After collecting many recommendations from friends and locals and road testing them myself, these are my favorite Mexico City stops.

Bars

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Handshake

If you only go to one cocktail bar in the city, let this be it. It’s popular, so making a reservation in advance is the way to go. Their whole vibe is classy and speakeasy, but I particularly loved sitting at the bar to watch drinks being made. Staff were knowledgeable and great at recommending drinks. I recommend the Mexi-Thai, the Butter Mushroom Old Fashioned, and the Fig Martini.

Baltra

Themed around Darwin and his travels, this isn’t just a cute looking concept. Their menu was creative and had a range of different spirits.

Tlecan

This is an incredible place for a mezcal experience. Their design gives a nod to Aztec culture, yet the space feels hip and contemporary at the same time. The menu has an excellent selection of mezcal and mezcal cocktails. I appreciated the staff helping us navigate it and giving recommendations.

Brujas

This is a fun spot: a bar themed around impactful women, housed in a historic building. They do their concept (and their drinks) well without being cheesy.

Restaurants

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For a special occasion: Pujol

While extremely expensive, this was the best meal of my life. Their tasting menu combines the best of Mexican food of all types with a variety of different techniques for unexpected and amazing flavors. Their service can’t be beat.

For dinner: Expendio di Maiz sin Nombre

A tasting menu you take at your own pace? Fun and unique. This place allows you to share dishes (both plant-based and with meat) for as many rounds of a chef’s choice adventure as you choose. My husband and I did three rounds and a dessert and were stuffed, but I wish we had space for more!

For quick and cheap food: Tacos el Gato Volador

To balance out our pricier meals, we loved street tacos at this stand so much we actually went twice in our short trip.

For a snack: Panaderia Rosetta

This is the bakery attached to the restaurant Rosetta, and my favorite bakery of the many we tried in Mexico City. Their guava roll is a crowd favorite, but everything on their menu is next level. Trust me— we tried a LOT of their pastries and other baked goods.

For breakfast or brunch: Café Nin

This adorable and popular café has a great selection of coffee and tea drinks, pastries, and more filling breakfast options. Their quiche and mushroom toast were perfect for a filling but healthy start to a day of adventures.

Activities

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National Anthropology Museum

Affordable and accessible, this museum is easy to get to, with signs in English and exhibits that are interesting regardless of how much you know about Mexican history. It’s also huge! We spent under three hours at the Frida Kahlo house and museum, but could’ve spent all day here.

They have live cultural performances outside and are close to the beautiful Chapultepec park, which I also recommend visiting.

Pyramids of Teotihuacan

After research, we chose to take a tour for ease of transportation. I highly recommend this method! I appreciated the pyramids a lot more knowing the history behind it all.

Lucha Libre

Like visiting the pyramids, we did a little research to see if we should brave this cultural experience on our own or go with a tour group. This one we did on our own, and I’m just as happy with that decision. Even though it’s a crowded area, the stadium is easy to navigate after buying tickets online. Your money is better spent on a closer seat, a beer at the stadium, and a souvenir than with a guided group experience.