Play it cool in Mexico City
overlooked by the skyscrapers of Paseo de la Reforma further adds to the wow factor. From US$200 per night, B&B.
Fed and watered:
With halogen bulbs and burnished copper counter tops, the interior of La Docena (00 52 55 5208 0833; ladocena. com.mx) positively glows, bettering the restaurants of the Lower East Side at their own game. A raw bar facing the street serves oysters and tostadas loaded with scallop ceviche alongside excellent zingy cocktails. This is the go- to Friday-evening drinking den for DF’s fashion crowd and, come high summer, the party spills onto the street. Inside, pig carcasses line the back wall, giving a hint of the meat-focused menu, which includes superb South American steaks and American classics such as shrimp po-boys.
A few blocks west, Contramar (00 52 55 5514 9217; contramar.com.mx) showcases Latin American cuisine with a focus on Peruvian fish dishes over meat and bean-heavy burritos.
Opened in 1998 by chef and doyenne of the restaurant scene Gabriela Cámara, its style of cooking is now very much in vogue and Contramar remains a sought-after reservation. Its highceilinged dining room, tuxedoed waiters and white tablecloths attract a chic clientele — lunch is great for peoplespotting, with sharp-suited businessmen and society ladies vying for a table on the pavement. Once seated, they share small plates of crab meat, bell pepper and guacamole rolled tortillas alongside Galician-style octopus in olive oil and paprika. Take note, Contramar serves a mean margarita.
In Colonia Juárez, next door to Roma Condesa, find celebrated wine bar Amaya (00 52 55 5592 5571; amayamexico.com). With a warren-like layout that includes a room out back and tables tucked in nooks and crannies, Amaya has a homely, anything-goes atmosphere that makes it the perfect location to start — and end — a night on the town.
For the morning after, Milan 44 (00 52 55 9155 0970; milan44.mx) caters to all needs. An “urban market” in a large former industrial building, there’s “third wave” coffee at the Rompeolas stand and fresh juice and acai bowls at
Cultural agenda:
The orb-like Soumaya Museo (00 52 55 1103 9800; soumaya.com.mx) in Polanco is an architectural delight, paid for by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim to house his deceased wife’s art collection, containing everything from Mayan metalwork to Pollock paintings. Next door is the National Museum of Anthropology (00 52 55 4040 5300; mna.inah.gob.mx) — brush up on your knowledge of the country’s pre-Hispanic tribes and stand awestruck in the shadow of the Sun Stone, a 500-yearold Aztec calendar carved from a 24-ton piece of basalt.
Meanwhile, the blue-walled garden of Casa Azul (00 52 55 5554 5999; museofridakahlo.org.mx), once home to Frida Kahlo and husband Diego Rivera, provides a sanctuary in the heart of the city. Inside, a collection of Kahlo’s artworks and belongings does a fantastic job of telling her tragic but incredibly inspiring story.
Details:
Aeromexico flies from Heathrow to Mexico City six times a week, and daily from April 2017, with return fares starting at £636 (aeromexico.com).
visitmexico.com