Fodor's Expert Review Restaurante Bar Chon

This unpretentious family-style restaurant, deep in a working-class corner of the Centro not far from La Merced, is known for its menu of pre-Hispanic dishes. A knowledge of zoology, Spanish, and Nahuatl helps in making sense of a menu that includes ingredients from throughout the republic that have been used by indigenous people for centuries. Escamoles de hormiga (red-ant roe) is known as the "caviar of Mexico" for its texture and costliness; other exotic dishes may include armadillo, crocodile, and the frightening-looking gar fish—all sourced responsibly and sustainably.