The city never sleeps. That is how the saying goes and, through experience, we know it to be true. Mexico City, like every self-respecting metropolis, is sleepless, and at all times and in many places, there are always light, movement, music, the hubbub of voices intercepted by the occasional scream, star-crossed glances, night owls that see the sun rise.

You’ve probably experienced this. A situation that may sound poetic but that also has an incredibly earthly side to it: food. All of a sudden it’s 3 or 4 o’clock and inevitably we feel hunger creeping in. The body is like that. And, it’s likely that the fate of tacos, dawn was already destined to be one of the best times to enjoy them.

We now share a list of places that never close: open 24/7 for all-nighters who, unbeknownst to them, become precisely that. By the way, if you know of any places that we missed, do us a solid and share it in the comments section below.

El Popular

A classic if you’re in the Historical Center. Nothing too flashy but, at the same time, the only thing you need. Coffee, baked goods, enchiladas, molletes, chilaquiles, soups, roasted meat and a few other dishes comprise the modestly priced menu. There’s only one catch: they only take cash.  How can you get around this? There are plenty of ATMs nearby.

Café El Popular
5 de Mayo 50 y 52 (between Isabel la Católica and Palma), Centro

La Pagoda

A coffee house/ restaurant like El Popular but with better baked goods and a slightly more varied menu.

Café La Pagoda
5 de Mayo 10 (between Eje Central and Bolívar), Centro

El Moro

A few churros with hot chocolate are more than welcome at any time, and this is all the more true if they’re from El Moro, the Historical Center’s churro joint par excellence. If it’s not too late at night, you might still reach their sandwich shop and you can round up your meal with a mole or pastor torta.

El Moro
Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas 42 (between República de Uruguay and Venustiano Carranza), Centro

Los Chupas

If you’ve ever partied in the south of the city, you’ve definitely finished your night off at Los Chupas. And even if now they’re more than a street stall, they still hold that something special that is required to calm a partying spirit. Suadero and steak are the best, but none are as good as the authentic chupas.

Super Tacos Chupacabras
Av. México and Circuito Interior, Coyoacan

La Casa de Toño

This chain has quite a reputation (which it lives up to) and has gained quite a following in the last years. Its menu is comprised entirely by Mexican “antojitos” (tostadas, flautas, gorditas, etc.) and the main dish is pozole, while the prices are fairly low. They only have 3 24/7 restaurants: Narvarte, Zona Rosa and Echegaray. Incidentally, they now take cards.

La Casa de Toño (Narvarte)
Av. Cuauhtémoc 439 (at the corner of Viaducto Miguel Alemán), Piedad Narvarte

La Casa de Toño (Zona Rosa)
Londres 144 (between Florencia and Amberes), Juárez

La Casa de Toño (Echegaray)
Hacienda de Salitrillo 22, Bosques de Echegaray

Au pied de couchon

The French must-have in the city. A sturdy onion soup, steak tartar, oyster and undoubtedly one of the best wine cellars in the city come together in a place that never closes.

Au pied de couchon
Campos Elíseos 218 (between Elliot and Arquímedes), Polanco Reforma

Bice Bistro

Pizzas, homemade pastas, grilled cuts and fish carpaccios. A dream come true: an Italian restaurant that’s always open.

Bice Bistro
Mariano Escobedo 700 (between Víctor Hugo and Emmanuel Kant, Hotel Camino Real), Nueva Anzures

 Main image: Courtney Tight / Flickr