Things To Do
Polanco
This is where you'll be staying, as it's home of the JW Marriott and W Hotels! Mexico City's swankiest neighborhood (and called "The Beverly Hills of Mexico City), Polanco, is famous for its designer shops and upscale restaurants - many of which are situated on the fancy Avenida Masaryk. The architecture is a mix between modern buildings and old Spanish style haciendas - and walking around in Polanco makes you feel as though you are in any other European city. If you're interested in gourmet cuisine, you will definitely want to make a reservation at Mexico City's famous Michelin-star restaurant, Pujol (start looking now as it takes a month or 2 to get a reservation). We highly recommend you watch the Chef's table episode on Enrique Olvera as it provides an insight into Mexican history and heritage as well as an appreciation for the traditions surrounding food and drink here in Mexico.
Food in Polanco
Breakfast Ivoire - Cute, shabby chic restaurant in front of a park. Maison Belen - French Mexican cafe. Catamundi - Great international food for breakfast or dinner. Klein's - Delicious chilaquiles. Dinner Pujol - Very famous Michelin Star Mexican restaurant famous for its aged mole. Recommend booking now! Watch an episode about it on the Netflix series Chef's Table. The Comrade - Best trendy cocktail and restaurant vibe if you are planning to go out. It turns into a dance club around 11pm. La Unica - Great vibe and beautiful restaurant. Nativo - Another great spot if you're planning to go out after. Blanco Colima - Blanco Colima is our favorite restaurant in Roma Norte for the beautiful building that it's in. There's an equally beautiful one in Polanco too.
La Condesa
This is where all the gringos hang out! It's one of Mexico City's trendier areas, and is filled with lovely art deco homes, tree-lined streets, leafy parks and bohemian chic shops, bars and restaurants. Parque Mexico is one of the defining landmarks of the area showing many elements of a European garden, including ponds and walkways. Calle Amsterdam is the most notable street - a large tree-lined oval perfect for morning runs - marking the original hippodrome (horse race track). Watch your step as you walk around - the sidewalks and streets endured heavy damage from the 2018 earthquake.
Food in Condesa
Breakfast Lardo - A gringo favorite open for dinner too! Make sure to book - it's always busy Freims - American style breakfast with delicious coffee right on Calle Amsterdam. Always a line so make sure to arrive early or expect to wait 20 minutes Enhorabuena - Tiny cafe with delicious coffee, healthy breakfast options, and delicious home baked goods (almost croissant and banana bread) Hotel Condesa D.F. - Great breakfast on a beautiful terrace. Also open for cocktails and sushi on the rooftop at night if the weather is good Ojo de Agua - Fresh juices, healthy food, delicious acai bowls Baker's Durango - Best coffee in Condesa Dinner Azul Condesa - Beautiful setting with traditional Oaxacan food. Meretoro - Upscale restaurant with a constantly changing menu. El Pescadito - Always a line for the best shrimp tacos in Mexico City. La Capital - Order the tuna tostadas and guacamole they're our favorite. Molino "El Pujol"- Enrique Olvera restaurant (Pujol in CDMX & Cosme and Atla in NYC)
Roma Norte
Roma is known for being the epicenter of hipster culture in the city, and rivals Polanco as the center of the city's culinary scene (we prefer Roma - it's closer to La Condesa & usually more affordable). Besides Art Nouveau and Neoclassical residential houses and buildings, the neighborhood streets are lined with restaurants, bars, clubs, shops, cultural centers, churches and galleries. Along with the tree lined streets, green spaces were also created with the addition of small parks. If you can, watch the film "Roma'' before visiting. It was nominated for 10 Academy Award nominations and is shot entirely on the streets of La Roma.
Breakfast in Roma Norte
Huset - A must visit for breakfast or dinner - ask for the avocado pizza you won't find it on the menu and be wowed by the beautiful ivy covering the ceiling and the twinkling fairy lights. Eno - Great for a Mexican breakfast or lunch. Panaderia Rosetta - Famous bakery - we recommend the Guyaba roll and almond croissant. Lalo - Super casual, shared tables with high quality breakfast / brunch food. Jenni’s Street Quesadillas- Jenni, the famed quesadilla lady of Roma Norte, posts up on the corner of Colima and Merida every morning around 11 a.m. The locals flock to her in droves for quesadillas, tlacoyos, and pambazos, which are either filled with meat (chicharon and tinga) or vegetables, like quelites (long-cooked wild greens), hongos (mushrooms), and flor de calabaza (squash flowers).
Dinner in Roma Norte
Blanco Colima- A beautiful old mansion with original stained glass and crown molding - our favorite for cocktails or dinner Meroma- Contemporary rooftop - classic dishes that have unique twists Paramo- Great for groups! Pork that falls off the bone and hibiscus flower tacos Nudo Negro- local Mexican fusion food Maximo Bistro- French restaurant with small plates. Walk in for lunch/early dinner as reservations are difficult. Rosetta- Italian food in a beautiful building on the best street in Roma Contramar- Best seafood! You must order the pulpo (octopus) La Docena- Great seafood (particularly oysters) and a great G&T Taqueria Orinoco- Super local, great tacos Kiin- One of the few Asian restaurants in CDMX with Thai / Vietnamese fusion Mercado Roma- Urban market with food stalls and a beer garden on the roof Sartoria (and Sartoria Bistro)- Handmade pasta & imported cheese Chetito- Gourmet tacos for $2 Quintonil- Fancier lunch or dinner spot El Califa- Best fancy tacos; a must in CDMX
Historic Center of Mexico City (Centro Historico)
Until the 1900s, what is now the historical center of Mexico City was the City, and the rest was all outskirts. The Aztec heart of Mexico City still beats in the city's center: here you can see and visit the ruins of the main Aztec temple, Templo Mayor, right beside the magnificent Cathedral built in the 1600s. Wander the Zocalo and see murals by Diego Rivera inside the Palacio Nacional, visit the old post office, and wander into the original Sanborn's building to be taken back in time. Walking through the streets you'll come across a wide variety of palaces and churches dating to the colonial period as well as more recent constructions, including the grandiose Palacio De Bellas Artes. A great way to get a look from above is by going to the top of the Torre Latinoamericana for a cocktail, the terraza in the Gran Hotel, or a favorite of ours, Balcon Zocalo.
Food in Historic Center of Mexico City (Centro Historico)
Breakfast Four Seasons - Brunch at the Four Seasons is unbeatable with a lush terrace and hours of mimosas and delicious food for around ~50 USD including mimosas. Dinner Balcon Zocalo - Overlooking the Zocalo, this place is great for dinner and drinks. It's a bit pricey but worth it for the best view in Mexico City. Azul Historico - Directly across from the wedding venue in the Zocalo - gorgeous restaurant with indoor trees, fairy lights, and delicious food. Always busy so make sure to book in advance. Hotel Downtown is upstairs and has a great rooftop bar for cocktails. Terraza Cha Cha Cha - Great for dinner and drinks with a fabulous view of the Monumento de Revolucion. Gran Hotel Terraza - Similar view to Balcon Zocalo but in the Gran Hotel which has an incredible stained glass ceiling unlike any you've seen.
Coyoacán
This historical area was inhabited in ancient times and its name means "place of the coyotes" in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs. The two central plazas, the Jardin Centenario and Plaza Hidalgo, are filled with strolling families and surrounded by quaint cafes, bookstores, and cantinas. This is the neighborhood where Frida Kahlo lived and you can visit her home, La Casa Azul, (now a museum), her studio with Diego Rivera as well as the house where Leon Trotsky lived out his final days. Neighboring San Ángel is a beautiful, traditional colonial, Mexican neighborhood. On Saturday the area is filled with an art market in Plaza San Jacinto.
Xochimilco
Xochimilco is a small area of Mexico City (45 mins from La Condesa) famous for colorful "trajinera" boats that fill its canals. You can rent your own boat for 1 - 2 hours and bring whatever you'd like - music, drinks, snacks. As you float, you'll run into floating mariachis, ranchero trios, and marimbas who will offer to play you songs. Music isn't all you will find in Xochimilco - there are boats filled with flower crowns, plants and trees for sale, and floating chefs where you can buy elote (corn), tamales, and beer. Xochimilco was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984 and houses one of the most unique animals in Mexico, the Ajolote, a rare amphibian that regenerates not only its appendages but also its internal organs. Tourism in this area helps fund the preservation of these animals.
Pyramid of the Sun
Teotihuacan is a vast Mexican archaeological complex about an hour northeast of Mexico City. Running down the middle of the site, which was once a flourishing pre-Columbian city, is the Avenue of the Dead. It links the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, the Pyramid of the Moon and the Pyramid of the Sun, the latter two with panoramic views from their summits. Getting there is easy! Ask any Uber Driver and they'll usually be happy to take you (off of the App) and wait for you for several hours. The cost is usually between $1500 and $2000 pesos ($75 - $100 USD). There's a cool restaurant - called La Gruta - in an enormous volcanic cave with a mystic atmosphere that serves traditional Mexican food once you've built up an appetite. If you're up early and don't fancy a lot of walking, you can even see the pyramids by air balloon!
Avenida Paseo de la Reforma
If you're not too hungover on Sunday, it's a great day to bicycle! The city shuts down La Reforma, the arterial Paseo that goes from the historic city center all the way to Polanco. You will bike through the city's high rise buildings, passing the monument of the Angel de Independencia, the Palacio Bellas Artes, Chapultepec park and the Archeological Museum. It's a great way to get the lay of the land. Download the App "Mobike" and you will be able to see bikes plotted around Condesa, Polanco and Roma Norte, or get an Uber Jump bike through your Uber App.
Frida Kahlo Museum
You can find Frida's home, which is now the Frida Kahlo Museum ‘Casa Azul’, in Coyoacán, her favorite neighborhood. Not only does it safeguard her most cherished works of art such as Viva la Vida and Frida y su Cesárea, it also is home to her diaries, clothes and even the artist’s bed. We recommend buying tickets online ahead of time to ensure they're available (and to skip the line).
Mercado del Carmen
On Saturdays, this market in San Angel is filled with local artisanal goods including paintings, jewelry, and hand-embroidered fabrics. The interior part of Mercado Carmen is a gastronomic experience filled with food stalls that range from tapas to tacos to Japanese buns.
Lucha Libre at Arena México
One of the more hilarious experiences that you can have in Mexico: imagine colorful masked wrestlers in spandex doing over the top maneuvers amidst dramatic storylines with an incredibly enthusiastic crowd. It is definitely worth doing!
Night Out: Bars
Gin Gin (Roma Norte or Polanco) - Go here for drinks if you love Gin and cocktails. Limantour - Great for Mezcal drinks and known as having some of the best cocktails in the world Handshake - Speakeasy in Roma Hanky Panky Cocktail Bar - Speakeasy in Juarez with craft cocktails behind a small restaurant. When you arrive you will think you're in the wrong place - but you're right! You need to make a reservation by FB message. Tenampa - This is a classic mariachi bar in a plaza filled with Mariachis. A bit touristy, but absolutely worth it. We recommend ordering a Palermo. Jules Basement - Another cool speakeasy this time in Polanco. Xampaneria - Bar in Condesa that serves delicious champagne based cocktails. Condesa DF - Great if it's warm out for rooftop drinks in the heart of Condesa. Palomares Azotea - Another great rooftop bar if the weather permits. Blanco Colima - Great cocktail bar / lounge downstairs that we highly recommend if you don't do dinner there See link below for more!
Night Out: Clubs & Lounges
*Please stick to the places we recommend if you're not a local! Never take a local taxi - it can be very unsafe - only use Uber! Departamento - classic Mexican club Patrick Miller - Disco club on Fridays where folks prepare dances for months and groups of people circle the dancers to show off their moves. Republica - If you want to go out until 6am - go here! Make sure to show up early. If you're with a group, you will likely need to book a table - but don't worry - bottle service is only a couple of hundred dollars. La Santa - Another 6am-er. Cafe Paraiso - A fave of ours. This is a very small loungey / club that plays unique electro-cumbia. Highly recommend turning up extra early (11pm). The party will get going closer to 12 / 1 am. Sense - A little far from Condesa, but worth going to. This is an upscale club in an area called Santa Fe. See link below for more!
Night Out: Late Night Food
Muertortas - Mexico’s biggest tortas La Bota- a feast of wine, cheese, cured meat, sausages, fried bacon, etc. Café Tacobar - great tacos; top 50 bars in CDMX El Vilsito - Amazing al pastor tacos! (open until 3AM and 5AM Sat/Sun) Taquería El Califa (Juarez)- well-oiled taco machine open until 4am every day - get the al pastor! Páramo (Roma) - When you want late-night food along with a late-night scene Los Cocuyos - Open 24 hours a day, best tacos in Centro Historico El Farolito - Quality taco chain with 24 locations, serving food late into the night.