The institution. Pardiño's has been serving seafood on the Boca del Río side of the river since 1933 and is the place locals send visitors when they want a proper Veracruz-style fish lunch. The dining room is enormous, the waiters wear bow ties, and the menu runs to a dozen pages of mariscos.
Order the huachinango a la veracruzana — whole red snapper baked with tomato sauce, capers, and olives — or, if it is on the daily list, the arroz a la tumbada, the regional answer to paella. Avoid the standard meat dishes; come for the fish. Lunch is the main meal here, with the room loud and full by 2 p.m. Address: Av. Zamora 40.