Once up on a time I wrote up a guide to Taipei. I’m gonna do the same for Mexico City as I feel like I’ve been there enough to suggest some things.
What makes me qualified? Glad you asked! After a spending month in CDMX in November 2019—mainly to get a tattoo—I fell in love with the city and vowed to return. After wrapping up some stuff back home, I went back to Mexico City at the beginning of 2020 with an apartment rented for two months, and then ended up staying there until July, right in the middle of the pandemic. Since then I’ve also been there with my wife for three weeks in 2022 and then again for a week in 2026.
While that isn’t the most time there ever, I do feel like I’ve canvassed the parts I know—aka the expat parts—and have enough advice for a first time trip to Mexico City. In addition, I met some local friends and dated someone there during that extended quarantine time, so have experienced some of that life as well.
Overall, Mexico City is my favorite city—outside of Asia—and it’s got all the food, culture, night life, ease of life, and everything else you’d want. Plus it’s got great weather nearly all the time. Downsides: You’re probably just a gentrifying expat/visitor, driving up prices, ruining the place for locals, but hey, you’re still going right?!
And here's a Google Maps version, mostly of the food places: CDMX 101.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO GO?
Any time! If I could, I would make annual visits to Mexico City, and since the weather is mostly moderate, there’s no tropical storms, summer heat waves, or other things to contend with. The air quality is said to be bad—and it is?—but I’m also immune to that kind of thing. The one downside is that weekends turn to turn up with tourists galore, so we’ve noticed that lines to the hyped bakeries, street food stalls, etc. get quite long.
GETTING THERE
Since we’re usually coming from San Diego, we take an Uber to the Cross Border Express and just fly out of Tijuana. It’s easy, it’s cheap, and the entire experience is usually fantastic. An Uber from our house is $80, the CBX is $40, and flights from Tijuana to Mexico City round trip are usually $250 or so. We usually fly Aeromexico or Volaris. Also, if you're staying for over a week, there is a visa charge, I think around $60 per person. Overall getting to Mexico City is about $400-500 total.
WHERE TO STAY
There’s really only three neighborhoods all the tourists stay: Roma Norte, La Condesa, and Polanco. For my money, you have to stay in Condesa or at least Roma. Roma is where all restaurants and bars and clubs you generally want to go to—aka all the ones you see on socials and online reviews—but Condesa is nicer, has tree filled streets, and is just beautiful and very European. Note: Maybe too much, you'll note the many many Europeans and Americans in Condesa...
My old apartment was in Condesa, my ex-girlfriend’s apartment was in Condesa, and I’ve stayed in multiple Airbnbs all around, in Roma and up by Chapultepec Park. The walk between Condesa and Roma is ten or fifteen minutes and you’ll be criss crossing the two neighborhoods a lot. As you can tell, I prefer Condesa, but Roma can do.
Many people choose to stay in Polanco, but I think that is a major mistake. Unless you are into high end luxury shopping, love the hotels in Polanco, or for some reason just really want to be there, getting from Polanco to other areas of Mexico City is a real chore. For example, our friends were there one Thanksgiving with us and they were in constant taxis for forty-five minutes fighting traffic as they rode from Polanco to Roma for 7PM dinner reservations. Mexico City does have a lot of traffic, especially during rush hour, so the best way to avoid that is to live within walking distance to where you’re likely to hang out the most, ie. Roma.
AirBnBs are usually around $150-200 a night and they can be quite expansive and beautiful, or bare bones and functional. Most of the time I’m surprised by how nice and lovely the rentals are that we’ve encountered.
CDMX AIRPORT
You’ll arrive, call a car or jump in a taxi, and depending on if there’s traffic, be at your choice of accommodation within twenty to forty minutes. Flying into CDMX is a dream and so easy.
DATA AND SIMS
Assuming you have a US cell phone plan, your service will just work there, once you turn on data roaming.
A WORD ON SAFETY
From the uninitiated and the people not in the know, the first thing people always ask is “Is it safe?” Well, lemme put it this way: I’ve never felt as safe in San Francisco as I have in Mexico City. SF can be a nightmarish cesspool and if you can handle that, CDMX is a dream. Especially since most people will never leave Condesa/Roma/Polanco, there is really no issue of safety.
Other areas can be more dangerous, and there’s a black market market I’ve always wanted to go to, but other than that, you can walk around CDMX at all hours worry free and looking like a total tourist just gawking at everything.
A WORD ON LANGUAGE
Do you need to speak Spanish? Well, I certainly don’t. I know very little Spanish—my intensive class was cut off two weeks in due to the pandemic—and I navigate just fine. The places you’ll likely hang out are very English friendly, Google Translate solves the rest, and really, the only risk of not speaking English is getting some little details wrong—like “cut my hair short” versus “shave it all down.” Whoops!
Overall though, you don’t need much Spanish and in some neighborhoods, you’ll actually wish you heard more of it because it’ll just be English and European languages all around you. Gross.
GETTING AROUND
You can easily walk everywhere, with Ubers readily available for longer treks or just when you get tired and want to get home ASAP. For example, I always took an Uber to the main museums in Chapultepec Park because it was easier. Ubers are relatively cheap, like $3-5 per ride if within a few miles.
There is an extensive subway and bus system, but in all my time there, I never took them except as curiosities.
WHAT SHOULD I DO THERE?
Whatever you like! Many people want to go see the pyramids of Teotihuacan, Frida Kahlo’s house, the boats of Xochimilco. All of those involve leaving CDMX and frankly, I’ve never done any of them.
My main interest in Mexico City is the street food, the museums, biking around the city, some bars, and finding places to dance. So keep all that in mind for my recommendations.
MUSEUMS and GALLERIES
There are a ton of museums in CDMX, and even more art galleries, many of them requiring some hunting and digging. Start with Googling “kurimanzutto” and see where that takes you.
You’re likely going to see the Museum of Anthropology just for the stunning architecture—you can take a lot or little time with the history exhibits—and then you’ll just pop across the park to the Museum of Modern Art and the Tamayo Museum. Of the two, the Tamayo looks cool from the outside but it’s invariably got exhibits closed and last time we went there, there was only one exhibit open for visitors. Easy skip on the Tamayo if half the exhibits are closed. The Museum of Modern Art is by far more worth the time, so spend your time there instead.
And of course you’ll probably go to Chapultepec Castle and the National Museum of History housed inside, so good on that. There’s a lot of history and fine art museums scattered around, Bellas Artes particularly, so have at them at your leisure. Zocolo alone has a ton of unique and interesting museums. Perfumes, shoes, money museums anyone?
If you happen to walk by Palacio de Correos de México, which is a post office, you can admire the building and interior. After walking around a bit, you’ll start to wonder why Mexico City is so European in influence, here’s why: “Mexico City was significantly modernized in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, particularly under President Porfirio Díaz, by adopting the urban planning principles of Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann’s Paris renovation. This "Haussmannization" involved creating wide, tree-lined boulevards like the Paseo de la Reforma, introducing green spaces, installing modern infrastructure, and constructing French-style buildings to emulate European modernity.”
The best art museum we’ve been to is Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo (MUAC), which is in Coyoacán so likely requires a cab ride. However, if you pair it with a visit to Cineteca Nacional of Mexico--a stunning movie theater complex—that’s worth a day trip. You can also fit in Mercado de Coyoacán too, if you want to poke around and get some eats.
Museo Jumex and Soumaya are in Polanco and if you’re gonna check out one you likely will see the other as they’re across the street from each other. Somaya is the eye catching metal one, but since it’s a private museum that houses Carlos Slim’s art collection, the stuff is well, it’s fine—lots of European art, religious stuff, etc. I’ve never spent more than twenty minutes in there to take a look around but maybe you’ll love it! I like the contemporary art at Jumex a lot better and have seen more interesting things there consistently.
For a one person collection that is worth seeing, check out Museo del Juguete Antiguo, which is a toy museum basically and Roberto Shimizu Kinoshita’s collection of random stuff, and I mean really random!
It’s similar to MODA, the Museum of Objects, which you’ll likely walk by on a street corner in Roma, but the stuff in there is way more interesting. Not that MODA isn’t, but I’ve found MODA to be just okay over two or three visits.
BOOK STORES
There’s lots of them, keep an eye out! There’s very cute ones everywhere, with inside outside spaces, gorgeous upstairs downstairs areas, and ones that are tucked away but then expand to huge insides. Note: Many book stores have their books shrink wrapped, and obviously most of the selections are in Spanish, so browsing to actually read the books can be a challenge for non-Spanish speakers. But all those pictures and covers!
I wouldn’t necessarily make a trip to see any specific bookstores but keep an eye out for all of them as you explore. I would recommend a spot like Casa Bosques (Roma), which is harder to find from the street, and has lots of international books and magazines.
If you like second-hand bookstores, Calle Donceles near Zocalo has a street of dozens of them. This is a recent discovery and I’ve yet to see it in full swing, but we did find some gems there, and the two bookstores we went into were both gigantic and reached far into the back with floor to ceiling shelves of books.
- Librería Porrúa
- Cafebrería El Péndulo
- Bookstore Fondo de Cultura Economica
SHOPPING
I won’t even get into it because there’s too much but Mexico City has an abundance of shopping. Just pick a neighborhood and go poke around. Colonia Juárez has a ton of cute designer clothing stores, there are art stores everywhere, cute stuff stores, plants stores with great ceramics, all of it. Just go look around!
OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS
I already mentioned Juarez for shopping, and then there’s Zona Rosa, which has a lot of stores along one main strip, sort of like Third Street Santa Monica. This is also where all the Korean stuff is, including restaurants, karaoke, and dance studios. There’s a lot to explore in Zona Rosa and it’s an easy walk from Roma.
Everyone will eventually go to Zocalo area, which is the public square and the site of much of Mexico City’s history. It’s great by day—and crowded—but I would also recommend walking through it, and the surrounding parks, by night, as the vibe it so much more quiet and magical.
“The Plaza de la Constitucion, or El Zocalo, is the main square in Mexico City and one of largest city squares in the world. The plaza has been the center of the city since Aztec times. The Plaza was given its name in 1812 to celebrate the Spanish Constitution of 1812.”
BIKING IN THE CITY
One of our favorite things to do in CDMX is bike. The Ecobici system is tremendously easy, there are bike racks everywhere, and on most of the roads there are bike lanes and a comfortable respect for bikers. If you’re not comfortable biking around cars, an alternative is to grab a city bike and go to Paseo de la Reforma on Sundays, when they shut down a long stretch of main road for most of the morning/afternoon and you can bike without fear.
However, if you’re willing to bike on normal streets, CDMX is great and especially Condesa it can be so beautiful and peaceful to cruise the broad avenues, the quite streets, and to stop off as you explore things. The Ecobici system is just an app on your phone, costs about $25 for a week long pass, and the QR code reader is the fastest I’ve ever experienced.
The roads in the city can be pock marked and can be a little rough, but that’s why the bikes have such big tires and a heavy weight. Just go try it!
NIGHT LIFE
You can find any kind of bar you like in Mexico City. I’ve been to some very fancy ones, speciality mezcal ones, local rodeo ones, all sorts. Do the speakeasies if you want, do all the alcohol if you’re into it. The presentation, design, service, and quality are all world class.
There are a ton of parties too. I used to go to Departmento a lot on Wednesdays but that has worn itself out over time, but I still recommend it as a go-to. The one dance place that is a surefire hit is Patrick Miller on Fridays—and only Fridays—where you go early and then watch eventually as giant dance circles form up and people perform. It may not be your type of music but it’s a unique experience and getting in and out is easy.
I’ve been to a few warehouse raves, small house shows, and mansion party type things in CDMX, but mainly accompanied by my ex and her friends, so finding those could be tricky. But there are tons of music and club events so just look around!
And of course, if you like Latin music, there are a lot of those options also, but since I don’t much the only one I’ve been to is Mama Rumba, which looks fun but is kind of a squeeze inside if you aren’t dancing. So bring your (partner) moves, or get out.
WHERE TO EAT, WHERE NOT TO EAT
All the guides on Mexico City feature the same fine dining places: Contramar, Pujol, Quintonil, etc. You can find all those restaurants online and many of them you need to book way ahead of time. I barely even sit down to eat most of my meals in CDMX—much like in Taipei—so I avoid most of these restaurants unless friends are in town. For example, we went to Rosetta once and it was nice, not amazing, just nice. Mainly I don’t quite understand eating the expensive fancy food when there’s so much other stuff readily available but if you gotta know/taste, you gotta know.
There’s very little mention of special taco places on here because there are so many great taco places and everyone has their favorite and preference. So other than tacos, here’s some places I would recommend to anyone:
Lardo (Condesa)
It’s a foreigner magnet and it can’t be beat. The pastries here are so good! Order the guava roll—pol de guayaba—and then order it again. I’m partial to the honey bun here, but most everything is a delight.
And as we’ve discovered, Lardo, Panadería Rosetta, and Café Nin all serve the same pastries so popping into the closest one will do. We always get a latte here too, as they are creamy but also caffeinated.
Marlindo (Roma)
Honestly, I don’t get the hype of Contramar. If you want a lovely chill spot for afternoons and evenings to eat tuna tostadas, outrageous aguachiles, and wonderful coffee and flan, this is the spot. It’s located on a small street corner and there’s always availability and is charming to the max.
El Pescadito (Roma / Condesa)
There are a few locations in Condesa and Roma and it’s a real go-to for me. Order the fried fish taco, the smoked tuna, or the chile relleno, and then pile on the vegetables and sauces and go to work. It’s a huge taco and an easy in and out.
Tierra Garat
You will see multiple of these Starbuck looking coffeeshops as you walk around. Tierra Garat has thirty-plus locations, sprang from a gourmet Mexican coffee brand, and is known for serving up delicious hot chocolate. We like the cafe con cacao chiltepín (pepper) and the cacao con cacao negra flor (vanilla)—if you don’t want coffee with your hot chocolate. Also a great place to stop by for bathrooms, or a chill place to do some light reading or puzzling.
El Vilsito (Narvarte)
A car garage that turns into a taqueria at night. It’s located in Narvarte—a fifteen minute cab ride from Roma—and there are a ton of other taco places around. But start or end here because the food is good and it’s busy but not too busy. Al pastor is a must, and we liked the gringas a lot. [Link]
You can have a delightful taco tour around Narvarte and there’s too many to recount here, but a favorite is Tacos Manolo which has its own special flavor and is crumbled meat and not like the others. Order a generic Manolo taco and pile on onions and all the fixings. It’s a longer walk to find it, but worth it as part of the taco tour.
La Taquiza al carbón across the street is reputed to the have better al pastor, but I only had one to-go—it was very good!—but can’t entirely vouch for it yet.
Hamburguesas a la Parrilla (Roma)
Tokyo is for pizza and Mexico City is for hamburgers. This street stand serves a pineapple topped hamburger that I’m constantly thinking about. I first had it at 2AM after a night of clubbing and wasn’t sure if I could accurately assess its quality in such a state.
After a few more tries I must say that it’s a must have for me every time I go to CDMX, often as my first meal. The quality of the meat isn’t anything special but with the soft bread, the meat and entire concoction just melt in your mouth in this tremendous way. Order a double and thank me later. [Link]
Ricos Caldos De Gallina “El Gallo” (Roma)
My friend went to the more available Los Caldos de Gallina Luis and we had to try it, but we returned to this street side chicken soup twice over a span of seven days. It was that good and wonderful. Order the quarter chicken. [Link]
La Corriente Cevichería Nais (Condesa)
This is a Tijuana based chain and there’s now one in San Diego, much to our blessing. I used to go here on sunny weekends to eat oysters and ceviche but now we only go here for the clam chowder. Yes, the clam chowder here is so damn good—in a bread bowl—and we get the huge plate of ceviche too of course but the clam chowder is what keeps pulling us back.
Huset (Roma)
I’ve never even eaten a meal here, but just go for the vibes and the outdoor looking interior. There’s two rooms, a dim and low key bar area and a twinkly light dining area. Both are great, and I usually come by for coffee and dessert.
Other Choices, More Comfort and Basic
Cafe de olla: I just like this coffee, and I didn’t realize it was widely available till much too late. “Café de olla is a traditional, sweet, and spiced Mexican coffee that translates to "pot coffee". It is characterized by being brewed in an earthenware clay pot (olla de barro) with cinnamon, piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar), and sometimes other spices like cloves, star anise, or orange peel.”
Go Hyang Zib (Zona Rosa): If you’re looking for quick hit Korean, this is the spot. There’s a ton of Korean restaurants in Zona Rosa but if you just want basic bibimbap, bulgogi, soondubu, etc. The quality is not as good as L.A. but better than San Diego.
Kura (Roma): If I was craving sushi, here is where I used to go a lot. It’s got the right vibes, the food is pretty decent, and it can get a bit crowded but is never a long wait.
Wan Wan Sakaba (Juarez): A very cute Japanese spot that is great for later nights and is open late. Serves a huge menu of random stuff, plus ramen, but usually I just like sitting at the cramped bar area on the first floor and ordering what the mood calls for.
La Casa Del Pavo (Zocolo): This places specialized in roast turkey but the amazing thing here is the turkey soup. Yes, turkey soup! We spent a Thanskgiving in CDMX once and this bare bones operation was a star find. I’ve never even had the other turkey stuff on the menu, minus the soup and one taco. Pro tip: grab a soft serve from the nearby McDonald’s walk through window on the corner for dessert!
El Faraón Taquerías (Roma): I mostly used to order these delivered mid-pandemic, but the tacos and melty crusty cheese on their tacos was so good, like a queso taco.
Sanborns: A ubiquitous diner chain—usually located in department stores—that serves enchiladas, breakfast, and is mediocre all around, except for the iconic blue-and-white ceramic plates and cups. Sanborns de los Azulejos is the fancy one (relatively) but I have popped into many of them for late night diner hangs.
Ramen Sairi: Is this the best ramen in CDMX? I don’t know but I’ve had a lot of ramen all over and I returned to this one a lot on my way back from school. It’s got basically just bar seating and there used to be a small grocery store attached.
La Casa de Toño: Branches everywhere, it’s like sit down Mexican fast food, with pozole, flautas, and cafe de olla! Most important of all, it’s open late and no frills.
Pasillo de Humo (Condesa): I would happily die without eating any more mole for the rest of my life—I had way too much in Oaxaca—but if you’re looking for mole and mezcal, try out this place that specializes in Oaxacan cuisine.
Pizza: There are a lot of great looking fancy pizza places, but after I tried one I stopped trying. I’m just coming off the best pizza in Tokyo so my expectations were too high what with all the brick ovens prominently featured in walk-by pizza restaurants. I can’t say if the pizza in CDMX is great or not but I assume it is, but I need to do a proper search.
