In mid-December, I told my friend Katie (RIP Daily Crush) that I wanted to get my boyfriend a trip over a physical gift. She was not only supportive but it quickly turned into a couples trip that she surprised her fiance with. Fast forward just a few weeks, MLK weekend is here and the lists from friends were still rolling in with Mexico City recommendations. We made a curated list from all the lists I had received based on vibes, IG feeds and neighborhoods. We didn’t make any reservations and decided to semi wing it, try to get into places on the list but also pop into places that looked cute on the way. Below is a diary of each day, and a list of everywhere I went. I LOVE chatting so please comment or message me any questions you may have!

Tips:

–  Mexico City doesn’t do bars as we do in America. Everything is sit down service and restaurants do not have bars you can wait at. With that- make reservations if there is a place you are dying to go to. That goes for both restaurants and bars- there were a few bars I was sad we couldn’t get into.

–  You will not look like a tourist in chic sneakers. Mexican style revolves around a good sneaker and layers.

–  Tipping options usually max at 15%, with 5-10% being average.

–  Sharing is caring, we did a lot of ordering and sharing then re-ordering of our favorite things.

–  The city is 10 times more lush and green than I ever expected! Beautiful, huge parks that have a very rainforest-y feel.

–  The most expensive meal we had was about $50/person and it was at the nicest place we went. Everything else was very cheap, talking $5 for two coffees and a pastry.

Friday: We got in around 2pm and had a 30ish minute uber to our AirBnB which was in the Condesa. We found an adorable little taco place- Departamento PB– that ended up being on one of our lists. It was filled with lots of mid-century modern furniture, and the best short rib tacos! From there we had dinner at Rosetta, which was on every list out there and there is a reason. The decor is so serene and romantic alongside delicious Italian food. The wait was about two hours (we forget to make reservations) so we walked to a bar and waited- no ‘text when your table is ready’ so wear your watch. We ended the night with a sweets nightcap at El Moro churros. I accidentally ordered hot chocolate instead of dipping chocolate but it was even better!

Saturday: Kicked off the day at an adorable coffee shop, Chiquitto in Condesa, before hitting the markets. We took an uber to Coyoacan and San Angel to explore the markets and neighborhood. They are both beautiful areas with so much color and history. For lunch, we went to el Parnita which had a long wait but was totally worth it. It opens right into the sidewalk where everyone is drinking, waiting for their table. Felt like one of the most local dining spots we went to- amazing people watching! We had a super late lunch so kinda skipped dinner and went right into checking out a salsa club a little early.

Sunday: Probably my favorite day because it was beautiful, I loved my outfit (haha) and we finally had a good understanding of the lay of the land. Mike and I stumbled into a bakery that made me giddy. Ballarò is half restaurant and half bakery with outdoor seating. When entering the bakery you pick up a cafeteria tray and a pair of tongs to pick out all the pastries and bread your heart desires from the walls. It seems so minor but it was such a fun experience. From there we went to lunch at one of the places we were all 4 equally excited about – Contromar. Mike and I got there right at 12:05 (they open at noon) to get us a table and there was already a handful taken. The place got packed with both locals and Americans within minutes. The way the employees turned tables and hustled was insanely impressive. Okay now to the food….when 4 people tell you to order the tuna tostada – you ordered it twice haha! But seriously the food was amazing! From there we headed deeper into Condessa and explored a few shops including Void Vintage which is probably one of the most beautiful stores I have ever been in. Right, when we walked in Mike spotted a vintage Ohio State tee shirt and I knew it was going to be a good day. Katie and I toyed a lot with staying in either in Airbnb or hotel so we had to check out Condesa df and their amazing rooftop. Highly recommend going and having a few drinks on the rooftop and exploring the hotel. After a very trendy day it was time for a little Mexican tradition- dinner at Cafe de Tacuba which has been around since 1912!

Monday: Short and sweet send-off at Cafe Nin which I would go to every day if I could!

Coffee/Breakfast:

–  Panderia (Roma Norte): One of the top places I was recommended to go. An adorable little bakery that is owned by the same people who run Rosetta. One of the best chocolate croissants I have ever had.

–  Chiquitto (Condessa) – tasty coffee, modern vibes!

–  La Valise (roma norte) – I am kicking myself because I can no longer find the exact place but there is a coffee shop in front of the La Valise Hotel that is SO cute! Stumbled upon it because of the cute building and insta-grammable plants outside and am just not realizing its a very popular hotel in both Mexico City and Tulum!

–  Cafe Nin  (Juarez) One of my favorite spots hands down- beyond charming and delicious!

–   Ballarò – all the pastries!

Food:

–  Departamento PB – dinner – amazing tacos.

–  Rosetta – dinner – the nicest meal we had in terms of $$, Italian food.

–  el Partina – lunch – super fun and very local aka great people watching!

–  Contromar – lunch or dinner – seafood, so delicious- order the tuna tostada!

–  el Moro – churros

–  *Lalo! – breakfast – still sad I didn’t get to go

In terms of drink spots, I am sorry to say I didn’t take note of them that much! As I mentioned it was a little harder to get into some of the places we wanted to go so we popped in and out of spots that look cute. This route was actually a little more fun if you ask me!