MEXICO CITY GUIDE

Restaurants & Bars

Eating our way through the city was undoubtedly our favorite pastime. For Mexican food, check out Azul Historico (Centro), Cabrera 7 (Roma Norte), Páramo (Roma Norte), La Capital (Condesa), and El Bajio in Polanco (stroll through Parque Lincoln afterwards). Salicornia (Condesa) is also great for dinner or brunch (sit upstairs if you can!). You can find delicious tacos on nearly every block but we frequently stopped at El Jaracho to devour the mole tacos. Señor Taco or El Tizoncito are also very popular taco options in Condesa. For seafood, Contramar (Roma),  De Mar a Mar (Zona Rosa), or Aqua y Sal (Polanco).

Condesa: Visit Parque Mexico in Condesa and grab churros at El Moro (one of several locations) right off the park and then stroll along Avenida Amsterdam. Four great restaurants in Condesa are Lardo, Milos, Kaye, Cedron. Que Sería is a small spot super popular for weekend brunch. We also love this Israeli restaurant called Merkava. Ten Condesa is an adorable spot for a healthy breakfast and lunch. Tres Condesas is also a great option for a light lunch. There's a little mezcal bar called La Clandestina that's very cool too. The rooftop bar at Condesa DF hotel is lovely. And Felina Bar has a speakeasy vibe. A nice place for gelato/pastries/coffee is Casa Visconti. Also, one of our favorite sandwich places is Tortas Atlixco (try the Milanesa con queso). It's a hole in the wall but you could grab them to go and then take an uber to Chapultapec for a picnic.

Roma & Juarez: In Roma, Casa Virginia, Blanco Colima and Rosetta are amazing (Colima is our favorite street in Roma - lovely to stroll down and pop into the many stores). El Traspatio is a cute bar for daydrinking. Gin Gin is also a fun bar. Paprika is amazing if you want something other than Mexican food. Cancino has great pizza. Other recommendations: Huset, Lucas Local, Mía Domenicca, Maximo Bistrot, Carlota & Emilia, Bowie, Delirio, and Belmondo (for sandwiches or brunch). Mercado Roma is a popular food hall. Departamento is a popular bar. For the best burgers in the city - We love Burgers (the Roma location is bigger. Try the “Rockefeller”). In Jaurez, Panaderia Rosetta is a MUST- you have to try their guava bread! Afterwards, you can stroll to Bazar Fusion (a bunch of little shops in a renovated mansion). Romita Comedor was one of my favorites but it closed down while we were there. I mention it just in case it re-opens one day!

Our favorite cafe in the city is Yume but there are many great ones including Tierra Garat (Condesa, Roma, other locations), Cicatriz (Juarez), and Boicot (Condesa & Roma).

If you want more of a local experience, try visiting Mercado Medellin in Roma Sur and getting ice cream at Helados Palmeiro (the galleta flavor is incredible!). Roxy is another very popular ice cream spot with several locations (two in Condesa) as well as Helados Oscuros (ice cream flavors with alcohol).

And of course if you are able to get a reservation at the world-famous Pujol - you won’t be disappointed! If you are unable to secure a spot, do not fret because while it’s in a league of its own, it’s honestly not at the very top of our favorite dining experiences in the city.  

Shopping

Bazar Sabado is a favorite of ours to take visitors. It is only on Saturdays and located in the charming San Ángel neighborhood. It’s definitely worth the trip via Uber (uber here is key! don't hail taxis in the street). Mercado Carmen is the hipster food market there worth checking out. Ciudadela is a market open everyday and the best place to find a huge variety of Mexican art, crafts, and textiles. For antiques, try the market on Saturdays in Jardín Dr. Ignacio Chávez. There's a larger antique market La Gunilla on Sundays but it gets hectic so go early! To get there you can put the Super Chedraui on Reforma as the destination address. There's also an art market on Sundays in Jardin de Arte.

To further indulge in retail therapy, visit Camino Silvestre, Roma Quince, Onora, AO16, The Happening Store or Bazar Fusion. There are also great markets for more contemporary Mexican goods that happen as often as once of month like La Lonja or Tráfico Bazar. We may plan our future trips around big events such as the contemporary art fair Zona Maco, Design Week Mexico, or smaller design fairs such as Caravana Americana.

Museums

Someone once told us that Mexico City has the highest number of museums in the world after Paris. Dolores Olmedo is a favorite but definitely a bit far. Casa Azul is of course worth the visit. It can get very very crowded so it's best to get tickets in advance and go first thing in the morning during the weekday. Coyoacán is a gorgeous neighborhood so after visiting the museum, it's worth walking 10 minutes to the center of Coyoacán (Jardin Centenario). If you have time while in the area, visit Anahuacalli.

The Castle at Chapultepec Park is a stunner. While visiting the Zocalo (a MUST), check out the murals at the Palacio Nacional and Bellas Artes, the National Art Museum, and pop in to see the Palacio Postal. The Anthropology Museum (Polanco), Soumaya (Polanco), and Templo Mayor (Zocalo) are usually rated the top in the city for visitors.

Activities & More

For salsa dancing, visit Mama Rumba in Roma. Or if you’re in the mood for jazz, check out Zinco Jazz Club in the Centro. On Sundays you can try renting an ecobici bike share and ride from Polanco to the Zócalo or along Mazatlan to the Zócalo if you are staying in the Condesa neighborhood. They close down several roads including Reforma for pedestrians, bikers, and rollerbladers on most Sundays from 8am to 2pm.

Other ideas:  a tour of Casa Luis Barragán and the other Barragan properties in the neighborhood/city, a show at La Teatreria, Lucha Libre (Mexican wrestling which is so extra but funny and a big part of the culture). And of course if you have the time, a trip out to the pyramids at Teotihuacan is a must!

And if you want to break out a sweat because of all the tacos you’ve been consuming, try Siclo for spin, pilates at Pilates Condesa, yoga at Green Yoga (Juarez location), or one of many workout classes at Hype Training.

Hotels

I would recommend an Airbnb in Condesa, Roma Norte, or Polanquito. If you are interested in a boutique hotel, check out Ignacia Guest House,  Nima Local House, or Hotel Condesa DF. And of course basically every major hotel brand has a presence in the city.

Last updated: June 2018