: these are the kind of dishes that signal a kitchen comfortable with European café traditions. But there is also genuine creativity on the menu , roasted carrots with macha sauce on creamy tofu, and short grain rice cooked loosely, seasoned with turmeric, topped with spiced shrimp, and finished with tzatziki. The flavour logic running through the vegetable plates in particular , earthy, acidic, textured , gives Pigeon a culinary identity that goes further than a standard all-day café. This is not a venue coasting on its room or its Michelin recognition. The kitchen is doing real work.

Lunch vs. Dinner: Where the Value Sits

This is the question that matters most at Pigeon. The $$ price point and the Art Deco setting make it feel like a natural lunch spot, and that instinct is correct. Daytime at Pigeon means natural light flooding the tiled room, a relaxed pace that suits the café format, and the full menu available without the pressure of an evening booking cycle. For visitors to Roma Norte, combining Pigeon with an afternoon walk through the neighbourhood is a low-effort, high-return itinerary.

Dinner is a different proposition. The warm lighting comes into its own after dark, and the leather banquettes and marble tables read more formally in the evening. For a neighbourhood dinner at $$, it remains good value , but the Michelin Plate recognition and the creative menu items make this a more compelling lunch destination, where you are paying café prices for food and a room that would cost significantly more in a formal dinner context. If your schedule is flexible, choose lunch. If dinner is your only option, the schnitzel and the turmeric rice are still worth the trip.

Practical Considerations

Pigeon is easy to book by Mexico City standards. With 546 Google reviews and Michelin recognition, it has a following , but the café format and the all-day structure mean it does not carry the same booking pressure as [Pujol](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/pujol-mexico-city-restaurant) or [Quintonil](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/quintonil). A few days' advance booking should cover most schedules. Walk-in availability is likely on weekday lunches, though weekend brunch periods may require planning ahead. No phone number or booking URL is currently listed in our records , check directly via the venue's social channels or visit in person for availability.

Dress is casual. Roma Norte has a relaxed, neighbourhood energy, and Pigeon fits that register. Smart casual is appropriate for dinner; relaxed casual works for lunch. No dress code is listed, and the café format does not demand formality.

How Pigeon Fits Into Mexico City's Wider Dining Picture

Roma Norte has a strong bench of international and creative dining options. [Rosetta](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/rosetta) operates at a similar $$ price point nearby and is the stronger pick if you want a more Italian-focused, reputation-heavy meal , Elena Reygadas has a profile that Pigeon does not yet match. But Pigeon has its own case: the room is more dramatic, the menu is broader, and the Michelin recognition at a $$ price point makes it one of the more accessible Plate-level restaurants in the city. For neighbourhood international dining that will not strain a budget, it sits comfortably alongside [Er Rre un Bistró](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/er-rre-un-bistr-mexico-city-restaurant) and [Migrante](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/migrante-mexico-city-restaurant) as a Roma Norte option worth factoring into your itinerary.

If you are building a broader Mexico City dining trip, our full Mexico City restaurants guide covers the category across price points and neighbourhoods. For hotels in the area, see our Mexico City hotels guide. And if you are extending your trip, Pearl also covers standout restaurants elsewhere in Mexico, including Animalón in Valle de Guadalupe, Levadura de Olla in Oaxaca, Le Chique in Puerto Morelos, KOLI Cocina de Origen in Monterrey, HA' in Playa del Carmen, and Lunario in El Porvenir. For international comparisons at a similar international café register, Loumi in Berlin and Haubentaucher in Rottach-Egern are worth a look. You can also explore Pearl's guides to Mexico City bars, Mexico City wineries, and Mexico City experiences.