Why go to Mexico City? First of all, why not? Honestly, why wouldn't you want to go to a city that has AMAZING food, excellent sights, adorable neighborhoods, and lots of tequila and mezcal? Mexico City as a destination has been gaining in popularity at an exponential speed. I've seen so many travel lists and blogs, and anyone who I know that has visited, has loved it. CDMX (It's shorter name that stands for La Ciudad de Mexico) quickly moved to the top of my list for a 3-day weekend trip. So on with what we actually did!
Friday:
My first flight from BNA to Dallas was pretty early and by the time I arrived in Mexico City, it was about 2pm in the afternoon. Julie and I were meeting at our airbnb as she was supposed to be about 2 hours behind me. Only she got there 15 minutes after I did haha! We could have easily shared an uber from the airport, but oh well - they are SO cheap to get around. It was only about $9 from the airport. You can also take public transit that will cost you around $1 or less, but to save on time and experience as much as possible, I opted for the affordable uber. You'll find that we use this most of the time to get around and I highly recommend it.
We settled into our Airbnb, which is super adorable and crazy affordable and in the hip neighborhood of La Condesa. It was the entire apartment plus we each had our own rooms for only $89 per person for 3 nights! Oh, did I forget to mention how insanely affordable CDMX is? Add this to the reasons to visit as it always feels great to have your dollar go a long way on a trip. Plus, as you'll see later it means that you can splurge on a fancy dinner because the same thing might have cost you double back home! Our first stop was mostly for me as I always love to visit local breweries if possible, so we took an uber over to Principia Tasting Room and of course, I had to have a flight. They had some pretty good hazy ipas and in particular, their Sour IPA was Julie and I's favorite. I would definitely recommend checking them out. I'm not totally sure what area this brewery is in, but it's south of La Roma neighborhood.
It was time to get our first taste of Mexican cuisine and so we headed over to the Polanco neighborhood which felt a bit ritzier, but still cute. We had reservations at 8pm for Jules Basement, one of the best cocktail bars in the world, so we needed to eat something rather quickly. We ended up at Takos Takos where we ordered a few tacos (al pastor being one of them) and honestly I don't remember what else but it was all pretty good except for the al pastor. It didn't look like any al pastor we've had before and it was pretty dry. It's very possible we accidentally ordered something else. Oh well!
We made our way over to Jules Basement where the entrance is inside a taqueria through what looks like a freezer door. It's in the basement - imagine that - and you are not allowed to have your phones. Because of this, I have no photo of my beautiful and delicious passion fruit cocktail served in a tiki glass. The vibe in Jules Basement is fairly quiet (might have been how early we were there) but it's dark and seems to be more of an intimate setting. There are only about 10 seats at the bar, which is where we sat. We both enjoyed our drinks, but it was time to move onto the number 10 of the best cocktail bars in the world, Licoreria Limantour which is practically around the corner! Miraculously, though it was really busy when we walked over, we got in immediately to a table for two. We soon found out it was because we needed to order food to sit down, but that was alright. We ended up ordering some vegetarian ceviche (we didn't really understand it was vegetarian when we ordered haha) and then our drinks. I decided I needed to try some mezcal while I was in Mexico (little did I know that I would have plenty of it in two days time), so I had a cocktail with mezcal. I'm going to be honest here and say that the drinks here were okay, but we definitely enjoyed our drinks at Jules Basement better. I would need to try something else to make a final decision of course, since passion fruit will win out over just about anything in my eyes haha!
To top off the night before grabbing an uber back to our airbnb, we needed to make one more stop at a place that we discovered on the VERY short walk between the two cocktail bars. And that was to the churro shop, El Moro! Dessert is always in order as a night cap. We ordered 4 churros and chocolate and pretty much stood on the corner eating them while they were hot - so delicious!
After allowing ourselves to sleep in a teensy bit, we headed out for brunch and attempted a place or two before realizing that some places aren't open before 9 or 9:30 am on a Saturday morning. That was okay, because where we ended up in La Condesa neighborhood was called Fonda Garufa and it was delicious! They have a main menu that you can order a la carte from or you can order the buffet which they were only just setting up when we arrived. Considering this was just a few weeks after the holiday season ended, I had been eating such crap that I thought I might have a healthier breakfast of eggs over portobello mushrooms with asparagus, tomato, and olive oil. We picked some bread from a basket they bring over (which we didn't know you pay extra for - oh well) and I had a cappucinno and orange juice and it was a lovely way to start the day!
Now it was onto Teotihuacan, the ancient ruins north of Mexico City. I had looked up the multitude of ways to get there and had decided on one of the cheaper options outlined in this incredibly helpful blog post. Seriously, if you are trying to go to Teotihuacan on your own, check out that post because it even has pictures of where to buy your tickets and where to pick up the bus! The options are that you can either uber all the way there and back, take a tour, or take public transit. Well, we did a combination of taking an uber to the northern bus station, called Autobuses del Norte, and buying a RT ticket on the local bus straight to the ruins - takes about an hour. The bus it self is so cheap, I think $6 and then the ticket into the ruins is pretty cheap as well. On the way into Teotihuacan, I realized how bright it was and that I forgot to pack sunglasses, so I bought some new ones from one of the MANY souvenir vendors.
This ancient city is actually pre-Aztec, and the city which came to hold anywhere from 125,000 to 200,000, was established about a couple hundred years B.C.E. To climb the main pyramid, the Pyramid of the Sun, you have many levels and way too many people all climbing up at the same time, so there are a lot of traffic jams and it takes some time. Make sure to build that in. Also, if that sun is shining right on you at 12, you'll 1) be very hot, so be ready and 2) witness some literal sun worshippers, which at first was confusing to see, but then pretty cool! Climbing up the Pyramid of the Sun is a feat and you should do it, but the better view is from the Pyramid of the Moon which is a long walk down the "Avenue of the Dead". From the viewpoint of the much easier climb up the Pyramid of the Moon (still very steep though), you can see the whole Avenue and an excellent view of the Pyramid of the Sun and the valley that Teotihuacan sits in. I especially loved the mosaic-like style of all of the mini-Pyramids along the Avenue, they are so pretty! On the way out, I grabbed my souvenir magnet from one the vendors and hopped back on the local bus back to CDMX and the bus station.
As a bit of a pick-me-up/late lunch, we grabbed some tortas (mine was underwhelming and basically a hot dog-like sausage and cheese in bread haha) at the train station. Then we grabbed an uber back to our Airbnb to change and then hopped back into an uber to head down to the Centro Historico. We were meeting up soon for our Airbnb experience, but had about an hour and a half to wander about the area. One of the big areas to visit down there is the Zocalo, this giant square with a huge Mexican Flag. It's directly across from the Metropolitan Cathedral, which is ornate and decorated on the outside and has some pretty areas on the inside (which is free to go into). Also in this historic district, they have a pedestrian road or two that is just so nice to walk on and not have to worry about dodging cars. It's very busy with lots and lots of people though, so beware.
It started to rain and so we popped in for a little pre-dinner dessert at an ice cream shop - possibly was called Villanova? It was so nice to sit down for a little bit and just chill. Once it stopped raining or slowed to a light sprinkle, we walked down the rest of the pedestrian street to the Palacio de Bellas Artes, a beautiful building and square. To get there we had to cross one of the busiest intersections I have ever been in, in my life. I haven't ever been to Tokyo, so I know that is the busiest, but this has to be up there! Many of the buildings in the Centro Historico have some beautiful tiling and some old world charm. Finally, we walked to Taqueria Arandas where we were meeting Luis, our guide for our Lucha Libre wrestling match and tacos! This was my first time booking an airbnb experience, and I loved it! Especially considering we did one the following day too, I'm all for these and will be checking out experiences in places I travel from now on.
Luis had given us masks we could wear to get into the spirit, and our seats were awesome too - being on the lower level. The atmosphere in there is difficult to explain - such high energy, with people cheering for the favorites and booing for the "bad guys", and lots of laughter. It was SO MUCH FUN. As Luis told us, as the night goes on, each match gets better and better (or the people are more skilled and doing more tricks). Some of it was so scripted and play-acted, but that's what made it entertaining! And some of the tricks are really impressive too! Oh and I almost forgot - I noticed lots of people drinking these red-ish drinks and I was curious what it was. Turns out it was a michelada, a beer with a chile-lined rim and a gumminess on the outside to make the chile stick that was kinda strange. It ended up being pretty sweet, but I'm glad I tried it since I felt it was part of the experience. Overall, I loved going to a Lucha Libre match and HIGHLY recommend checking one out if you visit.
Sunday:
After getting ready for our day, we took an uber down to the Coyoacan Neighborhood, aka Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera's old neighborhood. First up, we had a delicious breakfast at Cabo Coyote, which looks out onto a little park/garden and adjacent to the main square of this neighborhood. Eating outside (though a little chilly) was so worth it to see a slice of Mexico City life, with everyone out for their Sunday strolls with their families and dogs. My meal at Cabo Coyote was so delicious! I'm pretty sure I had the enfrijoladas veracruzanas, which are kind-of like enchiladas with an amazing black bean and creme sauce. Pic below of this beauty.
Once we were done with breakfast and meandering around the neighborhood a little bit, we walked the few blocks down to the Frida Kahlo House and Museum. Before this, I knew very little about Frida other than she was an artist and she basically had a unibrow. Now, I know a little bit more about her fascinating life, including a horrible accident she was in as a child, and also that she was active in the communist party in Mexico. But I still want to know more, so I'm definitely going to try and pick up a biography of her sometime soonish. You'll recognize her house when you come upon because it's nickname is the Casa Azul (Blue House) and it is such a strong, beautiful blue. It was really interesting to see her home she shared with Diego Rivera and some of her artwork as well. The courtyard part of her home is incredible and probably one of the best parts!
We spent only about an hour total visiting Casa Azul, and we had a little bit of time before we needed to head to our next destination, so we meandered around Coyoacan some more. Maybe because of Frida Kahlo's house, this is clearly a bit of an artist community and in one of the parks, we walked around and looked at some local artisans' works and I bought something! We also checked out the incredibly vibrant market as well, and oh man - this is why I need so many more days here - all the FOOD looked so good and we were already so full! There were a ton of places with fresh juices and I just HAD to get some passion fruit juice, since I'm obsessed. So we sat down for about 15 minutes while I drank a juice and it was so fresh! I implore you to check out these local markets if you are visiting! Food is cheap too!
The Xochimilco are these beautiful, peaceful canals still within Mexico City, but super south within the city. Apparently it's what Mexico City used to looks like hundreds of years ago - these are the last remnants of a water transport system created by the Aztecs! The boat we took on these canals was so colorful and they all are and they are not run by motors, but by a man using a giant pole and working through the water and the mud. We even got to try it at one point and it was HARD. The other people on our boat were mostly from the US again, even a bachelorette party (very smart, I'm liking Mexico City as an option...) Our two guides, Isa and Arturo were amazing and so much fun! Plus, Arturo is a chef so he cooked us some chicken tinga and made us some tacos! While floating down the river for 3-4 hours, we made a few stops for pee breaks and to hear the story of la llorona; different vendors selling snacks and drinks stop by and we tried some weird fermented milky alcoholic drinks called palenque; and the best part was pooling our money to get a mariachi band to hop on our boat and play some songs!
Even at 8:30 at night for one person, it was about a 45 minute wait, so I put my name on the list and searched google for a cocktail bar. I ended up at Pata Negra. This place was really empty, but I think that not many people drink on Sunday nights down in this district. The whole neighborhood was very empty. But my drink was very tasty (and of course had more mezcal). It was a perfect little detour while waiting for my table. A note on when people eat dinner in Mexico City is that it's similar to Spain in the vein that people often don't eat until 9pm or later, so it also makes sense that there would be a wait at 8:30, even if it was on a Sunday evening.
Now, for the best meal of the whole trip (and most expensive). It was divine - every part of it, and I went all out on a "treat yo self" dinner. I had some very fine mezcal and I believe they give you some light snacks to tide you over while waiting for your main meal. I ordered the manchmanteles, an exclusive dish for Azul Historico that was a sweet, ancho chile mole with pineapple, pear, apple and plantain, and just because I was treating myself, the duck. Wow, this was so amazing! I also ordered a cappuccino because I always feel like a fancy dinner needs coffee and dessert. For dessert, I ordered the chocolate tamales, which was recommended by the waitress. What an interesting concoction and it was superb! I'm not a huge fan of regular tamales (or at least haven't had any that I've loved yet), so this was a wonderful surprise! All in all, I probably spent $50-70 with tip included in that, which is expensive in general, but this meal would have been so much more expensive in certain cities in the US. Well worth it, and I would highly recommend. Oh, I forgot to mention that the ambiance was great and it's in a courtyard in the middle of the building with lots of trees and lights and it's very charming!
After grabbing some waters at the convenience store again, I grabbed an uber home. I don't recommend going out by yourself on a Sunday night to the Centro Historico, at least too late. There was NO ONE on the streets and though it was probably safe, whenever a place is deserted it always feels a bit more threatening. So either just uber straight to and from the restaurant, or make sure you are with another person.
Julie had to leave earlier in the morning for her flight, so I woke up and said goodbye and then slept in a bit longer. After getting ready and making sure everything was packed and ready, I headed out to go for a walk within our neighborhood and find some breakfast. I had wanted to try this one spot, but even on a Monday morning it was packed and I didn't have the time to wait. I ended up at a little French cafe that I can't find the name of on a map again right near the Chapultepec metro stop. I was a bit disapointed I didn't have the time to walk around the Chapultepec park, but oh well - next time! My breakfast was delicious! I had coffee, mandarin juice, and an eggs benedict-type thing with bechamel and button mushrooms, and added an avocado! I didn't leave myself much time to do much more this morning than eat, so I went back to the airbnb to check out and grab my uber to the airport.
One more thing I want to note is that right after I had locked back up the key into the lockbox and I was waiting for my uber, I heard some really loud sirens and a person speaking over a loudspeaker that was broadcast all around the block. I was super confused as I saw everyone come out of the buildings onto the street. My uber came to pick me up and wasn't concerned at all, so I got in and we went to the airport, but as we were driving, I saw nearly everyone outside of the buildings. I had to look it up, because what on earth was this? Well instead of a fire drill, it was an earthquake drill set to be on the exact day I was leaving, January 20th at 11am. Pretty crazy, but also smart to have this "early warning" system.
Check-in was a little confusing for me at the airport, but I made it and had time to spare, so I ate at Sala 21 in the airport and had tortilla soup and a beef empanada (the empanada was super tasty!). One last light Mexican meal before my flights back to the US.
Overall, my trip was fantastic and I felt we hit many of the highlights of Mexico City. That being said, there is much more to do and EAT and DRINK in CDMX, and I will be back again in the future!