Just a quick six-hour flight from St. Louis, you can find yourself in Mexico City, a world-class city teeming with gastronomy, museums, parks and tree-lined streets, and modern architecture. There’s so much to see, it’s hard to know where to begin, but here are a few ideas to get you started.
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Mexico City has dining options for every budget. Enrique Olvera’s Pujol reinterprets classics such as moles, ceviches, and tacos with the finest Mexican ingredients. Masala & Mais brings together cooking techniques and ingredients from Mexico, India, and East Africa, creating dishes that are anything but ordinary. You’ll find more traditional Mexican cuisine at Azul Histórico. The restaurant is tucked in an open courtyard of a 17th-century building with lights that dangle from the many trees that are spaced among the tables.
If you’re looking for a more lively option, then head to Balmori Rooftop in Colonia Roma Norte where you’ll find staples such as hamburgers and mac and cheese and a killer cocktail menu. The drinks are so innovative that one, the Lumiere Rooftop, even comes with a side of popcorn, and if you’re there late enough, a DJ and house lights really get the place hopping. Mezcal Mexico offers a wide selection of mezcal and the best chorizo, chapulines (grasshoppers) tacos (don’t knock ’em until you try them).
For a strong cup of coffee (after all the mezcal) to get your morning going, head to Buna Café. Not only is the coffee good, but this Mexico City–based café works directly with Mexican coffee farmers to support them in all aspects of the coffee growing process.
For the best tacos and tortas in the city, head to the streets or one of the many markets. Because of its size (which is equivalent to eight football fields), the Merced Market offers a large selection of tacos, tamales, and quesadillas. La Lagunilla Market, which only happens on Sundays, has large micheladas or pulque to enjoy while browsing an eclectic array of antiques.
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The city rewards exploration by foot, so make sure to pack your walking shoes. Art Deco architecture, street art, and the numerous parks (not to mention all the cafes and restaurants) in Roma and Condesa make them popular neighborhoods for visitors.
Many of the city’s historic gems can be found in Centro, my favorite being the Palacio de Bellas Artes, of which you can get a bird’s eye view from the café located in the Sear’s building across the street. Don’t get so enamored by the outside that you forget to go inside where you’ll find Diego Rivera murals. If you’re lucky enough to visit on a Wednesday or Sunday, you don’t want to miss Ballet Forklórico de Mexico. At 545 feet, the Torre Latinoamericano provides views of the entire city. Make sure your walk to Zócolo includes stopping at Palacio Postal, Museo Nacional de Arte, La Casa de los Azulejos, and the Gran Hotel, which might look familiar from James Bond movies.
In Chapultepec Park, you’ll find the Museo Nacional de Antropología, which houses artifacts from Mexico’s pre-Hispanic past in its 22 rooms. It is the largest and most visited museum in Mexico and one you don’t want to miss. The Museo de Arte Moderno and the Museo Tamayo are also located in the park, as is Chapultepec Castle, the only royal castle in the Americas.
You’d be amiss to leave Mexico City without visiting Frida Kahlo’s La Casa Azul or Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo. If you like bookstores, make sure to check out Cafebrería El Péndulo. There are several stores located in the city, but the one in Polanco is my favorite.
Stay
There are so many hotel and Airbnb options in the city that I recommend you focus your search around neighborhoods that appeal to you. For an upscale stay, head to Polanco. The St. Regis Mexico City is located on Paseo de la Reforma, a thoroughfare that runs through the heart of the city. Chaya B&B Boutique offers a minimalist approach to downtown living—it also has a rooftop garden lined with hammocks. Hippodrome Hotel Condesa’s location cannot be beat. Or, if you prefer an Airbnb, we recommend this Roma apartment with a spacious rooftop patio (where St. Louisan Nick Johnson recently enjoyed his stay), or I loved the kitchen in this minimalist apartment I stayed in earlier this year.
