Mexico City Recommendations

Samantha and I were in desperate need of a getaway and had friends rave about Mexico City.  So on a cold February morning on our commute to the city, we spontaneously booked a trip to CDMX and are so happy we did.  

We LOVED Mexico City.  It is the type of city where we walked around and exclaimed this is the type of place we could live. It was clean, it felt progressive, the food was incredible; it had so much to offer.  CDMX is so accessible from much of the US so if you are in need of a long weekend getaway, Mexico City is a perfect option.  

Here are our recommendations: 

 Where to stay: 

• Best Neighborhoods to stay:  Hands down it is worth it to stay in Condesa or Roma Norte, they are the best neighborhoods in CDMX. 
• Condesa DF:  This is where we stayed, it was ok.  It was clean, nice and reasonably priced but there are a few things I didn't like.  The service was not the best and the dark shades were on the OUTSIDE of the window.  So this is a chic, reasonably priced "boutique" option in an incredible location. 
• Andaz: Samantha's friend stayed here which was also in Condesa.  It seems like this could be a better option than where we stayed given the review we heard.  
• Four Seasons: I had looked into staying here but opted for Condesa DF because of the neighborhood.  We drove by the four seasons and it is right in the park but not in a  neighborhood where you can walk around so it depends on what you are looking for.  Also, it was more manageable from a cost perspective compared to other Four Seasons. 
• One thing to note is that in the same neighborhood as the Four Seasons, there are a number of other "standard" hotels like a St Regis, Sofitel, etc... 

Samantha and I outside our hotel

Where to Eat: It is worth noting that the three days we spent in CDMX was three of the best days of eating in my entire life.  

• Pujol: Ranked the 5th best in the world, this is a must do if you can get in.  If you are contemplating going to CDMX, go onto their site now and try to get reservations.  We ended up getting ours the day before and we had the "omakase/bar" menu.  Their version of Omakase is tacos, not sushi. It was incredible and is just a good of an option if you can't get their tasting menu. (Watch the chefs table on Pujol if you end up getting in)
• Quintonil: 9th in the world, also amazing.  And yes, we did back to back nights at here and Pujol and I would recommend that if you can make it work.  I was waiting on their website for reservations as soon as they opened up.  Similar to Pujol, one of the specialties in some of the food here is Chicatana Ants.  
• Contramar: Go here for lunch one day, it was out of this world.  Samantha is still dreaming about the tuna tostada.  You go for the tuna tostada and the fish for two.  Also strategically look up when reservations come out because they will go quickly. 
• Rosetta: 60th in the world, its Italian mixed with Mexican.  Great vibe in Roma Norte and the food was delicious.  They also have an amazing bakery across the street, so we grabbed a bunch of stuff for our flight home. 
• Maque: Go here for brunch, amazing chilaquiles. 
• Lardo: We grabbed pastries here and walked into the park, perfect for that. 
• Churreria El Moro: The go-to spot for churros. 

One of the dishes at Quintonil

Pile of Churros at El Moro 

What to do: 

• Street Taco Tour: This is a must, it was a major highlight.  This was the one we did.  Do not eat breakfast before you go, there are like 10 stops.  I am still thinking about the tacos on this tour. 
• Anthropology Museum: Hands down one of the best museums I have been too.  I loved it and I even think Samantha liked it a little bit (which is saying a lot).  They have a ton of Mayan and Aztec ruins and they do a great job of displaying them. 
• Walk around the park: We walked to the park two mornings and one morning we walked up to the castle that has great views. This is basically the Central Park of CDMX but much bigger. 
• Condesa/Roma: These are the two best neighborhoods, they are perfect to just walk around and shop.  You can spend a whole afternoon doing this. 
• Polanco: This is known as the "beverly hills" of CDMX but I liked Roma/Condesa better. We walked around here before we ate at Quintonil. 
• Zocalo: It is a massive plaza in the center of the city, it is worth it to see it.  We walked here after the food tour because it ends by here. 

Samantha at one of the outdoor exhibits at the museum

One of the stops on the taco tour

Few Other Tips: 

• The elevation in CDMX is really high because it is on a plateau so know that going into the trip in case you have issues with altitude. Be sure to drink a lot of water! 
• Ubers are insanely cheap here, this is how we got around if we couldn't walk somewhere. 
• Given the elevation, depending on the time of year (we were there in April), it could get really hot during the day and chiller at night. 

A few other pictures: 

Condesa has a great walking path throughout the neighborhood

Samantha in front of street art 

One of the chicken vendors at the markets in the center of town 

One of our tacos on our food tour

A taco stand which are all over the city 

Samantha and I in Zocalo

In front of Pujol

Center of the Anthropology museum 

Architecture in some of the neighborhoods was incredible.  At times it felt like Europe with a Latin flare.