Yeooooo,
today is a quick post about a full day of eating in CDMX. These are four spots that you absolutely have to hit.
I have a bit of a… chaotic… or more… a free-flowing way of traveling when I am in a new city. I build my days primarily around my meals. If there is a museum, gallery, or shop that I want to check out, I plan to see them usually around a spot where I want to eat at. I rarely uber/taxi (unless it’s pouring rain), and I typically walk for 30-40 minutes to get to a restaurant but I’ll take my sweet time. Stop at a park along the way, people watch, grab a snack or a jugo, maybe stumble into another restaurant that I haven’t heard of, etc. I’ll make it to that original spot eventually, but until I do, I want to see the neighborhood that surrounds that restaurant.
My first Airbnb was in Juárez, just north of Roma Norte. For the first half of the day, we spent it in Roma Norte, and later in the evening headed up to San Rafael, just north of Juárez to eat at a couple of spots.
Panadería Rosetta ($)
Everyone already knows this spot. Whenever you look up any kind of Eater, Conde Nast, Infatuation, blah blah restaurant recommendation site for CDMX, Panadería Rosetta will always be on that list.
The last time I was in CDMX the bakery was in a small space with a long bar that was packed with people. The lighting was dim, the ceilings were low, pastries line the bar, and the line was down the block. This time around they upgraded and had a pretty substantial expansion. This time around they took over the unit next door and added outdoor seating, but it was still just as packed. There was a line just to grab a quick pastry and coffee but another group of lingering people waiting to sit down and eat.
I’ve only been to a few bakeries for pastries so far but Rosetta’s pastries are really something else. Crispy when it needs to be, moist when it should be, not too sweet, and with really refined flavors.
We got the guava pastry and a ricotta and cocoa pastry. You gotta get the guava. It’s a danish with a dollop of sweet guava jam sitting on top of a little bit of sweet cheese. It’s perfect. What a danish should taste like.
The ricotta and cocoa pastry was great as well. Moist but with a good crunch from the butter laminated dough. Not too sweet and a good balance.
Their coffee is fantastic and they have a much more expansive menu for brunch foods and different pastries. Stay a while or grab and go. Just make sure to make this one of your first morning spots when you visit.
Mariscos “Mi Compa Chava” ($$)
I love mariscos (seafood), especially the way that Mexicans like to prepare and eat them. Ceviches, aguachiles, tostadas, almejas… all of it. Arguably the most well-known mariscos spot in CDMX is Contramar, but after hearing a lot of mixed reviews about the spot I wanted to try some other mariscos spots before checking out Contramar.
This spot has been my favorite so far. The restaurant looks like it used to be an old autobody shop that was gutted and repurposed to be a sexy beachside open-air restaurant concept in the middle of Roma Norte. The spot is buzzing with loud music, a ton of staff that is super helpful, and a space that is packed with guests.
We got an aguachile that was packed with raw shrimp, cooked shrimp, scallops, white fish, octopus, cucumbers, and red onions swimming in an immaculate rojo sauce. A tuna tostada - a generous layer of thinly sliced bluefin tuna that was sitting on top of a tostada with a spicy crema, garnished with cucumbers, red onions, serrano peppers, and sesame seeds. And a raw clam dish that was served raw with two types of clams and a whole scallop.
All the seafood was sourced from the Pacific coast, incredibly fresh, and the seasonings on everything were on point. Every bite was perfectly acidic, briny, and flavorful. When it comes to mariscos, freshness is king. Here you could taste how fresh everything is and it dissuades any fear that you may have of food poisoning that could happen when dodgy seafood is consumed. Close your eyes with every bite and you may feel like you’re taking a break from the city and enjoying a beachside meal.
We were able to walk up and snag a table on a slow Wednesday afternoon. Normally the spot is packed. Reservations are definitely recommended if you don’t want to push your luck and end up having to wait a hot minute.
Tacos El Güero ($)
This taco spot in San Rafael has all the characteristics that make it perfect. The kitchen is the centerpiece of the entire space. A plancha to the left, a massive comal to its right, and a little station along the outside for their pastor spit. When you order the man at the register puts down your order on three different post-it notes. One that goes to the comal station, one that goes to the plancha, and one that goes to the pastor.
They serve smaller street tacos that are lil two-bite wonders, perfect for a pit stop before going to another meal… which is what we did lol. Two al pastors tacos from the spit, a suadero taco from the depths of a simmering comal, and a bistec tostada con queso off the plancha… perfect lil snack before more food right?
There’s a Catholic crucifix right about the kitchen and it’s fitting. Taco spots like this are more than a restaurant - they’re sanctuaries of sustenance for weary travelers and hungry mouths. Come and sit ye who are weary for thy tacos will bring peace. This spot is great. I’m sure there are thousands of spots you can hit so make sure to add this one in.
La Polar
This was our intended dinner spot of the night. Nestled next to a busy highway is this two-story restaurant that specializes in lamb birria. A multitude of servers run around the restaurant with plates stacked from their palms to the top of their shoulders in their uniforms that have a polar bear and an igloo embroidered on their backs. Mariachi music is blaring through the space as TV’s around the restaurant play local football matches. It’s a vibe.
We sat in front of the kitchen which was manned by two older gentlemen who look like war veterans who have been serving birria for ages. I’ve only had the beef birria that is popular in the states. You know, the shredded beef tacos packed with onions and cilantro that you dip in a dark red bowl of consommé… but my gringo knowledge of Mexican food continues to expand through places like this.
This spot was a revelation. Incredibly simple, efficient, and damn good. We got their popular offering of a birria plate with a side of lamb consommé. After ordering, a series of plates were placed in front of us in a matter of minutes. A bowl full of sliced limes and whole serrano peppers. A small bowl of finely chopped onions. A small bowl of dark red Mexican bright acidic chili oil, perhaps a nut-less salsa matcha? A basket of steaming tortillas. And a massive bowl of chopped-up lamb sitting in a pool of broth.
This is how I want to always eat my tacos. A lil build-your-own adventure. Pack each taco with perfectly tender and succulent lamb that has been steaming for… hours probably, a spoonful of onions, a few spoons of the salsa, douse it in lime juice, and go down. Every few bites take a bite of a raw serrano pepper and you’re in heaven. You can try your best to not get too much broth in your tacos but slurping the drippings after each taco is a special moment.
The lamb is perfect. Tender, perfectly seasoned, a beautiful balance of fat and lean meat, and a nice touch of game. You have to come here. Please. Go.
I’m out of space for this one.
Save these and let me know if and when you get to visit these spots so I can cry when I see pictures when I’m back at home in Brooklyn.
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I’ll be posting another few spots like this very soon. Thank you <3
All love,
Edmond