travel journal :: mexico city
Mexico City has been high on our list for many years. A friend had moved to Oaxaca after culinary school to study mezcal and open a restaurant and I believe that’s where our obsession started. In the five years since, my sister and I, have been collecting recommendations from friends as they visited, but the trip continued to get pushed back. Then COVID happened and that really set us back. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my years of travel, it’s that there’s never really a GOOD time to go. Like anything else, life gets in the way. It’s your busiest week at work, the more you plan, the less you do, etc. But, if you surround yourself with fellow vagabonds, foodies, and financially stable dreamers, the corners of the world unfold anyway.
My man was headed to Tahoe for a bachelor party, with practically everyone we know. And I thought, I can stay home and toil over what trouble they’re getting into, or I can do what I do best, and leave the country, filling my cup with new experiences, meals, and wonderful people. I chose the latter, obviously. Thankfully, I have a wonderful sister who will never say no to a flight or a tasting menu.
The first thing you need to know when planning a trip to Mexico City is where to stay. There are two adjacent neighborhoods overflowing with delicious food and perfect for walking around: Condesa and Roma. We chose a little 2 bedroom AirBnB in Condesa, a few blocks from the hustle and bustle, but still on one of the main roads, Colima.
*travel hack - when looking for a place to stay in a city you’ve never been to before, aim for the yellow areas on google maps, or pink areas on AirBnB’s maps. These are the ‘walking areas’ with shopping and restaurants. Staying near, but not on them, allows you to have a quiet sleep, but still be able to walk around and get to know your city.
We arrived Thursday evening and kicked it off strong with tacos and cocktails at Cantina la Llorona. The tacos are all delicious, and I highly recommend ‘The Guava’ and the ‘Passion Fruit Juana’ for a beautiful and tasty cocktail.
Cantina La Llorona
Tacos + Cocktails
Friday morning, we headed into ‘Centro’ to do a walking tour with Club Tengo Hambre. We have worked with them before in Tijuana, and their guides are always super kind and knowledgeable. I find the best way to see a new city is starting with a walking tour, getting a feel for the vast history of the place you’re in, and it makes navigating for the next few days so much easier.
Our guide Daniella was wonderful. She provided the perfect mix of hidden gem taco stalls and historical landmarks that make Centro so fascinating. Nathalie and I are not big on sweets and likely wouldn’t have sought them out on our trip, but Daniella took us to a Dulceria that has been operating since 1847, and Pasteleria Ideal, a huge bake shop with a packaging assembly line that ignited childhood memories of Mandarine Koueider in Cairo.
There are 300+ mercados in Mexico City. It’s where everyone goes to get everything they need, whether it’s seafood for dinner or mezcal from Oaxaca. We stopped into two of the largest ones in Centro, tasting everything from fruit to mezcal to crickets.
We ended the day with a special treat, the tasting menu at Pujol. This definitely requires a reservation and was the #1 recommendation we received from friends, so we were super excited to see what the hype was all about. I think the key to being a true foodie, is immersing yourself in everything from street food to fine dining experiences. That’s the best way to really get to know a place, its people, and the flavors they cook with.
We sat at the bar and enjoyed 10 courses highlighting the incredible seafood and vegetation that is so prevalent all over Mexico City. My favorites include a lobster celery stack over herbed mayonnaise and the amuse-bouche bluefin tuna handroll. There is a lot of hype around Pujol and a price tag to match. However, if you do get the opportunity to truly indulge in a culinary feast, I find it’s about so much more than the food. The ambiance inside is clean and homey, the staff are knowledgeable and extremely gracious hosts, and the experience itself is one you won’t soon forget. Plus, you work hard, treat yo’ self.
Saturday morning we started the day at Contramar. Located in Roma Norte, Contramar is the brainchild of Gabriela Cámara, who is on the brink of global culinary fame, and for good reason. I LOVE seafood. I mean all seafood, but especially ceviche and aguachile. This menu is bursting with loads of fresh raw fish, and tostadas and its most popular dish by far is an open-face grilled red snapper with red and green sauce. It’s both gorgeous and delicious and is a staple on every diner’s table in the restaurant.
Mexico City reminded me so much of Cairo, only cleaner. Especially the two neighborhoods we spent the most time in, Roma and Condesa. The streets are super lush, with beautiful walkways lining the center divide. The architecture is old, classic, and yet still super clean. There is a vibrancy to the streets, with colored buildings, murals, sculptured art, and fountains. It’s the perfect mix of historical charm, and a new generation breathing life into the city.
While walking through downtown Roma, we stumbled upon a very cute park-let and decided to stop in for a drink before dinner. We got sat inside, at the bar, and I’m so glad because this place had so much charm at every corner. Marcello had only been only for two weeks according to the lovely wait-staff who served us. The drinks are both delicious and stunning, an Instagram feast for the eyes all around. There’s a special type of joy in discovering a new great spot and getting to pay it forward to all the folks that gave you all their wonderful recommendations.
From there, our evening turned into an unintentional bar crawl. so I’ll spare you the details and give you the highlights. Sunset at Supra Roma has incredible 360 views of the city and is a quick walk from Marcello. It’s loud, and there’s a bit of a club vibe upstairs. It’s a bit confusing to get inside and your reservation time is more of a suggestion. With that being said, the menu is Mediterranean and you can get a hookah and chill, so it’s a win in my book. The Damascus fried olives and halloumi skewers are a must, and like most places in Mexico City, the cocktails are both gorgeous and tasty.
The second most common recommendation from friends was Hanky Panky Cocktail Bar, also a reservation-required stop. We really got the FULL experience here, in that we got out of our uber, looked around, and were in the middle of a very residential area with no resemblance of a bar anywhere around us. We tried to follow the little blue dot on our maps into many corners and dark alleys until two older women walking by noticed how confused we were and pointed to a small restaurant across the street and said, “it’s in there!”.
Bless you, little abuelas.
First impression as we checked in with the ‘bouncer’, was that he seemed to be someone’s uncle, running a very brightly painted late-night taco shop, but turns out, he has much more power than that. I then made a complete fool of myself by trying to force my way into the ‘hidden door’ vending machine, which is actually the exit. Alas, we waited our turn, got seats at the bar, had our fancy cocktail, and were on our way. Much like the ‘Little Red Door’ in Paris, this bar gets a lot of hype for its unique experience, interesting story, and a book full of cocktails made by tattooed hipster bartenders. I found it a little underwhelming, but that’s just my personal opinion.
As a pick-me-up after that experience, we made our way to a mezcalaria that happened to be on our way home, win-win. Tlecan is fantastic and I can’t recommend it enough. Dark and vibey, with organic textural goodness all around you, this place was much more my scene. We sat there for hours and enjoyed every bit of it. Get the Paloma Blanca, featured here on their Instagram. Trust me.
Sunday. Three days in and we finally figured out that we live on one of the main roads through town. We slept in, and then headed straight down Colima to explore the areas of Roma we hadn’t seen yet. On our way to Campobaja, we walked straight past Panadaria Rosetta. Imagine my delight!
If there is one thing I really love about trying new, delicious restaurants, it’s stopping at other, new delicious restaurants on the way. I’d been talking about this place all weekend, after my girlfriend, Lorna said we absolutely HAD to try their guava pastry or rol de guayaba. I want to live inside this roll. I loved it so much, that I checked my bag to bring home an ‘over 3 oz’ jar of the guava jam so I could try to replicate it in my home. The line of folks waiting outside Pandaria Rosetta at all times of the day should be indication enough that this place is a real deal, but nothing will convince you more than the perfectly flaky crust on these rolls. What I did learn, is that Rosetta Restaurante is located in a large mansion across the street, and according to Open Table, “it is rooted in a profound respect for Mexican ingredients and distinguished for its innovative combinations. The à la carte menu is always changing in response to seasonality and produce availability, and it’s known both for the unique creations of chef Elena Reygadas and for more traditional dishes.” As if I needed another reason to come back to Mexico City.
We entered Campobaja at 1:00 pm, as they were just opening and setting up. It’s an unassuming entrance from the street, a single counter with a hostess and low ceilings, the restaurant name only showing on the front door. Once you enter though, you go up a few stairs, and enter the open-air spacious dining room, with beautiful plants and a lovely bar overlooking the street. We sat in the front corner, to get the best view of the restaurant and the people passing below, and did what we do best, ate everything on the menu. Much like Contramar, the menu is full of ceviches, tacos, tostadas, and aguachile, all showcasing the access to fresh seafood that Mexico City has become known for. Needless to say, we were very pleased with our choices, and the winne the pooh happy food dance ensued. I now follow them on Instagram, just to see what deliciousness they’re preparing every day, and you should too.
We spent a few hours walking around town, and on our way home, walked by Contramar. I can’t stress enough the impression this place left on me. Since we were there, we asked if they had any reservations open for that night. The gentlemen explained that unfortunately they were booked for dinner, but had a spot open for lunch, which ends at 8 PM! We put our names in and got the last available spot at 7 pm…for lunch.
Ceviche de almeja roja & Ceviche Contramar
This time we sat outside, which I highly recommend as it’s a different experience than being in the dining room. We paid close attention to the menu, ensuring we ordered all the things we didn’t get last time, except the Contramar Ceviche, which we had to get again because that Leche de Tigre, omg. If I close my eyes and try really hard, I can still taste this red clam ceviche or Ceviche de Almeja Roja. I don’t even think the photo does it justice, these clam shells are huge and full of bright and fresh citrus flavors. The crunch from the cucumber and red onion, the sweetness from the avocado. It’s just * chef’s kiss *… 10/10. It’s also a pretty large portion, with 6 clams overflowing with ceviche, and you better believe I was slurping up every last bit.
This time around we tried the Tiritas de Zihuatanejo: Mahi Mahi strips, serrano chile, and red onion, marinated in lime juice. A Ceviche with sea urchin or erizo de mar, and a special with the most buttery grilled shrimp cooked in parsley with some crispy rice. Everything was so delicious. We really spoiled ourselves and sent it, with a little fig tart at the end. Of all the meals we had while in Mexico City, Contrmar continues to be my favorite. Everything is just so fresh, and flavorful.
I will come back to Mexico City, simply because I can’t stop thinking about these dishes, and likely because I miss these flourishing bustling streets. Thank you CDMX, you were everything I dreamed of and more.