T’s Curated Mexico City List
Mexico City, Curated by Oolong T
Taquería El Califa de León, CDMX
Growing up in Mexico City, I was constantly surrounded by a deep appreciation for culture. My parents made sure of it. From long cultural visits to the Zócalo (which I used to hate), to Sunday lunches in traditional restaurants with live music, the city became my greatest teacher. This guide becomes the way in which I experience, and live, Mexico City - El sabor con el que vivo y recuerdo mi ciudad <3
DINING -
Japanese Restaurants:
Kill Bill Sushi - Omakase + amazing music playing on records.
Tatsugoro - Lovely views + great quality fish.
Sushi Iwashi - The best quality fish.
Homare - Authentic omakase experience.
Wabi - Small place in the heart of La Roma.
Yoshimi - Great Shabu Shabu.
Tori Tori - All over the city and a great sushi experience overall.
Sushi Tatsugoro, 2023
Italian Restaurants:
Santo Spirito - Regional italian cuisine in CDMX with excpetionally designed interiors and really delicious food. One of the best in my opinion.
Issi - Italian fusion restaurant in Las Lomas neighborhood with a great ambience.
Babero - A really nice italian restaurant in La Roma.
Suppli - Cute restaurant in La Condesa with outdoor sidewalk seating that is a great vibe.
Sartoria - A restaurant that really does have amazing pasta.
Rosetta - A very talked about restaurant in Mexico City but it does have pretty great food. Their interiors are also lovely.
Nero - An italian market that also serves small plates in Las Lomas neighborhood.
Aromi e Sapori - Great italian spot in Polanco.
Mexican Restaurants:
Contramar - Mexican seafood that never disappoints - the tuna tostada and the pescado a la talla are a must.
San Angel Inn - Mexican hacienda with the best ambience. Lovely music and great food. The Caesar Salad is a must.
Expendío de Maíz sin Nombre - No menu, cash only concept where you tell the chef when to stop bringing out plates. I can’t even begin to express how good it is.
Molino Pujol - A sister to Michelin-starred Pujol, this is a more casual concept with amazing food. The Taco de Aguacate and the Enmoladas are insane.
Mi Compa Chava - A mexican seafood restaurant that is truly incredible. Their food is definitely worth the hype.
Ticuchi - Also by Enrique Olvera, this restaurant - inspired by a bat cave - is amazing for a date night. The dark, vibey ambience and mind blowing food make it extremely worth a visit.
Voraz - A gastronomic cantina concept with exceptional food in La Roma.
Campobaja - An amazing northern Mexican restaurant in La Roma with an extremely good tuna tostada.
Maizajo - A restaurant with a menu dedicated to a love for corn. The restaurant and taquería are separate entities within the same establishment, but both are worth a visit. Their Suadero taco is insane.
La Once Mil - A fancy taquería in the heart of Las Lomas, the food here will not disappoint. The mushroom taco is extremely good.
Em - Michelin starred restaurant by Lucho Martínez that explores the flavors of Mexican ingredients in non-conventional ways. It’s an amazing experience. The tostada with avocado is INSANE.
Quintonil - Michelin starred restaurant that is worth the hype.
Jenni’s Street Quesadillas - Quesadilla street stand in the heart of La Roma with amazing flavors.
Taquería El Califa de León - The suadero tacos are to die for. This is an amazing taquería but to be completely honest almost all street taquerías are equally as good.
El Turix - Best cochinita pibil tacos.
El Rey del Pavo - The best turkey “tortas” in the historic center.
Taquería El Califa de León, 2024
Mediterranean/Lebanese:
Nostos - Greek restaurant in Las Lomas with a very chic vibe and delicious food.
Oly - A relatively new restaurant in La Juarez with an amazing vibe and great food.
Lardo - Another very talked about place but I also love it.
El Jamil - An incredible, casual Lebanese restaurant in La Roma that serves authentic cuisine.
La Gruta del Edhen - Old school Lebanese restaurant in CDMX with various locations.
Alfil - Mexican/lebanese fusion in La Roma.
Varied Cuisines:
Maximo Bistrot - Although one of the most talked about places to eat in CDMX, this restaurant is really not overhyped. From the mind of Chef Lalo García, this restaurant is an extremely delicious gastronomic experience. The beautiful interiors are also an added bonus.
Ultramarinos de Mar - A really cool spot in La Roma to have the most pleasant lunch. The interiors are insane, with a color palette that will forever be ingrained in your memory. And the food? The food is even more mind altering. Let me tell you that this spot is definitely worth a visit.
Martinez - From the mind of Lucho Martínez, the same chef as Em and Ultramarinos de Mar, Martinez is also a delicious gastronomic experience within the CDMX foodie scene. The menu proposes a fusion of french cuisine that really is amazing and worth a try.
Taverna Prim - What makes Taverna Prim really special is their unique interiors. It’s nestled within an antique house in La Juarez that features many different rooms that completely alter your experience at the restaurant - each equally amazing. The food is also pretty great and their drinks as well. It’s a great choice to have long, lively dinners with friends.
Hank’s Pizza - By the same chef that created the celebrated Choza, he now brings a NY style pizza proposal to CDMX.
Coqueto - A really nice restaurant in La Roma with fun interiors and delicious food. Their cookies and milk for dessert are really nice.
Magazzino - Wine bar and interesting gastronomic experience.
Ultramarinos de Mar, 2024
Asian Cuisine:
Canton Mexicali - Mexican and Cantonese fusion that produces mind blowing flavors. The decoration of the place is also amazing.
Galanga Thai - Great thai restaurant.
Somsaa - A quaint townnhouse that is also a thai restaurant. Love the ambience.
Choza - Such an interesting and cool concept. It’s a “hidden” thai restaurant in La Roma that doesn’t appear on Google Maps. It operates on an “if you know, you know” allure and it’s pretty amazing.
El Tigre Silencioso - Love the trout toast.
Hunan - Amazing Chinese in Las Lomas. Typical but it never fails to deliver.
Tonchin - The newest Japanese Ramen addition to the CDMX gastronomic scene.
Makan - Singaporean restaurant in the historic center.
Cantón Mexicali, 2024
Breakfast Spots:
Malcriado Condesa - A very cute spot in La Condesa with a great Dirty Chai and good breakfast.
Café Nin - Restaurant that features baked goods from Panadería Rosetta.
Bou - An extremely delicious breakfast spot with one of the best bakeries. Their bread is unmatched.
Catamundi - Amazing breakfast place, one of my favorites.
Mendl Delicatessen - American Deli concept in Mexico City; great place to get bagels.
Niddo - Amazing pancakes.
Cachie’s Bagels - Another great bagel place, although this one is more casual.
Farmacia Internacional - Super cute place in La Roma with great coffe and a good cinnamon roll.
Velucca - A super casual, healthy coffee shop in Las Lomas that I love. They have good sandwiches, healthy frappuccinos, and snacks.
Café Trucha - Super nice bakery in La Roma with great breakfast.
Panya Sam - Japanese pancakes and asian breakfast in CDMX.
Café Parral - Beautiful hidden cafe that’s amazing for breakfast. There’s a dress code so it makes for a really pleasant experience.
Coffee:
Panadería Rosetta - The Rol de Guayaba is SO good.
Raku - Traditional Japanese Coffee Shop in La Roma with great matcha.
Laguna (Buna) - Coffee shop inside Laguna which is an architectural gem of a collective.
Café Tormenta - Little coffee cart with amazing coffee and pastries. Their Matcha with tonic water is insane.
Eno - All over the city and it’s a coffee shop that never fails to deliver.
Gala - Hidden bakery in La Roma by Lucho Martínez that has AMAZING bread.
% Arabica - I LOVE this coffee shop in Paris and NYC. The one in CDMX is gorgeous.
El Minutito - Coffee shop during the day, bar by night. Love the vibes.
Café Tormenta, 2024
Drinking and Dancing:
Hiya Wine Bar - Japanese speakeasy that has an amazing music curation.
Salón Palomilla - Architectural gem to have a great drink. Their pickle martini is to die for.
Bussifame - Tiny place for drinks. Also amazing music.
Minos Soundroom - A great experience for a fancier night out.
Shhh99 Listening Bar - Listening bar hidden on top of a record store in La Roma. The attention to detail in unmatched and the music curation on another level.
Niv - Small but great place for drinks in La Condesa
Hule - A small but amazing bar that focuses on amazing music curation and records. It’s also a cafe by day.
Cananea - Fun cantina with great drinks, food, a pool table and jukebox.
Oropel - Vermuth/Natural wine bar in La Roma with great vibes.
Zinco Jazz Club - Great Jazz in the Historic Center.
Casa Franca - Jazz club in La Roma with delicious drinks.
Caiman - Great ambience and drinks.
Trampa Bar - A super vibey concept in La Juarez that’s great for a chill night with friends. They have amazing drinks and also delicious food in an indoor/outdoor ambience. The vibe is either to sit in one of their sidewalk tables or at the bar inside - both great options.
Petra Bar - A new bar and Hi-Fi listening room with an amazing atmosphere. With low lighting to set the mood, and amazing food, this place is a must.
Cometa - A small club with an amazing vibe. One of the best places for a night out in the city.
Tokyo Music Bar - Japanese inspired listening bar with great drinks.
Mamarumba - Fun place for salsa dancing. The vibe is very casual.
Salon San Luis - Live music and salsa dancing. Great snacks as well.
Leonor - My favorite club in CDMX. Always amazing music.
Departamento - Townhouse with different rooms. The crowd is very international, not local at all, but very fun.
Dinsmoor - The best club for house/electronic music.
Jardin Paraiso - Day club that ends at 12am.
Sala de Despecho - The place to be a disheartened soul. They play heartbreak music and pass around props for you to sing with your friends.
Macario - Pop up events in rotating locations that pull a really interesting and cool crowd. They call themselves a “Pit Stop Bar”, taking inspiration from the cultural interactions that befall during a Mexican driving break, those that entail refreshing drinks over juicy chisme. Follow them on instagram at @macario___cdmx to learn more about their events.
Hiya Wine Bar, 2024
Things to do -
Design and Architecture:
Casa Gilardi by Luis Barragán
Casa Pedregal by Luis Barragán
Casa/Estudio Luis Barragán
Casa Ortega by Luis Barragán
Capilla de las Capuchinas by Luis Barragán
La Cuadra San Cristóbal by Luis Barragán
Casa Amalia by Agustín Hernandez
Casa Praxis by Agustín Hernandez
Pedro Reyes and Carla Fernandez’s house
Laguna - Collective in Doctor Lucio 181 that is an architectural gem. It boasts many stores and office spaces for creative companies. Definitely worth the visit.
Década - Inside Laguna is this beautiful vintage furniture store and interior design firm. They have an amazing selection of midcentury modern items. It’s every design lover’s dream.
Masa Galería - Design gallery
Casa Orgánica by Javier Senosiain
El Nido de Quetzalcoatl by Javier Senosiain
AGO Projects - Design gallery
Chic by Accident - Design gallery
Trouvé - Vintage furniture store
La Lagunilla - One of the best flea markets worldwide in my opinion. It’s only open on Sundays but they have the most amazing offerings at unbelievable prices.
La Biblioteca Vasconcelos
Casa Siza
El Palacio de Correos
Nuuumbra Estudio - Lamp studio/gallery
Azotea - Check their instagram for openings because they are not open to the public year round, but it’s a furniture gallery with beautiful designs.
Originario - Furniture store
Robert Brady Museum - In Cuernavaca, Morelos but it’s beautiful.
Casa Gilardi, 2024
Art:
Museo Tamayo
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo (MUAC)
Museo Jumex
Museo Soumaya
Museo Kaluz
Museo Nacional de Arte (MUNAL) - Apart from the beautiful art, the architecture is also beautiful.
Museo Anahuacalli - A Diego Rivera Museum that is truly breathtaking.
Museo Frida Kahlo - Casa/Estudio
Espacio Escultórico UNAM
Palacio de Bellas Artes - An Art Deco architectural gem that also has an impeccable art collection.
Museo de Dolores Cárcamo
Jardín del Agua Museo
Kurimanzutto - Art gallery
OMR - Art gallery
Galería Hilario Galguera - Art gallery
RGR - Art gallery
Saenger Galería - Art gallery
Lago Algo
LaNao - Gallery
Olivia Foundation - Beautiful art foundation in La Roma
Casa Wabi Sabino
Travesía Cuatro - Art gallery
Le Laboratoire - Art gallery
Proyectos Monclova - Art gallery
LABOR - Art gallery
Arróniz - Art gallery
Galerie Nordenhake - Art gallery
Antiguo Colegio de San Idelfonso
Palacio de Bellas Artes, 2024
Culture:
Museo de Antropología - Architecturally it’s also beautiful
Castillo de Chapultepec
Museo Franz Mayer
Ballet Folklórico de Amalia Hernandez
La Cineteca Nacional
Las Pirámides de Teotihuacan - You can also view them from above in hot air balloon which is breathtaking
Casa de la Literatura Gabriel García Márquez
Casa del Lago: Juan José Arreola Centro Cultural
Estadio Azteca for a soccer match
Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú for a Baseball Game
Arena México for a Lucha Libre Match
