Mexico City Will Ruin Other Food Cities for You
Tacos at midnight, markets at noon and some of the best museums in the hemisphere. A first timer's eating plan.
You can eat extremely well in Mexico City for very little money, and you can eat extremely well for quite a lot. The magic is that the gap between the two is smaller than almost anywhere else. A taco from a street stand and a tasting menu across town can both be the best thing you eat all year.
The taco education
Start with al pastor: pork marinated in chiles and spices, cooked on a vertical spit and shaved onto small tortillas, often with a sliver of pineapple. Then branch out. Suadero, carnitas, tacos de canasta. Look for the stands with a crowd of locals and a fast moving line. That is the only review system you need.
Markets are the main event
Mercado de Coyoacán is great for a casual lunch of tostadas. Mercado de San Juan is where chefs shop and where things get adventurous. Go hungry, point at things and say yes more than you normally would.
Neighbourhoods to base yourself
Roma and Condesa are leafy, walkable and full of cafés, bakeries and good restaurants. The Centro Histórico is busier and grander, with the main square and some of the city's most important buildings, and it is worth at least a full day.
Between meals
- Book the Frida Kahlo Museum, the Casa Azul in Coyoacán, ahead of time. It sells out.
- On Sunday mornings, part of Paseo de la Reforma closes to cars and fills with cyclists. Rent a bike and join in.
- The pyramids at Teotihuacan are about an hour away and make an easy day trip.
Practical notes
The city sits at about 2,240 metres, so take it easy on day one and drink plenty of water, bottled or filtered rather than from the tap. Carry small bills for street food. And pace yourself. You are going to want to eat something every two hours, and that is completely reasonable here.
