Mansions of faded colonial glory, picturesque plazas, an enviable restaurant scene and more museums than one could reasonably consume are drawing ever more travelers to Mexico’s capital city. Like a Big Apple of Latin America, it’s a melting pot of nationalities, including the largest number of U.S. expats in one city.
A mere 20 years ago, visitors largely steered clear of the crime-plagued capital. In 1997, the federal district received the right to elect its own officials, triggering a seismic shift in the city’s political scene and a new era of reinvention. Young architects, chefs, designers and hoteliers began making their mark. These days, though many parts of the country continue to generate headlines for drug-related violence, the tourists areas of Mexico City remain generally calm.
Of course, the Mexican capital can also be a traffic-knotted mess. For that reason, our local experts advise taking in just one or two of its 16 distinctive neighborhoods a day. And for a truly local experience, leave time for a glass of mezcal to wash down the giant ant larvae.
A Cheat Sheet to Mexico City
Four discerning locals share their favorite spots in the Mexican capital
Salón Los Angeles, which Patricia Sloane, associate curator at the city’s Museo Universitario de Arte Contemporaneo, calls a cathedral of culture.
Lindsay Lauckner Gundlock for The Wall Street Journal
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THE FASHION DESIGNER
Carla Fernández
Founder of CDMX-based eponymous stores
RIVERA RESERVOIR // Museo Diego Rivera Anahuacalli. The most amazing tribute to Rivera, it’s in a massive building he designed for his collection of pre-Hispanic art and artifacts. Museo 150, Coyoacán,museoanahuacalli.org.mx
SATURDAY SPECIAL // Bazaar Sábado. I adore shopping in this renovated 18th-century home for textiles and magnificent Mexican jewelry from great artisan families. Only Saturdays. San Jacinto 11, San Ángel
AL FRESCO APERITIF // Downtown Mexico. You’ll find a lively scene in this 17th-century palace spiced up with bold art. I go to its terrace bar to enjoy a cucumber mezcal cocktail and the best downtown view. From about $150 a night, Isabel la Catolica 30,downtownmexico.com
BUZZY BITES // Tetetlán. This is the restaurant of the moment. I love the crickets dried with lemon and the fire-roasted avocados. Av. de Las Fuentes 180, Jardines del Pedregal,tetetlan.com.
Diego Riveria drawings inside the Museo Diego Rivera Anahuacalli. Photo: Lindsay Lauckner Gundlock for The Wall Street Journal
THE ART DOYENNE
Patricia Sloane
Associate curator of Museo Universitario de Arte Contemporaneo (MUAC/UNAM)
RETRO DIGS // Camino Real Polanco. This midcentury masterpiece has never lost its coolness. I recommend a room next to the pool and near the gardens of Chapultepec Park. From about $130 a night,caminoreal.com
A MONUMENTAL MARTINI // St. Regis Hotel terrace. The King Cole Bar presents a good martini at sunset and a view of the shimmering angel on the Independence Monument. Paseo de la Reforma 439, Cuauhtémoc
MARKET MUNCHIES // San Juan Market. It’s an unsurpassable food market filled with edible eccentricities like kangaroo or crocodile meat. Find a merchant for midmorning ceviche or tapas. Calle de Ernesto Pugibet No. 21
SALSA AT THE SALON // Salón Los Angeles In this cathedral of culture, celebrating its 80th year, live orchestras play while you swirl to salsas. Calle de Lerdo 206, Cuauhtémoc, Guerrero.salonlosangeles.mx
The garden at Camino Real Polanco. Photo: Lindsay Lauckner Gundlock for The Wall Street Journal
THE ARCHITECT
Mauricio Rocha
Founder and principal architect of Taller de Arquitetura
TOP TACOS // El Venadito. Join the line to fuel up with a tacos al pastor at my favorite taco stand. Across the street, stop to admire the mid 20th-century Chapel of San José del Altillo. Av. Universidad 1701, Colonia Agricola, Chimalistac
BEYOND MARIACHI // Fonoteca Nacional. This splendid archive of Mexican music is housed in an 18th-century hacienda where poet Octavio Paz last lived. And it’s on Avenida Francisco Sosa, one of the city’s most beautiful colonial-era streets. Av. Francisco Sosa 383, Coyoacán,fonotecanacional.gob.mx
CORN FED // Merendero las Lupitas. At this outpost for Northern Mexican food, I order the atole, a hot corn-based drink, and the egg and bean dishes. Calle Jardín, Santa Catarina,merenderolaslupitas.com.mx
PARK IT // Santa Catarina Plaza. Find a bench to soak up the charms of the 16th-century chapel Capilla de Santa Catarina.
Tamale and frijoles at Merendero las Lupitas. Photo: Lindsay Lauckner Gundlock for The Wall Street Journal
THE STAR CHEF
Jair Téllez
Chef and founder of Amaya and Laja restaurants and co-founder of MeroToro restaurant
GIFT STOP // Fonart. This is one of several well-curated stores funded by the government to support traditional Mexican crafts. The selection of pottery is outstanding. Av. Patriotismo 691, Colonia Mixcoac,fonart.gob.mx
BRAIN FOOD // Taquería El Progreso. This sidewalk restaurant is my favorite place for a CDMX specialty, cow head tacos (tacos de cabeza). Cow brain is supremely flavorful. Calle Maestro Antonio Caso 30, Tabacalera
FRENCH-MEX // Havre 77. When I’m not in front of a stove, I crave the steak frites and oysters at this French-Mexican brasserie from chef Eduardo García, a former migrant worker and star chef. Havre 77, Colonia Juárez, Cuauhtémoc,havre77.com
MOODY MEZCAL // La Clandestina Mezcaleria. This is my favorite dive bar for artisanal mezcal. It’s dark and soothing, and serves one-of-a-kind bottles. Alvaro Obregon 298, Colonia Condesa
Havre 77. Photo: Lindsay Lauckner Gundlock for The Wall Street Journal
Plus, Don’t Miss...
The Museo Universitario de Arte Contemporaneo. Photo: Lindsay Lauckner Gundlock for The Wall Street Journal
Museo Nacional de Antropología. Deservedly the most visited museum in CDMX, it holds a wealth of pre-Hispanic culture. Av. Paseo de la Reforma y Calzada Gandhi s/n,mna.inah.gob.mx // Museo del Templo Mayor. is the remains of the pyramid of former Tenochtitlán peoples, which was discovered in the 1970s during the excavation of a parking lot. templomayor.inah.gob.mx // Los Danzantes. Head here for contemporary interpretations of Mexican food like spaghetti with huitlacoche sauce, made from corn smut, a fungal corn growth that adds nutrients and flavor. Plaza Jardín Centenario 12, Coyoacán,losdanzantes.com // San Ángel Inn. This former monastery offers a patio for cocktails and snacks like the tasty escamoles (edible ant larvae). Calle Diego Rivera 50,sanangelinn.com // Museo Universitario de Arte Contemporáneo (MUAC). One of the city’s most iconic modern structures houses a stellar collection of contemporary art. Escolar, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán,muac.unam.mx