México City!
Mexico holds a dear place in my heart. Everything about this vibrant country makes me happy: the colorful buildings, tropical plants, culture, and history. The cuisine in particular, is my favorite! Not only is it so flavorful, but so much time and effort goes into making what seem to be a “simple” dishes. The hard working people at every age range leave me feeling inspired and very grateful.
I had a short but sweet extended weekend getaway in Mexico City. Here were some of my highlights and helpful tips!!
To stay: Roma. This district was so beautiful and bohemian. There were plenty of amazing looking boutique hotels but we went the affordable route and stayed at the Four Points Sheraton. It was centrally located to a ton of chic cocktail bars and delicious eateries. Totally clean and comfy, we enjoyed our stay.
Roma.
Maybe next time I’ll save up a little more and stay at this dreamy boutique hotel, Nima Local House. http://nimalocalhousehotel.com
Favorite Site: Xochimilco!
Xochimilco is located about 45 minutes from Mexico City. A simple $10 Uber ride will get you there! Make sure to input Embarcadero Nuevo Nativitas as the destination because thats where the boats dock from. Xochimilco is perfect for an afternoon of relaxing on a private gonadala like boat down the gritty canals.
TIP: be prepared! A two hour boat ride will cost around $26 American dollars. Bring plenty of snacks and booze! Its pretty easy to flag down a vendor, I had a refreshing michilada! Also bring a portable speaker to make your ride more enjoyable with some of your favorite music.
Favorite bite: Al Pastor tacos from El Huequito!
El Huequito claims to be the original vendor/ creator of al pastor(marinated pork). It was brought over by Lebanese immigrants and they used their cooking style techniques with Mexican spices and meats. We didn’t go to the original location (which I hear is the best one) because it wasn’t ever convenient for us but luckily there are three locations. It was by far the best al pastor tacos I’ve ever had! Order the especial- 8 corn tortillas with a mountain of al pastor, cheese and guac!
Another favorite bite: The guava and cheese pastry from Panderilla. If I could have this every morning I for sure would. Has a Los Angeles native, I can confidently say- Porto’s has nothinggg on this pastry. Just as delicious was their ham and cheese croissant. It was so flakey and buttery and tasted maybe even better than the ones I ate in France. https://www.bonappetit.com/city-guides/mexico-city/venue/rosetta-panaderia-rosetta
Guava and cheese pastry.
Churro sampler from El Moro for my sweet tooth cravings!
Mexico City is one of the food capitals of the world with tons of amazing restaurants!
However my trip was planned a little on the last minute side (5 weeks prior to departure) so all of those famous restaurants had zero availability when trying to book. Next time I’ll visit Pujol, Rosetta and Azul Histórico along with some cheap eats like Tacos Joven, El Visito and Taqueria el abanico.
Don’t forget to stop at some historic sites as well. Some highlights Casa Azul: Frida Kahlo’s house, her dresses and corsets were so impressive. Museum of anthropology, I was in awe of the Mayan ruins! So much detail in all of their work.
Casa Azul.
More tips:
There’s a ton of traffic! Some locations we wanted to visit were only 2-4 miles away but it would take forever to get there because of all the crazy traffic. It would be ideal to plan out all your stops for each neighborhood.
“Do you have a reservation?” is CDMX’s way of saying “are you on the list?” Every attempt we tried for swanky rooftops or trendy bars asked us this question. We weren’t aware of this so we skipped a few of the nighttime hotspots.
Breakfast at Masala y Maiz.
Until next time, Mexico! Besos!
