INN & OUT: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
Incredible food, history, cocktail bars and shopping!
Visited for New Year’s 2026 (great time of year btw).
Scroll down to see where I’d go again:
RESTAURANTS:
Blanco Colima: Located in the Roma Norte district (which I highly recommend) inside a beautifully restored Porifrian mansion.
The cuisine is Mexican - European fusion in a vibrant environment w/ a great cocktail bar & wine list.
Gonzalitos: There are so many taco joints in CDMX - This was my favorite.
A small take-out style (almost booth-like) joint where there wasn’t a single taco that didn’t SLAP.
No wonder it has multiple Michilin logos all over it!
Green Rhino: This is your morning stop prior to walking exploration in Roma Norte.
Owned by James Beard award winning author & baker, Richard Hart… the bread was WHOA.
LIBATIONS:
Handshake: Often referred on World’s 50 Best Bars - at the time of this article, #2!
There are so many amazing cocktail bars in CDMX, if only choose 1 - make it this one! Reservation required!
Tip: The food was actually quite good if you’re looking for a snack.
Hanky Panky: Also referenced on World’s 50 Best Bars - also award winning!
Any time you can exit a bar through a secret fridge in a taco shop… I’m in! Reservation required!
Kaitoc Del Valle: Once again, in the top 50 - but, this one has a unique theme!
When you enter through an un-anticipated Pepsi machine, you’re transported into the only anime bar I’ve ever been in.
It’s owned and operated by all women… and, it has karaoke!
Tokyo Music Bar: Who would have thought there would be 2 Japanese themed bars in CDMX?
This one was also very memorable! GREAT tunes, cool vibes & mixology in the Cuauhtemoc district.
SHOPPING:
Amor Y Rosas: This store was so uniquely Mexico… made in Mexico.
I bought a wonderful short sleeve linen shirt with skull art- deeply rooted in the Dia de Muertos but I wanted so many pieces.
Not the cheapest shop, but the most unique and local by far!
Vezme: Sustainable clothing made in Mexico… genderless. What does that mean?
Very fashionable designs that were neutral colors with a tailor right there in house to get your vibes made to measure.
The prices were also competitive with the US or Europe. Check this place out!
Sareno: With two locations, Roma Norte & Condesa, this is classic Mexican style with some Japanese fusion.
The materials are centered around linen and cotton - combining fashion and free spirit.
Vintage Shops: There were so many vintage shops and most were GREAT!
Here are a few I highly recommend pulling from: Casa Ananda, Casa Gallo and The Erre Vintage.
ACTIVITIES:
Museum of Anthropology: I’m not normally a ‘museum guy’ when traveling… I feel I’d rather use the time to get to know the locals. However, this one is well worth a guided tour as its super unique to the region with a focus on America’s oldest civilizations.
Tip: See this museum before visiting the ruins / temples at Teotihuacan.
We Fly: You will need to be up at 4AM / You will need to get a driver to take you 45 minutes outside the city.
BUT… You’ll check off a bucket list item as you sore in a hot air balloon at sun rise above one of Earth’s earliest civilizations.
