Mexico City

 
 

This is not an authoritative guide to Mexico City. It’s not even a particularly well-informed one. Instead, these are the opinions of one person based on one week in the city. It should be taken as a complement to the standard CDMX guides you’ll find online. It only includes some of the hits: I didn’t get to the pyramids, I haven’t eaten at Pujol, etc.

What to expect

Mexico City is huge. It’s bigger than New York City by any measure. And because, like Tokyo or London or Los Angeles, it’s polycentric, there are many centers of gravity and most neighborhoods have a diverse mix of residential, commercial, etc. This makes many neighborhoods great for exploring on foot. Expect to think in terms of neighborhoods, and expect to cover a lot of ground.

People talk about the food. They should. The eating in Mexico City is incredible. On almost every corner you can find something cheap and delicious.

But for me the defining trait of the city was its soundscape. Our friend Jeff gave us the basic sound tour: The cry of the tamale guy; the whistle of the sweet potato cart; and the recorded call of the scrappers, whose pickup tracks crawl through the streets playing a decades-old recording asking for old washing machines and more. There’s such a rich soundtrack as you walk the streets.

Where to stay

You’ll probably stay in one of just a few neighborhoods — Condesa, Roma, Cuauhtemoc — that are all adjacent to each other. (This study mapping gentrification risk in CDMX is pretty much a perfect heat map for where people will suggest you stay.) Airbnbs abound in Condesa and Roma especially.

There are a bunch of modern hotels along Reforma, the boundary between Cuauhtemoc to the north and Condesa and Roma to the south. We stayed at the Sofitel Reforma and loved it. Just look at the view from the 38th-floor pool looking west over the city:

Must Do

  • Absolutely go to the Anthropology Museum. Get there by taking a long walk through Chapultapec Park for the sounds and smells and people watching.

  • Go to the Frida Kahlo Museum and then walk to the market in Coyoacan. The museum is fine, but the market is the highlight. It’s jam-packed with meats and piñatas and tchotchkes; it’s overwhelming and fun. (We then took an Uber to see the Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera Y Frida Kahlo, about 15 minutes further west. This house was maybe more interesting than the Kahlo Museum and is a worthwhile addition.)

  • Buy a stack of warm, fresh tortillas wrapped in paper from a tortilleria along the sidewalk. They’ll give you more than you need but it doesn’t matter — just stand on the street and eat as many of them as you can.

  • Find a stretch of food carts and eat, at a minimum, tacos, quesadillas, and tlacoyos. The latter (stuffed with cactus and beans, in my case):

  • Go to the Zocalo, the city’s main square. The cathedral (under renovation when we were there, sadly) defines one side of the square, the Palacio Nacional another. The crowds are insane, most of them Mexican tourists, but it is an experience. You can no longer get into the Palacio to see the Diego Rivera murals, unfortunately. Look for the traditional healers blessing people just east of the cathedral.

Worth Doing

  • Walk through Condesa and Roma. The neighborhoods are adjacent and are just spectacular — long leafy boulevards, street vendors, one cute restaurant or bar after another.

  • Go to the Ballet Folklorico at the Palacio de Bella Artes. Tickets are cheap ($50 in the first tier) and the costumes are great. Best of all you get to experience the Palacio, which includes art deco fixtures, Diego Riveria murals, and a massive Tiffany glass screen across the stage.

  • Get a guava pastry and the rosemary buns at Panderia Rosetta. You’ll cringe at the number of Americans and the length of the line, but it moves fast and it’s worth it.

  • There’s very good Japanese food. (My friend Jeff told us this was because Mexico has a sizable Japanese population for two reasons: Lots of tuna fishing off Mexico’s Pacific coast, and lots of factories for Japanese car companies.) We had a great meal at Rokai in Cuauhtemoc.

Inessential

  • The building itself is spectacular, but the art collection at Museo Somaya is second rate quantity over quality. Admission is free, so if you’re there you may as well go in, but don’t feel bad if you miss it.

  • Lomas is like the Beverly Hills of Mexico City. Anna and I ate at Casa O, surrounded by businessmen having power breakfasts, and then walked the neighborhood. It’s beautiful and quiet and if you miss it that’s okay.

Skip

  • For some reason, multiple sources recommended Azul restaurant in Condessa. The food was fine, the setting was fine, but it was a wasted meal compared to the many alternatives.

  • Avoid Zona Rossa and the area around the Insurgentes subway station. It’s a small neighborhood just south of Reforma and North of Roma Norte, so it’s easy to wander into. But the small area is full of pickpockets and scammers.