2025 Ultimate Guide to Mexico City: Best Neighborhoods, Bars, and Restaurants

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My first trip to Mexico City was for two weeks. My second trip was for a month. On my third trip, I extended to six weeks. Now I’m trying to figure out how I can make six months possible. I’ve channeled my love for this incredible place into this ultimate guide to Mexico City.

I’d be willing to bet you personally know someone who’s been to CDMX recently and there’s a pretty good reason why. There are amazing restaurants and modern bars alongside delicious taco stands and juice carts. Tall trees hang over every street offering shade and the parks are beautiful. I’ve never been to a place so modern and happening and yet so calm and serene in the evenings.

In this guide to Mexico City you’ll learn about the best neighborhoods, restaurants, bars, activities and more. Really everything I wish I’d known before coming to CDMX. Looking for a day-by-day plan? I have a four day itinerary right here for you.

When to Visit Mexico City

Timing your trip right can make a big difference. Not that there’s really a “bad” season, it just depends what you’re looking for. Here’s when to go to Mexico City:

• Shoulder Season: This is my favorite time to visit. Early April/May or late September are perfect. Pleasant weather and fewer crowds.
• Summer (June – August): Peak tourist season. It’s lively but busy, so plan accordingly. It’s also rainy season, so you should expect a huge thunderstorm for an hour in the afternoon. So long as you have an umbrella, you’ll be fine for the rest of the day.
• Winter: Chilly (CDMX sits ay 7.3k ft elevation), but if you don’t mind, it’s a quieter time to explore. My first trip was during winter and I didn’t mind it at all.

How to Get to Mexico City on Points

We wouldn’t be Inside the Upgrade if we weren’t talking about deals on points, right? I flew both ways (in economy, I know), on Aeromexico thanks to points. It was incredibly easy to transfer them from American Express Membership Rewards thanks to my Platinum Card from American Express and my American Express Gold Card. I love the flexibility of my Amex points and I think Aeromexico is an often overlooked, and really valuable, transfer partner.

Where to Stay in Mexico City

First, I have an entire guide to my favorite neighborhoods and hotels in CDMX here. You’ll find most of the hotels are in the northwestern part of Mexico City – Polanco. While this is a nice, upscale neighborhood (you’ll find Pujol here), I don’t ever spend much time there.

Instead, I highly recommend staying in the Roma/Roma Norte/La Condesa neighborhoods. Here’s why:

• Dreamy Streets: Stroll through picturesque, colorful, tree-lined streets that are perfect (albeit uneven) for leisurely walks and incredible instagrams (I know, this isn’t the priority, but when a good photo calls your name you really have to stop).
• Cute Coffee Shops: Need a caffeine fix? Pop into Blend Station or Quiasmo Coffee Bar for some of the best brews around.
• Delicious Restaurants: From mouthwatering street tacos to gourmet dining, these areas are a foodie’s dream. More on this below!
• Best Bars: My favorite bars are all in Roma/Condesa. Also more on this below!
• Great Parks: Relax in Parque México and Parque España, ideal for a chill afternoon. If you go on the weekend, they’ll have kittens and puppies up for adoption. You’ve been warned.

Wondering where to stay in Mexico City? I’ve got a guide of the best places and hotels in CDMX here. I tend to stay in Airbnbs because I’m there for more than a month and want a kitchen, but an easy recommendation is the Andaz Hotel. If I were to stay in a hotel, this would be it thanks to it’s central location and rooftop pool. Check out the latest prices and more details.

Best Restaurants in Mexico City

No guide to Mexico city would be complete without talking about the incredible restaurants. The dining scene in Mexico City is absolutely unbelievable and not just for Mexican food. You can get haute cuisine, sushi, artisanal pizza and more.

Before you go, I cannot recommend enough that you watch this Taco Chronicles episode on Netflix. It gave me so much context for the taco stands you’ll find on every street corner (hint: order “Suadero”). One thing that surprised me is how much of a reservation city CDMX is; if you can, try to lock down a reservation ahead of time.

Here are a few of my favorite spots in Mexico City: 

• Nogal Nogal – If you do one thing in Mexico City, this should be it. It’s a home-cooked meal by an incredible Mexican chef surrounded by candles. I almost don’t want to write about it so it stays hidden.
  
  
• Marmota – Hands down the best restaurant meal I had in CDMX. Think small plates coming from an open kitchen. Not to be missed.
  
  
• El Pez Azul – If you’re looking for seafood tacos, look no further. I didn’t need a reservation here for lunch.
  
  
• Neveria Postre – As my local friend Mary taught me, you’re not doing CDMX right if you’re not getting popsicles. This shop offers 2×1 on Wednesdays, and you can stroll the Avenida Amsterdam loop in ~15 minutes while you enjoy it.
  
  
• Entremar – You’ve probably heard of the famous Contramar; Entremar is under the same ownership, with the same food (including the renowned tuna tostadas), except you can actually get a reservation. Get the red/green whole fish. It’s worth it.
  
  
• Casa Virginia – It’s expensive but it’s worth it. It’s an upscale restaurant on the second floor of a beautiful building that serves thoughtfully prepared small plates. The risotto and the lamb are great and I can definitely recommend a martini in their secret back bar.

Want to explore the street food scene and not plan it? Try a street food + mezcal tour.

Best Bars in Mexico City

Now for the important part. Mezcal (served with orange slices) is an integral part of Mexico City and you should order it every chance you get (okay, maybe not every chance). The cocktail scene is excellent (you should expect to pay ~$12 – $15 per drink) and they have a lot of non-alcoholic options as well. Here are my favorite spots:

• Ladina Bar: A perfect dive bar with amazing cocktails and a laid-back vibe.
  
  
• Bijou Drinking Room: A speakeasy where you order drinks from a Rubik’s cube. The staff was so thoughtful and kind and excited to make the speakeasy experience a real memory.
  
  
• Baltra Bar: Known for Martini Tuesday happy hour. Get there early, like before it opens – it fills up fast. Or message them for a reservation.
  
  
• Petanca Roma: A bar with bocce ball? Count me in. A must-do activity.
  
  
• Tierra Seca – This hole in the wall Mezcaleria is a great way to start the night.

Best Activities in Mexico City

There’s no shortage of activities in CDMX – from walking tours to parks to museums. I’ve personally hit the age where I prefer to go with a guide or a tour – I honestly want to learn about the places I’m visiting and a guide makes it so much easier. Here’s what I’d bookmark:

• Take a Day Trip to the Teotihuacan Pyramids: Explore the ancient pyramids – the history and views are breathtaking. For the best tour of Teotihuacan, I highly recommend going early in a small group tour to beat the crowds. You can also do a sunrise hot air balloon tour if you’re feeling adventurous.
  
  
• Visit the Museums: The Frida Kahlo Museum (I suggest a skip the line tour – you will absolutely need a reservation) and the National Museum of Anthropology are absolute must-sees. You can explore Chapultepec Park before your Anthropology museum visit with this tour.
  
  
• Spend the day at Xochimilco: This is a bit outside the city, but you float on colorful boats down the river, ideally while dancing to a speaker you’ve rented from a local vendor. If you don’t feel like venturing down there on your own and are looking for the best Xochimilco tour, this tour comes with unlimited drinks.
  
  
• Go to a Lucha Libre show: Honestly, I was pretty anti watching wrestling in Mexico. But oh man, I was wrong. This is probably one of the most fun activities I partook in while we were there. When I was there, you did need to print your tickets ahead of time or pick them up at a local outlet, so I recommend a tour like this one that comes with tacos and mezcal.

Helpful Tips for CDMX

• Is the water safe to drink in CDMX? Nope. You can’t drink the tap water and I would be wary of uncooked fruit/veg. If you’re planning on cooking yourself, make sure you buy Microdyn or Bacdyn drops at the supermarket to soak your produce in for 15 min.
  
  
• Conserve Water: Mexico city is also experiencing a very real water shortage. While tourist areas aren’t as heavily affected as the rest of the city, responsible tourism is critical and 15 minute showers are not appropriate.
  
  
• Learn a Few Spanish Phrases: Most people speak some English, but it’s helpful (and kind, in my opinion) to at least try. “Tienes una mesa para dos personas?” (Do you have a table for two?) was particularly helpful for me.
  
  
• Tipping: A 10-15% tip is expected and honestly the service we got everywhere we went was well worth it.
  
  
• Pollution: This is probably the only thing that would prevent me full time living in CDMX. Pollution is real, and while I felt completely fine walking around and enjoying my time there, I wouldn’t recommend going for a run outside.

Bonus! My Customized CDMX Google Map

To help you navigate the city and find all the best spots, I’ve created a Google Map with my favorites. This is my personal list I actually use myself, so you’ll see little notes by each place. Check it out, for free, here.

Ultimate Guide to Mexico City: Wrap-Up

Honestly, I absolutely love Mexico City and I hope this helps with you fall in love with it as well! There’s no shortage of activities, bars, restaurants, history, wonderful people and amazing culture. I can almost guarantee your first trip won’t be your last.

Cheers to your next adventure ✈️

Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.