Head-to-Head · Mexico City
Asai Kaiseki vs Nicos
Two Mexico City classics: Asai for Latin America's only kaiseki, Nicos for sixty years of Mexican cooking — book Nicos for value.
The Verdict
Asai Kaiseki is the counter one. Yasuo Asai, the only kaiseki chef in Latin America, runs a fifteen-seat counter in Polanco, where a nine-course kaiseki follows the Japanese seasonal progression and folds in Mexican ingredients, down to nopal nigiri. The room is quiet, the seating faces the chef, and it sits at four dollar signs. It scores a 9.5 for food and 9.3 for the room, with value at 8.4 because the craft is imported and the seats are few.
Nicos is the institution. Gerardo Vazquez Lugo, an architect turned chef, runs it with his mother Maria Elena Lugo Zermeno in Claveria, at Avenida Cuitlahuac 3102, and the kitchen has fed the city for more than sixty years. It sources locally under a Slow Food ethos, the sopa seca de natas and seasonal chiles en nogada are landmarks, and the pair won a Latin America's 50 Best Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. It ranked 84th on the 2025 list, runs at three dollar signs, and scores 9.5 for food with value at 9.1.
Scores, Side by Side
| Score | Asai Kaiseki | Nicos |
|---|---|---|
| Food | 9.5 / 10 | 9.5 / 10 |
| Atmosphere | 9.3 / 10 | 8.7 / 10 |
| Value | 8.4 / 10 | 9.1 / 10 |
Which One for Which Occasion
| Occasion | Editorial Pick |
|---|---|
| Milestone dinner | Asai KaisekiA single nightly seating and a nine-course kaiseki make a quiet, ceremonial night. |
| Taste of Mexico | NicosSixty years of regional Mexican cooking and local sourcing, from natas to nogada in season. |
| Best value | NicosA full Mexican lunch with mezcal costs a fraction of the kaiseki tasting. |
| Solo dining | Asai KaisekiA counter seat facing the chef is ideal for a single diner. |
| Lunch with family | NicosThe mid-century room and generous Mexican menu suit a daytime table for several. |
Price Comparison
Asai Kaiseki is the bigger spend. Its nine-course kaiseki runs at four dollar signs, reflecting a single nightly seating and the premium ingredients behind a true kaiseki outside Japan. Nicos is a la carte at three dollar signs, so a full Mexican lunch with mezcal costs well under an Asai tasting. On value Nicos wins decisively; on ceremony and rarity, Asai earns its tier. Weigh both against the wider field in our fine-dining guide.
How to Book
Asai Kaiseki seats only fifteen for one nightly service, so book ahead through OpenTable or the restaurant directly, and weekends fill first. Nicos takes reservations by phone and online for both lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday, and lunch is the classic time to go. Plan Asai a week or two out, and Nicos you can usually land sooner. Start the wider map from the Mexico City dining guide.
For occasion fit beyond this pairing, weigh them against our guides to the best first-date restaurants, solo-dining restaurants, deal-closing restaurants and rooms to impress clients. For more Mexico City match-ups see Asai Kaiseki vs Maximo Bistrot and Azul Historico vs Nicos, and browse the full set on the compare index.