For years I’ve been making the mistake of not going somewhere sunny and warm(er) in the tail end of winter. So, last February I started planning our trip to Mexico City. I’ve heard good things about CDMX’s (Cuidad de Mexico) food, flea markets, coffee, and design culture, so all of our primary travel boxes were checked. It did not disappoint.
We were there for six full days and seven nights, arriving late one Saturday and leaving early the next. In hindsight, I wouldn’t do this again, since some of the best markets happen on Saturdays. Besides our Airbnbs — one in Condesa, very close to Roma Norta for five nights, and one in Coyoacán for two nights — and flights, we only had two other things planned: a Journey Through La Merced food tour and a tour of Casa Luis Barragán. I highly recommend both.
The Markets + The Food
Markets and food are very much linked in CDMX. We did the Journey Through La Merced food tour on our second full day, which I recommend. It helped us know what things we wanted to try more of, and how to navigate the abundant range of street food options. Also, Merced can be hard to navigate and potentially dangerous without a guide. We sampled insects, several mole varieties, tacos, juices, and more.
In terms of restaurants, Lardo was so good (the terragon ice cream! the salad!) we went back the next morning for breakfast. We also had an excellent breakfast at Elena Reygadas’ other restaurant, Cafe Nin; the guava pastry and juices were unreal.
On the street, we sampled hot sauce-soaked chips, chile-spiced mango, all the corn, juices, and suadero tacos. Our Airbnb was just a block away from the Condesa location of El Moro, which makes incredible churros; go for breakfast to beat the lines, and order the sweetened condensed dipping sauce.
On Sunday, our first full day, we went straight to La Lagunilla Market, a huge flea market where anyone wanting to peddle their antiques can set up a stall. It was overwhelming but worth the trip.
La Lagunilla Market Sunday flea market. I was making plans to bring a UHaul for next time upon seeing all this mid-century furniture.
Architecture
CDMX’s architecture and design culture was a big draw for me. Per the recommendation of two friends and our Monocle guide book, we managed to get tickets to Casa de Luis Barragán, the house of Mexico’s only Pritzker Prize-winning architect. It was like a modernist sanctuary, and a good excuse to get to the Miguel Hidalgo neighborhood.
We walked through Chapultepec Park to the Anthropology Museum. For me, it was most impressive from an architectural standpoint, more so than as a museum.
In the historic district, there were some stunning gems, including the Tiffany glass ceilings in the Gran Hotel and El Palacio de Hierro Centro. The crowds here were overwhelming, though, and we didn’t spend a lot of time in this neighborhood.
Art Deco ruled the day throughout the city, due to the rapid population growth in the 1920s-1940s following the Mexican Revoluation of the 1910s. Our first Airbnb was a pristine example.
Gran Hotel Ciudad de México’s Tiffany ceiling
Palacio de Bellas Artes
Coffee
We spend a good portion of our food budget in coffee shops. Unlike in America, where coffee shops open early for those relying on a morning caffeine boost, coffee shops open and close later in CDMX; they are very social places. Most shops we visited were third-wave coffee shops and most featured Mexican beans. Our favorites: Kahwen Café (SO gorgeous, on a quiet street in Coyocan), Quentin Cafe, BUNA, and Almanegra Café. The coffee scene was amazing.
Art + Design
As luck would have it, we ended up in CDMX during Art Week, which coincides with ZONAMACO every year. Essentially, this meant there were different art galleries and events happening all over the city. We visited both of the Mooni galleries, which sell art by local and international artists, and ultimately ended up checking a bag home to carry all of the art we bought. We also got tickets to Material Art Fair. We are making plans to go back next year and this is the week we’d aim for.
I also recommend Utilitario Mexicano for cool gifts and tasteful home goods.
The only picture we got together, in Condesa’s Mooni gallery.
the Dogs & The Park
If you don’t like dogs, do not go to Mexico City. We were amazed by the number of dogs, and how many were just running off-leash. About 50% of residents own a dog, which checks out. One of our favorite things was going to Parque México, just a block from our Airbnb, and watching the dogwalkers out and about.
Speaking of parks: They are sprinkled across the city and so well utilized. Part of this relates to how entrepreneurial Mexicans are — you can always find a street food vendor for a park snack. People use them for dance classes and working out, teens use them for making out and practicing their rollerskating moves, dogs use them for chasing their friends, and tourists use them to get a pulse of the city. Jane Jacobs would love the park culture of CDMX.
The morning dog huddle at Parque México.
