Mexico City is a popular tourist destination, and my circle is full of frequent travelers, so I share a lot of recommendations.
Over the years, they’ve taken the form of a shared doc, annotated Google Maps, and even an over-the-top ebook with way too many pages. 🙈 (When I love a place, I just want other people to love it, too!)
Inspired by a wave of recent visitors, I figured it was time for an updated list...
Bakeries
- Rosetta (Roma Norte) — Known for its guava roll, always busy
- Odette (Condesa) — I love their cinnamon roll, but everything is good. Also busy but less so than Rosetta.
- Cuarentena — Great brownies, cookies, etc. with a maximalist flair. (Also, a great spot to order a birthday cake, should you need one!)
Cafes
- Raku (Roma Norte) — Japanese cafe serving good espresso drinks and great lunch options, including my favorite tamago sando. Best matcha and flat white in town!
- Buna (Doctores) — Local coffee roaster. They have a couple of locations, but this one is part of a rehabbed warehouse called Laguna with artist studios that are worth browsing.
- Fuego y Café (Condesa) — Small coffee roaster in a convenient location across from Parque Mexico.
Tacos/Etc
My biggest advice here is to not run around looking for the “best” taco, tortilla, etc. Just try whatever looks and smells good!
Too many people waste time trekking across the city to go to a spot that’s like 2% better than the one around the corner.
- Don Juan (Roma Norte) — Standing room only
- El Betin (San Rafael) — Literal hole in the wall, a little off the beaten path for tourists but my favorite spot for tripa, lengua, etc.
- Tortas Al Fuego (Condesa) — Classic 24-hour spot for al pastor
- Amatista Tostadas (Coyoacán) — I can't go to Coyoacán without stopping for lunch here
- Expendio de Maiz (Roma Norte) — No-menu spot focused on small plates made with local ingredients. Affordable, veg-friendly, cash only. It's gone viral so go early and/or on a weekday!
Dinner
CDMX has no shortage of truly great restaurants, and new ones open every week. These are just my ride-or-die spots that guests always love as much as I do!
- Esquina Común (Condesa) — My all-time fav restaurant. Amazing value for the quality of the food/service/vibes. Make a reservation well in advance!
- Baldio (Condesa) — Zero-waste restaurant with a great tasting menu and equally good drinks. (Their "Pulquero’s Mai Tai” is one of my favorite cocktails in town.)
- Canton Mexicali (Roma Norte) — Fusion cuisine inspired by the immigrant communities in Mexicali. Great spot for ordering a bunch of things to share.
- Makan (Centro) — Singaporean food with Mexican touches; great wine list, even better Kaya Butter Toast for dessert.
Cocktail Bars
CDMX is one of the best bar cities in the world. Full stop!
My bar list is never-ending, and my favorites change frequently, but here are the ones I'm loving at the moment...
- Outline (Roma Norte) — Draft cocktail bar with my fav bar staff. Their covered patio is a great spot to enjoy an afternoon drink, especially on Sundays when they host restaurant pop-ups. The Nitro Carajillo is a personal favorite.
- Chow Chow (Juárez) — High-end cocktails in a casual environment. It's a great place to try local spirits, and they serve equally good Chinese food straight out of takeaway containers.
- Kaito del Valle (Juárez) — Japanese-inspired speakeasy behind a vending machine. Complex but fun cocktails, curry fries, and a "Fernet Hour" from 12-1a.
- Rayo (Roma Norte) — Classy cocktail bar that also has a good lineup of Mexican spirits. More of a date night vibe.
- Shhh (Condesa) — Speakeasy/vinyl bar inside a record shop. There’s a quiet listening room and a more traditional bar area. Their Doritos Paloma (yes, you read that right) is a must-try.
Shopping
- El Bazar Sabado (San Angel) — This Saturday market is known for high-end home goods, but the nearby park is also full of local artists selling their work at reasonable prices. A lot of the art in my home is from here!
- Mooni — Well-curated gallery, connected to two boutiques with clothes/accessories from local designers. Great place for splurge-worthy finds.
- APUNTES (Roma Norte) — Local stationary brand that I love.
- La Ciudadela (Centro) — More traditional market selling souvenirs like pottery, textiles, baskets, etc. in styles you’ve definitely seen before. If you have a particular souvenir in mind, this is the spot to find it.
- Experimental Ceramics Workshop (Coyoacán) — Beautiful, one of a kind pottery; this is where the dishes in my home came from.
- HomoHabilis (Coyoacán) — Leather goods like backpacks, wallets, etc. Once you see these, you’ll see them everywhere here.
- Mezcalia (Roma Norte) — My go-to bottle shop for local spirits!
“Touristy” things worth doing
Some of these things get labeled “touristy,” but they’re not crowded or overhyped IMO. They’re just popular for a reason.
- Chapultepec Park — Huge park with three sections and a million sights inside, including the Anthropologie Museum, a modern art museum, and a castle with the best views of the city.
- Lucha Libre — Held at Arena Mexico on Tue, Fri, Sat. Buy tickets in cash at the box office. Do not use Ticketmaster under any circumstances. (And make sure you have cash for drinks/snacks, too.)
- Xochimilco — All the boats use the same hourly rate, so you can easily hire one on the spot. There are shops nearby that sell drinks/booze, and other boats will pull up alongside you with elote, flower crowns, mariachi, etc.
- Mezcal tasting — If you want to learn more about tequila and mezcal, and why they’re so special, this is the place for a tasting. Tell them Caro sent you! (Make sure to book in advance.)
A few more general tips:
- Don’t drink the water, but don’t be weird about it either. No restaurant is going to serve you unfiltered water, no matter how hole-in-the-wall it feels.
- Carry a little cash for tacos, water, etc. Almost everywhere accepts cards these days, but it’s helpful to have cash for tacos and markets. Just take pesos out from an ATM and decline any conversion it offers to do for you.
- Take a probiotic if you’re worried about getting sick. People often blame specific restaurants for “food poisoning” when the reality is that we foreigners are just delicate little flowers not used to the local bacteria and spices.
Now, about gentrification…
I recently wrote a little about this, but the short of it is that the city spent years wooing tourists, and now locals are paying the price.
I’m a privileged expat, so take my POV with a big grain of salt, but here are my suggestions:
Stay at a hotel, even if it’s more expensive or less convenient. Do not stay in an Airbnb or an apartment that could otherwise be someone’s home.
Don’t expect people to speak English. Many will, especially in Condesa/Roma. You should still learn a few words and greet people in Spanish. And relatedly:
Don’t make unprompted comments about “how good” someone’s English is. It’s often patronizing.
When you’re speaking English with someone who’s obviously not fluent, simplify what you’re saying. I’m speaking from experience when I say it’s so much easier to work in a second language when people remove the colloquialisms and get to the point.
Assume any misunderstandings are your fault, and keep it moving.
Don’t ask to see the “real” Mexico City. You can and should venture out of the center, but please remember that this is the largest city in North America. We have all the nice restaurants and museums that all cosmopolitan cities have. Sometimes the level of surprise is insulting.
Don’t call the city cheap. It’s affordable for people making dollars or euros, and it’s a great value… but it’s not “cheap.” Especially for people making pesos, and especially now. This is my personal pet peeve and it drives me crazy!!
Lower your volume. If you’re from the US like me, I promise you’re speaking louder than you realize. 😅
And when you inevitably fall in love with CDMX and decide you want to live here, apply for a legal resident permit, plz and ty!
