CIUDAD DE MEXICO, MEXICO

I’ve spent about four months in the delicious, smelly, loud, and ridiculously fun capital of Mexico.
It’s every bit as overwhelming and awesome as one might expect from the most populated city in North America.

Eat:

  • Madre Cafe - Fantastic food and drink. Make a reservation. Cool architecture to check out if you can get a table inside.

  • La Docena Roma - Sit at the oyster bar facing the street. All the food is good but I recommend oysters and artichoke. Drink wine. Chat with your neighbor.

  • Marmota - Nice brunch spot where you basically eat in the kitchen. Amazing bread and butter. And who doesn't love bread and butter?

  • Balcon del Zocalo - Beautiful terrace restaurant that overlooks the city's historic main square. Food is excellent and pricey. Reserve.

  • Terraza Gran Hotel - Gorgeous hotel with another terraza overlooking the zocalo. I recommend this spot for their desserts or a sunrise if you can make it.

  • Tortas al Fuego - Open 24hrs, order a pastor torta. Then order one to take home for the next day. Fantastic.

  • Choza - Doesn’t exist on Google. No reservations. Just go.

  • Paramo - Delicious elevated Mexican cuisine in a unique atmosphere. Expect a wait. Check our Salon Palomilla next door for drinks.

  • Cityzen Terraza - Possibly best brunch/lunch/dinner views in the city. Reserve.

  • Tacos El Gato Volador - This is my favorite spot in Roma for tacos after midnight. 3 different stands, all delicious.

  • Tacos El Vilsito - This is THE spot for tacos after midnight if you’re down to uber.

  • Jenni’s Quesadillas - You’ll find a line here every day at lunch time, without fail. And for good reason. Try the tortas ahogadas.

  • Street Tacos - When you see a large group of people lined up, that's how you know you're about to eat something life-changing. Order a couple tacos, test out some salsas, and pay after you're done. Don’t forget your pepto.

Drink & Dance:

  • Departamento - Great rooftop for cocktails and hanging. The real gem is the groovy dancefloor on the middle floor. Show up before 10.

  • Casa Franca - Moody yet unpretentious Jazz club. Great drinks. Make a reservation and show up early if you want a good seat, otherwise it's still a cool place to have drinks.

  • Tlecan - Standing-room-only mezcal bar. Terrific mezcales, badass mixology, beautiful bar, and easy to chat with your neighbors.

  • Local 1 - Very relaxed open air wine bar.

  • Mama Rumba - Live Latin bands and an intimidating amount of people who know how to line dance salsa. Amazing to witness.

  • Bar Las Brujas - Small cocktail bar with a "witches" theme and badass mixology.

  • Hanky Panky - It's a speakeasy. There's a hidden door. It's fine. (People will probably recommend this place).

  • Pool Lucille - Decent billiards bar. Good for a group to hang or play.

See:

  • Bosque Chapultepec - Massive park in the middle of the city. You can spend a day walking around here. You can also spend a whole day in the Castilo which has a lot of Mexican revolutionary and military history.

  • Museo de Arte Moderno - Modern art. Had a nice variety when I went.

  • Museo Nacional de Antropologia - Huge museum illustrating the history of many parts of Mexico. Each exhibit can take a few hours, and there are many. Don’t miss the Voladores de Papantla outside the entrance.

  • National Film Archives of Mexico - Coolest place I've ever been to see a movie. It's a gorgeous building that combines the National Film School with National Film Archive theaters.

  • Biblioteca Vasconcelos - Beautiful library with a very unique design. It's also right around the corner from El Chopo which is like a large punk/metalhead market. Bizarre and fun.

  • Zocalo - The historic plaza and city center. Ya gotta go.

  • Streets around the Zocalo - Each street usually specializes in one thing. Cardenas is FULL of technology stores, Noviembre is FULL of quinceañera dress shops, and just north of the Zocalo is Donceles, a street FULL of camera stores. Also lots of very yummy panaderias around. SAFTEY NOTE - I wouldn’t spend too much time on these streets alone at night. El Centro gets a little sketchy after dark.

  • Bellas Artes - Gorgeous performance hall.

  • Pyramids of Teotihuacan - Day trip to see the ancient pyramids. Hire a guide ahead of time or go with someone who speaks Spanish so they can negotiate. Strongly recommend getting a tour package that includes ATVs for the ride after the pyramids. Too much fun.

Follow:

Note:

  • CDMX is a beautiful city to walk around. Get on your feet. Uber later.

  • Roma Norte and Condesa are the most central, walkable neighborhoods and are absolutely gorgeous. I recommend first-timers stay there. Note: They are also the center of gentrification.

  • Ask a bartender if you're not sure about a new zone you're thinking about going to.

  • This is the big city. Act accordingly. Try not to look lost, be aware of your surroundings, and just say “no gracias” to people who approach you.

  • A lot of people ask about tipping culture. A standard Mexican tip is 10%, 15% means you love them, 20% you’re thinking about proposing.

  • Many locals harbor resentment towards Airbnb for its role in Mexico’s housing crisis. Book a hotel if you can.

  • There is a water crisis in Mexico. We should always be conservative with water, but please take extra care here.