Are you a culture vulture or food connoisseur planning to explore Mexico City? With Mexican food being recognized by UNESCO as a treasure of human culture and Mexico City only coming in behind London and Paris for its number of museums, you have a lot to look forward to!
The following guide will highlight some of the delightful sights and experiences that await you in Mexico’s bustling capital city. We hope it offers you plenty of inspiration for your travels!
If you’d like to explore CDMX’s matchless gastronomic landscape in the company of expert locals, please consider joining us on one of our Food Tours in Mexico City.
Coffee has been produced in Mexico since the 1700s and the country is home to beans that stand out for their sweet, bold flavors – think chocolate, nuts, and fried fruit. In the 21st century, the third wave coffee movement, which emphasizes high-quality, single-sourced coffees, has exploded in Mexico, especially in Mexico City.
As a result of this thriving coffee culture, Mexico City is home to first-rate coffee roasters, artisan baristas, and memorable coffee shops.
Visit the Gradios Deli-Café where you can explore an extensive range of beans all sourced in Mexico!
We also recommend Cardinal Casa de Café who have two premises in Mexico City. Cardinal Casa de Café in Mexico City serves up specialty coffee with flair, offering on-table brewing demonstrations and unique drinks like the Oaxacan chocolate-infused Voltaire. They also pair their coffees with local goodies, including standout sandwiches, homemade ice cream affogatos, and freshly baked bread.
Or, look out for beans from Café Fugaz to try coffee expertly roasted by Abril Solis, a leading light of the third-wave coffee scene with over 14 years of experience — you’ll find their beans for sale in indie coffee shops and delis.
Want to learn more about coffee in CDMX? Read our Best Coffee Micro Roasters in Mexico City blog.
Mexico City is alive with beauty. As you wander across town, you’re sure to be struck by the variety of architectural styles on display and by the vibrancy of the city’s markets and shopping thoroughfares.
When we consider the most beautiful and picturesque streets, many come to mind. However, all visitors will encounter the iconic Paseo de la Reforma, a wide avenue that runs across the heart of the city. Modeled on European boulevards, it is home to some of Mexico’s tallest buildings, and some major monuments, including the iconic Angel of Independence. Our Mexico City Taco, Beer, and Mezcal Tour starts on Paseo de la Reforma.
For those who want to explore the city’s famously bohemian neighborhood of Coyoacán, Avenida Francisco Sosa is a must-visit street. This 450-year-old cobblestone street was home to some of the city’s first residents. Visit this area on our Coyoacán Food Tour.
Find further suggestions by reading The Most Beautiful Streets in CDMX next.
Mexico City is a food lover’s paradise. With Mexican cuisine recognized by UNESCO as an internationally significant part of human culture, there’s an unsurprisingly wide variety of traditional Mexican dishes to try when traveling in the country. And Mexico City is the place to be if you want to sample tasty traditional foods on the go or from the stalls of colorful local markets. But where does one begin?
Tacos al pastor is one of the most popular street foods in Mexico City, and for good reason. Thinly sliced pork is marinated in a bold mix of spices and cooked on a vertical spit before being topped with pineapple and served on a small corn tortilla. If tacos are among your favorite dishes, consider joining us on our popular Taco Tour of Mexico City.
Another classic to try in CDMX is tostadas, a fried or toasted corn tortilla topped with beans, cheese, meat, and salsa. Tostadas are enjoyed on our popular Coyoacan Food Tour.
Learn about many must-try dishes by reading our piece on 16 Must-Try Iconic Dishes in Mexico City.
How’s the vegan scene in Mexico City? It’s booming! The last few years have been pretty good for vegetarians and vegans globally. A growing awareness of the health and environmental benefits of eating less meat has led to many more choices regarding vegetarian cooking.
At Sabores, we carefully craft our Mexico City Food Tours to be vegan and vegetarian-friendly, so veggies will enjoy the tours as much as the omnivores.
Try Viko if Japanese-inspired, Mexican cooking sounds as interesting to you as it does to us! Meanwhile, Por Siempre Vegana Taquería prepares meat-free tacos al pastor that are good enough to rival any classic version.
Find more veggie dining inspiration by reading our How Vegan-Friendly is Mexico City? blog piece.
It’s quickly noticed how distinctive the different neighborhoods in Mexico City are. Some neighborhoods offer guests a quiet taste of local life, while others thrum with constant activity, as you expect from a capital city.
We recently put together a list of Highlights of Coyoacan, one of our favorite historic neighborhoods in CDMX. Coyoacán is an area that charms with a bohemian atmosphere, a great food scene, and sites of historical importance. The Frida Kahlo Museum, affectionately known as La Casa Azul (The Blue House), is a must-visit in Coyoacán.
Colonia Roma, on the other hand, draws us back time and again because the food on offer is just so, so good! It’s what inspired us to design our Colonia Roma Food Tour. Chefs, restaurant owners, and foodies recognize Colonia Roma as where the gastronomic trends in Mexico are set!
Mexico has a thriving brewing industry, and here in Mexico City, there are a lot of exciting places for craft beer lovers to visit!
Head to the Principia CDMX Taproom and sample some of the establishment’s 12 brews that they make themselves (they also serve fantastic food to go with it!).
Or, try Fiebre de Malta, a brew pub popular with locals and tourists alike. Fiebre de Malta stocks several international beers, making this the perfect place to try something you haven’t encountered before.
We’ve already touched on some must-try dishes for travelers in CDMX, but what’s the dish that best captures the essence of the city itself?
The crunchy tostadas of Coyoacán, the exquisite huevos tirados (scrambled eggs with black beans) from Fonda Margarita, and the delicious gourmet tapas from the San Juan Market are just some of the things that come to mind.
For those new to the CDMX, the city’s markets may be the single best place to sample the flavors that best capture the city’s creativity and boldness.
However, the city is also renowned for fine dining, so those of you who like to try refined dishes created by innovative chefs, will find plenty to love in Mexico City.
Read What Food Best Represents Mexico City? for a deeper exploration of this topic.
We hope this guide has given you lots of inspiration for memorable travels in Mexico City.
If you have any questions for us, we’re always happy to help. Just get in touch. Finally, please consider joining us for a Food Tour in Mexico City — we guarantee expert guides, bustling neighborhoods, and, of course, amazing food!