Matt and I managed to get to spend a long weekend in Mexico City in June. My parents very generously babysat our kiddos for 3 nights and 4 days while we flew down to spend time together, just us, eat all the food we could stuff in our faces and explore like we used to before a global pandemic and kiddos. This was our first international trip since Covid hit in 2020 and Matt’s first time to Mexico as a whole. We fell hard for CDMX and it’s a destination we truly see ourselves visiting again and again.
First of all, why Mexico City?
Mexico City has been nearing the top of my list for quite some time. After about four years of dying to go, we finally made it. There are several things that drew me here: the food, the museums, and the sites – among other things. I loved that the neighborhood we stayed in – Roma Norte – was very walkable and it was filled with cafes & restaurants. I also wanted somewhere we could get with ease, relatively quickly and in close to the same timezone so there wouldn’t be a ton of jet lag and we could literally hit the ground running!
Where We Stayed
Matt found our place in Mexico City. It was a little bit of a splurge, considering how affordable a lot of options in CDMX can be. However, because we only had a long weekend in Mexico City, we wanted a luxurious feel and spectacular location. With UTOPIC Roma Norte, we got both of those things and more.
UTOPIC Roma Norte is like an apartment and a traditional hotel had a baby. These rooms, which are more like flats, have it all. The most basic, which is what we rented, have a sitting area, a kitchenette with basic cooking equipment & small table, a massive, comfy bed and the shower had a rainwater shower-head which always feels like a little luxury. Plus, the space was impeccably clean!
I love that there was a front desk person there 24/7, so you had someone on-site should there be any issues. They also have security at the door, so it feels quite safe as well! There is a rooftop patio space, a garden patio and a gym here as well.
How We Spent Our Long Weekend in Mexico City
THURSDAY – Our Long Weekend in Mexico City
We left from the Springfield, Mo airport at 6am and had a whopping 30 minutes in Dallas, Tx airport until we were on the next plane for our long weekend in Mexico City. We landed just before around noon, so we still had a good chunk of that day and we hit the ground running. We ubered to our hotel – have I mentioned how much I loved that hotel, y’all? – freshened up and immediately went out for food. We asked the guy at the front desk where he would recommend we get tacos. He highly recommended Taqueria Orinoco, so off we went! They weren’t quite open when we arrived, so we found a coffee shop nearby. I had a dirty chai latte and Matt had a pastry. Because nothing says it’s lunch time like a pre-lunch situation, right?
Back at Taqueria Orinoco, we tried a couple different tacos, but the clear victor in our book was the al pastor taco (or Trompo there). They’re served with that delicious marinaded pork, pineapple, onion and cilantro. Plus they have a wide selection of salsas that they bring out with each meal that are in varying levels of spiciness!
After lunch, we had to pop back by the hotel because this breastfeeding mama still had to pump on our trip, but on our way back to the hotel, I had to get some mango. Luckily, a little vendor was parked on our street corner and I got mango from him daily. The first time I got it with the seasoning sprinkled on it. It was different than I thought it would be, though. It tasted more like the spicy candy coating than just chili, lime and salt.
My pump break was quick and delicious and then we took off to explore. We went into three different bookstores, got insanely delicious churros from Churrería El Moro and strolled through the green spaces we stumbled upon while walking through Roma Norte.
As a bookstore-lover, we popped in and out of multiple bookstores that each had so much personality! Some were filled with vintage books, others were more modern. All of them, though, were so interesting and beautiful to visit.
We had dinner at La Buenavida, which we just stumbled upon. We each had different styles of tacos, Matt got a quesadilla and I got these cheese-filled potatoes in a savory-but-sour sauce. It was very tasty! After dinner, we strolled around a bit more.
When I was trip planning I found a rooftop bar called Supra. So, we spontaneously decided to pop it into Google Maps and give it a try. Supra is at the top of a building with other businesses in it, so we just assumed we’d walk into the lobby and go up to the top. The security man outside the very open lobby took one look at us, though, and said, “Supra?” We said, “Sí!” and he pointed to a parking garage… We were very confused, but we went in. You walk up a slanted drive, turned and there was a kiosk. They too said, “Supra?” Then asked if we had a reservation. We said no, fairly certain we were about to be turned away, but instead he said, “Inside, down, left, left.” That’s it. So, we did that, into the exact same lobby that the security guard wouldn’t let us into, and went to the elevator bank. At the top floor, you get off the elevator into a very dark room where they too ask if you have a reservation. Then they lead you up two flights of very dark stairs through a door and suddenly, you’re in paradise!
The rooftop bar is like the ultimate boho destination. It’s full of cozy seating areas, there are plants are everywhere and the view is truly spectacular! Reservations are made for the cozy seating and food. We didn’t have dinner there, but you can stand at a bar without reservations, and that is exactly what we did!
I had a Tropical Buddha and it was the best cocktail I’ve ever had! It had guava puree and fig marmalade in it that gave it a slightly floral flavor and balanced sweetness! Plus, it came in a Buddha-shaped cup, which I loved! Matt had the French Spritz which was much less sweet, but it had a nice ginger bite to it! They were vastly different but both delicious. This was the perfect way to end day one of our long weekend in Mexico City.
FRIDAY – Our First Full Day of Our Long Weekend in Mexico City
On Friday we woke up and kicked off our morning at not one, but two different cafes! Our first stop was Cafe Curado for coffee. I had a horchata with a shot of espresso and the rice water coupled so beautifully with the coffee! Next stop was for food, we went to Pandaería Rosetta Puebla for pastries and impromptu mimosas. I had heard rave reviews about their guava rolls, so I got one of those and it was worth the hype! Matt got a pain au chocolate and it was massive and delicious! Also, those mimosas had a heavy champagne pour, which I also love!
After we were caffeinated and fed, it was time to head to Bosque de Chapultepec – the massive park that holds many museums and other sites! We easily, and safely, walked here from Roma Norte, which was perfect because we found an amazing taco stand along the way. Oh, how I’ve missed street food!
Our first stop in this area was the National Museum of Anthropology (Museo Nacional de Antropologie). This is a beautifully constructed museum and has a lot of incredible information and artifacts within it.
The famous Aztec Sundial, which is now believed to be something used in a sacrificial setting instead of as a calendar or sundial. This is found in the most popular and crowded room in the museum, but it’s well-worth waiting for others to move to see it up close. It’s massive and beautifully carved. There are many other interesting recreations, actual artifacts and ethnographic displays as well! I’ll have a more detailed post on must-sees in the museum later.
En route back to Roma Norte we popped back into the park and visited the bookshop and La Frapp just inside the park across from the museum. We got the kids a couple of books and I got another coffee, well, a frapp. Then we made our way over to the Botanical Garden (Jardin Botáinico). It had some really interesting displays of planting styles, like cement blocks filled with succulents, different lilies, a greenhouse full of tropical plants and these really interesting giant mosquito sculptures.
Back in Roma Norte we found Jenni’s Quesadilla, a street food quesadilla magician and got in the most chaotic line I’ve ever seen because it’s just that popular! I finally asked someone to make sure we were in the proper line and eagerly waited for Jenni to finally ask us which quesadillas we wanted! We got three different ones: chicken, beef & potato and mushroom – all of which had cheese of course. Guys, they were unreal and 100% worth the chaos and wait.
After dinner we did some shopping. I had found these crazy, dopey, cute flower pots somewhere on a blog or on Instagram, I can’t remember for sure, and we had to go to the shop and I got a couple for myself and a couple more for my mom and Alaina. It was the cutest shop!
Then we went to Mercado Medellín because I love exploring local markets. I had a really (now) funny interaction ordering some fresh squeezed juice (you can read about that in my June roundup here), which was absolutely incredible! We ended our night with more exploring, dinner and a round of drinks at Supra again!
SATURDAY – Our Last Full Day
We kicked off the morning with tamales for breakfast from Tamalito Corazón. They had green or red, which was conveyed to me in my very basic Spanish, so, of course we got one of each! I’m a huge fan of tamales, so I had to find a top ranked place that specialized in tamales and I was not disappointed. My preference between the two was the red tamal. They are very large, so if you’re just going solo I recommend only ordering one.
After tamales it was time for some caffeine. Luckily, there was a spot right next door that served coffee and pastries. So, I popped over to this Boulangerie for a latte while we waited for our Uber driver to arrive to take us to Coyoacán!
Coyoacán is famous as the home of Frida Kahlo. I knew it was best to get tickets to the museum beforehand, but we didn’t want to plan too much since our trip was so short. The morning was wide open for us, so we decided to give us a shot. But, as we knew they would be, the tickets were all sold out. Guys, get those tickets. Haha. So, we saw the outside of Frida’s house but then we explored a little on foot. We headed over to Mercado de Coyoacán and found Charleigh a sweet dress and enjoyed exploring the stalls filled with spices, veggies, fruits and more. Across the street from the market, was a little local art setup in the park. That was fun to walk through too!
Back in Roma Norte, we decided to explore over in Condesa a bit! En route, we popped by a craft brewery: Roma Norte Brewing. We shared a flight and literally every single one of them was so delicious. If you’re a crafter beer lover, I highly recommend a stop here.
Matt and I both love chocolates, so when I discovered there was a chocolate shop connected to a cafe, I knew that Tout Chocolat was a must for us. Along the walk we fell in love with the beautiful architecture and green spaces along the way. I loved the little truffles we got – every single one was delicious. Matt had a chocolate croissant and I had a caramel mocha and it was so good!
Dinner that night was extra special. We had Orinoco Tacos, all out, on my dear friend Millette from ‘The Next Somewhere’. Her husband had her bachelor party in CDMX and apparently still raves about their tacos al pastor – which we completely get now! She sweetly gifted us a date night, as a mama herself, she knew how special this first weekend away from our kiddos was for Matt and me – thank you from the bottom of my heart, Millette. So we each got tacos, I got the beans – essentially a soup, potatoes and we both got beers! It was the perfect indulgent last dinner in Mexico City to top off our absolutely incredible trip!
Sunday – Heading Back Home
Considering I hadn’t flown in almost 4 years, I was a little nervous about missing our flight considering we were flying out of a much larger airport than our home national airport. So, we didn’t do anything en route to the airport, but I will say, I found the CDMX airport very easy to navigate, security went very smoothly and I was happy to see a Costa Rica throwback in a Cafe Britt shop! Sunday was an easy travel day back home and we spent the whole flight eagerly awaiting the hugs from our babies at the airport and filled to the brim with gratitude and inspiration from this beautiful weekend my parents allowed us to have by babysitting for us.
This was definitely a wordy travel-diary style post, I’ll have some more quick info posts coming, but as part of my New Years Resolution to write fearlessly, it felt good to write from my heart. To share a lot of details about a trip that was ultimately so special to me.
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