La Roma is pure magic.
My memories of our four days in Roma Norte of Mexico City are a blur of warm light, overflowing greenery, show-stopping architecture and old facades, and soul-satisfying tacos. The less expected part of the experience was the altitude sickness. At 7,000 feet, it didn't take long to diagnose the nausea and sleepiness. Dropping into a Crossfit class on day one probably didn't help our cause (getting our asses kicked is an understatement...)! Only by day four — once it was time to leave, of course — did we feel fully acclimated.
The most charming breakfast spot (albeit Italian…) in the neighborhood was Panedería Rosetta. It's a tiny hole in the wall and sister to the acclaimed Rosetta. It’s also the perfect place to fuel up for a day in La Roma. We dipped in and out of nearby shops and cafes all morning, tried on the vintage shoe collection at Goodbye Folk, and filled up on el pastor tacos at El Tizoncito.
Pro tip: Before you book plane tickets, reserve a table for Pujol, Quintonil, Lardo, Contramar, or Rosetta. We were too last minute for reservations, but managed to snag seats at the bar at Lardo, located on a romantic corner of La Condesa.
Panedería Rosetta
Baltra
El Moro
Centro Historico
We had the terrible idea of trying to hit every major attraction around Zocalo square in the peak of altitude exhaustion & afternoon sun... Fueled by mole from Azul Historico, we took the Calle Madero walkway from Zocalo square to Palacio de Bellas Artes, and I'd like to say we made it to Barrio Alameda and Banco Nacional de Mexico… but at this point in the afternoon, rains rolled in and gave us an excuse to run home and collapse for a few hours.
Chapultepec CastlE
The magnificent, neoclassical Castillo de Chapultepec sits atop a hill in the middle of Mexico City. It has served as a military academy and a home for Mexico's rulers, and today houses a collection of art and history. It's a beautiful city escape.
la Condesa
Avenida Ámsterdam wraps around central Condesa, and leads you through a tree-lined walkway packed with cafes and boutiques in colorfully restored art deco buildings. I stumbled upon the El Pendulo cafe and bookstore (with a live band!) before landing in the Parque México in the middle of the district.
Fonda 99.99
Coyoacán
We couldn't leave Mexico City without walking the narrow cobbled streets of Coyoacán and paying a visit to the Frida Kahlo museum. The "Blue House" where Frida and Diego Rivera resided was an absolute highlight of our trip. The striking cobalt blue walls, the stories of Frida, and the collections of art are endlessly inspiring. After our visit, we filled up on chilaquiles at the cozy Cafe Ruta de la Seda and explored the Bazar Artesanal Mexicano full of traditional crafts.
