Guide to Mexico City

By Olivia & Ben

Dining

    • Chocolatería La Rifa (Juárez) - As the name implies, this shop sells all things chocolate. Sip on hot chocolate while contemplating which sweet treat will serve as your morning pick-me-up

    • Cicatriz (Juárez) - Cafe with open-air seating and great food for breakfast or an early lunch

    • Farmacia Internacional (Juárez) - Quaint cafe that hits all the right notes. Fun fact: we sat down here after seeing our venue for the first time and anxiously did some back-of-the-napkin math before we booked it

    • Petit Roquefort (Juárez) - Quiet cafe with a beautiful patio

    • Lalo! (Roma Norte) - Casual, colorful, and trendy spot for breakfast and brunch

    • Panadería Rosetta (Roma Norte) - French/European style bakery serving some of the cities best croissants, coffee, bread, and pastries. Try the rollo de romero and see if you can only have just one

    • Tamales Madre (Juárez) - Heirloom, indigenous corn is the base of the various tamales served up here. These tamales are cooked without lard, so they're a bit lighter and a perfect way to start your day

    • W Repostería (Roma Norte) - Stop in for a homemade slice of cake or any other pastry that catches your eye

  • Taquerías

    The best taquería is the one nearest to you, but check out some of the taco spots below if you're averse to spontaneity.

    • Taquería Orinoco (multiple locations) - No frills taco spot open until 3:30am during the week, and even later on the weekends

    • Cariñito Tacos (Roma Norte) - Unique Southeast-Asian inspired tacos

    • El Vilsito (Narvarte Oriente) - Auto repair shop by day, taqueria by night. You can't go wrong, but most come for the al pastor, which features a towering stack of tender, shaved pork, sliced pineapple, and a riot of cilantro and onions

    • Siembra Taquería (Polanco) - Evolving from its origins as a tortilla maker, this taquería shells out a wide variety of tacos built on its handmade heirloom corn tortillas

    • Tacos La Flor de Turin (Juarez) - Delicious tacos in an unpretentious spot

    Restaurants

    • Choza (Roma Norte) - Thai-influenced restaurant and listening bar. The vibe is for drinking cold beer, eating with your hands and sharing spicy food. Music is a priority, and there is a custom hi-fi system always grooving something psychedelic, global, funky, etc. – usually with someone selecting vinyls. You won’t find Choza on Google Maps, but you shouldn't have too much trouble finding the address. It’s walk-in only and only open on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. Check out Hank's Pizza next door, an NYC-style slice shop run by the same team

    • Contramar (Roma) - Rightfully known as the place to enjoy some of the best seafood in the city, be sure to try the red and green grilled snapper (pescado a la talla contramar) and the raw-tuna tostadas (tostadas de atún). Make reservations in advance or show up early to walk-in. If you have trouble finding a table, check out Entremar (Polanco), Contramar's sister restaurant with a nearly-identical menu.

    • Expendio de Maíz (Roma Norte) - No menu and no reservations, bring pesos and an idea of what flavors you're looking for and the kitchen will handle the rest. Caters to vegans and vegetarians as well!

    • Fugaz (Roma Norte) - Well-designed space serving up Mediterranean-Mexican small plates

    • Kill Bill (Roma Norte) - You've been eating tacos and tlacoyos ever since you landed and you need to change it up. Sometimes, omakase is the answer. This is the place to do it

    • La Docena (Roma Norte) - Inspired by the Crescent City, expect ultra-fresh seafood and chic denizens in search of the same thing

    • Máximo Bistrot (Roma Norte) - Ushering in the farm-to-table movement in CDMX, Máximo has been serving dishes made up of hyper-local ingredients since 2011

    • Meroma (Roma)- Come for the pasta, and everything else on the menu, served up in a setting straight out of a magazine shoot

    • Páramo (Roma Norte) - Buzzy spot open late for dinner and drinks. Choose between the skylit terrace or a table in one of the smaller rooms upstairs

    • Pujol (Polanco) - Recipient of two Michelin stars, Pujol is a gourmand's dream, showcasing Mexico’s culinary past and future. Book as soon as reservations open up, which isn't an exact science. Recommend checking the reservations page here frequently

    • Quintonil (Polanco) - Often mentioned in the same breath as Pujol and run by a Pujol alum, Quintonil is an exercise in taking traditional Mexican flavors and transforming them into unique, ultra-modern dishes. Similar to Pujol, book well in advance at the link here

    • Tamales Doña Emi (Roma Sur) - Excellent tamales, both sweet and savory. Given the limited seating, may be best to order to-go

    • Tetetlán (Jardines del Pedregal)- Beautiful restaurant housed in the former stables of the Luis Barragan-designed Casa Pedregal (which you can and should visit)

    • Traspatio (Roma Norte) - Slinging drinks and food, come to enjoy a refreshing cocktail on the verdant patio

    • Rosetta (Roma Norte) - Mexican cuisine inflected with global influences in a house you wish you could live in. If you ask nicely, maybe they'll let you bunk in a room upstairs

  • Mercado de la Merced and Mercado Sonora are two of the busiest and largest markets in CDMX. Both are experiences in their own right, but may not be for the faint of heart. If you're up for an adventure, leave your valuables at home, bring a friend and your best Spanish and go explore. Otherwise, check out some of the markets listed below.

    • Mercado Roma (Roma Norte) - Gourmet food hall with a rooftop beer garden

    • Mercado Coyoacán (Coyoacán) - Established in 1921, the Coyoacán Market has been selling everything from vegetables to baskets for the better part of the 20th century. It's one of Mexico City's most iconic markets

    • Mercado San Juan - Pugibet (Centro) - Gourmet & exotic foods are the specialty at this traditional market dating back to 1955. Spring for some crispy ants, grasshoppers, and beetles for snacking

    • 686 Bar (Roma Norte) - Chic, dimly-lit cocktail bar serving up classics and noteworthy signature cocktails

    • Agrotaberna Monstruo de Agua (Hipódromo) - Outpost of a Mexico City-based microbrewery. Good drinks, music, and plants

    • Bósforo (Centro)- One of the city's best and most extensive mezcal lists coupled with psychedelic music, well-educated and friendly staff

    • Café de Nadie (Roma Norte) - Hi-fi listening room and cocktail bar run by Pujol alum

    • Cantina "Tío Pepe" (Centro - Barrio Chino) - Opened in 1869, this cantina has served politicians, writers, and many others looking for an unstuffy place to unwind

    • Casa Franca (Roma Norte) - Former apartment-turned-jazz-club featuring music from local and international musicians. Make a reservation two days in advance so you can get a seat in the main room

    • La Clandestina (Condesa) - Mezcalería offering more than two dozen varieties of mezcal, and a super knowledgeable staff to help guide you

    • Handshake (Juárez) - Award winning cocktail bar and voted the best bar in Mexico and in North America

    • Hanky Panky (Juárez) - You walk into a taco shop and awkwardly tell the taquero you're looking for hanky panky. They nod knowingly and lead you to a false wall with a speakeasy behind it

    • Jazzatlán Capital (Roma Norte) - Live jazz with shared plates and great drinks

    • Mama Rumba (Roma Norte) - Casual nightclub featuring live Latin music bands, plus a full bar

    • Parker & Lenox (Juárez) - Vintage-style speakeasy featuring jazz and live music, cocktails, and food

    • Pulquería Las Duelistas (Centro) - What is pulque? It's the fermented sap of the agave plant that's been produced in Mexico for over 2000 years. What does it taste like? Start with a half-liter of "natural" (the uncut, unflavored version) and if you don't like it, try a “curado” pulque mixed with various flavors depending on the day, like oatmeal, mango, celery, or strawberry

    • Tlecān (Roma Norte) - Mezcaleria voted as one of the best in North America

    • Vigneron (Roma Norte) - Cozy wine bar with a well-curated selection

    • Zona Rosa - LGBTQ+-friendly neighborhood with plenty of parties, bars, and clubs

    • Avenida Francisco I. Madero (Centro Historico) - Very lively pedestrian street stretching between two of the cities main attractions, Palacio de Bellas Artes and the Zócalo

    • Barrio Chino (Chinatown) - Located in the historical center with restaurants, shops, and decorated streets

    • Bosque de Chapultepec - Sprawling 1,700 acre park that has been a landmark since the pre-Columbian era. Be sure to check out the Chapultepec Castle (Castillo de Chapultepec)

    • Casa Estudio Luis Barragán (Ampliación Daniel Garza) - Former residence and museum of Mexico’s own famed architect, Luis Barragán which is considered one of the most internationally transcendent works of contemporary architecture

    • Casa Giraldi (San Miguel Chapultepec) - Barragán-designed house with private tours by the family that owns it

    • Casa Museo Guillermo Tovar de Teresa (Roma Norte) - House museum that exemplifies the Porfiriato era. Free entry and worth a visit if only to see the lush garden

    • Coyoacán - Known for its cobbled streets, art galleries, colorful buildings, artisan markets, and the Frida Kahlo Musuem, this historical neighborhood is a great place to spend a day away from the main parts of the city

    • Frida Kahlo Museum (Coyoacán) - Speaking of... Discover the life and works of one of Mexico’s most celebrated artists. This colorful museum is just a few blocks north of the center of Coyoacan

    • Lucha Libre (Arena México and Arena Coliseo) - Lucha Libre is a spectacle to behold and there are two coliseums to choose from when visiting CDMX. Buy tickets in advance via Ticketmaster and bring some pesos for giant cups of beers and snacks. Uber is usually the best way to get to and from the venues considering their locations and the time of day the matches take place

    • Museo Kaluz (Centro Historico) - Museum in a historic building, featuring Mexican art from the 18th to 21st centuries

    • Museo Nacional de Antropología (Polanco) - The National Museum of Anthropology is home to the world's largest collection of ancient Mexican artifacts, dating back to the Maya civilization. Nearly as impressive is the timeless avant-garde architecture

    • Museo Soumaya (Granada) - A private museum founded by Carlos slim offering extensive repertoire of works by European old masters and masters of modern western art such as Auguste Rodin, Salvador Dalí, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo and Tintoretto. It is called one of the most complete collections of its kind

    • Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (MUCA) (Coyoacan) - The University Museum of Contemporary Art features up-and-coming artists with unconventional and unique styles and personalities. A bit of a drive from the weekend's festivities, but worth it for fans of contemporary art

    • Palacio de Bellas Artes (Centro Historico) - Monumental cultural hub which houses the Museum of Fine Arts

    • Paseo de la Reforma - CDMX's most-famed boulevard features iconic monuments like the Angel of Independence. On Sundays, rent a bike and join the crowds pedaling up and down the avenue. The street is car-free from 8am-2pm, to allow for bikes, pedestrians, skaters, and scooters

    • Teotihuacán - Built over two thousand years ago, the breathtaking pyramids are a must visit if you have extra time in CDMX. Plan at least a half day for your visit

    • Zócalo (Centro Histórico) - Must-visit plaza which used to serve as the main ceremonial center in the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. Now, the plaza is the site of events, fairs, carnivals, concerts, parades, and protests