Mexico City
- Naomi
- Aug 24, 2022
- 6 min read
Updated: Aug 26, 2022
Friends have been telling me for years that I need to visit Mexico City, and they were right. My husband and I chose Mexico as our honeymoon destination in February 2022 due to the country remaining open to US travelers throughout the pandemic. I expected to enjoy countless tacos and spicy margaritas, but didn’t expect Mexico City to tug at my big-city-bustling and foodie heart strings like Tokyo and Shanghai. CDMX surprised me; drop me there to live, and I would be delighted.
How long to stay:
At least a few days, but better yet as long as possible. I wanted to try every restaurant and walk down every street. I think about going back constantly.
Where to stay:
Airbnb in Roma Norte or Condesa neighborhoods: We stayed in an Airbnb in Juarez, just north of Roma Norte for 1 night and would have loved to stay longer. We payed less than $100 for an impeccably decorated, large 1ba/1.5ba with a huge cactus-decorated roof deck and incredible views over the city. Our Airbnb stay made me imagine living in Mexico City for a longer period of time.
Four Seasons: The nicest hotel I've ever stayed in (hey, it was my honeymoon). Located in between Roma Norte and Condesa, the Four Seasons is walking distance to both neighborhoods. I'm not gonna mention anywhere else to stay, although I'm sure there are other lovely places, because if I go back I'm 100% staying at the Four Seasons again or another ridiculously beautiful and affordable Airbnb (95% Airbnb, 5% Four Seasons...).
Gettin’ around:
Ubers are plentiful and cheap.
What to pack:
Hat (or buy one of the many cool ones there!)
Walking shoes
Sunglasses
Bathing suit
Trendy outfits—Mexico City is very chic
Pepto Bismol tablets. Taking 2 tablets 4 times per day decreases your chances of getting traveler's diarrhea from 40% to 14%--seriously.
What to do:
Honestly, we did not do much other than eat due to post-wedding exhaustion. Ok, eat and shop because, if you know me, you know I have endless energy for shopping at markets. You'll have to consult a different list for more detailed museum (Frida Kahlo) and pyramid (Tehotihuacan) recs.
Wander around Roma Norte and Condesa neighborhoods: exploring Roma and Condesa (after eating far too many tacos) gave me similar vibes to strolling from NYC’s West Village to East Village, where I could spend the entire day popping into trendy cafes, boutiques, and thrift stores, people watching in parks, and listening to street musicians.
Shop at El Bazar Sabado market in San Angel: take an Uber ~30 minutes on Saturdays from 10am to shop artisan goods and eat tasty quesadillas. There are many street vendors selling additional artisan products like purses and baskets (!!) in the park directly outside the market.
What to eat:
I know, this is the only part of the blog post you care about. Me too.
TACOS:
Taqueria Orinoco: the Five Guys / fast food of tacos (in the best way, when Five Guys was winning a million awards). The tacos are big, and the line moves fast. The chicharron is a must order. If I lived in CDMX, I would go there every week.
El Hidalguense: barbacoa like I’ve never had before in my life. Biting into barbacoa from Tacos El Hidalguense was akin to biting into Austin barbecue for the first time—the kind of fatty deliciousness that makes you close your eyes to savor it, but also wonder why it’s taken you so long to discover that something in life could possibly taste so good.
El Tizoncito: inventors of the al pastor taco. We got seated and served quickly. The tacos are small, so order at least 2, even if you only want 1. I also ordered the queso which I recommend you do as well because the stretchy cheese photo opp and taste are 100.
Breakfast:
Panaderia Rosetta: Rosetta has multiple CDMX locations, but the main spot is at Colima 179. I originally went to a different location, which was a small stand and was sold out of the guava cheese pastry. I obviously refused to accept that so walked 10 minutes to the main bakery and got my hands on one, plus a donut filled with a local fruit that was too good to pass up. The guava cheese pastry was sensational. I am very glad I did not need to share it and would walk out of my way to eat it again. Get yourself one and enjoy the live music, or people watch in the nearby Plaza Rio de Janeiro park.
Maque: multiple people recommended brunch at Maque. We did not have enough time to visit, but I'm keeping it on my list for CDMX trip round 2.
Lunch:
Contramar: We only had 4 days in CDMX, but Contramar, a seafood centric restaurant, was so incredible that we went twice. We walked in in the early afternoon without a reservation and got seated immediately—once at the bar, once at a table. The crowd was a mix of tourists and business people hosting lunchtime meetings. Contramar is most famous for its tuna tostadas (a must order) and fish with green and red sauce (good, but not a must order). The tostadas are impossibly thin and crispy with perfectly cold, raw tuna, salsa, and veggies. I am tempted to look up flights to Mexico to go back to Contramar as I write this. Other foods we’d order again include the octopus al pastor tacos which were unique and delicious, and squid ink rice which was similar to a risotto. Everything other people ordered looked great too, but alas we didn’t have enough days to taste the entire menu. Order a carajillo (coffee cocktail—Mexico was way ahead of the espresso martini trend) to accompany your meal and fig tart for dessert. Contramar is a must visit—try to make a reservation, but if you can’t get one, walk in. Note: it’s only open until 8pm.
Fancy:
Quintonil: Quintonil was our favorite upscale meal in Mexico City. The food was to die for. We told them it was our honeymoon and got premier seats at the bar that overlooks the kitchen so we could see the chefs working their magic. A few of their dishes included bugs, so don't say I didn't warn you, but the bugs were unrecognizable, and--dare I say it-- even tasty. Two standout dishes were some mysterious green veggie puree topped with sashimi, and caviar atop crème fraîche for dessert. Note: if you eat at the bar, you must order the food tasting menu. It’s worth it! Reservations required.
Pujol: Pujol was featured on Netflix’s Chef’s Table and offers a tasting menu and an omakase taco tasting. We opted for the omakase taco tasting over lunchtime, and while we enjoyed our experience sitting at the omakase-style bar, we ultimately felt that the food was over-hyped. We had a second Pujol reservation to try their standard, non-taco tasting menu, but canceled it after hearing the menus had some overlap and that the taco tasting was supposed to be better. If you want to go, be prepared to make a reservation months in advance.
Maximo: Maximo was our first meal in CDMX and it was a strong start. The cocktails were delicious, and food looked like art. We had a beautiful, edible flower-topped aguachile dish, some sort of fruit and veggie salad, and beef tongue. I would not order the tongue again because it was really large and very visibly tongue-like. It seems Maximo changes their menu, so give their other dishes a shot. The trendy ambiance was perfect for a date or small group of friends.
Dessert:
El Moro: I was not hungry when I went to El Moro, but had to eat there because I’ve been brainwashed into living with a regret minimization framework—i.e. I knew I’d regret not eating a churro from Mexico City, so I had to avoid that scenario. To my surprise, I discovered El Moro’s churros are vegan, so I could bully Pedro into eating them with me. We got the classic and red velvet flavors, and gave extras to some excited kids on the street. They were good, but not mind blowing or worth going out of your way for unless you’re a churro fanatic. Brazilian beachside churros stuffed with dulce de leche blow them out of the water 😉
CDMX, I'm surprised you stole my heart, even though everyone told me you would. You are my favorite type of city-- the type where you could close your eyes, spin in a circle, then eat at whatever random spot you see, and it would be a kickass meal. I hope to eat you again soon.
Shout out to my friends Fahed, Vicki, and Sara, whose recs ensured I had the best trip and that you will too.
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