Grupo Habita's converted 17th-century palace is an island of chic in workaday Centro Histórico, seamlessly mixing the old (stone walls; high ceilings) with the new (a sexy rooftop bar and pool).
The creative energy of Roma seems to swirl around this warren of restaurants, bars, and 17 wood-paneled rooms. At night, head to the terrace café to watch the comings and goings on Calle Orizaba.
This 35-room sanctuary is marked by rich Yabu Pushelberg–designed interiors and thoughtful touches—a full-length three-way mirror; coffee that arrives minutes after your wake-up call.
Inside this 17-room B&B are walls painted in bright jewel tones and Mexican art; rooms range in size from the tiny Treehouse to a two-bedroom suite with a private terrace.
It's all about gracefulness here, from the polished staff to the courtyard parterres. Tip: follow staffers to the street-food stands on Calle Burdeos for some of the area’s tastiest tacos.
Rooms at this stylish hotel, near the Santa Fe neighborhood, include 420-thread-count sheets and motorized drapes—and dedicated floor concierges secure everything from meal reservations to shoeshines.
Yabu Pushelberg-designed rooms are large and plush at this elegantly modern hotel on Paseo de la Reforma, but the real showstopper is the panoramic view from the spa and fitness center.
Chef Enrique Olvera heads the city's most innovative Mexican restaurant, using market ingredients and newfangled techniques. Try the tacos filled with baby lamb, avocado-pea purée, and hoja santa.
At this Polanco hotspot, chef Jorge Vallejo’s delicate dishes look like floral arrangements. Fried huauzontle is served with cheese from Chiapas; chilacayote squash is drizzled with mole.
Fashionable locals crowd the high-ceilinged dining room for long, loud, convivial lunches, especially on weekends. The ideal meal: oysters and grilled porgy painted with green and red sauces.
A theatrical greenhouse-like space with checkerboard floors and a retractable glass roof sits atop an early-20th-century mansion. You can’t go wrong with the taco del río, made with langoustines.
With Midcentury chairs and industrial light fixtures, this unpretentious café is a favorite of Roma’s creative class. The menu is simple: salads, pitch-perfect sandwiches, and wines by the glass.
At the city’s most exhilarating concept store, a circular staircase connects three floors packed with cutting-edge merchandise from both near (bikes from Rock&Ruedas) and far (THVM jeans from L.A.).
At this 18th-century former Jesuit school, placid porticoes are lined with bitingly satirical murals by José Clemente Orozco, Diego Rivera’s contemporary.
A must for architecture fans. Barragán created intensity by distilling color and structure, like the intensely pink wall or the window whose shadow aligns with the wall opposite.
Roberto Shimizu began collecting Mexican-made toys in 1955; now his son oversees the 45,000-piece exhibition. The displays of soldiers, Barbie dolls, and more induce joyful nostalgia.
A trove of pre-Columbian treasures, among them the Piedra del Sol, whose carvings reveal the cosmological complexity of Aztec beliefs, and a Toltec armored vest made from seashells.
A traditional fonda that serves delicious peneques, a kind of deep-fried quesadilla with green and red pipián (pumpkin-seed sauce).
A must-stop for farm-fresh produce and the city’s best barbacoa de borrego (slow-cooked lamb).
The museum, a modern pyramid of volcanic rock built by Diego Rivera, houses the artist’s quirky collection of pre-Hispanic works.
The legendary Centro candy store is an Art Nouveau gem. Try the panqué de elote (cornbread pudding).
Shows international stars such as Damien Hirst, as well as Mexican artists (Bosco Sodi; Daniel Lezama).
The hangar-like space, in Nuevo Polanco, is known for large-scale installations.
Fernandez’s clothes marry traditional patterns and textiles to a modern silhouette: bias-cut ponchos and minidresses may include a print of a Mayan warrior or an armadillo embroidered in silk.
