A summer in Mexico City
Mexico City is one of the largest cities in the world, with 17,400,000 people living in the metropolitan area. Walking around, it doesn’t feel like a New York City or San Francisco where there are crowded streets and tall buildings everywhere. The urban area is spread out into many different neighborhoods, each with its own personality.
We spent almost four months in Mexico City this summer, living and working remotely. My boyfriend and I lived in an Airbnb in the Roma neighborhood, we worked out of coffee shops and WeWork locations close by. The Spanish architecture influences, mixed with the Latin lifestyle made it an interesting and beautiful place to live.
This is a list of restaurants, bars, tea shops, and things to do if you visit. Enjoy!
Favorite food
Quintonil: Fancy restaurant with a tasting menu and drink pairing. The food is Mexican influenced, with a modern presentation. The ambiance feels quaint and local instead of flashy and international.
Le Tachinomi Desu: A hole-in-the-wall, standing room only sushi bar with great sake and wine. Order the Omakase menu for about $15 USD. It was usually fresh sashimi for the first course (flown in daily), salad for the second course, and a cooked dish for the last course. Don’t forget to order the rice and egg dish with foie gras melted on top.
El Parnita: A taco restaurant for lunch by day, or a nicer dinner place (Páramo) by night. Order the zucchini flower and cheese tacos, or really any of the large taco selection. The waters of the day are also delicious, especially when you add a little Mezcal.
Fonda Fina: Traditional Mexican food, great mezcal selection. It feels like you’re getting a home cooked meal in a comfortable sit-down restaurant. Try the grasshopper tacos, of course (a local tradition). Their main dish is an option of meat, sauce, and side. All the courses are big enough to share, so don’t order too much.
Ojo del Agua: It’s hard to find fresh salads with lots of vegetables, but this salad place does it right. They have fresh kale or leafy greens, lots of options for protein and toppings, and they even deliver on Uber Eats. There are several stores around the city, all with beautiful interiors.
Ché Gerry: A north Mexico-style taco and burrito shop. Just ask for a little bit of everything, and be sure to ask for all the sauces.
Lardo: Italian food in Mexico, it’s delicious. They serve you wine and flatbread with olive oil as soon as you sit down. And everything else is just as delicious after that.
Mercado Roma: An indoor market with all the hipster food, drinks, and cute little shops. Stay downstairs for tacos or churros, and go up to the roof for live music and drinks.
Expendio: A small cafe and store with local mezcal, wine, and pastries. They also have salads, cheese, and sandwiches if you’re looking for a quick snack.
Contramar: A well-known seafood taco spot. It’s always crowded with locals and visitors alike. Try the tuna tostadas to start.
Favorite drinks
Fifty Mills: A cocktail lounge in the Four Seasons hotel. The lounge is located off the outdoor courtyard of the hotel, so you can enjoy your drinks inside or outside. They have a great selection of wines and cocktails, plus a peaceful atmosphere to get away from a busy city.
Parque Mexico: On the rooftop of a boutique hotel, this bar and restaurant looks over one of the parks in the city. It feels like you’re in a tropical oasis. They have live music and events some nights.
Galia wine bar: A french restaurant with a great Mexican wine selection. Most of the staff have good knowledge of wine and can help you find something tasty. They also have duck prosciutto, which is a delicious appetizer.
Jules Basement: An underground speakeasy that you enter through a refrigerator door inside a taco restaurant. They have a large selection of cocktails, and a live DJ.
Casa Awolly: A rooftop bar, restaurant, and event space. They have interesting mix drinks or mezcal on the roof, movies and music rooms on the second floor, and a restaurant on the bottom floor. Just get there early because it gets crowded.
Café Curado: A coffee shop and bakery. They have hipster coffee, tea, and beers, and also some delicious homemade cookies.
Tomas: One of the many tea shops popping up around the city. They have a large loose-leaf tea selection, and a macaron shop inside.
Favorite history
Templo Mayor: The Aztec ruins under the historic center of the city. When the Spanish conquered, they built all their new buildings on top of the Aztec city. You can walk around the excavation site to see what’s been uncovered so far.
Catedral: Also in the historic center, you can see the Cathedral built by the Spanish. It’s huge and intricate, you can definitely see the Spanish were trying to show their power and wealth. Walk around the church, and then do the bell tour where you get to walk around the roof and see views of the whole city.
Museo Frida Kahlo: See the museum and childhood house of Frida Kahlo. It’s also where she and Diego Rivera lived for most of their adult life. The museum is about 30 minutes south of the city in a cute town called Coyoacan. Save time to walk around after and see the town.
Chapultepec Castle: Another piece of architecture built by the Spanish, this huge castle sits in the middle of the largest park in the city. It’s beautifully maintained, and you can see views of the entire city once you’re at the top.
Trajineras Xochimilco: About 45 minutes south of the city, you can find the Venice of Central America. The entire geographic area used to be filled with canals. Now Xochimilco is the last area you can still ride boats around. Bring drinks and food, and enjoy a few hours of mariachi and salsa music while floating.
Museo Nacional de Antropología: A huge anthropology museum, with history since the beginning of human history.
Favorite fitness
Qi gym: This gym has 4 levels of different workout floors. There’s yoga, meditation, reformer pilates, weight machines, cardio machines, a rock wall, and any kind of class you might want to do. Usually, you have to pay a monthly membership, but if you ask nicely (in Spanish), they’ll usually let you pay on a more flexible schedule. They also have an awesome tea selection on the street level, complete with inspirational quotes.
Power Flow Yoga: A small yoga studio in the Roma neighborhood. It’s pay by donation, and the classes are great. You can bring your own mat, or borrow one there.
La Cueva del Yogui: Another yoga studio in Roma. They have a few classes per day, and a yoga store downstairs in case you need to pick up anything extra. The day I went there was live yoga music, which added to the relaxation zen.
Run around Parque Mexico: Walk (or run) to Calle Amsterdam, the street that creates a circle around Parque Mexico. Each loop is a little over a mile, and once you’re done there are plenty of restaurants, coffee shops, and tea spots inside the park.
