Mexico City, one of the most expressive cities in the world! Expressive through its captivating and ever-present music, through its many artists of disarmingly beautiful sensitivity. Expressive also through its cinema and its cuisine, rich in flavors, freshness, and color. And then luminous, not because of its sun, since it is, most of the time, hidden behind a curtain of pollution, but luminous because of its people; all smiling and incredibly welcoming.
If you're like me and love to travel while discovering the local culture from every angle, you'll enjoy immersing yourself in the world of Frida Kahlo and her husband, the painter Diego Rivera, by visiting the house where they lived and created together for many years. Wandering through the rooms of this blue-clad house-museum, located in the charming Del Carmen neighborhood, you'll find yourself filled with an almost mystical energy.
Next, for history buffs, there's the unmissable National Museum of Anthropology, a "must-see" according to many. However, it's said to be so vast that it would be impossible to visit it all in a single day.
Right at the top of my list of favorite neighborhoods is Condessa. I chose, somewhat randomly, to stay in this part of the city during my first visit to Mexico City two years ago for safety reasons, and I completely fell in love with the charm emanating from the magnificent facades of traditional houses and their small wrought-iron balconies, and was dazzled by the beauty of the centuries-old trees that line the residential streets as if to protect the neighborhood's residents. And I loved basking in the sun on the rooftop of the Hotel Condessa DF with an Aperol Spritz, admiring the ultra-stylish travelers who strolled there from morning till night.
In second place, it is undoubtedly the Roma Norte district for its “boho” energy, its art nouveau style architecture and its super friendly little restaurants.
Then there's the very chic Polanco district. It consists of a huge luxury shopping street (the equivalent of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills), a gigantic park, breathtakingly elegant traditional colonial houses, and finally, an incredible number of high-quality restaurants. Polanco doesn't represent Mexico as we know it, certainly, since it's built to appeal to wealthy foreigners. But it's one of the areas with the highest concentration of outdoor patios in the city, and I love the atmosphere of those patios at the end of a day of sightseeing!
And finally, I loved visiting the Coyoacan market in the Del Carmen district, and walking in the surrounding streets to discover the small cafes and pastry shops, each more charming than the last.
If you are planning a trip to Mexico City soon, here are a few suggestions:
Hotel Carlota (with swimming pool and gourmet restaurant in the Cuauhtémoc district)
Hotel Condessa DF (Unique interior design and magnificent rooftop terrace)
Hotel La Valise (in Roma Norte)
Hotel Habita (in Polanco)
Four Seasons Hotel (absolute luxury! With an absolutely spectacular interior garden and one of the best bars in the capital)
Rosetta (The best food is made by chef Elena Reygadas!)
Pujol (12th best restaurant in the world)
Carlota (the restaurant at the hotel of the same name is absolutely divine)
Rokai (an extraordinary Japanese cuisine created by a Mexican chef)
Merona (for a delicious supper in Roma Norte)
Husset (for lunch in Roma Norte)
Café Nin (my favorite brunch spot)
La Merced Market (a gigantic traditional food market)
The Coyoacan market (for its many stalls selling traditional food and crafts)
The San Juan market (for a truly unique and delicious experience)
The La Ciudadela market (for stocking up on handcrafted souvenirs)
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