Mexico City: Art, Food and the World's Greatest Street Scene
Mexico City (CDMX) is the world's largest Spanish-speaking city and one of its most complex. At 9 million people within the city limits (21 million in Greater Mexico City), it operates on a scale that is initially overwhelming. But the city rewards patience — its neighbourhoods function almost as independent villages, each with its own character, and the food is, by almost any measure, the best in the world.
The Neighbourhoods
Colonia Roma
The beating heart of contemporary CDMX. Art deco apartment buildings, independent bookshops, the Mercado Medina (best produce market in the city), and a restaurant scene that rivals any city in Latin America. Contramar (the raw bar tuna tostada is a religious experience), Maximo Bistrot (Mexico City's Chez Panisse), and Rosetta (Elena Reygadas' temple of seasonal Mexican cooking).
La Condesa
Roma's twin — same architecture, more parks, slightly quieter. Parque México is lined with art deco buildings and full of dogs. El Tizoncito claims to have invented tacos al pastor; the argument is ongoing but the tacos are excellent.
Coyoacán
Frida Kahlo's neighbourhood and one of the most atmospheric in the city. The Frida Kahlo Museum (Casa Azul) — book well ahead — is one of the most moving art institutions in Latin America. The central plaza has a market, street food, and a village atmosphere completely different from the centro.
Centro Histórico
The Aztec city of Tenochtitlan was built here, then levelled. The Zócalo — one of the world's largest urban squares — is framed by the Metropolitan Cathedral and the National Palace (Diego Rivera's murals are inside; free entry). Templo Mayor — the excavated Aztec pyramid complex, right in the middle of the city.
The Food
Mexico City's food culture is extraordinary at every level:
- Street tacos: al pastor (marinated pork on a rotating spit), carnitas, barbacoa — the best eaten at 11pm from a cart
- Tamales: masa dough steamed in corn husks or banana leaf, filled with mole, chicken, rajas
- Mole: the great sauce — up to 30 ingredients, days of preparation. Try it at El Cardenal on Palma Street
- Chiles en nogada: seasonal (August–September), patriotic colours (green herb, white walnut cream, red pomegranate), extraordinary
- Mezcal: the smoked agave spirit — the bars of Roma have some of the best selections in the world
Where to Stay
Luxury: Four Seasons Mexico City — a colonial courtyard hotel on Paseo de la Reforma, with a garden oasis at the centre. The city's most established luxury address.
Hotel Carlota in Santa María la Ribera — a converted 1960s building with a stunning plant-filled atrium pool. The most design-forward hotel in CDMX.
Boutique (Colonia Roma): Condesa DF — an art deco mansion hotel on Parque España with a rooftop terrace that is one of the best bars in the city.
Mid-range: Brick Hotel México in Polanco is a beautifully finished hotel at rates significantly below Polanco's Michelin-starred neighbourhood rivals.
