El Nopal
A crowd queues at this sliver of a taqueria off the canal for Claudia and Alejandro’s tacos, burritos and quesadillas. There are only two stools in the tiny place, so plan on taking it to go.
Mexican
Candelaria
With its bright, bare-bones kitchen, crowded counter, communal table, and addictive salsas — all mercifully un-Frenchified — this upper Marais spot has officially changed the game, and people are lining up for tacos and agua fresca. Go through the unmarked door next to the stove and you’ll find a serious bar, staffed by Experimental Cocktail Club grads.