back in march we had a reunion three years in the making — lauren, kat, alex, jeremy, and i were all in the same place for the first time since our nyc visit in march of 2020 [yes, the weekend before everything shut down]. we decided back then that our next trip together would be mexico city, but we had no idea it would take us so long to make it happen. between the pandemic, a few cross-country moves, lots of personal ups and downs, and general life and work, it took some finagling to find time that worked for 5 people who live across 4 time zones but we finally did it. and it was amazing.

i have remarked many times since returning that mexico city is one of those places i could visit with different groups of people and have completely different experiences. there is so much to see and do and the city is so huge that i’m already planning return visits with other friend groups for the future. but for now we’ll focus on what the five of us got into during our time in cdmx. there’s a lot to cover, so settle in.

a note before we begin: almost all of the restaurants we visited rotate their menus seasonally, so i’ve not given details about our specific meals since they’re already out-of-season

thursday.

after settling into our airbnb we decided to walk to our dinner spot so we could take in some of the neighborhood. along the way someone spotted carajillo so we stopped in for a pre-dinner drink. we were only there a short time but enjoyed the murals on the wall and the opulence of the space.

and then it was on to rosetta for dinner. kat had taken the lead on booking dinner for thursday and friday and lunch on saturday, and rosetta was first on the list. as with most places we ate, the menu changes based on what’s in season; everything we had was incredibly fresh and delicious and it was a great first meal together.

friday.

at the top of most of our lists was visiting the frida kahlo museum, so that was first up on friday morning. we spent a few hours strolling through the house [where frida was also born and raised], marveling at how everything remains as it was on the day she died, and wandering the gardens. everything was so lush and green, and we loved the comparison photos so you could see what it looked like when frida was alive. definitely a highlight of the trip, although you could honestly say that about everything we did. pro tips: buy your timed entry tickets ahead of time and make sure to get there 10 or so minutes early to get in the queue / they charge a per person fee to take photos — payable in cash only — so if you’re with a group have one or two people take photos and share them back with the group after

next door to the museum is a beautiful shop called ojo amulets that has a great collection of handicrafts made by artisans from across mexico. alex picked up a lovely water jug and cup that i still think about often.

we needed lunch after the museum, and alex found centenario 107 which was a short walk away. it was the perfect place, calm and relaxing after being in large crowds, and they allow dogs outside so we made some pup friends as well. food was excellent, as was the service, and by the end we were all ready for a siesta.

after some quiet time back at the flat we decided it was time for another neighborhood stroll. we stopped by la increíble [where i got a beautiful plate], cucurucho, and finally found ourselves at suprette to share some wine and chat. it was nice to wander together — to be flaneurs, if you will — and see what caught our eye, and condesa is a great neighborhood for it.

and then it was time to get ready for dinner! mexico city boasts not one but two of the world’s top 10 restaurants, and through sheer determination on kat’s part we were able to get a reservation at quintonil for their tasting menu. to be honest this place probably deserves its own post in order to do those nine courses justice [yes, that’s right, i said nine courses], so for now i’ll say it was an amazing experience — the food was spectacular, the drinks were delicious, and the service really put it over the top. if you are planning a trip to mexico city and enjoy these kinds of things, i highly recommend seeing if you can get a reservation here. pro tips: it goes without saying, but you have to have a reservation / the bar seats give you a view of the kitchen so you can see everything being prepared, but for my money i preferred having the table and the chairs with full backs

saturday.

after another visit to cucurucho for coffee and pastries, we walked to casa gilardi. kat had heard about this private home designed by a well-known mexican architect that offers occasional tours and we were all game to check it out. the tour begins with an introduction from a family member [in our case, the son of the owner] about the architect and the history of casa gilardi, and then visitors are allowed to wander through the public parts of the house. upstairs is a beautiful family room and multiple terraces, and downstairs is an indoor pool that leads to a lovely patio. there are bold colors and intentional decor throughout, and on the day we were there family and friends were setting up for a toy-story-themed birthday party so it was extra festive. we took many many photos and gawked for as long as we could until it was time to leave. pro tip: tours are booked via email and don’t run every day, so if this is of interest to you get in touch with them early

after grabbing a quick pastry at panaderia rosetta, we set out for a stroll through roma norte. i can’t remember if it was kat or alex who had found out about cara de planta, but either way it was a big hit. they have all the planters and plant-adjacent things you could ever want as well as various other knickknacks. take your time if you visit, because there’s so much to see in there.

lauren had spotted librería ático during some earlier wanderings, so we made a quick visit there; it reminded me a lot of blossom in bangalore so i was very happy to wander the aisles. pro tip: if you want to purchase something, they are a cash-only business

and finally it was time for our lunch reservation at meroma. their balcony overlooks the street corner and provides the perfect vantage point for people watching. we each picked out 2-3 small plates and then shared them around the table, and everything was incredible. and then it was back home for a siesta.

when we were ready to set out again, we headed back to roma norte. alex grabbed some vegan tacos while the rest of us found food at various stalls at mercado roma. we found a picnic table in the outdoor section and had a great time watching people come and go around us. pro tip: it looks like they do most of their business during the day; when we visited in the evening only a few of the food stalls were still open

we stopped by a few different bars but it being a saturday night most were crowded and had long waits; we eventually found ourselves at koshō for a nightcap before heading home. the drinks were great and the music was at an ideal volume for a bunch of old souls.

sunday.

while the rest grabbed coffee from constela i waited for our table at panaderia rosetta. we were excited to return after our quick stop on saturday for a full sit-down breakfast and it delivered. with our outdoor table we had a great vantage point of the hustle and bustle around us and everything we ordered was delicious. the big hit for me was the coconut macadamia smoothie — it was so good i ordered a second one.

our next stop was the botanic gardens, and since it was a nice morning we decided to walk there. the gardens are stunning and we spent a few hours wandering and gasping over everything on display. lots of photos were taken and lots of bemoaning over plants we would like to have in our own homes happened. pro tip: the gardens are vast, so give yourself ample time to wander / their restrooms are pay-to-use so make sure you have some change with you

after the garden we wanted to walk along the reforma, a main thoroughfare in the city that is closed to cars on sunday mornings. on the way we stopped for a street performance that was happening and a festival, and then we ambled along. people were out on bicycles and on foot, games were being played and families were strolling, and it was so cool to see this space being used in a different way. pro tip: it’s only closed to cars until about 2pm, so if you want to walk or ride bicycles make sure you do that earlier rather than later

after a stop for refreshments and to rest our feet we continued our walk until we arrived at mercado de artisenías la ciudadela. we split off and wandered through all the various stalls, stopping whenever something caught our eye and picking up souvenirs for ourselves and to take back to others. one thing i really loved was how chill the people were — unlike in india, where people are pushing their wares on you, everyone here greeted us warmly and then gave us space to browse on our own. pro tip: there’s a lot to see, so give yourself a few hours / i recommend wandering first to see what’s for sale and who has the best prices and then circling back to make your purchases / most people take cash or card — if you pay with cash you’ll get a discount

some of lauren’s friends had recommended getting drinks at limontour, so on sunday evening the four ladies made our way there to enjoy some cocktails. the menu is extensive, boasting specialty cocktails with every kind of liquor you can think of, and they were all great. we also shared an order of fries with a variety of dipping sauces which i highly recommend. pro tip: make a reservation, because this place gets busy!

before heading back we grabbed tacos from por siempre vegana tacos, the vegan taco truck alex had visited the previous night. everything we had was delicious, and it was a great way to wrap up our visit.

and there you have it! everything we ate, drank, saw, and did whilst in mexico city. it was a great trip with some of my absolute favorite people, and i am so grateful we were able to make it happen. i am working on a separate “know before you go” post which will get finished one day soon.

xx