I am back in Los Angeles but my heart is in Mexico City. Growing up and even recently, whenever I heard “Mexico City” it was always associated with a bad connotation. Mostly, people spoke about how dangerous it was. I heard about crime and violence and in it was never a destination on my radar. I am so happy I visited the city because I couldn’t tell you how wrong I was. I am sure there is still crime and violence but I felt incredibly safe the entire time and for a city with 25 million people (yes, 25 MILLION PEOPLE) I was surprised by how calm and quite the city felt. I truly loved every second of my trip to Mexico City and if you’re thinking about going, stop hesitating and book your trip ASAP. You can thank me later.
I stayed at the Presidente Intercontinental in Polanco and really enjoyed my stay there. Polanco is a very wealthy neighborhood in Mexico City and is a great area to stay in because it’s central and is extremely walkable. The hotel is surrounded by parks and tree-lined streets filled with cute cafes, restaurants, and fantastic boutiques. My favorite part of the hotel, besides the gorgeous views, were the restaurants.
At the Intercontinental we at El Chapulin and Au Pied de Cochon. Both restaurants were in the hotel and are some of the best in the city. I was blown away by food! At some points I was honestly concerned that my stomach could fit that much food because it just felt like and endless amount of deliciousness. Both restaurants not only had great food, but great ambiance. To be honest, everywhere we went had great ambiance. Mexico City is CHIC AF.
I stayed in Mexico City for 5 nights and felt like it was a great trip but I’d love to go back because there is so much more I want to see and do! Below are my recommendations for hotels, restaurants and things to do! Next week I will be sharing my vlog on the trip just in case you needed more wanderlust!
xx Kristina
Where to Stay:
The main neighborhoods I’d recommend to stay in are Polanco, Condesa, and Roma.
In Polanco:
Presidente Intercontinental || As I mentioned above, this is where I stayed and I couldn’t recommend it more.
In Condesa:
Condesa DF || This modern hotel is super cool and trendy.
In Roma:
Nima Local House Hotel || Our friends stayed at this Instagram worthy hotel on their trip and it’s so cute and in such a great neighborhood. Also, Vogue wrote about it, so there’s that.
Where to Eat:
Ojo de Agua: A cute place for coffee and a bite for breakfast!
El Chapulin: Make sure you order the Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms (Flores Rellenas de Requeson)!
Au Pied de Cochon: The French food at this restaurant speaks for itself but what’s extremely cool about it is that it’s open 24 hours! People come at all hours but it’s especially a scene at the end of the night, or the middle of the morning, as an after-hours spot. Come to eat, stay for the scene.
Terrazza Cha Cha Cha: This restaurant has one of the best rooftops I’ve seen! It overlooks the Plaza de la Revoluciòn and the food and cocktails are delicious. I especially loved the hibiscus cocktail – it was unlike anything I’ve tried before.
Palmares Azotea: Another great rooftop restaurant, Palmares has such a cool vibe that you’ll go for happy hour and stay for dinner. My favorite dishes were the beef tartare and the tuna tataki.
Suuway Condesa: I don’t care what city I’m in, I am always craving sushi! This Asian fusion restaurant is BOMB.COM! Please don’t go alone because you need to order all the dishes! I loved all the rolls, the pad thai and had fomo for not ordering the Ramen.
El Califa: BUT WHY ARE TACOS SO GOOD?!?! I am seriously getting hungry writing this blog post. Please order everything on the menu. You can thank me later!
El Moro: I straight up waited 20 minuted to get churros from El Moro and it was worth every minute! They were so fresh and piping hot and I wish I ordered more! Currently googling churrerias in Los Angeles!
Maque: The cutest little cafe I ever did see! It’s on a corner right across from Parque Mexico and has beautiful outdoor seating and the most delicious pastries! This is where I finally tried a concha! Also, I didn’t know this when I went but Goop also wrote about it so it’s Kristina AND Gwenyth approved.
Rosetta: The burrata is incredible, the pasta dishes are mouth-watering and the interiors are so chic you’ll want to be gramming the entire time.
What to Do:
EAT!!!! Please see above! Seriously though, Mexico City is such a culinary destination, you can spend your whole trip eating!
Walk around the neighborhoods of Condesa and Roma. Both neighborhoods are so beautiful and very “hipster” aka COOL. They are adorned with parks and tree-lined neighborhoods. I especially loved Avenida Amsterdam which is a two-way street that runs in a complete circle with a central pathway that when walking under feels like you’re in a jungle. It’s incredible. In the center of Avenida Amsterdam is a neighborhood filled with cafes, restaurants and beautiful homes. In the very center is another park called Parque Mexico.
Visit Museums! Did you know that Mexico City has over 150 museums!!! That’s a lot of art! I visited Museo Jumex which is a very cool contemporary museum and Casa Luis Barragan. Luis Barragan’s house, built in 1948 was very cool because it looked like it could have been built today. The contemporary architecture is world renowned and shows how ahead of his time Luis Barragan was. The rooftop, also known as his “heaven on earth” was my favorite part. I loved the incredibly simple but vivid orange and pink walls and the overgrown trees that created such a peaceful environment. I also visited Palacio de Bellas Artes that has incredible works of arts and the Latino Americana Tower which has sweeping 360 views of the city. I loved the Latino Americana Tower because Mexico City is so large and spread out it offers such a cool vantage point. It’s directly across from Palacio de Bellas Artes so if you planning on visiting one, visit both!
Go to Lucha Libre: Visiting Lucha Libre was an experience I am glad I didn’t miss. IT IS RIDICULOUS. In case you didn’t know Lucha Libre is Mexican Wrestling. To be honest, I could care less about wrestling but I loved Lucha Libre because of all the costumes and characters! I couldn’t get over the outfits some of the wrestlers wore. Some people think wrestling is violent, and well it is, but honestly, it felt and looked so fake all I could do is laugh! I kept wondering if the WWE looked this fake and choreographed up close!
Visit a food market: I always love visiting food markets because you get to really learn about the culture! I visited Mercado San Juan where I tried Chapulines or Grasshoppers for the first time. It was such a cool experience walking through the market because they had everything from seafood to meat to fruit and vegetables. It’s a culinary experience you shouldn’t miss!
There’s obviously SO much more to see and do in Mexico City but the above is what I did and I couldn’t recommend more! I can’t wait to visit again and am already planning my next trip! Who wants to go with?!
Visit my Instagram @MissZias for more images of my amazing vacay and comment if you have other Mexico City recommendations!
xx Kristina
