Lalo!

What it is. A casual, high-quality kitchen in the Roma, built around a communal table — long benches where you sit next to whoever else turned up, which is unusual in this city and the whole point of the place.

What to come for. Breakfast and brunch above all: eggs done several ways, house bread, pastries from its own oven, and coffee taken seriously. It is informal, noisy and bright, with an open kitchen you can watch.

The neighbourhood it belongs to. The Roma has been the centre of gravity of Mexico City eating for more than a decade: Porfirian houses converted into dining rooms, open kitchens, natural wine, mezcal by producer. The quality-to-price ratio here is still, by European or US standards, remarkable.

When to go. Weekend mornings are a local institution and the tables fill before 10:00 — which, at a communal table, means sharing. A weekday morning is the calm version.

Practical notes. In the Roma; Metro Insurgentes and Hospital General, line 1, and Chilpancingo, line 9, all serve the neighbourhood, which is walked rather than driven. Cards accepted. Mexican meal times apply elsewhere in the city, but this is one of the places that opens properly early.