Mexico City is a metropolis with everything to offer. Unless you plan to be there for multiple weeks, we recommend that you prioritise exploring the following neighbourhoods which have a variety of wonderful restaurants, shops, and attractions:
These neighbourhoods are adjacent and fashionable, known for their beautiful, historic architecture, as well their vibrant bars and restaurants. Easily walkable and endlessly inspiring. We have no doubt you’ll find something to love.
An affluent neighbourhood, reminiscent of Beverley Hills. Think boutiques and high-end restaurants and hotels. If for nothing else, go and visit our favourite bookshop in the City, Cafebrería El Péndulo.
This is where it happens. This is the heart. Get to Zócalo (the city’s main square) and see the sights. Downtown Mexico City has a lot to offer, from landmarks dating back to the Aztec era to iconic buildings like the art nouveau Palacio de Bellas Artes and the Metropolitan Cathedral.
The southern neighbourhood Xochimilco isn’t like the others. With its maze of historic canals and its history as a once thriving agricultural powerhouse for the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, it’s a window into a pre- Hispanic past. We’d recommend you grab a drink and hit the waters, drifting through the dusk in a trajinera (brightly coloured, flat-bottomed wooden boats). No struggle needed. If you are interested in this particular spot, please let us know in advance and we will provide further critical information.
Leafy parks, cobblestone streets and colonial architecture. What more can you ask for? There’s also plenty of galleries and markets, and the bright-blue home of Frida Kahlo, which is open to the public.
While we hardly imagine you’ll run out of things to do in Mexico City, there’s also wonderful day-trips worthy of consideration if you have the time. Great experiences can be had travelling to Valle de Bravo, a lake town two hours’ drive away, or the Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl volcanoes. Alternatively, we’d recommend trips to visits the pyramids of
Teotihuacán and Tepoztlán.
While we hardly imagine you’ll run out of things to do in Mexico City, there’s also wonderful day-trips worthy of consideration if you have the time. Great experiences can be had travelling to Valle de Bravo, a lake town two hours’ drive away, or the Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl volcanoes. Alternatively, we’d recommend trips to visits the pyramids ofTeotihuacán and Tepoztlán.
Perfumes, candles, room diffusers, and gifts. Very hipster, very aesthetic, and prices are not too bad.
A bookstore specialised in cooking books. They have peculiar volumes specialised in Mexican mushrooms, tacos, pulque (traditional fermented agave drink), and even food-themed fiction.
Cheese shop that specialises in both national and imported cheeses. They also sell jams, quince jelly, and homemade butter.
High-end perfumery and skin care made with Latin American ingredients.
A centrally-located enology shop specialised in Mexican wines.
Bookshop + coffee shop, what’s more to ask? The Polanco branch is the pretties of them all.
Listening bar with curated themed nights.
Named as the best bar in the world. Enough said.
You won’t find this spot in Google maps. There is no sign and no name, but fear not, this modest stall is located outside an Oxxo (the Mexican version of a WH Smith) and offers you the full Mexican street stall experience. The owner, Doña Carmen, prepares a wide variety of quesadillas almost as good as my mum’s, but the chicharrón ones are her specialty. That being said, don’t forget that you are in Mexico City, so every time you want a quesadilla, your need to order it “con queso, por favor”, or they will give you just a taco (don’t try to understand it).
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Unpretentious CDMX staple that offers traditional dishes for a very reasonable price. For breakfast, there’s always the huevos divorciados or the chilaquiles. At lunch or dinner, we recommend the enchiladas, the sopes or the enfrijoladas. Tacos are tempting, but this is probably not the best spot for them. Go to our specialised taco section for some of the must-visit places in the city.
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This looks like a humble stall, but expect New York-worthy queues that go around the block. Chilaquiles are a traditional Mexican breakfast dish that consists of crispy tortillas covered in red or green sauce and topped with cheese and cream. In this eatery, however, they take it even further and they put this concoction inside a sandwich and pair it with cochinita pibil, schnitzels, or shredded chicken.
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A more affordable version of its Michelin-star sister Pujol. Although slightly gentrified, this place offers some unmissable Mexican dishes with a posher twist. Try the corn with chicatana mayo, don’t ask what chicatana is.
A classic taco spot for all those taco virgins out there. Offerings are numerous but you can’t go wrong with a succulent cabeza as well as the classic al pastor. Finish them with a splash of salsa and a squeeze of lime.
Another classic spots for taco lovers. If you’ve never had tacos before, opt for the trompo, res or chicharrón with corn tortilla. If you are ready to level up, the order a costra or a gringa. If you don’t eat meat, then there is always quesadillas, and it is never a bad idea to order a side of frijoles. Don’t forget to water it down with an Agua de Jamaica or Guayaba (hibiscus and guava drinks). The Roma Norte or the Polanco locations are the easiest ones to visit.
Tacos de canasta Los Especiales
Although you can eat them all day long, “tacos de canasta” are particularly popular during breakfast. Order
Unpretentious fish tacos. Go to their Roma location for an easy-to-access experience.
Vegan tacos and cocktails in a relaxed environment. They might even have pan de Muerto available by the time of your visit.
If you’re feeling particularly fancy, this place offers premium tacos at premium prices. The starts of the menu here are the Black Angus taco, the Ribeye Chairman Reserve taco or, for those particularly pretentious, the Wagyu taco in flour tortilla. That being said, every customer gets a small bowl of crisps and a tiny beer for free.
Lugaroso Café
The pinacle of the hipster/alternative scene in CDMX. It looks shabby, but it’s actually very gentrified, so you’ll be fine. There’s a literal cave in the back of this place which they sometimes use as a gallery space. Order the horchata espresso and explore whatever the hell they’re exhibiting that month.
Quentin
An aesthetic café that sells coffee made with Mexican beans. They also offer non-caffeinated drinks like matcha and some delicious pastries.
Café Ruta de la Seda
Amazing Mexican bread, coffee, and tea. They also have a delicious selection of breakfast dishes (ignore the European stuff, go for the chilaquiles or the enchiladas). Try the conchas or the empanadas and pair them with an artisanal hot chocolate. But, if they have it, definitely opt for the pan the muerto with one of their non-traditional fillings.
Café Nin
This is the same people that manage the Rosetta restaurant and, to no one’s surprise, they offer award-winning bread and pastries. Go for the giant concha, the guava roll, or the puerquito. Gentrified? As most of the things in this list. Overpriced? Yup. Worth it? Absolutely.
Churrería El Moro
Are churros pastries? Let’s go with yes. These bad boys are a staple of the city, so make sure to pop by and pair them with a coffee or a hot chocolate.
A staple of Mexico City that you can’t miss. If you don’t eat meat, look for its mushroom-based cousin.
The best Mexican breakfast there is.
Mexico’s favourite pastry.
This carby circle of hell is a typical dish of Mexico City, it consists of a tamal (for sake of clarity, let’s describe it as a corn cake) sandwiched between two pieces of bread.
This is ceviche’s more delicious cousin. Aguachile is made with raw prawns cooked in lemon and marinated along onion, coriander, chili and different sauces. It’s one of the best Mexican hidden gems.
The wedding will be pretty close to the Day of the Dead, so it’s highly possible that many bakeries will have Pan de Muerto (the traditional Day of the Dead pastry) available. Try the classic one of look for more adventurous options with fillings and toppings.
Think about the concept of a lemonade… Well, “aguas frescas” is basically lemonade but with whatever fruit (or even cereal) you want. The favourite ones are horchata, and jamaica, but try some other options like cucumber and chia, tamarind, coconut, cantaloupe, or passion fruit.
Mexican fruit smoothies. Just walk into any market, pick a fruit, and ask the clerks to blend it for you. Some unmissable ones are mamey, papaya, or strawberry.