A City That’ll Leave you with Stars in your Eyes ✨
A cosmopolitan cultural epicenter, Mexico City oozes sophistication and swagger. From deeply rooted history and innovative architecture, to a flourishing food scene and impressive creative class, Mexico City is simply put, the spot.
Mexico City is one of those destinations that’s always been at the top of my list, but never really prioritized due to it’s close proximity and frequent flights from Chicago. Let’s take it back to March 2020 when I was still flying high from a trip across Patagonia in Chile and Argentina. My mom and I embarked on a two week trip where we spent the first week hiking the W Trek in Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park camping in refugios, followed by another week in Argentina where we hiked the tranquil trails throughout El Chalten, the cutest little mountain town to ever exist. Whenever I return from one of our epic international adventures, my thirst for exploration grows and I begin plotting my next trip on the flight home from the one I’m still on. Mexico City was the spot and I booked everything from dinner reservations at Contramar to room nights at the Little Red Tree House and even used my miles for a free first class upgrade. What could go wrong?! Well, a global pandemic could go wrong and it did, forcing me and just about everyone else to cancel travel plans. Despite waiting so long to visit Mexico City, it felt farther away than ever before. Knowing the world was about to shut down and travel was pretty much non-existent, I added it back to the hit list not knowing when I’d get there.
Over a year passes and fortunately things started opening back up, vaccines were being administered, testing got super sophisticated and little by little the window to the world started to slightly crack open. Craving international adventure and recently reconnecting with my cousin who conveniently lives in Mexico City, I finally booked a quick trip to Distrito Federal over Labor Day last year. I took up residency in my cousin’s penthouse apartment in the chic neighborhood of Polanco and pretended to live like a local for the next few days. From street fairs and flea markets in Roma to colorful casa azul in coyoacan, Mexico City is where a metropolitan and cosmopolitan collide.
The city is vast and in order to conquer everything you want without getting overwhelmed, I recommend dedicating each day to a different neighborhood or area. I broke down my trip into three different neighborhoods: Coyoacán, Roma and Condesa, and then the Historic City Center and Zocolo district. Museums galore, outstanding architecture, authentic and eclectic boutiques, world-class restaurants and bars dotting the tree-lined streets, and taco carts taking up residency on just about every other corner. Mexico City is nothing short of a cultural epicenter. If one things for certain, travelers will not go hungry during a quick stint in Mexico City. The streets smell vaguely familiar of your local taqueria so much so you can use your nose to sus out where your next bite may be.
To try and contain myself, I rounded up my top ten not-to-be-missed spots while on a quick trip to one of the greatest cities in the world.
Los Cocuyos for not-to-be-missed tacos in the city center. It’s open 24-hrs so it doesn’t really matter when you go. BUT, if you go too early they may not have all the options ready. Pro tip: get the nopales on top.
Mi Compa Chava in Roma for the highest vibes in the high-ceiling industrial-esque space with a live fire, open kitchen, and open raw bar. You come here for the seafood. Raw, grilled, or in a taco, it doesn’t matter so long as it’s seafood. Fresh baja oysters, clams, cocteles, and aguachiles abound there’s literally no way to leave this spot not smiling. I honestly could have spent the whole afternoon here, if I didn’t have more eating to do.
Contramar: I tell people if you have one place to eat in Mexico City, make sure it’s Contramar. The spot to see and be seen amongst Mexico City’s most hip of crowds, Contramar excels at just about everything. Impeccable food, open and lively atmosphere, quaint outdoor patio that allows for perfect people watching, stellar service, and then, there’s the food. Two items you must order: Tuna Tostadas and Pescado a la talla, with both the rojo and perejil sauces.
El Pescadito: A quick walk from the picturesque Parque Mexico, which should also be a stop in your daily itinerary in the Condesa neighborhood, El Pescadito is known for their fish tacos and you can glow them up any way you want. A serve yourself bar with accoutrements like slaws, salsas and veggies lets you customize tacos to your preference. They also offer the option of adding marlin to it, too. I did’t venture out that far, but several other diners did.
Panaderia Rosetta: Next door to the famed Rosetta Restaurant in Roma, Panaderia Rosetta is the restaurant groups more low-key breakfast and pastry spot serving up some of the best (okay, maybe THEE best) pastries in all of CDMX. Croissants, cinnamon rolls, breads, and baguettes fill the rustic walls pastry case as other more intricate treats are also on display. If you’re coming any time past 10am on the weekends, be prepared to wait.
Mercado de Coyoacan: Coyoacan is a neighborhood not to be overlooked. Boisterous, bright, and wildly colorful this creative corner of CDMX is brimming with inspiration and life. The central market is a hub for authentic souvenirs, hyper-local produce like huitlacoche, nopales, and just about a hundred different types of mushrooms and corns. The food stalls are also ace, serving up made-on-the-spot drinks like tamarind juice and tasty tostadas. There’s plenty of tostada stands at Coyaocan market, but be sure to stop by Tostadas Coyoacan and order the octopus and shrimp options.
La Casa Azul: Just a quick walk from Mercado de Coyoacan is the house and museum of the famed Frida Kahlo. The can’t miss blue building draws in lines of tourists from around the world the moment it opens at 10am. Highly recommend purchasing tickets the first timeslot of the day so you don’t have to wait in the corner-bending line. The museum is intimate and humble in the best way possible. They limit the amount of people inside at once, really allowing you to feel like you’re fully immersed in the history of Mexico’s most famous female artist. From her traditional garments to impeccable paintings coupled with staged scenes from her upbringing, this stop should be amongst your main priorities.
Sanborns Madero: I would have never known or stumbled upon this spot if it wasn’t for my cousin who ushered me in as if we owned the place. Sanborns is no-frills all-day Mexican diner, and the first restaurant within the chain is located in the historic city center. Located in the House of Tiles building, you’ll feel as though you’re more of in a museum than a diner. Tourists and locals alike are free to enter the historic structure at their leisure, and with several floors you’re able to sneak out onto balconies to see the sights from above. There’s a lot of history in this building and I feel this is one spot that is not on any tourists hit list, which makes it that much more special. It’s totally free to peruse, so if you’re in the city center I really recommend a quick trip through the space.
Arango Cocina de Rocinas: I’m a sucker for a rooftop restaurant, especially while on holiday. Arango Cocina de Rocinas is a rooftop bar and eatery that boasts the most perfect view of the Mexican Revolution Arch and offers impeccable service. If you’re in Mexico City, a must-get dish is the traditional Chile en Nogada and Arango has one of the best. The Chile en Nogada, a chile stuffed with picadillo then topped with a walnut-based cream sauce and topped with pomegranate and parsley, is served tableside (cocktails are too!) and is truly one of the best things I ate in 2021. A dish unlike anything I’ve ever had before the sweet picadillo offers an array of different textures coupled with a creamy walnut sauce an additional depth of textures with the poppy pomegranate seeds creates an explosion of flavors, spices, and textures all within a single bite.
Maximo Bistro: Upscale and elegant Mexican fine dining at its best, in a laid back but open and airy space. This is a spot that fuses your favorite elevated ingredients, think oysters, uni, and indigenous fruits and vegetables, with upscale takes on classics like pastas and roast chicken, but make it chic. Great spot to hit within walking distance of Arena Mexico, where you should definitely go to watch a Lucha Libre show.
