Travel Guide: Mexico City

TravelMexico CityMexicoCulture
Written By Sarah Entwistle

MEXICO

Mexico City is a sensory overload in the best possible way. It’s a place where ancient tradition sits shoulder to shoulder with modern craft, and where the city’s pulse seems to sync with the aromas drifting from every street corner. I visited during Día de Muertos in 2023, when marigolds lined the sidewalks, altars glowed late into the night, and the entire city moved with a kind of collective heartbeat.

As a food-obsessed traveler, I came for the celebration but stayed for the depth: complex moles, precise pastries, mezcal bars that feel like libraries, and kitchens that push Mexican cuisine forward without losing sight of its roots. In CDMX, a morning can start with pan dulce in a park and end on a rooftop tasting menu that rewrites everything you thought you knew about the region’s flavors - a city where tradition roars, and the food answers with intention and imagination.

 

Can’t Miss

 
 

72-Hour CDMX Itinerary

Like a perfect three-course meal — each day is a journey of flavor, culture and adventure.

DAY 1 – EXPLORE THE CITY

Morning

  • Breakfast at Panadería Rosetta (order the Rol de Guayaba!)

  • Visit Museo Frida Kahlo

Afternoon

  • Lunch at Esquina Común (only open Thursday - Sunday)

  • Boutique shopping around Roma Norte/Condesa neighborhoods

Evening

  • Dinner at Mi Compa Chava Marisquería

  • Mezcal cocktails at La Clandestina

DAY 2 – FOOD, FOOD, & MORE FOOD

Morning

  • Coffee at Cardinal Casa de Café

Afternoon

  • "Street Food Essentials Tour" with Club Tengo Hambre

  • View the murals at Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes

Evening

  • Dinner at Contramar (don’t miss the tuna tostada)

  • Rooftop drinks & dancing at Departamento

DAY 3 – IMMERSE YOURSELF IN NATURE

Morning

  • Breakfast at Delirio (or more pastries at Odette)

  • Peruse local green spaces: Parque México & Parque España

Afternoon

  • Lunch at Taquería Álvaro Obregón (famed for their tacos de lengua)

  • Guided tour through Xochimilco, a UNESCO World Heritage site

Evening

  • Mexican/Indian fusion dinner at Masala y Maiz

  • Cozy drinks at Bar Las Brujas

 

The Travel Edit

    • Esquina Commun - A Michelin-starred rooftop spot that keeps its own rhythm—open only Thursday to Sunday, reservations slid through Instagram DMs. Sharp, inventive Mexican cooking, dialed-in service, and a tasting menu that moves with purpose; the natural wine list doesn’t miss.

    • Mi Compa Chava Marisquería - A seafood hangout with real personality. The “Señora Torres” tower is the move—layers of shellfish and tuna stacked like they mean it—best tackled with cold beers and friends who aren’t shy.

    • Contramar - The city’s classic seafood institution, still setting the pace. Order the red-and-green pescado a la talla for the table, don’t pretend you’re not getting tuna tostadas, and let the energy of the room carry the meal.

    • Taquería Álvaro Obregón - No-frills taco counter turning out some of the best lengua in town. You order up front, grab a seat, load up on salsa, and if it’s 3:45 a.m., you’re exactly where you should be.

    • Masala y Maiz - Cross-cultural cooking—Mexican, African, Indian—executed with intention and a point of view. Low light, sexy energy, and food that reflects the chefs’ commitment to justice in and beyond the kitchen.

    • Panadería Rosetta - A neighborhood bakery worth the early wake-up. The guava roll is the headline, but everything coming out of the ovens shows serious technique; grab a seat outside if you can.

    • Delirio - A relaxed café that balances French pastry, Mexican coffee, and Mediterranean leanings. Breakfast chilaquiles hit hard, and the space has that “accidentally stayed for two more coffees” pull.

    • Odette - A polished pastry shop with two locations and a deep bench of classics—pain au chocolat, tarts, macarons, quiches, proper bread. Come fall, the special pan de muerto and pumpkin desserts are reason enough to stop by.

    • ​​La Clandestina - A tight mezcal bar with a deep, well-curated list and zero gimmicks. It’s the place to actually taste mezcal, not pose with it.

    • Departamento - Rooftop party energy with DJs, live sets, and a crowd that doesn’t wind down early. Good for when you’re not done with the night yet.

    • Bar Las Brujas - A small, neighborhood bar that punches above its size—warm, buzzy, and packed by 9. Show up early if you want a seat and a proper cocktail.

    • Licorería Limantour - A polished cocktail room that’s mastered the balance between creative and clean. Drinks are tight, service is sharp, and the place runs like a bar that knows it’s one of the best in the world.

    • Club Tengo Hambre Street Food Essentials - A guided walk through the city’s real food culture—tacos, markets, and street stalls you’d never find on your own. Zero fluff, just the hits, led by people who actually know the vendors.

    • Museo Frida Kahlo - Frida’s home-turned-museum that gives you a direct look at her life, not just the mythology. Intimate, personal, and worth booking ahead.

    • Xochimilco - A loud, colorful, slightly chaotic canal ride that’s basically a floating party. Bring snacks, bring drinks, and let the day unfold however it wants.

    • Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes - One of the city’s anchor cultural spaces, worth it for the architecture alone—marble, murals, and serious scale. Inside, the Diego Rivera and Siqueiros pieces hit hard, and the rotating exhibits usually pull in sharp contemporary work.

    • Boutique shopping in Roma Norte & Condesa - A tight loop of independent shops, Mexican designers, and small studios doing things you don’t see back home. Easy to lose an afternoon without realizing it.

    • Explore Parque México & Parque España - Two connected green spaces that show the city at its most relaxed—dogs everywhere, good coffee, plenty of shade. Perfect for a slow walk before or after a meal.

    • Uma Casa - A calm, design-driven stay with the feel of a private residence. Thoughtful details, warm service, and rooms that make you want to slow down for a minute.

    • Hotel San Fernando - A restored Art Deco building with tight, minimalist rooms and a “live like a local” vibe. Quiet, elegant, and perfectly placed for roaming Roma.

    • Casona Roma Norte - A classic CDMX townhouse turned boutique stay with high ceilings, vintage touches, and a relaxed sense of character. Feels more like being hosted than checked in.

    • Hotel Dama - Stylish and low-key, with a sharp interior aesthetic and a mix of textures that make the rooms feel modern but lived-in. Good home base if you care about design as much as comfort.

    • Maria Condesa - A small, inviting hotel in the middle of Condesa’s café-and-park rhythm. Rooms are bright, the energy is easy, and the location makes wandering the neighborhood effortless.

 
“Mexico City is a sensory overload in the best possible way - a place where ancient tradition sits shoulder to shoulder with modern craft, and where the city’s pulse seems to sync with the aromas drifting from every street corner.”
 
Sarah Entwistle
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