A city of 20 million people (some say more), Mexico City is North America's "ultimate metropolis," one of the most dynamic, exciting and, yes, enjoyable places on the planet. It's a quiet favorite among sophisticated travelers who know that perception almost never matches reality when you visit Mexico or its capital.
At its best, Mexico City offers everything people love about great urban centers: centuries of history, stunning museums, five-star restaurants, sexy boutique hotels, artsy neighborhoods and plenty of fascinating conversation with sharp locals.
Beyond all that, there's an authenticity that makes the city unlike any other. If you ever get bored, a stroll down any street offers something to admire, enjoy or marvel at.
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Below is an itinerary of essential DF spots (DF, or the Federal District, is a popular local nickname for the capital), a mix of classics and current hot spots to engage all your senses.
Hotels
Luxury
Hotel Brick
At the epicenter of the up-and-coming hipster scene in Colonia Roma, Brick blends style with a genuine love for its prime Mexico City neighborhood. Behind an early 20th-century mansion (once a brothel) that houses the lobby, bar and restaurants, guests discover an intimately scaled tower with ultra-modern rooms and suites.
On the ground floor, the lobby crowd looks every bit as good as the decor, an enchanting mix of antique and contemporary styles. The spacious front terrace is perfect for business breakfasts or happy hours.
Hotel Brick, Orizaba 95, Roma Norte; +52 55 5525 1100
Hotel Condesa dF
A veteran now, but still among Mexico City's finest hotels, the Condesa dF's traditional exterior hides a compact courtyard that's home to a buzzing, sexy scene. The rooms are compact but full of style. The deluxe suites boast wonderful private patios.
The rooftop bar is a real treat, especially in the afternoon before the crowds arrive, like the deck of an ocean liner, bathed in sun and floating over a sea of gorgeous trees. Keep an eye out for visiting celebrities.
Hotel Las Alcobas
This top Mexico City hotel brings sophistication and a hint of sex appeal to the sometimes stuffy Polanco district.
At Las Alcobas, everything is just right in muted creams and browns, set off by polished woodwork and striking artwork. Upstairs, the guest rooms are a quiet oasis from the urban bustle and beautifully appointed. Meanwhile, shopaholics and foodies couldn't be happier, since dozens of trendy shops and some of the city's best restaurants are just a few minutes' walk away.
Mid-range
Hotel Geneve
Open since 1907, the Geneve has an excellent central location, handy for the Centro, Roma/Condesa, Chapultepec Park and Polanco, and it was recently redone in a flamboyant "Grand Hotel" style that's charming, over the top and fun.
Beyond the location, the pluses include spacious rooms and quick service, plus the popular Sanborn's cafe/department store right off the lobby. The surrounding blocks are packed with bars and restaurants, some of which, sadly, are best avoided, and the concierge can point you toward old-fashioned spots that recall the days when the Zona Rosa was the city's chicest district in the 1950s and '60s.
Budget
Hotel Catedral
Set on a lively, attractive street in the city center, the hotel takes its name from the neighboring Cathedral, half a block away. You can reach the Cathedral by walking through an impressive arcade of religious goods.
Comfortably housed in spotless rooms and looked after by a friendly, attentive staff, HC guests are perfectly placed to explore the best of Mexico City's historic center on foot. The location makes up for the lack of lavish amenities or starched uniforms. On the rooftop terrace, you can enjoy stunning views of centuries-old churches and palaces.
Restaurants
Pujol
Considered by many to be Mexico City's best restaurant (for 10 years running), Pujol is nothing short of a phenomenon, one of the main forces behind DF's dynamic culinary scene.
World-renowned chef Enrique Olvera serves clever, even dazzling takes on regional Mexican recipes (have you ever tried a liquid quesadilla in a shot glass? shrimp ceviche flautas?), using top-quality local ingredients in a minimalist dining room where everyone looks like a power player or a movie star. Wine lovers adore one of Mexico's finest wine lists. Everything you eat at Pujol will be absolutely spectacular.
Casino Español
Nothing has been updated at Casino Español, a Spanish-cuisine institution set in a magnificent palace two blocks from the city's main square, and that's exactly why the place has stayed so beloved.
Regulars order Iberian staples like paella, jamón serrano, roast suckling pig and a variety of fresh seafood. The service is crisp and formal (just as it was on opening day in 1903), but never oppressive. A favorite of well-heeled businessmen, often in the company of women who look far too young to be their wives.
Contramar
An eccentrically decorated, high-energy loft space in an appealing part of Colonia Roma, Contramar serves some of the city's best seafood and is a second home for media types, hipsters and beautiful people hopping from table to table.
Delicious surprises like crab tostadas, sautéed adobo-style fish appetizers, robalo meatballs and shrimp in an orange-arugula sauce are at once delicate and rich, a world away from those fish tacos you ate in Cabo last year. Open only for leisurely lunches, roughly from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Dulce Patria
Shocking pink meets pure gold in this top Mexico City dining room.
The latest venture from famed chef Martha Ortiz, Dulce Patria stakes its claim to lead DF's "new Mexican" culinary scene, serving lesser-known recipes like vanilla corn soup, squash blossom soup and duck in black mole, updated and presented in a contemporary style. Desserts are a specialty, and the famous "flor más bella del ejido" parfait will forever change your opinion of gelatin.
Flawless service makes Dulce Patria an especially beloved spot among a new generation of impressively coiffed ladies who lunch.
Taquería Tlaquepaque
This is one of DF's best options for "dirty" tacos, and it's every bit as dazzling as any five-star restaurant, in its own way.
Set on a rough (at best) street in the city center, Tlaquepaque welcomes everyone, high and low, for classic tacos al pastor, hot quesadillas, carnitas and all the other greasy pleasures the locals crave, especially after a late-night cantina crawl. Still not "local" enough for you? There's also a selection of organ-meat tacos (think eyeballs, snouts, tripe) that can scare off even the boldest diner.
Taqueria Tiaquepaque, Independencia 4, near Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas, Centro Histórico
El Bajío
Carmen Titita opened the first family-run El Bajío in 1971, in a far-from-wealthy neighborhood, where she served Mexican comfort food in a lively, colorful and friendly setting. Others followed, more upscale spots, all keeping the festive atmosphere near the city's main business districts.
The menu features plenty of dishes you won't find in U.S. Mexican restaurants (pumpkin seed and squash tamales, Yucatán-style panucho tostadas and a delicious mole de olla stew), but those craving refined yet hearty versions of staples like enchiladas, chilaquiles and carnitas (the house specialty) won't leave hungry or disappointed.
Nightlife
Ragga and Joy Room
Ready for the big time? Don't be fooled by its location in a shopping mall: this upscale nightlife complex (Ragga is a dance club, Joy a lounge), in the city's chicest district, is the prime "meet market" for DF's most groomed, prosperous and hot young singles.
Rivaling anything in New York, Miami or Ibiza, the elegant setting, the beats until dawn and, we repeat, the very easy-on-the-eyes crowd justify the hype. Dress up and bring plenty of cash.
Ragga and Joy Room, Plaza Antara, Ejercito Nacional 83-B, Colonia Polanco; +52 55 5281 3181
Bar San Luis
The closest thing to Havana '59 you're likely to find, BSL offers a live Cuban band (more Ricky Ricardo than Buena Vista Social Club) and a dance floor that's always packed with a slightly older, slightly frayed, utterly stunning crowd of ballroom-dance lovers.
The infectious energy spares no one. The service shows a certain Cosa Nostra-style formality, but you'll soon see it's all in good fun. Gentlemen, set a lending policy with your companion before you go, strangers will be asking her to dance.
Bar San Luis, San Luis Potosí 28, between Mérida and Frontera, Colonia Roma
Cantina Tío Pepe
A time capsule of late-19th-century Mexico City at its best (which may include the patrons), Tío Pepe is, for many, DF's most authentic old-school cantina.
There's no luxury here, but its faded glory is hard to resist, its standout feature a massive red mahogany bar, rickety red vinyl booths and an unflappable staff that seems to have seen it all. Full disclosure: foreigners and women may draw (perfectly harmless) attention, at least until someone pulls out a guitar and the regulars break into their heartfelt, off-key singing.
Cantina Tio Pepe, Independencia 26 at Dolores, Centro Histórico; +552 55 5521 9136
Miralto (atop the Torre Latinoamericana)
The decor could be smarter, and the music can be too loud, especially on weekend nights. Even so, there's no better way to take in the sheer scale of Mexico City than by enjoying a well-made drink atop the city's first and most emblematic skyscraper (beloved as the local version of the Empire State Building).
Nighttime visits leave you soaring over a vast sea of stars, and if you're there on a clear day, you can almost see forever. A tourist spot, but a stunning one. Note: bar/restaurant patrons shouldn't have to pay to use the elevator; just check in with the hostess in the lobby.
Salón Tenampa at Plaza Garibaldi
North of the city center lies the authentically touristy Plaza Garibaldi, where (especially late at night) dozens of mariachi musicians and hundreds of revelers (in various states of sobriety) gather to soak up the splendor, the pathos and the brass of this traditional Mexican music.
Hire your own band right there in the square, or just pay them to play a song or two while you sip a cerveza, or step into El Tenampa, a nightclub from the 1940s with roaming bands where all the greats, past and present, have played. The bar is right on the square. You'll be overwhelmed by the cacophony, but somehow it works. We dare you not to love it.
Shopping / Sights
Fonart
With various spacious and inviting branches in neighborhoods you're sure to visit, Fonart shops gather high-quality (often wonderful) craftwork from every region of Mexico.
You'll find Indigenous textiles turned into shawls and dresses; blown-glass pieces in styles you know and some you don't; baskets and ceramics; rustic-chic furniture and some impossibly intricate yet exquisite works of art. Visit often, since the inventory is one of a kind and therefore constantly changing.
Fonart, Avenida Juárez 89, Colonia Centro; +52 55 5521 0171
Fornart, Paseo de la Reforma 116, Colonia Juarez; +52 55 5093 6000
Pineda Covalin
Mexico's Hermès. With boutiques all over the city, PC sells silk accessories (plus other items, from eyeglasses to furniture) in its signature eye-catching, high-chroma regional motifs: monarch-butterfly scarves, handbags and wallets in gorgeous silk renditions of Indigenous textiles, ties decorated with mischievous Day of the Dead skeletons, and so on.
At this top Mexico City shop, you'll find beautiful pieces with a wink of irony, the perfect souvenir for the luxury lover back home.
Pineda Convalin, Campos Elíseos 215, Colonia Polanco; +52 55 5256 3603
Pineda Convalin, Isabel la Católica 30, Centro Histórico; +52 55 5510 4421
Stunning Silver
Centuries ago, the discovery of silver helped turn Mexico into Spain's richest overseas colony. The precious metal remains a favorite material for some of the country's most creative artists and designers.
Most of the city's finest work is sold in two Polanco galleries. Taller Ballesteros is an outpost of the famous Taxco workshop, known for traditional designs in everything from lavish jewelry to baroque candelabras. The pieces at nearby Tane show a more contemporary look, in items from delicate trinkets and chic tableware to striking silver sculptures.
Taller Ballesteros, Presidente Masaryk 126, Colonia Chapultepec Polanco; +52 55 5545 4109
Centro Histórico/Zócalo
It's obvious and it's right there, but that's no excuse to skip it. A visit to Mexico City's historic center is the perfect crash course in seven centuries of the city's urban life.
The main square, known as the Zócalo, is the logical starting point. The permanent landmarks include the massive baroque-neoclassical Cathedral and its neighbor, the ruins of the main Aztec temple.
Around the corner is the National Palace, whose stunning Diego Rivera murals are Mexico City's finest sight.
If you have about 20 minutes, walk all the way down the pedestrian street Madero to see the magnificent concert hall, the Palace of Fine Arts. As you go, an enchanting urban parade, featuring residents high and low, traditional and strange, provides excellent free entertainment.
Coyocán/Frida Kahlo's Casa Azul
A pleasant urban escape awaits in a far-flung district called Coyoacán, once a separate municipality that still keeps traces of its small-town past. Two adjoining squares, filled with locals relaxing, are surrounded by picturesque restaurants, cantinas and ice cream parlors, forming the epicenter.
From here you walk past an appealing green market to Casa Azul (the Blue House), the birthplace of iconic artist Frida Kahlo and also the home she shared (on and off) with her husband Diego Rivera. The Casa Azul museum showcases some of her most famous paintings, along with furniture and artifacts that give a fascinating glimpse into the intellectual and bohemian life of 20th-century Mexico.
Casa Azul, Londres 247, Del Carmen Coyoacan; +52 55 5554 5999
Day Trips
The Pyramids at Teotihuacan
At its peak, between 150 B.C. and 450 A.D., the only city that surpassed Teotihuacan in size was Rome. Today, a visit to its ruins, about an hour's drive north of the city, is a must-see stop for reflecting on the vagaries of time and human civilization.
Visitors can't help but be awed by the site's two massive pyramids, dedicated to the sun and the moon; the physically fit should absolutely climb one or both. We recommend hiring a guide, since on-site signage and organization are practically nonexistent. But talk with your person before striking a deal to gauge how historically knowledgeable, or how much of a space cadet, they seem.
Lucha Libre
Mexican wrestling (lucha libre) is equal parts spectacle, soap opera and Kabuki theater, a thoroughly fun (if guilty) pleasure. On top of the main events, each program includes surprises like lady luchadoras, dwarf fighters or thoroughly disgraceful unmaskings, and while the crowd is rowdy and working-class (not counting the smug hipsters), the mayhem is completely harmless.
Perfect for families: kids follow every cartoonish twist with rapt attention, and the ring "violence" is obviously staged; far more personal, but gentler, than what you'll see at a U.S. soccer match.
Puebla
About an hour and a half's drive east of DF is Puebla, Mexico's "second city" until the mid-20th century. Compared with the capital, today it feels small and, in any case, thoroughly quaint and manageable as a one- or two-day trip.
Most visitors focus on the beautifully preserved yet still authentic city center, with its green squares and inviting bars, restaurants and historic sites painted in every conceivable Easter-egg shade. Not least, Puebla's local cuisine is considered one of the finest in Mexico.
The excellent mole poblano in the courtyard of the Mesón Sacristía de la Compañía hotel restaurant is deservedly famous; so are regional delicacies like cemita sandwiches and mini tostada chalupas at the markets and street stalls.
Where to stay: We love the traditional (though refined) Mesón Sacristía de la Compañía. That said, the ultra-chic Hotel Purificadora, just outside the city's historic center, is by far the most fashionable place to stay in town.
