Travel

The hotspots of Mexico City

food and drink in Mexico City

Last week I fell in love with Mexico City. I had never been there before, but I have now decided that I want to move here. After this vacation, I will just go home, but someday I will live there. Because what a beautiful and vibrant city this is, much more international (and modern) than I expected. There are so many friendly, young, and entrepreneurial people around here; this place is one big source of inspiration. What mainly inspired me were all the restaurants, bakeries, and bars; places like I don't know in Amsterdam. As a result, I suddenly have all these new ideas, but I will park those for this article for now.

In this article, I will tell you exactly where to eat and drink in Mexico City. The city is gigantic (24 million inhabitants), so it's handy to know in advance which neighborhoods are worth visiting. My favorite neighborhood in Mexico City is Roma Norte, which is also called the Williamsburg of Mexico. Other nice neighborhoods are Condesa, Juarez, and Polanco. The tips I will give can all be found in these neighborhoods.

BREAKFAST

Lalo (Roma)
I start with Lalo: my favorite spot in Mexico City for breakfast. Lalo is a nice place with red chairs and those cozy colored lights. The staff here is super friendly and the food is delicious. You must try the French toast with strawberries and whipped cream here, believe me: you won't regret it. Tip: go early. Lalo is a popular spot where there is soon a line, but if you are there before ten o'clock, you're good.

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Delirio (Roma)
At Delirio, you can get the tastiest sweet pastries. I didn't find the place itself very atmospheric, but the carrot cake and lemon pie were extraordinary, so delicious. Therefore, I would recommend stopping by here for take-away. Besides the unhealthy pastries, you can also get healthy juices. Balance is key, after all.

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Ojo de Agua (Roma)
Ojo de Agua has several locations in Mexico City, but the one in Roma is the nicest. You sit in a very beautiful romantic courtyard with hanging plants everywhere, colorful tables, and cute baroque chairs. You can order delicious smoothies and acai bowls here, but my advice would still be: order the turkey melt.

Eno (Roma)
You eat the best avocado toast at Eno. They bake their own bread in the morning, so you understand that it must be very good. And for matcha lovers: you can drink delicious matcha here. No worries: for matcha haters, there is also just good coffee.

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Madre Café (Roma)
There is always a line at Madre Café, so go there early in the morning. And if there is indeed a line, it is definitely worth waiting for. As soon as you walk through the gate, you enter a beautiful inner garden, where you can order the tastiest pancakes (in strawberry sauce) for breakfast. There are also plenty of savory options on the menu, such as poached eggs and avocado toast. It is a bit pricey by Mexican standards, but it is definitely worth it.

Lardo (Condesa)
The French-style interior at Lardo is really amazing. You can sit at a beautiful long marble bar, there are beautiful old mirrors on the wall, and the food is served on the coziest antique plates. They serve food here all day long, so I also recommend this place for dinner, because you can order good pasta. For breakfast, you can eat delicious bagels and pastries here, plus drink good coffee.

Panaderia Rosetta (Roma)
This is the cutest bakery in Mexico City and also so tastefully decorated. Not so strange, because it is from the same owners as Lardo. Inside, on the wooden counter, are all the delicious pastries. You can sit here for breakfast, but take-out is also an option, and I recommend both. When I wanted to eat there, it was packed, so I ordered a coffee to go with a cinnamon bun. And that cinnamon bun was extraordinarily delicious and gigantic.

LUNCH

Contramar (Roma/Condesa)
The best seafood restaurant in Mexico City, which is always full of friendly and beautiful people. Here I had the tastiest sea bass ever. It is quite pricey, but the food makes it all worthwhile. It is not the ultimate place to linger, but it is definitely a place you should not miss and is perfect for lunch. Reservations are necessary!

Expendio de Maiz (Roma)
A delicious authentic Mexican restaurant with soft prices, plus a menu that changes daily. This low-key street food restaurant is like a large open kitchen, allowing for friendly contact with the overly sweet staff. I had a divine burrito with shrimp here. So if you want a quick and simple lunch, you should definitely go here.

Cicatriz (Juarez)
Cicatriz is also a small and low-key restaurant where the tables are cozily outside on the sidewalk. There is a nice and relaxed atmosphere, people read a book or hang out with their dog. For a delicious fresh salad or the best natural wines, you should come here. Again: balance is key.

El Parnita (Roma)
On my first afternoon, I ate at El Parnita and that was really the best start to the trip. It is a mega vibrant place for Mexican food and delicious margaritas. Many young people come to this place, and people also hang out at the bar. There is great (loud) Mexican music playing, and the tacos with white fish are finger-licking good. This is also a perfect spot for dinner.

Pigeon (Roma)
Just for the bright pink interior, you have to go here. Pink walls, pink couch, pink tiles, pink plates; everything is pink. They serve delicious experimental dishes with lots of vegetables here. The roasted carrots and the sea bass with ratatouille were my favorites, and everything is beautifully presented here. The strawberry tart for dessert was also a favorite.

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Basico (Polanco)
Basico is a small café where you can go for a healthy and vegetarian lunch. They have delicious (heavily loaded) vegetable bowls, healthy sandwiches, and fresh juices. Perfect for when you want to eat something nutritious after all those unhealthy tacos. I ordered the salad with avocado, halloumi, and roasted peanuts: an absolute recommendation.

Cuina (Roma)
I had no idea beforehand that they would have so many delicious sweets in Mexico City. I mainly thought of tacos and nachos, but there is more than that. For the tastiest pastries to go, you go to Cuina. When you are there, get the croissant with a thick layer of chocolate around it, a divine calorie bomb. You can easily walk that off in this gigantic city.

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Yukumanka
Yukumanka is a delicious messy and wonderful fish restaurant, ideal for lunch. This cozy and chaotic place is filled with fishing nets and colorful decorations. It is always busy here, and it is often full of locals. When you are here, order the paella and the fried shrimp: so delicious, guaranteed success.

DINNER

Rosetta (Roma)
This is my favorite little restaurant for dinner in Mexico City. The restaurant is located on a patio full of trees and plants, hidden behind a beautiful large door. I am completely in love with the interior and the colorful plates, as Rosetta is also owned by the same owners as my favorite bakery and restaurant Lardo. The pastas here are amazing, I had a delicious ragu gnocchi. Tip: well-dressed people come here, so make an extra effort when you eat here, otherwise you might feel underdressed (that's how I felt). Reservations are a must.

Maximo Bistro (Roma)
Maximo Bistro is a fancy fine dining restaurant with a sleek, industrial, and modern design. They serve delicious Mediterranean dishes here: from pastas and lobster to a lovely spit-roasted chicken. All the tastiest imaginable dishes are on the menu. It is almost impossible to make a choice, but I would definitely go for the truffle risotto.

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La Docena (Roma)
As an oyster lover, you must go to La Docena, which is the most beautiful and chic oyster bar in Mexico City. At La Docena, you feel like you're in New Orleans, and they serve not only oysters but also the tastiest fish dishes, such as grilled octopus and sea bass. The chef sources everything from local fishmongers, and you can feel (and taste) that he has put a lot of love into each dish. Tip: reserve a spot at the bar, it's the coziest place to sit.

Meroma (Roma)
Another beautiful location, with high glass ceilings, small windows in the wall, and a minimalist decor. This haute cuisine restaurant serves Mediterranean dishes, but with a twist. Each dish looks like a work of art. It is quite pricey, but you get an evening full of culinary surprises plus a gigantic wine and cocktail list in return. For true foodies, Meroma is a must. Just remember to make a reservation in advance.

Paramo (Roma)
Paramo is a lively place where you can order the most delicious nachos with fresh guacamole. It is filled with colorful lights and attracts a young crowd. In the evening, the music starts playing, and tequila shots are served at the bar. You can easily spend an entire evening here.

Pizza Felix (Roma)
Pizza Felix is a super fun and simple pizzeria where you can eat in a hidden courtyard. Nice music is played, and there is a bar where it gets very lively around midnight. It’s the perfect place to eat before a night out, for example. They have delicious pizzas and cocktails, and that’s exactly what a person needs.

Sartoria (Roma)
We continue with the Italian vibes. Sartoria might be the best Italian restaurant in Mexico City, with a super modern and tasteful interior. They really know how to decorate there, right? For Mexican standards, it is quite pricey, but it is definitely worth it because who wouldn’t want an evening full of tender meat, freshly baked bread, pastas, and the finest Italian wines?

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Pujol (Polanca)
Pujol is a super fancy Mexican restaurant. It has been named the best restaurant in Mexico City by the Wall Street Journal, so that promises a lot. I must honestly say that I am not a fan of the interior and that it looks a bit stiff, but I do think the food is incredibly good, and that is worth something, right? So if you want to indulge in culinary delights, you go to Pujol.

Havre 77 (Juarez)
Havre 77 is one of those places you fall in love with at first sight. This bistro is the perfect mix of fancy and simple. The space itself looks luxurious due to the high ceilings with ornaments, while in the restaurant itself, there are very simple tables and chairs, and just paper menus on the tables. Look, that’s what I find nice. Here you order a delicious steak-frites and a beer, nice no-nonsense.

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Umai
When you are fed up with Mexican cuisine, you should enjoy Japanese food at Umai. In the beautiful courtyard, you can enjoy a tuna maki and a good glass of sake. Takeout is also an option if you are staying in an Airbnb.

DRINKS

Cafe Tacobar (Roma)
In this cozy Mexican bar, they have all kinds of margaritas. And the name says it all: you can also order delicious tacos at this bar. Golden tip: order a kiwi margarita: dangerously good, but so delicious. Mexican music is played here, and it is always full of friendly people. Personally, I love this kind of bars the most: authentic and vibrant.

Baltra Bar (Condesa)
This is a more international and slightly fancier cocktail bar, and you can see that in the crowd: few locals and many tourists. They have very good cocktails, so if you’re in the mood for your old favorite Pornstar Martini, then you should be here.

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Limantour (Roma)
Limantour has a super cozy terrace outside, where you can enjoy delicious cocktails with Mexican tapas. The list of different types of Mescal is huge here, so if you need to ease into it, this is the right place.

Maison Artemisia (Roma)
In this bar, there is a cozy living room-like atmosphere, thanks to the wallpaper, the old-fashioned furniture, and the piano. Later in the evening, you can dance here, and live jazz music is played weekly. The terrace is much less cozy, so you really need to be inside because that’s where everything happens. The signature cocktail here: Loba Poblana.

Casa Franca (Roma)
This is another very cozy and snug jazz bar where you can enjoy live artists every evening. They have a huge list of delicious cocktails (around seven euros) and this jazz bar is a bit more luxurious than the other one I mentioned above.

Gin Gin (Roma)
Gin Gin bars are spread all over Mexico. It’s a spot with delicious cocktails, where lively uptempo music is played by a hilarious DJ in a fur coat. There is no dancing; people just stay fancy at their tables. The cocktails here are quite pricey but very tasty.

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Loup (Roma)
All natural wine lovers gather at Loup. It’s a fairly quiet and easy-going bar, but with the absolute best wine list ever. Most wines are served by the bottle here, so make sure to bring a good wine buddy when you go here.

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