Travel Guide: Mexico City
Summary
With a metropolitan population of over 20 million people, Mexico City is the most populated city in North America. Being such a big city, Mexico City is a magical and chaotic place—a combination that makes it a thrill to visit and live in. With a thriving culinary scene and amazing nightlife, this city is not short on places to visit and things to do. With two "Top 10" Restaurants in the World, Mexico has luxury and class, but it also has a real and authentic side that stays true to its cultural heritage. From UNESCO world heritage sites to restaurants serving traditional Oaxaca food to Artisanal Markets, Mexico blends old with new and local with International. Mexico City truly is a place worth visiting.
Food & Drink
Top Restaurants
- Pujol • Pujol is a Mexican restaurant named by Wall Street Journal as the best in Mexico City. Rated no. 5 in the world, Chef Enrique Olvera founded Pujol with a vision to showcase everything about Mexican gastronomy.
- Quintonil • Rated no. 9 in the world, Quintonil is the setting for chef Jorge Vallejo’s boundary-pushing Mexican cuisine and his wife Alejandra Flores’s exceptional drinks and hospitality. Focused on fresh, local ingredients and traditional Mexican flavours and techniques in unique modern preparations, Quintonil is fast becoming a classic.
- Rosetta • Refined venue crafting elevated local cuisine in a restored villa that has a plant-filled courtyard.
Top Bars
- Licorería Limantour • Legendary cocktail bar turning out clever drinks & snacks in a chic, 2-story space with a terrace.
- Fifty Mils • Eclectic, innovative and unpretentious, Fifty Mils is hailed as one of the best bars in the city. Sip one-of-a-kind cocktails created by our star mixologists while mingling alongside international travellers and stylish locals alike.
- Gin Gin Polanco • Gin Gin are leaders in the creation of cocktails with gin. They currently has five branches in Mexico City. They are one of the most recognized Mixology Bars with Gin in nightlife.
Markets
- Mercado Roma • This upscale three-story market is the perfect place for sipping Spanish wines, eating tapas and soaking up sun on their rooftop beer garden.
- La Lagunilla • A Sunday market that specializes in antiques. Considered the best-known flea market in Mexico City.
- Mercado Coyoacan • Established in 1921, Coyoacan Market is one of Mexico City's most iconic markets. They
Other Food & Drink
Other Food • Balcon Del Zocalo, La Docena Oyster Bar, Contramar, Sud777, Máximo Bistrot
Other Drink • Hanky Panky, Ticuchi, Waikiki Tiki Room, Yellow Bird, Kaito
Coffee Shop • Quentin Cafe, BUNA, Almanegra Café, Efimero Café, Cafebrería El Péndulo (a bookstore-cafe), Drip Specialty Coffee, Chiquitito Cafe
Activities & Attractions
Top Activities
- Try out CDMX's food & drink scene • With two restaurants on the Top 10 list and two bars on the Top 50 list, Mexico City has a proven track record for great food and drinks. Some of these culinary experiences are activities in themselves and can last for hours.
- Lucha libre (Mexican wrestling) • One of the most entertaining things that I've done on a vacation. Watching Mexican wrestling is casual arena environment makes you feel like a local. Arenas to buy tickets at include: Arena México, Arena Coliseo and Arena Naucalpan.
- Xochimilco • Xochimilco is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The famous canals of Xochimilco are the last remnants of a vast water transport system built by the Aztecs. Colorful gondola-like boats take visitors on cruises while food vendors, artisans and mariachi bands float past. The atmosphere is festive, especially on weekends. Experience "Little Venice" in the middle of CDMX. This is one of the most important tourist destinations in Mexico City,
OTHER ATTRACTIONS (SITES, PARKS, ETC.)
Parks • Visit Chapultepec Forest: With more than 60,000 visitors a day, Chapultepec Forest is one of our favourite places to roam when we’re free. Additionally, on the first Saturday of every month, the Chapultepec forest lake has a cinema screening which you can enjoy from the comfort of a boat. | Chapultepec Forest, Parque México (Condesa), Invernadero de la Biblioteca Vasconcelos (Santa María la Ribera), Parque Hundido ( Insurgentes)
Markets • La Ciudadela, Tuesday Tianguis in Condesa, El Bazar Sábado, Central de Abasto, Mercado Medellín, Mercado Jamaica, Mercado Sonora, Mercado de San Juan
Museums & Galleries • Explore incredible attractions after dark at the Museums at Night. | Marvel at the murals in the Palace of Fine Arts. | Visit Frida Kahlo's house.
Other Activities • Spin class at Fitspin (some locations are in skyscrapers for a high altitude experience). | Celebrate Day of the Dead on April 1/2 in the Megaofrenda of Zócalo Main Square. | The Mesón del Cid is a themed restaurant in the style of a castle with dark varnishes. Fridays include magic that El Mago Hir oversees and Saturdays are medieval nights. | Visit a Cigar Speakeasy: the 3rd floor of Molière 48 is one of the most mysterious floors in Polanco. There is a red telephone booth that opens onto a terrace (with the secret code 'cigar'). This speakeasy specialized in rum, whisky, and cigars. | The Templo Mayor museum | The old bookstore, El Laberinto.
Stay
Areas/NEIGHBOURHOODS
Polanco, Condesa, Juarez, Roma, Centro Historico/El Centro (El Zócalo), Escandón, Narvarte