Overall we enjoyed our Mexico City vacation less than the Puebla one. There were a few great spots we loved: Frida Museum, National Palace, Amaya Restaurant ... but the city, like many other mega cities in developing countries, felt a bit dirty and grungy. I also think it would have been more fun to visit with a group of friends - nightlife is supposedly great (which we didn’t get to experience traveling with a toddler 🤪) and certain parts of the city are very edgy and hip!
We got a spacious Airbnb apt for a steal price near the city’s historic center. Both the apt and the building turned out really nice. However, we really disliked the neighborhood. We couldn’t find a breakfast spot within walking distance from where we stayed. We tried to buy some milk and fruit but the closest supermarket was a good 15-min walk through a few dirty streets dotted with homeless people and a strong smell of smoking weed. We later found the local convenience chain "OXXO" was the best place to get milk and the stores typically carry some basic fruits too like apples and bananas.
If you travel here with family, it’s much better to stay in one of the following neighborhoods: Palanco (modern and hip, popular among the expat community), Roma or La Condesa (more family friendly with lots of cafes and restaurants).
Food was solid but we were kinda disappointed this was a hotel restaurant with tacky decor and business atmosphere. The almost empty dining room made the dinner less enjoyable too.
Wings made out of pistols
Booked a family portrait session with Raul on Airbnb. It was a great experience - Raul walked us around the historic center of Mexico City and took many gorgeous photos. Highly recommend!
A lunch spot near the Zocola recommended by our photographer earlier. It seemed popular among the locals but we thought the food was just ok.
This was not high on my todo list but it turned out to be quite a gem. The entrance to the palace is complete free. Inside you can find the former residence of Mexican presidents, only recently opened to public (2018) as a museum. There are also a few impressive pieces of large murals by Diego Rivera in the National Palace.
The palace is a huge complex so we spent ~2 hours walking around. Plus the photo walk this morning, we were dead tired so decided to skip the other sites planned for the historic center.
This is probably our best meal in Mexico City. Tasty bites, great atmosphere, delicious margaritas. You have to try lots of margaritas when you are in CDMX! They are so much better than everywhere else.
Checked out the new Wework coworking space right across from our Airbnb. Nice space with a great view of the city.
I learnt a lot about Fridah Kahlo here - what a fascinating life story! Their audio guide is excellent ... the best I have ever seen at any museum or gallery.
There is always a line to get in but it’s usually the shortest on a week day morning. You can get tickets online in advance too but there is a separate line for people with tickets and it doesn’t move much faster (so I don’t understand the point of getting tickets online in advance). We went there on a Thursday and arrived before noon so the wait was relatively short (5-10 mins). When we walked out around 1pm, the line was a lot longer.
An excellent French restaurant in a beautiful colonial house. We loved the roasted eggplant dish despite being meat/fish lovers.