A Native's Guide to Food, Hotels & Sightseeing in Mexico City

Food

Food is everywhere! Mexico City is not only one of the best places in the world for unique dining experiences, but the street food is also incredible. Just be careful of your surroundings when you decide to go get street food, check for cleanliness and whether the chefs use gloves and sanitize their stations. "Montezuma's Revenge" is definitely a thing, so be careful. Read on to discover some of the city’s top restaurant recommendations.

Cultural Sites

• Paseo de la Reforma: Considered to be Mexico City's "Champs-Élysées", it was originally built as a route from the Emperor's residence at Chapultepec to the National Palace and is now a bustling avenue in the heart of the city's business and financial district with several monuments as points of interest along its path. The most notable monuments you'll see along the way are "El Ángel de la Independencia (The angel of independence), Cuauhtémoc — the last Aztec emperor, Christopher Columbus, Diana the Huntress and more!

• Zócalo: Also known as "Plaza de la Constitución", this is one of the largest open plazas in the world. It was once a ceremonial hub during the time of the Aztecs in the 1300s when the city was once called "Tenochtitlan". No large monuments in the area, but it does have one of the largest Mexican flags in the center, an onsite carnival with mechanical rides, fountains at every corner, shops, numerous street vendors and a bustling atmosphere each and every day. Fronted by the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral and within walking distance of another UNESCO World Heritage Site, "Templo Mayor" (Grand Temple), this site is a must-see for anyone interested in architecture, culture and world history.

Shopping

• Oasis Coyoacan: This is the best and possibly most beautiful shopping mall in all of Mexico City. It is an open-air concept with a small artificial lake on the inside that has fountain shows throughout the day. There are tons of restaurants, many top luxury brand stores, a movie theater, kid-friendly play areas and the atmosphere is very relaxed. Several upscale restaurants offer lakeside views, enriching the experience. Easily accessible by metro line 3 and by bus.

• Metropoli Patriotismo: This seven-floor (3 up top, 3 floors below street level) plaza features boutique Mexican brands with shoes, clothing and many chain restaurants like Starbucks and California Pizza Kitchen. There is a movie theater on the third floor with a relaxed atmosphere, and everything is kept very clean. On the last floor, you'll find a one-of-a-kind art exhibit called "Fantasy Lab", the only one of its kind in the city. Best accessed by taxi from the nearest metro station.

• FrikiPlaza CDMX: Asian culture is very strong in Mexico City, and you will see that in this multi-floored shopping center! Anime, Manga, video games, cosplay KPOP — it's all here! It features a food court with a variety of Japanese/Chinese/Korean food on the 3rd floor and a grand arcade on the 5th floor where they also do live music shows for guests on weekends. The indoor layout has a similar vibe to a Don Quijote junk shop from Japan that offers all kinds of Japanese anime/ Korean KPOP merchandise. Don't forget all of the videogames.

Art & Museums

• National Museum of Anthropology: If you love museums, this is the museum to see. It is a world-class museum — easily top ten on earth, and it rivals the Cairo Museum in Egypt with the number of large artifacts it has. This museum has an extensive collection of the history of Mexico and its peoples (Teotihuacan, Maya, Mexica).The layout of the museum is just incredible. Once you've paid for your ticket, you will be let in and greeted with a massive mushroom-shaped pillar that rains water down like a waterfall and supports the courtyard ceiling. You can then enter the exhibits from the outside individually, walk out and go into the next one. The entire museum experience will take about 4–5 hours to get through because there is so much to see! They also have free live performances out in front of the museum, featuring actors portraying Mayan/Aztec dance rituals.

• Fantasy Lab: Located in the 3rd-level basement of the upscale Metropoli Patriotismo plaza, this one-of-a-kind experience intertwines 3D technology, lighting and ambient music and projects it in a way that tests your senses and addresses the concept of the fascinating "world of dreams". It's a 1-hour tour that combines the best of visual art and fantasy. Shares some of the same approaches you can find in the teamLab Borderless/Planets experiences in Tokyo, Japan and MeowWolf in Santa Fe, New Mexico. (Pro Tip: When you buy tickets, they are sent to your email. Cell signal is poor in the basement area, so you will have to go elsewhere to download the tickets.)

Experiences

• Xochimilco Gondola Cruise: towards the southside of Mexico City, is an area with many river canals. Throughout the canals, you will find many colorfully festive gondola boats cruising around at a slow and relaxing pace. To book a boat, you usually pay the standard rate of 600 pesos per hour. However, if you have a native Spanish speaker in your party, you can try and haggle that down as much as half off (usually works best during shoulder season). As you approach the boats, some salespeople will approach you to book the boat for you. Book a boat for two hours (best recommended time) and skip going to see doll island. It takes a 6-hour excursion to get there and back. Instead, opt to see the smaller version of the island of the dolls on the way back. You can rent out an entire mariachi band and get food on board for more $$$. Definitely get the mariachi for a more festive experience, but bring your own food instead — bring a lot and your own alcohol as well if need be. The boat driver will help call over any vendor that you want (they sell tacos, elote, agua, cerveza, margarita, etc.) as they pull up to you in their own tiny boats. They're all local, so anything you buy really helps them out. Once the boat gets back, disembark with the help of the driver. There is also a souvenir market for those take-home goodies.

• Pro Tip: You will have to book a taxi to get here — this is highly recommended. Have your driver take you to the Nuevo Nativitas pier (supposedly closest to doll island). Be sure to put that in the destination because if you go to “Xochimilco Embarcadero”, you will end up far away at another pier. The various piers are pretty far apart. Don't trust the "biker guides" that try to have you follow them. Just stick with your taxi driver's plan for getting you there. Bring sunscreen!

• Desierto De Los Leones Hike: Located at an altitude of about 3000m above sea level, this 16km (10 miles) hike is sure to present a fun challenge to those who love adventure on their travels. Depending on speed, this beautiful hike will take approximately 6 to 7 hours. A word of warning: there are no maps, and the trails are unmarked and overgrown in some places. Try to find a guide or at least go with a group of people, but never by yourself. Take the trail to Ex Convento Desierto de los Leones and visit a 17th-century convent built by the order of the Discalced Carmelites. Beautiful architecture! Very Instagrammable. 20-peso entry per person. The rest of the hike takes you up to the Santa Rosa Xochiac viewpoints. Continue there on the long hike or head back down after visiting the monastery to cut the hike short. Bring lots of water and sunscreen.

Places to eat breakfast in Mexico City

• La Ventana del Ticuchi: One of the best spots to have breakfast or lunch in Polanco. This restaurant by famed chef Enrique Olvera features Oaxacan corn-centric specialties like tetelas, tamales and tlayudas — all made with careful detail. The menu can change according to the season and demand. Try the aubergine and oregano tamales, quite possibly the best tamales ever. Equally compelling is the drink menu featuring traditional Mexican fermented beverages like tepache, and corn or fruit-based agua fresca infusions.

• Panaderia Rosetta: Famous bakery in the Roma Norte district in CDMX run by chef Elena Reygadas. This European-style bakery/cafe is the perfect place to get some Colpmbian coffee with a guava and ricotta Danish or classic, sweet concha.

Places to eat lunch in Mexico City

• Masala y Maiz: Masala y Maiz is an internationally inspired restaurant that explores the "migration of people, culinary techniques, ingredients, cultural foodways and political movements between South Asia, East Africa & Mexico." The concept is based on years of research by Chefs Norma Listman & Saqib Keval in an effort to understand the intersections of their respective cultures. If there was a word to describe the food, it would be "mestizaje", or in other words, an organic blending of cultures over generations, often in response to colonization and displacement. You'll taste these ideals in the tantalizing esquites makai pakka and the savory masala fried chicken. Pair with a natural wine for the best experience!

• El Mirador de Chapultepec: This place has so much history. It's been around since 1904 and to this day you still get Fancy 1950s-style dining that features many tried-and-true dishes that so many regulars love and which keep them in business to this day. It's usually a place where businessmen in the area go for their lunches, so it's usually not on anyone's radar — but locals would agree it's a staple in the restaurant industry of Mexico City. Dishes like "caldo para enfermo" (chicken soup that heals), milanesa manchega and filet mignon are some of the local favorites!

• Mari Gold: The newest restaurant from Chefs Norma Listman & Saqib Keval, owners of Masala y Maiz, brings a more casual approach to their combination of Mexican and Indian cuisine. The restaurant space is smaller than Masala y Maiz, so the ambiance is more of a warm, intimate, minimalist experience. Best of all, it offers a very simple yet innovative menu. Try the "bun de pescado frito con mayonesa achaar" (fried fish in a bun w/achaar mayo) which goes great with a breakfast wine.

Places to eat dinner in Mexico City

• Pujol: Always a top restaurant in CDMX, and the current number 9 on the world's 50 best restaurant list due to the innovative seasonal tasting and omakase menus, their commitment to sustainability and sourcing of local ingredients. The Mexican gastronomy is showcased through its fine dining multi-course experiences under the direction of chef de cuisine Jesus Duron, who spent his formative years in some of France's top restaurants honing his craft before returning to Mexico City to lead Pujol. They say you can taste the essence of Mexico City through his signature dish "Mole Madre, Mole Nuevo" and envision the chef's culinary experiences abroad through innovative dishes like tostadas with kimchi and kampachi tacos served with avocado and seaweed. If you want to snag a seat, set a reminder: you will have to book two months in advance.

• Botanico: Tucked away in a restored art-deco mansion in La Condesa, headed by famed Chef Alejandra Navarro, who came over from the acclaimed Mexican fine-dining restaurant Quintonil and brought Botanico to new heights! Design-wise, probably the best setting for a restaurant in the city, featuring a lush garden with native cactus plants and even a Koi pond! Delicious food, cocktails, design and music all come together here in a harmonious way. The menu features fancy comfort food with an international touch, using only world-class ingredients and crafted with masterful detail from chef Navarro and her team. The Ricotto Ravioli, wagyu brisket quesadilla with avocado sauce and the Milanesa are fan-favorite recommendations. Pair with a Mimosa or craft beer for the best experience. (Pro Tip: reserve two weeks in advance.)

Places to have a drink in Mexico City

• Licorería Limantour: Thought by many to be the best bar in Mexico City, and #4 in the world on the 50 best bars list, it's definitely a can't-miss spot — even in a city that has it all. The drinks here have a lot of character and can sometimes be bitter, sweet or herbal, and often incorporate mezcal, gin and bitters. The bartenders are more like molecular mixologists with a scientific approach to their craft. From their 20-item cocktail menu, the favorite among the locals is the al pastor margarita, which may sound strange, but people rave about it. If you're lucky, there sometimes are guest bartenders from around the world that bring even more variety to the offerings.

• Hanky Panky Cocktail Bar: A fun find in Mexico City if you're up to the challenge. A hidden speakeasy that is members-only and quite exclusive, although they do take reservations! The fun part is finding your way in. Here's a hint: "beer fridge". Once you decipher that, you will see how to get in and out. Currently #13 on the world's best 50 bars list. The space is cool, yet intimate and well-decorated with the wide red chairs with bronze rivets, minimalist lamps, dim lighting and the neon sign "we are hanky panky" which is quite striking and makes for a memorable experience! Order their signature drink, aptly named "The Hanky Panky" and savor a bitterness perfectly balanced by the sweetness.

Las Grutas de Tolantongo, Hidalgo, Mexico

This is one of the best hidden gems in all of Mexico, and the best hot springs in all of Mexico, located about 4.5 hours away from Mexico City in Hidalgo state. Tolantongo is a large natural grotto located way up in the mountains at about 4,200 feet (1,280 m) above sea level, in Mezquital Canyon. It is comprised of four distinct natural areas: the pools, the river, the tunnel and the cave. The water here is perfectly relaxing, ranging from about 75–95°F (24–35°C), an ideal hot spring temperature in both the pools and the river. Easily one of the most Instagram-worthy places in all of Mexico.

Aside from the thermal pools, there are many activities for people of all ages. From zip lining at Tolantongo La Gloria Park, walking across the suspension bridge for the spectacular canyon views, swimming the wonderfully warm cascading free-flowing waters of Tolantongo river, hiking the valley and cliffs around the site, camping by the river and more!

It is recommended to stay the night at the onsite hotels. There are five of them, ranging between 50–100 USD a night. Also available are several campsites that make for even more affordable accommodation, as well as ten restaurants, medical facilities and busses that can get visitors to all areas

Pro tip: Download an offline map — the signal is spotty. Bring lots of cash. The entire experience and all facilities are cash only. Credit card is still not accepted. Wifi is available but not that reliable, so it is highly recommended to pre-download your entertainment. Watershoes and hiking boots are almost a requirement since so many places are left natural, making certain areas too rocky and in some cases very slippery for bare feet or running shoes.