The best Mexican restaurants in Singapore

Huevos started as an online business in 2019 and its skyrocketing popularity led it to open its first space at Kampong Gelam. Show up at its doors on any given evening and you’ll be greeted with snaking queues. The menu is substantial, with a diverse selection of antojitos (street food), mains, desserts, and drinks. Must-tries include the loaded nachos ($20) which you’ll find on pretty much every table – it comes with chicken chunks, chipotle aioli and aged Mexican cheese. But the unequivocal winner is the birria beef tacos (from $15). The beef short rib and brisket are perfectly tender, and the cherry on top is the beef consomme that comes with it for you to dunk your tacos into – it’s a juicy, messy flavour bomb in your mouth.

El Chido at Pullman Singapore Hill Street is the hottest new Mexican poolside bar in town, short of jetting off for a summer beach retreat. The swim-up bar sits next to an infinity pool overlooking Marina Bay, with a selection of cocktails and light bites to complete the experience. Grab a plate of nachos ($18) or chilaquiles ($20) to share, or order up some smoked duck tacos ($20) or shrimp and chorizo tacos ($24) if you’re feeling peckish after a swim. The well-stocked bar sees everything from classic cocktails to an extensive tequila and mezcal list. But in true Mexican fashion, you can’t go wrong with the Mariachi’s Margarita ($24) – a spicy and sour concoction that features jalapeños and pineapples.

Mexican cuisine isn’t just about burritos and quesadillas – at this cosy joint along Dunlop Street, you’ll see that chimichangas are quality Mexican fare too. At Chimichanga, they’re at the top of their game when it comes to deep-fried burritos – made with wheat tortilla wraps stuffed with Amarillo rice, cheese, salsa verde, crema and pico de gallo. Each comes generously stuffed with fillings like shredded ancho beef ($18) and chipotle chicken ($16), and the wrap is perfectly crisp, but not too oily. Besides their original branch in Little India, Chimichanga also has outlets in Paya Lebar, Holland Village, and Vivocity.

Go loco for tacos and all things Mexican at Super Loco Customs House. The contemporary bar located in The Fullerton Heritage precinct has stunning waterfront views of Marina Bay Sands. Grab a seat outdoors under the fairy lights and order from a menu filled with antojitos and para la familia (large sharing plates). Highlights include the roasted cauliflower ($9) with cashew crema, spices, pickled jalapeno, onions and coriander, as well as the beef quesadilla ($18) with slow-cooked brisket, salsa ranchero, pickled red onions and snow pea cress. This is one Mexican joint that also shakes up solid cocktails – the frozen margaritas (from $18) are where it’s at. Choose from refreshing flavours like acai and blueberry or pear, or check out the sprawling drinks list for classic cocktails or draught beer on tap.

Singapore’s oldest Mexican restaurant with a 33-year history is an oldie but a goodie, known for its happy hour that runs till 8pm. Besides a round of frozen lime margaritas, make sure to also order bar bites to share. The nachos (from $13) come loaded with melted cheese, jalapeno and pico de gallo. The birria tacos are a popular new addition, where slow-cooked, tender beef slices are infused with a rich blend of spices and chilies and wrapped up in soft, warm corn tortillas. And an old favourite is the chimichanga – a deep fried tortilla wrap stuffed with cheese and pulled pork, and topped with a dollop of sour cream, guacamole and pico de gallo.

While Mexican food is known as the ultimate comfort food, Nixta takes it up a notch – they pride themselves on using non-GMO ingredients from small Mexican corn farms to make their tacos, tlayudas, and tostadas from scratch. If there were to be an elevated version of the street taco, this is it: you’ll be tucking into slow-roasted duck tacos ($17), kurobuta pork belly tacos ($16), or even vegetarian butternut squash and kale tacos ($15). To share, order the Wagyu ribeye fajitas. Add as much housemade mole, roasted chiles and onions, or mezcal butter as you like for a burst of flavour.

The iconic BluJaz café has a Latin offshoot at a red shophouse right around the corner. We’re talking about Piedra Negra, known for its live DJs that attract bustling crowds, but also for its cocktail-friendly Mexican grub. The chunky guacamole ($11.90) is prepared fresh at your table and served with tortilla chips, while the fresh grouper ceviche ($13.90) with tostadas is worthy of seconds. For something new, try the cooked shrimp and octopus ceviche ($14.90) which has an added kick from serrano chillies and habanero mango sauce. Happy hour runs till 8pm with attractive deals like two glasses of lime margaritas at $20.

As a concept by The Black Hole Group – the company behind Tipo Pasta Bar and The Great Mischief – this halal-certified joint is often lauded for its no-frills approach to Mexican fare.  Here, the menu is straightforward and packed with tasty bites like the Cheeky Git tacos ($24.90) – they might be messy, but they come with juicy beef cheeks braised in coffee sauce and topped with a generous dollop of truffle mayo. Other flavourful snacks include the jalapeno poppers ($13) stuffed with mozzarella, bread crumbs and served with sour cream, and the Scorpion Wings (from $14) – chicken wings tossed in a spicy buffalo sauce and fiery scorpion peppers.

Tex-Mex is the name of the game here. Even the opening salvo of golden corn chips ($14) in a salsa of tomato, chile and coriander deserves a little cry of joy. Highlights include the portobello mushrooms ($28) sautéed in a heady garlic butter sauce; pillowy homemade enchiladas with USA beef chuck ($28); or a chicken option that comes with double-cooked beans for a richer flavour. Probably the best seats in the house are out along the wide, breezy verandah, while tossing back a lethally potent, chilled margarita ($21) – the restaurant’s namesake staple cocktail.

When translated, Comida Mexicana literally means ‘Mexican food’. Dishing out traditional Mexican fare from its humble kitchen in the East, the restaurant is as close as you can get to an Abuela’s cooking. The fajitas (from $32) are a popular choice, featuring grilled meats with sautéed onions and guacamole. Or go for the baked crab enchiladas ($42), which are stuffed with wild-caught fresh crabmeat and paired with a creamy garlic and enchilada sauce. Comida Mexicana’s signature dessert is a reiteration of the classic Italian tiramisu ($18) that’s infused with Kahlua for a strong, decadent sweet ending to the meal.

Owners Jonathan Yang and Shatec grad Elson Lee are the self-described muchachos with a brotherly bond. They were inspired by American-style burrito joints and take their reference from the ones in San Francisco's Mission District. While the West Coast-harking flavours remain unchanged, Muchachos adds meaty tacos, a California burrito and a shrimp wrap inspired by Miami to the menu. Tacos start from $5.60 and burritos from $15.80. For something different, we recommend the underrated cheeseburger ($14), and for bigger groups, order some carne asada fries ($17.50) on the side, loaded with steak, guacamole, cheese and sour cream. To complete the meal, pair your order with a bottle of refreshing Jarritos ($5.60) to beat the heat.

Before the Mexican wave hit our shores, there was Café Iguana. Opened at the turn of the millennium at a spot by the Singapore River, the food here is authentically Mexican. Try the grilled chicken quesadillas ($16) to start, and for a fuller meal, go for the red snapper al pastor two ways ($34) – which sources its snapper from the local fishery Ah Hua Kelong – or the chipotle prawn chimichanga ($28) stuffed with aromatic cilantro rice. The restaurant’s famed Tommy’s Margarita (from $10) comes in 10 flavours for you to choose from, and we recommend getting a jug to share with friends. Else, the Iguanarita ($18) – the joint’s signature margarita made with 100% blue agave tequila and Brewerkz draft beer – is another wise choice.

Korea meets Mexico at the first international outpost of the Seoul chain at City Hall. Vatos Urban tacos combines tasty ganjang and ssamjang-marinated meats with messy Mexican fare. It’s hardly groundbreaking alchemy: tacos (from $14 for two) are usually a simple balance of inexpensive cuts, veg and citrus. But even then, Vatos excels. The shells here are less rugged cornmeal circles and more smooth, springy wraps that resemble popiah skins. Unique fillings like galbi short rib or Korean pork belly are available, else you can always stick to the usual carne asada, or chimichurri chicken for a more traditional option.

Chimi's is the city's first Mexican cantina to set up camp in a 20-foot shipping container in the CBD. Gather your amigos for after-work tipples like frozen margaritas and ice-cold draft beers, and pair 'em up with bites like tacos, quesadillas and nachos. The loaded nachos (from $13) are ideal for sharing and come with different topping options – the carne asada beef is the most popular, but the Impossible ‘chorizo’ makes for an interesting choice if you want to switch things up. For something more substantial, opt for the smashed Angus cheeseburger ($24) or the bowls (from $14) which come with your choice of protein paired with Amarillo rice or salad greens. The best part? You get to enjoy them all with a stunning view of Marina Bay.

Sitting pretty atop Duxton Hill, Lucha Loco offers Mexican street food in a chill environment. Munch on a range of tacos (from $10) that include slow-braised lamb and marinated tiger prawns, as well as more unique options like the chorizo and beef brisket taco, or a vegetarian taco stuffed with juicy, grilled lion’s mane mushrooms. Equally striking are the quesadillas ($18), where you can choose between chicken, beef, or the more interesting caramelised hibiscus and jackfruit filling. If you aren’t too stuffed yet, you have to try the crowd-favourite crab tostada ($18) that features fresh blue swimmer crab with a zesty pickled jalapeno for extra kick. And don’t think twice about desserts – the blue corn cake ($14) with sweetcorn, creme fraiche, berry compote and vanilla ice cream is a mainstay on the menu, and not without reason.

The tiny space is plastered with hand-painted vintage Spanish movie posters, and you have to jostle and squeeze between your neighbours at the open show kitchen decked out in green, white and red – the colours of the Mexican flag. There, chef Mauricio Espinoza, the big daddy of Papi’s Tacos, dishes up plates reminiscent of his hometown of Tlaxcala, a small state east of Mexico City. Work your way through the Tacos De Suadero (from $16) with slow cooked beef brisket, tacos de pollo (from $13) with marinated chicken and homemade smoked chipotle salsa, or tacos de camaron (from $13) with pan-seared shrimps in a lightly spiced sauce.