Early last year, I had been chatting with a really good friend of mine (@anna_nomad on Instagram, also an amazing photographer you should check out), who used to live and work in Mexico City about 10 years ago. We originally met when she came to Vancouver in her early 20s on an exchange in order to learn better English – we connected through a friend of mine who knew her host family.

Since then, we have met up in Paris (when I lived in France for about 2 months several years ago), again in the French countryside where her and her family are from and in Alsace, traveling in Myanmar for a week, and have tried a few times to make another Asia meetup in Thailand work, but haven’t quite been able to get our paths to cross at the same time.

She mentioned that she would hopefully be in Mexico City again to revisit friends from her time spent there, and may even spend the holidays there. I’ve heard so many amazing things about the city, and at that point it had been almost 2 years since we met up somewhere in the world, so I told her I’d try to time it to be there as well. In the end, I decided to book anyway when I saw some great flight deals cross my path, and shortly after she also booked.

It’s always amazing to see a new place through the eyes of a local or someone who has lived there. It was also such a great place to reconnect and meet up, and learn all about what she loved about the city during her life there.

In the end, she spent a couple of weeks in CDMX prior to our arrival, and the morning after flying in, she met up with us and showed us around a couple of her favourite neighbourhoods – Condesa, and Roma Norte. We explored these safer and more gentrified neighbourhoods by foot, through parks, eateries, and a few landmarks.

The following day, she walked us all the way to the Centro Historico (Historical Center), and we wandered the main square, or Zocalo, and nearby streets and local markets, and the day after, we spent time at the Mercado Sabado and stunning area of San Angel.

As you may be able to tell, it’s such a walkable city, and for those further distances (and instead of wandering around late at night if you’re alone), Uber is a solid and safe option. Traffic can be extremely nutty during rush hours inside the city, causing distances to take twice as long while driving versus walking though, so you’ll need to be strategic on when you’re moving around.

We had such a lovely visit, reconnected and caught up on our lives over the prior couple of years (we last saw each other in Sarreguimines and her home village of Hundling.

After a few days together, she flew back home, while we stayed behind and continued to explore the city for the remainder of the week, before heading to Panama to visit another friend housesitting there.

In the meantime, we ended up enjoying many delicious spots and parts of the experience, so I wanted to share them here. If you want to pull up the travel map on Google directly, you can also see it all right here!

Food & Drink

Bó Pastisseria	French pastries and desserts or a morning coffee or tea, with a few cute bistro tables lining the sidewalk. This was located right below our AirBnB, and we often stopped by to refuel or grab something to start off our mornings.
Chiquitito Café	A quaint a bustling coffee shop that serves a great flat white on the edge of Condesa. While sitting on one of the bistro tables outside, we did get accosted by someone who sat and conversed with us and then asked us for money. An uncomfortable and somewhat confusing experience that I still haven’t quite figured out.
El Beso Huasteco	If you’re looking for something authentic, but would like the atmosphere of a restaurant with friendly service versus a street food stall or market, check out this cute restaurant in North Rome. You can get all of the classic Mexican regional dishes from across the country, or a sampler of them all! Lots of food and drink options that should satisfy all tastes.
Churrería El Moro Condesa	In the evenings, the lineups are long. We managed to make our way during a little break between rushes in the early evening, and enjoyed a couple of bags of churros with the Spanish chocolate drink (but you can pick from a ride range of hot chocolate options – from really thick to less so). Then you can choose from the original sugar coating option with cinnamon, or opt for just plain sugar. Feeling the need for something savoury as well, we also shared a pulled pork sandwich.
Cine Tonalá	Both a movie theatre that shows independent films, and a great restaurant, one of my colleagues who also lives in Mexico City recommended we check it out for dinner. We made our way from Condesa to it’s location in Roma Sur, and loved everything that we tried on the menu! At the time, the movie La Roma had just been released and was showing there, but we didn’t end up watching the film until arriving back home.
El Péndulo	There are great little cafes attached to bookstores throughout the city – it’s like going to a library, but being able to sit with your book and also getting caffeinated at the same time. Fun to browse and take a break during a day of exploring.
Espresso de Media Noche “Condesa”	Nearby to our apartment rental, we went back to this cute cafe quite a few times throughout our stay. Delicious coffee, and friendly staff. Sit at the front on the couch, and watch as people walk by.
Frëims	I ate one of my favourite breakfasts here. With great coffee, decent wifi, and also bands playing some nights in the courtyard during dinnertime, this spot was very cool. I’d definitely come back for my shitake mushroom, scrambled egg, and gouda cheese dish.
Best Western Hotel Majestic	When heading to the Zocalo, or city square, you can head upstairs to the restaurant and enjoy the view of the square below. They don’t allow you to go inside to just take pictures and look outside anymore unless you decide to dine in for at least lunch.
Lalo!	A great brunch spot in Roma Norte, we never actually made it for a full meal (as we had just eaten elsewhere 30 minutes before wandering here), so a flat white was all that I managed. The crowd was energetic, and the atmosphere was casual – definitely a busy spot that I’ll have to come back to in future to check out the food.
Lardo	Two words – guava roll. If you don’t manage to get in a meal here (and yes, you definitely should), then at least go up to the coffee window and order a caffeinated beverage and a pastry – my choice was the sweet and delicious guava roll. Staying just a 5 minute walk away, I literally made a stop almost every morning to grab either a breakfast treat or a snack for later in the day. Also, breakfast is quite good (on the pricier side for CDMX) and dinner is also a treat.
Máximo Bistrot	Another spot we never made it to, but that will remain on our list for next time, Maximo Bistrot is one of the top rated restaurants in CDMX. I’ve heard that if you manage to go at just the right time, early on in the evening, you may be able to score a walk-in spot. Reservations are definitely recommended, about a month or more in advance though.
Mercado Roma	If you’re looking for more street food styles, with many options available in one place, but a cleaner and more tourist friendly atmosphere than the local mercados, check out Mercado Roma. The options are endless, and you’ll feel the energy of a market place.
Nevería Roxy	Spent too long walking around Condesa or touring the sites? Getting a little warm out during the day? Take a break for some ice cream here, or enjoy a sundae while reflecting over your day.
Pujol	One of the World’s 50 Best restaurants, I didn’t manage to get a reservation, but wanted to point it out as I definitely would’ve dined here if I managed to book a spot. Highly recommended by friends of mine who have been to CDMX. It’s on my list for next time!
Quintonil	After booking very last minute (perhaps a week before leaving for CDMX), I only managed to get a waitlist spot on the lunch seating. I was pleasantly surprised when 4 days before the reservation, I was contacted by the restaurant to let me know that we were in! We decided to go for the full tasting menu with wine pairing, and lounged over a 4 hour meal. So many delicious options, my favourite was the larva eggs (which I only discovered post-meal, going back and trying to figure out what everything was). As one of the few world’s 50 best I have tried to date, I highly recommend it, and the price point isn’t all that bad for a restaurant of such a high calibre.
Raíz	Another one I didn’t try, but was recommended to me more recently, this is going to the top of my list for my next visit.
Superama Pachuca	Need to do a grocery run? Want to check out the local produce and fun Mexican food finds or beers? The Superama is a large grocery store chain where you can stock up on anything you need during your stay.
San Angel Inn	A really good friend of mine used to come here after the Saturday Market (mercado sabado) with his grandmother and family for many years. They’d linger over a long lunch and delicious margaritas, and enjoy the beautifully manicured courtyard. After hearing so much about it, this was top of my list. Showing up slightly before the usual late lunch time of about 2 pm, we managed to score a spot in the courtyard to dine in prior to all the other booked reservations, and were just told we’d have to move elsewhere once the next guests arrived. This worked out well – we almost managed to complete our meal, and enjoyed dessert and coffees on the patio, changing up the scene and people watching Mexican families over their sumptuous meals.
The Green Corner	Both a whole foods grocer and a great breakfast or lunch spot, the Green Corner has many bistro style tables lining the sidewalk. Perfect for any vegetarians looking for a meal.

Accommodations

Sites & Activities

Bosque de Chapultepec	While we didn’t make it this time, while wandering through the park, I had been told by many friends it was worth stopping by if you were in the area.
Bazaar Saturday (Mercado Sabado)	Such a cool market with arts, crafts, and food, located in San Angel. It opens up around 10 am, if I remember correctly, and has so many amazing artisans displaying their goods. Great for gifts, home decorating, or just spoiling yourself. After walking around, take a stroll (about 11 minutes) over to San Angel Inn, to enjoy a leisurely lunch).
Frida Kahlo Museum	Another intended stop during our stay, we never quite made it here either. We weren’t too far away when in San Angel, but had definitely had our fill of activities before tiring out and heading home to rest that late afternoon.
Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral	A stunning cathedral right in the square, you can’t miss it. Often times, the square is filled with some sort of concert or show, and when we were there, a stage and band were setup right in front to celebrate the next day’s change of presidents.
Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo	We tried to visit the house after having a long lunch at the San Angel Inn across the street, but it was unfortunately closed for some reason that day. Will have to check it out next time!
Templo Mayor Museum	Although we didn’t go inside, we did walk by this site, strolling from the Zocalo and in the neighbourhood, on our way to a local street market nearby, down a street that sold beauty supplies and services (which I cannot find unfortunately). At least worth a quick stop from the outside for some pics.
Parque España	One of my favourite things about CDMX is all of the city parks located throughout the neighbourhoods we spent most of our time in. Great to grab a coffee or tea and wander or sit with a book and take a break.
Soumaya Museum	One of the most recommended museums in CDMX, we never made it as it was closed the only day that we could go. A massive private collection, it’s free for the public, and is inside a very cool architectural structure. Definitely on my list for next time!
Museo Nacional de Antropología	A place where you can spend entire days, depending on your level of interest, this massive museum showcases a crazy waterfall in the center of it’s exhibits. It’s worth stopping by just to check that out, nevermind all of the incredible artifacts within. Note that very limited cards are written in English, so if you want to go into the depths of the museum, you’ll either need an English-speaking guide, a rudimentary level of written Spanish, or a lot of Google Translate.
Zócalo	In the historic center, one of the main sites is to head to the square, lined by additional visitor sites. Sit in the rooftop dining area of the Best Western, or other hotel options lining the square to enjoy the views.

In the end, we actually flew back through Mexico City and stayed another 2 full days, as the airline cancelled our flight and we had to rebook another one (we chose to leave a couple of days later so we didn’t have to swap a direct 5.5 hour flight for a 13 hour transit time with layover). It turned out to be a win win, as we were able to come back and see even more of the city that we missed out on our first time.

I’ll definitely be back again sometime soon – so much great art, culture, and food, and a very easy direct flight from Vancouver. There’s been a definite trend of this massive city (second largest in the world) becoming more of a hot spot lately, and while safety is still definitely an issue to watch out for, there are some really great neighbourhoods and sites as long as you’re an aware and responsible traveller.