Exiling the Voice by Exiling Yourself Part III
My list of inspiring places to go, eat, and STOP...in Mexico City...
Thank you for reading my three part series. If you missed Part I and Part II, check them out. They’re full of good introspection, heart language, and some potent writing prompts to help you liberate yourself from the destructive inner voice that we all have.
This list, of course, just scratches the surface of what this dynamic, cultural mecca has to offer. But it’s my pleasure to share it with you. Most of the restaurants are in the Roma Norte area where I was staying, because I liked to walk to them and get to know the neighborhood. I took Ubers everywhere else.
I am in no way an expert on CDMX, and in the interest of going slowly, I didn’t go to all of these restaurants nor see all of these sites by any stretch, but much of this list came from locals who really know their way around food and culture. Some of these spots are world-famous. Others are off-the-beaten path. Some are a major investment. Others are less so.
Enjoy!
But when you do…please go slowly. Stop. And be good to yourself.
yours,
Laura
Sites:
Centro Historico (A must see for your first trip to CDMX. Go with a guide from City Diving, preferably Pablo)
Palacio de Bellas Artes (see the Diego Rivera mural and read the background)
Chapultepec Park
Museo Antropologia
Jumex
Museo de Arte Moderno
Museo Tamayo
Frida Kahlo Museum
San Ildenfonso
San Cristobal Barragan Foundation
So so so many others!
Restaurants:
Formal tasting menus (I suggest lunch since they’re three-hour events)
*stand out bites but it was all over the top
Quintonil (#9 top ten in the world)
Polanco
Kitchen bar tasting menu
Focuses on insect and insect products
*Wood-fired Barbacoa in an adobo sauce with grilled corn, and a crema of cauliflower and plankton
*Crème fraiche and Melipona honey, uchuva, caviar
A hard reservation to get!
This was the best food of this caliber that I have eaten to date. The mole was over the top including an eggplant mole.
Pujol (#13 in top 50 in world)
Polanco
Tasting menu, “taco” bar
*Scallop taco, chiltepin, chiltomate
*Mole madre 3302 day old mole (when I dined there)
Chef’s Table episode
A hard reservation to get! Some say it’s hyped. I thought it was sublime.
Roma Norte
Chef used to work at Quintonil and Maximo
Tasting menu at kitchen bar or ala carte at table (I opted for the latter for a more informal meal)
*Uni risotto was sublime
*686 Speakeasy-style bar upstairs. Excellent cocktails.
Less Formal:
*I like to eat small plates at informal, but delicious, chef-owned bars vs. the main dining room. I rarely order an entrée and I almost always make a friend.
Roma Norte
*Butter beans, with saffron, purslane, and mussels
*Panna Cotta with Mayan honey
Roma Norte
Nice bar for solo dining
*Fried baby artichokes
*Charred fish collar
Roma Norte
Pacific Northwest, US meets Mexico
Communal table
*Smoked oysters
Condesa
Italian
*Stuffed squash blossoms
*Eggplant Parmigiano
*Rustic style bread! (if you need to take a break from masa…)
Roma Norte
Bourdain ate there
Roma Norte
Mexican/Italian fusion
*Salt-crusted sea bass with herbs and salicornia
Bites and cocktails:
Roma Norte
Nice outdoor courtyard
*Trout crudo on brioche topped with ikura with a dill sauce. One of the best small bites I ate in CDMX.
Brunch:
San Ángel (charming, chic Spanish Colonial part of town. Great place to wander the windy cobblestone streets and feel like you’re in Spain. But no…you’re in Mexico!)
Saturday brunch in a gorgeous historic building with music, and surrounding artisanal market (indoor and outdoor). I picked up some beautiful art and jewelry here. Not touristy. A great solo weekend outing! Get there early if you want brunch. Service continues throughout the day and evening. All felt very local to me. Hardly any English being spoken which I love.
*Huevos de Campiña
Mexican:
Claveria
Gourmet Mexican neighborhood food
Condesa
Roma
Sweet Mexican place
Polanco
Well-known Mexican chef
Roma Norte
Celebrity Top Chef owned
Seafood
Daytime early evening only
Asian:
Roma
Roma
Roma Norte
Informal neighborhood sushi
Sweet back patio
Street Food:
Tacos al Pastor:
From my local friend: “You cannot leave Mexico City without eating Tacos al Pastor. It is THE Mexico City thing. It’s the small pork taco with pineapple, cilantro, onion on top. Divine. You’ll see them everywhere shaving the columns off pork off at the taco stands. My personal favorite place for tacos al pastor is a relaxed place in Colonia Condesa, an old timer: Kaliman on Calle Ensenada.
You must also try blue corn Tlacoyos. You will see them in the street stalls. They are diamond shaped. You can get them filled with beans, broad beans, or a soft white cheese called “requesón.” I recommend getting nopales (cactus - tastes like green beans) on the top.”
Hotels:
I like small, boutique hotels
Day Trips:
Xochimilco
Organic farm tour and brunch brimful with the harvest of the day
Some of the top chefs in CDMX get their produce here. Fantastic and educational experience.
A hard reservation to get and something so special to do. I would plan a whole trip to CDMX to do this.
Teotihuacán (Aztec pyramids)
1 hour outside CDMX
Go with City Diving tours. Private and so in-depth.
Don’t miss Tlaloc’s dream mural. One of the only ruins there that has the original red paint left on it. It’s a bit of a walk from the pyramids. So impressive!
Tepoztlan
Gorgeous town cradled in a green valley surrounded by mountains and cliffs.
Try the pre-Hispanic Aztec food stalls in the market, ask around.
Go midweek. Weekends get nuts.
It’s easy to go on the bus, buy a ticket from Pullman for Morelos from Taxqueña bus station. Or can get an Uber.
Mexican authors I discovered:
Juan Rulfo’s novel: Pedro Parama
Octavio Paz’s poetry
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