Mexico City, Ciudad de México as it’s known locally or CDMX for short, is a sprawling, huge city — one of the largest in the world. It covers 573 square miles and bulges with 8.9 million people. Just a quick gaze out of the window as your flight descends around the mountains and into the airport and you grasp its vastness. But as with any large city, it’s the neighborhoods that provide the intimate experiences. It’s an enthralling place that delights at every step.
STAY
Drink | Coffee
Coffee at Cucurucho Roma | ©Robin J. Dorian
Mexico is the 8th largest coffee producer in the world. Mexico City has a very strong, buzzing coffee culture and many of the coffee bars source and roast their beans from Mexico’s growing regions (Chiapas, Oaxaca, Jaltenango, Veracruz). Chiquitito Café has a few cafés around the city. The Condesa location has a tiny interior, but a shaded seating area outside. Perfect for a quick breakfast of coffee and a concha (a typical Mexican pastry that is basically a roll with a cookie on top). Cucurucho in Roma (also with a few other locations around town) serves fantastic espresso. The cookie was so-so, but the espresso is worth coming back for. I brought home a bag of their beans from Chiapas which were ideally roasted for pour-over. Other coffee spots that I missed on this trip, but are on the list for next time are: Café Avellaneda in Coyoacán for coffee and coffee cocktails (non-alcoholic), Almanegra Café, Qūentin Café, Buna, Tierra Garat, Forte.
Shop | Style
Chic By Accident | ©Nick C. Bumstead
Casa Bosques
Super design-focused shop with books and magazines and a line of their own small batch chocolate. Technically a bookstore, but feels like a gallery; it’s beautiful.
180º Shop
A very cool shop that highlights Mexican designers and jewelers, but also classic hipster global brands. It’s a fun shop to browse.
Calle Marsella
Walk down the street and pop into a variety of stylish and unique little shops.
Chic By Accident
A gorgeous antique, art, design shop in Roma in a lovely old building (aren’t they all). Worth strolling around the multi-floor store for creative inspiration, even if you don’t or can’t buy anything.
Pingüino
An ideal spot to buy some gifts for yourself or family and friends — there are lots of fun things: mezcal cups, masks, brightly painted wooden animals, bright pink tortilla presses, napkins — a blend of traditional and modern aesthetics.
Ojo Amulets
Down the street from the Casa Azul, this a fun shop to find artisan-made gifts and souvenirs.
El Bazaar Sabado
The combination of a park with vendors and an indoor market place, the El Bazaar Sabado (only on Saturdays), this a popular destination for arts and crafts shopping. I had high expectations, but didn’t buy anything. But even if you walk away empty handed, it’s a delightful stroll, and the streets around it are full of local shops and restaurants.
Eat | Lunch or Dinner
Atún Tostada (Tuna Tostada) & Ceviche Colima (Wahoo Ceviche) at Contramar | ©Nick C. Bumstead
It might take a little adjustment for those of us who normally enjoy and early lunchtime, but long, late lunches are a thing in Mexico City. So relax, plan ahead, and book a table (where you can).
Rosetta: Not a hidden gem and everyone recommends Rosetta, but there’s a reason why. Sitting in the interior courtyard that feels like a calming oasis and tasting the thoughtful and focused dishes using Mexican ingredients is a delight.
Contramar: Another Mexico City classic that is super popular both with locals and travelers. The seafood is fresh and the flavors pop. The tuna tostada is a classic for a reason.
Expendio de Maíz | ©Nick C. Bumstead
Expendio de Maíz | ©Nick C. Bumstead
Expendio de Maíz: Casual and group seating on the street, only 4 or 5 tables with benches, and the most enchanting tour of corn-based cooking. No reservations and no menus — you just keep eating until you are done. You will not be disappointed.
San Angel Inn: The place to see (and be seen) by the well-heeled Mexico City elite for lunch on the weekends. A large menu offers everything you can imagine and the Marguerita served in a small cocktail glass with a mini silver ice bucket and silver carafe.
El Cardenal: Take a break from touring the bustling center to enjoy traditional Mexican classics like mole, Chile relleno, tacos. And don’t be deterred by the fact that it’s located in the Hilton. Also worthwhile for a hearty breakfast with authentic hot chocolate.
Mendl: If you are in the mood for a little noshing in Mexico City, Mendl scratches that itch with house-made bagels, lox, and other Yiddish delicacies.
Los Danzantes: Smack in the middle of Coyoacán and has a little bit of a touristy vide, but it’s owned by mezcal producers and the food is surprisingly good. Taste through a bunch of different mezcal and fill up on a tostada with toasted grasshoppers, ceviche, huitlacoche fondue, and if you are feeling less adventurous, there is a lot of options.
Other spots that were high on our list, but we didn’t make it to: Mi Compa Chava (lots of seafood, lots of sauces, lots of people); Botánico (lunch in a lovely patio).
Eat | Tacos & Quesadillas
Blue Corn Quesadillas outside Medellín Market | ©Nick C. Bumstead
The exciting thing about Mexico City is the sheer amount of street food and taco options.
Qesodilias outside Mercado Medellín: Blue corn tortillas with a variety of fillings cooked up and eating outside the Mercado Medellín. The huitlacoche quesadilla was especially good.
El Califa: One of the two main chains of tacos in Mexico City, the other being El Farolito. The classic is the pastor with pork, pineapple, onion, cilantro, but the Gringa Pastor comes with a layer of melted Oaxaca cheese. It all about the added condiments and sauces though.
Taquería Orinoco: We ended up at the Roma Norte location after several stops of cocktails, wine, and mezcal, and it’s perfect for that situation. I hate waiting in line, but it moves quickly. Every time I walked by it was packed, but the line and ordering is well organized and managed. The chicharron or al pastor are the way to go. And the tacos come with a side of potatoes.
There are many more I wished I had visited, including: Molino "El Pujol" (a neighborhood tortilleria by chef Enrique Olvera of Pujol); La Esquina Del Chilaquil (brave the line for a Torta de Chilaquil); Taquería Los Parados (tacos with meats cooked on a charcoal grill).
See | Places & Museums
Get ready for a cultural overload because there are many, many options to explore and learn.
Museo Nacional de Antropología: The museum itself is beautiful and the huge sculpture / fountain in the entrance area is both calming and awe-inspiring. Give yourself at least a couple to a few hours to stroll through the whole museum to educate yourself on the legacy of Mesoamerica's pre-Hispanic people.
La Casa Azul / Frida Kahlo Museum: Book ahead for this must-visit museum in the former house of Frida Kahlo. It costs extra to take photos (only a very minor charge though), but it is worthwhile to just soak up the atmosphere and envision Frida and Diego’s life together in this colorful house.
Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo: Architecturally, one of my favorite places to visit in the city. Three structures designed by modernist architect / painter Juan O’Gorman for his father, Frida Kahlo, and her husband Diego Rivera. Inspired by Le Corbusier, but also by traditional Mexican style, hence the bold red and blue colors. For lunch after a visit, walk across the street up to San Angel Inn.
Palacio de Bellas Artes: Art Nouveau and Neoclassical influences on the outside (designed by Italian architect Adamo Boari) and Art Deco on the inside. Wander around the floors and enrich yourself with works by Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Roberto Montenegro. One of the key murals is Rivera’s El Hombre en el Cruce de Caminos o El Hombre Controlador del Universo (Man at the Crossroads, or Man, Controller of the Universe) which was originally created by Rivera in Rockefeller Center in NYC, but was destroyed by Nelson Rockefeller when he saw the communist depictions. Just near Rivera’s mural is the La Piedad en El Desierto by Manuel Rodríguez Lozano — you can find the first version of the painting in the Museo Kaluz, which he painted in 1942, when he was imprisoned in Lecumberri, when he was indicted for the theft of pieces from the San Carlos Academy Collection.
Plaza de la Constitución + Metropolitan Cathedral + Templo Mayor Museum: The plaza (known by locals as Zócalo) is the largest square in Mexico and the second biggest in the world, after Tian'anmen Square in Beijing. The square is surrounded by office and government buildings as well as shops and restaurants. At the north side is the Cathedral, which took three centuries to build. And next to the cathedral is the Templo Mayor, the ruins of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan's Main Temple, discovered under an office building.
Former College of San Ildefonso: A former Jesuit boarding school and the National Preparatory School that became the birthplace of the Mexican muralist movement. Today it houses exhibitions and displays many murals painted José Clemente Orozco, Fernando Leal, and Diego Rivera.
Museo Kaluz: Displaying a range of only Mexican art from earlier works through to the 20th-century. Housed in the renovated Antiguo Hospicio de Tomás de Villanueva. There’s an outdoor café on the roof with panoramic views of the city.
UNAM — National Autonomous University of Mexico: Both architecturally and culturally rich, there is much to explore: the MUAC (the University Museum of Contemporary Art), the Central Library (the outside of the building is a mural, which is a Historical Representation of Culture created by Mexican artist Juan O'Gorman; the library holds one of the largest collections in Mexico), Estadio Olímpico Universitario (built in 1952, was the largest stadium in Mexico at the time, held the 1968 Olympic Games, hosted games in the 1986 FIFA World Cup, and on the east side of the stadium is a mural by Diego Rivera).
Av. P.º de la Reforma + The Angel of Independence: The 147-foot column and angel statue majestically overlooks Reforma Avenue. Built in 1910 by architect Antonio Diaz Mercado to commemorate 100 years of independence from Spain. The current statute was actually a replacement for the original that was damaged in the 1957 earthquake.
Mexico City falls into the description of so much to see, so little time. Some highly recommended viewing that we either couldn’t get to, was booked up, or under redevelopment includes: Luis Barragán House and Studio, Casa Pedregal, Museo Anahuacalli, Museo Dolores Olmedo, and Embarcadero Nuevo Nativitas Xochimilco.
Shop | Markets
Mole Spices at Mercado de Coyoacán | ©Nick C. Bumstead
With the need to feed and supply the 8.9 million people in Mexico City, it isn’t a surprise that the city is filled with markets of varying sizes and specialities. Make an effort to minimally walk through at least one of the markets for the experience and the vibrant colors.
Mercado de Coyoacan: Filled with everything from fresh produce to traditional crafts to sit-down food stalls, there is a reason this is one of the iconic markets in the city.
Mercado Medellín: Smaller in scale and therefore a bit more accessible, but no less rich in options. One of the few markets that also sells items from other Latin American countries.
Mercado de San Juan: The real foodie market, occupying two separate buildings: one for fresh produce and the other for prepared foods.
Mercado Sonora: Expand your horizons at this market, which has an emphasis on tending more towards the witchy — tarot, animals (for sacrifice), crystals, etc.
Drink | Cocktails & Wine
Hanky Panky Cocktal Bar | ©Nick C. Bumstead
Hanky Panky
One of the World’s 50 Best cocktail bars in Mexico City. We happened to visit Hanky Panky when there was a takeover by one of the bartenders from The Connaught in London, and while this was a worthwhile cocktail experience, it didn’t really feel like we took advantage of what Hanky Panky has to offer. The speakeasy vibe of entering through something else is still a thing going strong (why?). You check in and enter through what looks like a restaurant / grocery and exit through a beer fridge. Worth booking ahead.
Tokyo Music Bar
Part of the growing empire by El Grupo Edo Kobayashi in the Little Japan neighborhood. This cocktail bar feels classic Japanese — focused on making exquisite cocktails and playing high end vinyl on a 1970s McIntosh system. The cocktails range from classic to creative and we sipped through both varieties: Gin Martini; Budukan (Sesame, Sake, Kasu, Gin, Pet Nat); Wild Guess (Gin, Nettle X2, Yuzu, Genepi); Bamboo. After a few cocktails, there is a long list of neighborhood Japanese restaurants to eat at: Koku, Rokai, Le Tachinomi Desu. Worth booking ahead.
Limantour
Another of the World’s 50 Best and a very different vibe to Hanky Panky. There are two locations in Roma and Polanco. We enjoyed sitting at the bar on the street side in Roma — it feels like you are on the street, but you can directly interact with the bartenders. A variety of different seasonal, creative, and classic cocktails are on offer, as is an impressive list of agave spirits. Worth booking ahead.
Cicatriz
A different pace to the fancier cocktail bars above, Cicatriz is a chill wine bar / restaurant with seating on the sidewalk area in front of the place. Opened by Jake and Scarlett Lindeman, Brooklyn expat alums of Marlow & Sons. The wine list is classic Brooklyn (in a good way) filled with interesting and natural wines.
Eat | Dinner
Roasted Carrots at Masala y Maíz | ©Nick C. Bumstead
Pa'Pelar Shrimp at Masala y Maíz | ©Nick C. Bumstead
Masala y Maíz
Run by a husband and wife team of Norma Listman and Saqib Keval. The food is a little East African, a little South Asian, a little Mexican — and a lot of fab flavors. Talk through the interesting natural wine list and to get some direction. Every course we ordered (and shared) was memorable: Esquites Makai Pakka (corn, coconut milk, Kanyan masala, homemade mayonnaise, cotija); Roasted Carrots (pistachio dressing, chili, preserved lemon, peaches, basil); Pa'Pelar Shrimp (vanilla ghee and morita chili); Kuku Poussin (milk chilken with lettuce).
Pujol
A lot has been written about Enrique Olvera's Pujol and it’s a bit pricey, but it’s definitely worth it. After experiencing both the taco bar and the main dining room, I would give an edge to the taco bar for the overall experience, but that means you will miss out on the opportunity to taste the famed aged Mole. Everything from the cocktails to the wine list to the seating to the ambience is well executed and thought out. If you can afford it, don’t miss it.
Meroma
A stylish and fashionable vibe located in Roma. There is a small bar on the street level where you can start your evening with a cocktail. The food and cocktail list were tempting and inviting and everything was very good, but just not as inspirational as our expectations. The Mezcal Fresh (with Mezcal, Celery, Ginger, Lemon, Honey) and Meroma Mule cocktails were refreshing and an excellent start to the meal. Everyone raves about their pastas, but we opted for the Fennel & Celery Salad, Red Snapper Crudo, Grilled Octopus with Mojo Verde, Charred Fish Collar Marinated in Cilantro & Guajillo.
Maximo
We ate here with a large group with a set menu, but it was very enjoyable and lived up to the positive reviews. It’s one of Mexico City’s first farm-to-table restaurants and super seasonal — the ingredients are still sourced daily from local markets. It is not precious and stuff, but has a relaxed vibe.