mexico city — feed — The Pantry Raid

Mexico City - where you can eat a meal for $0.50 or $200, where you can walk for a week without crossing the same street twice, where you can stay in a chic high rise or tiled Euro-style mansion. This place has something for everyone. History buffs will ogle at the architecture and get lost in the Anthropology Museum. Art heads will lose their minds at the breadth of textiles and folk art and the abundance of Diego Rivera murals. Foodies will never go hungry from al pastor street tacos to elegant tasting menus. Fashionistas will find lesser-known designer treasures. Nightlife seekers have a bounty of clubs and bars to hop to. Nature lovers have endless green spaces to explore and tree-lined streets to wander. And dog lovers will think they died and went to heaven. We recently spent a week in CDMX doing all of the above. While it’d be easy to compile a rigid itinerary of museums and activities, we elected to limit the planning to a couple of reservations and then let the city take us by surprise. For this reason, I won’t share the exact play by play – there are plenty of well-planned itineraries around for those that prefer to travel that way – but instead, I want to share our favorite meals, a bucket list of foods to seek out and a few shopping stops that are worth baking into your plans. Here goes!

Restaurants (Map)

1. Buna

A delightful little cafe with sidewalk seating perfect for sipping lattes and people watching. They source all their beans from throughout Oaxaca and roast them in-house, landing either in an artfully crafted beverage or a beautifully designed bag to take home. We did the latter!

Coffee & Breakfast or Lunch | Roma Norte | $$ | Orizaba 42, Roma Nte., Cuauhtémoc, 06700 | https://buna.mx/

2. Chilpa

A buzzy and bright chilaquiles destination! Most of the seating at this restaurant is outside in the parklet, where you'll sit beneath the trees and be serenaded by the sounds of local musicians and Spanish gossip. While the menu has lots of options, you should come here for the chilaquiles, which are highly customizable for a choose-your-own-adventure involving chips tossed in salsas of varying peppers and spiciness and topped with eggs, cheese, meats, and veg. You can find chilaquiles on just about any breakfast menu in CDMX, but Chilpa has theirs down to a science so it's worth seeing how the experts do it to get your baseline.

3. El Moro

If it's churros you seek, look no further than El Moro, which everyone seems to agree has the best ones in town. The now-eleven location chain began humbly as a churro cart in the Zócalo (city center) in 1933! These beauties are fried to order in an aquarium of boiling oil, then tossed in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar and served alongside a thick almond milk hot chocolate and caramel dipping sauce called cajeta. They're crispy enough to leave tiny lacerations on the roof of your mouth – little reminders of your indulgence. And though deeply fried, they're light enough to cap an already heavy night of eating without regret. El Moro has a few locations around town, so you are never far from the churro of your dreams!

Dessert | Polanco | $$ | Calle Julio Verne 90, Polanco, Polanco III Secc, Miguel Hidalgo, 11550 | https://elmoro.mx/churrerias/

4. El Palenquita

A very legit mezcaleria, in which you will have the opportunity to taste artisanal mezcal sourced by the owners from rural Mexico and brought back in giant glass jugs. The bar is tiny, dark, and upbeat! Order the smallest size of several types of mezcal to taste your way through the breadth of flavors, from smokey to clean to funky. You're also going to want to order the chapulines – roasted crickets tossed in chile powder and lime – which are a smokey crunchy experience that is par for the course when you're drinking mezcal in Mexico. Don't be a typical gringo and pass this combo up! The guac here is solid too.

5. Entremar

The (twin) sister restaurant to Contramar, this is the one place you CANNOT skip when you come to Mexico City. Entremar is a family-friendly upscale restaurant frequented by the who's who in town. Order like a local: tuna tostada (the ultimate experience is texture and freshness), a plate of al pastor fish (may just be the best al pastor you try in town *gasp*), Pescado a la Talla (butterflied whole grilled fish painted with dueling salsas), Pulpo a las Brasas (broke my 2-year octopus hiatus to try this famous dish and just wow), Merengue con Fresa (strawberry shortcake meets a pavlova -- order this when you order the rest of your meal as it sells out). Finish things off with a Carajillo - a beloved Mexican cocktail of espresso and Licor 43, shaken until foamy and served in a large glass goblet over ice.

6. Farmers’ Market!

On Tuesdays, this intersection and the blocks around it transform into a magical farmers' market bustling with local produce and meat, artisanal ingredients, and steamy food carts. After eating our way through Mexico City, coming here gave the flavors we'd tasted more significance. You'll find farmers selling fresh fronds of hoja santa, the freshest chicken being butchered to order, and you better not leave without paying a visit to Mole Rosy (look for the eponymous sign)! Beyond her toothy smile and chilango warmth, she's got around a dozen different moles of various ingredients and spice for you to bring home (well wrapped in plastic). We brought back a mole verde (made with pumpkin seeds) and a special mole rojo (chocolatey, nutty, fragrant, and spicy). Back in your own kitchen, simmer a good amount of the paste with some broth, and then add shredded chicken or roasted tofu for the ultimate nostalgia machine.

Snacks or Lunch | Condesa | $ | Pachuca 1, Colonia Condesa, Cuauhtémoc, 06140

7. Forte Bread & Coffee

Forte is home to third-wave coffee and handmade breads and pastries, all of which honestly rival SF's greatest. This is not at all a typical CDMX coffee shop and is clearly catering to the ex-pat crowd, but what is 'typical' anyway? As Mexico City's food scene evolves into a hybrid between local humility and global extravagance, Forte seems to fit right in. The cafe itself is tiny and most of the space is taken up by the bread bakers who knead and fold day in and out. While we didn't get a chance to try them, they're slinging crazy-good looking pizzas Monday through Saturday from 3PM onward. Otherwise, grab yourself a fancy filtered coffee and a kouign amann as we did and be on your merry way!

8. La Docena

You probably didn't come to Mexico City for raw shellfish or po boys. Something about being landlocked and outside the US? Well, quiet that naysaying voice in your head because La Docena is just a lot of fun, and didn't you come here for fun? Didn't you?! Go 'ham' on the carved-to-order charcuterie and slurp up all that the raw bar has to offer. Beyond oysters (raw or grilled over a wood-burning stove) you'll want to get into the clams, which are the size of your hand! The meat is a shocking neon orange and is chopped, marinated, and served on the half shell over ice - they're briny and much less chewy than any other clam you've ever had. Wash it all down with natural wine, which there is plenty of on offer!

9. Limantour

I can't speak for the food, but do come to Limantour for their famed Al Pastor Margarita! Smokey, citrusy, and a little sweet, this is the perfect mash-up of what probably brought you to CDMX in the first place.

10. Maque

A very pleasant and cute breakfast/brunch spot with all the classics. Do as the locals do and start your meal with a fresh pastry, then tuck into just about any Mexican breakfast you can dream up. From chilaquiles to tamales to enchiladas to huevos rancheros. Yes, we did order all of those things and yes, they were actually all solid! I wouldn't encourage you to go out of your way to visit Maque, but it's a great spot to start a day of exploring. Specifically, you should come here on Sunday morning before wandering through Parque Mexico, which is filled to the brim with vendors and dogs and rollerbladers on this day!

11. Máximo Bistrot

At the top of the travel guides for good reason, you will immediately feel cooler upon entering this restaurant. The decor is minimal, but the high glass ceiling and reverberation of birds chirping create an atrium-like setting with plenty of natural light to highlight the beautiful dishes you'll order. From the burnt eggplant butter and bread served upfront to the "Mexican fried chicken," each bite feels almost revelatory, and with decently large portions, you're going to keep going back for more bites to confirm you're not dreaming. Plan to share lots of things and don't skip dessert! As icing on the cake, Maximo is very reasonably priced (compared to comparable US restaurants). Reservations recommended, but we were able to sneak in for lunch without one.

12. Onomura Nigiri Room

So much more than a sushi spot, dining at Onomura feels like a tropical getaway. Elevated above street level and surrounded by plants in an otherwise minimalist setting, the environment is an elegant backdrop for a feast you won't soon forget. From the elaborate cocktails (we tried the Shiso Martini and Jamaica Margarita) to the colorful array of nigiri, everything tastes incredibly fresh. And while the sign of a good sushi restaurant is often its simplicity, Onomura nails quite the opposite. We're talking foie gras and truffle nigiri, elaborate platings (have you ever ground your own wasabi??), spot-on renditions of Japanese classics like miso black cod plus their own inventions like warm mushroom salad and whole roasted, then fried cauliflower. Despite being landlocked and so very far from Japan, this restaurant will live down as one of my top Japanese dining destinations to date! Note that this location is slightly off the beaten path for tourists but only a short drive away. Their new Polanco location is opening soon!

13. Orinoco

No taco will ever be the same for me after eating at Orinoco, the frenzied and beloved taco spot with a limited menu of chicharron, trompo, and a couple of other items. The chicharron is a roasted, then fried pork situation that's equal parts crispy, juicy and salty. It's the way I want all the pork I put in my mouth to be like and is really unique to Orinoco. Okay, now that we're warmed up, let's talk about the TROMPO! This is al pastor at its finest. 'Trompo' is the name of the spinning rotisserie involving layers of glistening sheets of adobo-marinated pork being draped on top of one another on a spit and roasted by slowly spinning itself past an open fire. It's then shaved to order directly into a warm tortilla and served with a slice of the pineapple that caps the trompo like a meaty Christmas tree topper. A good trompo warden is very intentional with his slices and the Orinoco dudes do know what they're doing. The sweet, bright red, tender, thinly sliced meat is going to rock your world and you will never be the same. Bet. (FYI - there are 6 other locations throughout CDMX!)

14. Panadería Rosetta

While conchas abound in this city, you'll want to come to Elena Reygadas' bakery for her artisanal take on the classic baked treat. While you're there, work your way through as many pan dulces as your stomach will allow. Most popular is the Guava Roll, a puff pastry filled with cream cheese and housemade guava compote. That same guava compote is available to take away by the jar along with Rosetta's stunning cookbook which includes recipes from both the Panaderia and Restaurante. (We didn't make it to Rosetta Restaurante this time, but I dined there a few years ago and can't decide if the pasta or ambiance was more delightful!) Snag a table in the outdoor parklet where you'll be surrounded by the verdant greenery of trees and vines overtaking European-style buildings around you - to call the vibe atmospheric is an understatement. Heads up - be prepared to wait as this place is popular amongst locals and visitors alike. It's worth it!

15. Páramo

Hidden from the hustle and bustle of trendy Roma, you'll be lucky if you can find the covert entrance to Paramo. Once inside, you'll meander your way upstairs to a secret greenhouse restaurant filled with endless plants and delightfully peculiar decor. You're drinking margs and beer and eating anything they've got, but don't skip the vegan carnitas. Long-cooked mushrooms simulate pork and you'll wrap them in warm tortillas slathered with a crunchy aromatic peanut salsa that you'll wish you could take home a gallon of. Beyond the salsa, I wouldn't call the food life-changing but the scene is cool enough to warrant prioritizing a Paramo pit stop.

16. Pujol

Arguably the restaurant that put CDMX on the map for American millennials (omg have you seen Chef’s Table?!), Pujol is absolutely worth snagging a reservation and forking over a lot of pesos for. This is a tasting menu *experience* complete with choreographed service, showy presentation (our first course was a "snack" of skewered baby corn drenched in coffee aioli nestled in a smoke-filled dried gourd), and a beautiful level of refinement. From the scented wax-sealed menus all the way to churros and after-dinner drinks in the courtyard (where you will be shepherded for your final course if the weather allows), the whole 3-hour ordeal was pure elegance. The food itself, while tweezer-assembled, is satisfying and filling and masterfully elevates the region's signature ingredients and recipes. Standouts were the snapper ceviche, two thousand day old mole ("Mole Madre"), chapulín-marinated pulpo (that's cricket-marinated octopus) and masa tortillas pressed with a perfumey hoja santa leaf. Since dining in Mexico City is otherwise super affordable, consider your meal at Pujol, which will cost you around $200 per person, as simply balancing out the average.

17. Tamales Madre

Small but mighty, this quaint Juárez tamale shop dives deep into the rich heritage of masa in Mexico. The interior is bright with natural light, wooden surfaces, focused cooks, and a variety of colorful masas on display. The menu features a breadth of savory and sweet tamales, each crafted by hand with special masa which has been nixtamalized (the process that turns corn into masa) in-house. Presentation is seriously elevated with swooshes of sauce and delicately placed garnishes to accompany your wholesome tamales. Each one is pretty small, so order your way through the menu to experience all the tamale variety you didn't know existed.

Food Bucket List

There’s so much more to Mexico City’s cuisine than tacos and mezcal. Here are the foods you can’t miss on your next trip!

Bugs

Escamoles: Ant larvae! This is a chilango delicacy and is often cooked in butter and garlic. It's creamy and delightful once you overcome the fear factor.
Chapulines: These crunchy critters are crickets and they’re toasted on a comal and often dusted in chile powder. You'll see them on lots of menus and lugged around in big baskets by traveling street vendors.
Sal de Gusano: AKA Worm Salt. This smokey salt is often served sprinkled over orange slices as a palate cleanser when tasting mezcals. You'll also find it on the rim of many margaritas in town.

Masa-Based

Tamales: A classic Mexico City breakfast food, tamales are cylinders of moist masa stuffed with fillings, wrapped in a corn husk, and steamed. Head to Tamales Madre (see above) to taste a ton of varieties or buy one from a street vendor for a humbler rendition.
Tlacoyos: Football-shaped masa pockets stuffed with various fillings and often topped with avocado and crema.
Quesadillas: Mexican quesadillas are much smaller and made with corn tortillas. Curiously, the 'quesa' is not included by default, so make sure to ask for cheese along with the fillings you order. Stretchy and mild Queso Oaxaca is often used.
Blue Corn Tortillas: Blue corn masa has a more pronounced flavor than yellow corn. You'll see plenty of blue corn tortillas around and this special masa is also often used for tlacoyos.

Vegetarian Fillings For Masa-Based Things

Flor de Calabaza: Squash blossom is a favorite quesadilla topping in Mexico City. Delicate and slightly floral in flavor.
Setas: Directly translates to ‘mushrooms,’ but look for the ones that are big and white. They've got a mellow flavor and buttery texture.
Nopales: Cactus is a popular taco and quesadilla filling. The flavor is mild and the texture is a little slimy like okra.
Huitlacoche: Directly translates to 'corn smut,' this is a black/purple fungus that grows on the end of corn ears and is a go-to filling for quesadillas and tlacoyos. It tastes like a fusion of corn and mushroom!

Meaaaats

Chicharones: You'll see lots of vendors selling massive slabs of deep-fried pork skin, which is crispy and light! If street meat isn’t your thing, chicharrones are also used as an ingredient in many restaurant dishes (though guess where they buy their product from ;)).
Al Pastor: The street meat that defines chilango living. You'll see plenty of trompos around town - a skewer layered with sheets of adobo-marinated pork that slowly spins past an open fire and is shaved into tortillas to order. Go to the spots with the largest trompos and the biggest crowds.
Cochinita Pibil: A pork preparation that hails from the Yucatan Peninsula, but can be found in Mexico City. Whole pigs are marinated with loads of sour orange (which tenderize the meat) and achiote seeds (which impart a bright red color). The meat is wrapped in a banana leaf and slow-roasted until it's fall-apart tender.
Birria: Originally from Jalisco but now making a name for itself internationally. This is goat stewed until fork-tender and either served as quesabirria (a cheese and birria taco) or in its own consommé.

Sweets

Tamarind Candy: Stop at any streetside candy stand or buy them from the many kids selling sweets to passersby. Mexico loves its tamarind, a super sour fruit that's transformed into many kinds of candy often involving chile.
Mango w/ Chile & Lime: You'll see lots of street carts selling fresh fruit with chile and lime. Opt for the ones that slice the fruit to order and go heavy on the condiments!
Churros y Cajeta: Cylinders of fried dough tossed in cinnamon and sugar, then dipped in a goat's milk caramel sauce.
Conchas: This Mexican pastry is everywhere in CDMX. A fluffy bread roll is topped with a crumbly decorative topping of various flavors. The perfect way to start your morning.

Drinks

Agua de Jamaica: A deep magenta iced tea made from steeped dried hibiscus flowers and sweetened with sugar.
Michelada w/ Tamarind: Beer, lime, and Clamato in a big ol cup with a dripping rim of tamarind and chile. The ones served in Xochimilco were as refreshing as it gets.
Pulque: A thick, creamy, and slightly carbonated alcohol made from the fermented sap of the maguey plant. Not for everyone, but definitely worth trying.
Carajillo: A Mexican after-dinner drink. Espresso and Licor 43 (a sweet Spanish liquor) are shaken until foamy and poured over ice.

Order @ A Restaurant

Sopa Azteca or Pozole: Both tomato and pepper-based soups. Pozole is stewed with hominy and topped with radish. Sopa Azteca has fried tortilla strips and chicharron pieces in it, plus avocado and fresh cheese on top.
Queso Fundido: Say it with me. Hot melted cheese!
Pulpo: Octopus is a favorite seafood in CDMX and if you only eat one, make sure it's at Entremar (see above). Ask for the smallest pulpo which will be more flavorful and tender than the mature ones.
Mole: A thick paste made most often from cacao, peppers, nuts, and spices. Most have dozens of ingredients and are a labor of love and magic (have you seen/read Like Water For Chocolate?). The paste is cooked with broth into a stew that is delightful with shredded chicken or tender pork.
Chilaquiles: Doesn't get more Mexico City than this! Chips are coated in warm salsa and topped with eggs, crema and avocado.
Hoja Santa: A fragrant, minty leaf used in a variety of ways. Order anything that lists it as an ingredient.

Shopping

You are never far from cute boutiques and tchotchke souvenirs. These were the spots I’d recommend not to miss.

1. Columpio, Cardon & Mooni

Three stores all next to one another and owned by the same folks. One shop has funky and bright clothes, another more elegant fashion. Then there’s a print gallery and a plant/pottery shop.

Calle Atlixco 71, Colonia Condesa, Cuauhtémoc, 06140 | https://www.columpio.store/

2. Goodbye Folk Vintage Boutique

A multi-story maze of high-end vintage clothes. Worth stopping by!

Córdoba 55, Roma Nte., Cuauhtémoc, 06700 | https://linkin.bio/goodbyefolk

3. Incendiarias

A feminist-themed boutique with jewelry, pottery, clothes, and art. They've got beautiful and unique things all made in Mexico!

Calle Marsella 60, Juárez, Cuauhtémoc, 06030 | https://mujeresincendiarias.com/

4. Mercado de Artesanías La Ciudadela

A huge indoor market filled with Mexican folk art! You'll find thousands of alebrijes (brightly colored sculptures of mythical creatures), hand-woven straw bags, leather goods like huaraches (woven leather sandals), piles of sarapes (wool blankets), glittery Dia de Los Muertos shadow boxes and so much more. This is your one-stop-shop for all the souvenirs you'll want to bring back.

Balderas S/N, Colonia Centro, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06040 | https://www.facebook.com/MERCADODEARTESANIASLACIUDADELA

5. Parque Mexico

On Sundays, this expansive and atmospheric park is filled with vendors selling all the regular Mexican souvenirs, but you'll also find a few local designers and vintage stands hawking cute stuff!

Av México s/n, Hipódromo, Cuauhtémoc, 06100 | http://cdmxtravel.com/es/lugares/parque-mexico.html

6. Zapateria El Tigre

This boutique sells chic leather shoes made in Mexico with a designer feel. from sophisticated slip ons to edgy boots to hip sandals.

Colima 107, Roma Nte., Cuauhtémoc, 06700 | https://www.instagram.com/zapateria_eltigre/?hl=en

travelSienna MintzJune 22, 2021mexico city