Mexico City is safe, inexpensive, friendly, beautiful, architecturally vibrant and huge. On our first day there we arrived in the afternoon on Friday so we just chilled out in the hotel and then got ready for our lovely dinner at Rosetta. Popular chef-restaurateur Elena Reygadas celebrates artisanal Mexican ingredients in a distinctive dining environment. The mixture of beautiful mansion house setting, and Elena Reygadas’ elegant, super-seasonal dishes makes this one of the most romantic – and popular – restaurants in Latin America.
We woke up Saturday morning refreshed and excited to walk the streets of these talked about streets of Mexico City. We walked passed the the Plaza de la Constitución, Mexico City’s main square is commonly referred to as Zócalo. Mexico City has many fantastic museums to choose from but we had heard that the National Museum of Anthropology was a must see. So we started our walking path towards the museum. Tickets were easy to get and we were lucky there was a special exhibition on La Flor – in May. After a few hours of taking in some of the artifacts and art we were set for our next hot spot – Pujol in the ever infamous Polanco district.
Polanco is known as the Beverly Hills of Mexico City. Polance is home to upscale shopping, hotels and restaurants, embassies, high-end car dealerships and home furnishings shops and many of the city’s most important museums. As a residential area, the neighborhood is culturally diverse, and many politicians, celebrities, artists and businessmen call the area home. Pujol is one of the world’s 50th Best Restaurants. * If you are planning on going here make reservations way in advance and be prepared to pay over $200 US per person. If you are wondering is it worth it well I think so! If you can afford it, why not? Celebrity chef Enrique Olvera is credited with proving that rustic Mexican flavours deserve as much attention as any other haute cuisine in the world. And Pujol has been his pedestal to make that point via a tasting menu of refined and elegant plates built from indigenous ingredients that pay tribute to Mexico’s rich culinary history. According to Eater’s Guide, the mole madre — a plate that looks like target practice, with a dollop of dark, over-400-day-old mole negro surrounded by a younger, redder mole — is transformative. Oh and by the way make sure you have an empty stomach its a 7 course tasting menu with drinks at every course.
After going back to the hotel and resting we regrouped after Pujols’ food coma and got ready to walk to the main Center of the city. We encountered a lot of rain so doing a lot of sightseeing was on hold.
This night we had made reservations at Azul. Chef Ricardo Muñoz Zurita has several restaurants in the Mexican capital, and the best of them is Azul Histórico, located in the Downtown México hotel and retail complex in the Centro Histórico neighborhood. The restaurant in located in a courtyard with beautiful trees above. You look up to the sparkling night sky along with lantern chandeliers dangling from the trees. * Make sure you try the traditional Tortilla Soup it was delicious and presented in this unique bowl. The charming part of this restaurant besides the ambience and service was that a nearby women makes fresh tortillas so they are brought to the table fresh and warm.
We followed our dinner by Jules Basement, a super fun speak-easy. It’s seriously hard to find–we did have ask around in the rain before figuring out where it was hiding. It has a very small downstairs bar but with a cool dj vibe and great cocktail menu. * Do make all your reservations for lunch and dinner in advance of your trip.
On our last day there we had to visit the Frida Kahlo Museum especially since I am huge fan! HINT: Pre-buy your tickets online to save time in the line for the time you want to go in. Here is the link –
https://www.museofridakahlo.org.mx/en/the-blue-house/your-visit/ It was intriguing to see how Frida and Diego lived, supported their art and it really gives you a glimpse into their lifestyle. So happy they have preserved their house for us to see. After the museum we hopped in a Uber and went directly to the Palace of Fine Arts. Palace of Fine Arts, Spanish Palacio de Bellas Artes, cultural centre in Mexico City, that was built between 1904 and 1934. The palace contains a large theater, concert hall, museum popular arts, and halls and galleries for paintings and other works of art. Balcony lobbies display murals by Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, and other Mexican artists. Examples of 19th- and 20th-century Mexican painting and special displays of paintings and sculpture are featured.
Pit stop to see the beautiful tile work at on Calle de Condesa which by the way is a fantastic outdoor restaurant as well. I was dying to see another area of Mexico City called Condesa. I made reservations at an Italian-Mexican fusion restaurant called Lardo. We walked up to a swanky looking restaurant immediately got seated at the bar and ravished another stupendous meal for lunch! The neighborhood of La Condesa, is upscale, expat-laden border to Roma Norte whose major draw is a great selection of bars and restaurants.
Our dinner plans were made at Rosa Negra. As mentioned on their website, accompany this gastronomic experience, drinks and craft cocktails prepared with exclusive natural infusions of the house, spectacular desserts; as well as the best contemporary music selected by the resident DJ. I will say the food was incredible and unique with fusion aspects. The ambience was stunning with definite L.A. vibes.
Trust me you will want to go back and do it all over again!
TIPS:: Don’t take cabs they are notoriously a rip off. Uber is amazing, super cheap and easy to access. Make sure to take out Pesos at an ATM as the conversion rate is much better. And most importantly if you want to go on this culinary journey make sure to book all your restaurants lunch and dinner in advance and pre-plan.
WHERE TO STAY IN MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
My Pick : The St. Regis Mexico City
Nestled in the historic Paseo de la Reforma – one of the city’s trendiest neighborhoods – The St. Regis Mexico City offers breathtaking views, attentive service (including butlers, at your request) and luxurious digs.
https://travel.usnews.com/Hotels/review-The_St_Regis_Mexico_City-Mexico_City-Mexico-25149/
We definitely enjoyed the Butler service and got several lattes sent to my room! It felt royal!
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