Mexico City: Roma & Condessa
Ideal for digital nomads
When our house was being built, prior to COVID, Tom and I spent almost two years as digital nomads. Over two different stints we stayed for several weeks in the Roma and Condessa neighborhoods of Mexico City. We would work in the mornings, then around 2:00, we’d stop for the day and hunt for a great lunch spot. That took the rest of the afternoon. We’d walk and walk, then have a very light dinner. These are my notes from this adventure.
If you’re planning to go, I recommend you buy the book, This is Mexico City, by Abby Clawson Low. It’s full of interesting places with photos and descriptions. We took it with us, and we were glad we did.
Transportation
Arrange to have a driver pick you up at the airport. It’s fine to use Ubers around the city, but for your arrival, having a car service pick you up is worth the small cost.
Where to stay
We stayed at this AirBnB in Roma. It was beautiful for two people. It is on the ground floor of an old home in Roma. The apartment opens up onto a walled garden. This place is quiet. Quiet is hard to find in Mexico City.
We tried Casa Golina. It’s an old home in a great part of town that’s been turned into a boutique hotel. It’s very charming, but I’m super sensitive to noise, and found it a bit loud.
The next time I go, I plan to stay in this charming place in Roma, Ignacia Guest House. Or this place which looks nice. I also want to try this place outside the city. And this hotel called Downtown Mexico City looks interesting. If you want to stay in Polanca, Casa Polanca is a nice choice.
One of the greatest treats you’ll experience in the city is the food!
Where to eat in Roma and Condessa
Tip: All of these places are PACKED on Sunday brunch. The entire city goes out to brunch. So get a reservation if you’re planning on a weekend brunch.
Madre cafe is gorgeous. You’ll sit outdoors in a garden patio under trees and enjoy a fresh, authentic brunch or lunch.
Delirio: There are two locations. There’s a small café for breakfast and lunch called Abarrotes Delirio that’s on a quiet side street. And a larger restaurant a few blocks away in a grand building where you can sit on the sidewalk or eat inside. Their pastries are beautiful and their breakfast is very nice.
Niddo is another wonderful breakfast and lunch spot. There are two locations; one in Juarez and one in Polanca. The food is creative. The pastries are a work of art. It’s small and quaint.
Café NIN: This very cool spot is on a delightful street called Havre in Juarez. It’s in a very old building that’s a blend of indoors and outdoors. There are lots of small wonderful little places near NIN on this street that are so intriguing. (We never saw any tourists at this gorgeous place.)
Lardo is our favorite restaurant in Mexico City. You should have a reservation here. You can eat at the bar which is super fun. They have a fresh fig pizza and always offer many creative dishes.
Eno: Eno is Chef Enrique Olvera’s group of three affordable cafes (Olvera also did Pujol). It’s a casual breakfast, lunch or dinner spot.
Maximo Bistro dowsn’t have a website. This is exquisite food in a small restaurant in Roma. Sit inside. Sometimes it gets quite loud in the outdoor seating because of the mariachis. They serve a gorgeous eggplant butter with bread once you’re seated. I asked for the recipe.
Maximo Bistro Eggplant Butter
Ingredients
2 large eggplants
1 garlic clove
3 oz. goat cheese
2 ½ oz.olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Char the eggplant: Place the whole eggplant directly over a high-heat gas burner. Rotate it frequently until the peel is completely blackened and scorched on all sides and the flesh has collapsed.
Prepare the flesh: Once cooled, remove the stem end and scrape the soft, smoky flesh into a blender or food processor.
Blend with ingredients: Blend the eggplant with the garlic. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture is fully emulsified into a smooth, creamy purée. Once the emulsion has formed, add the goat cheese. Then season the dip with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Serve: Serve the smoky eggplant dip with crusty bread or grilled toast as you would butter.
Havre 77: this is a less-known restaurant that is owned and run by the same people who own Maximo Bistro. I prefer it because it’s not as busy. It’s in an old grand home. It’s a very romantic place to sit and sip drinks. They also have a room with a raw seafood bar.
La Docena: If you like seafood, this is your spot. This bohemian seafood restaurant in Roma has things you’ve never seen before. They have the regular oysters and things you’d expect, but also giant clams from the pacific ocean that they chop into a ceviche right before your eyes and serve on the shell. We had a 5” section of a palm tree that was split down the middle and then grilled to present a “heart of palm.” I recommend you sit at the bar where you’ll be able to see what they are concocting, than ask for one yourself. You can drink a fresh coconut, too. With or without rum.
Azul: This restaurant has three locations. We love the one in Condessa. It’s a traditional, more formal Mexican meal. You’ll find large tables of businesspeople arriving around 2:30 in the afternoon. They have a lovely outdoor patio.
Huset: This Roma restaurant has a beautiful outdoor patio with filtered light through a canopy of vines. They also have a stunning bar. We enjoyed an avocado pizza and many other distinctive dishes.
Rosetta: This is in a beautiful old funky house in Roma. The food is very creative. The best way to experience this menu is to order as many things as you can and share.
Contramar: This is a hip, fun restaurant focused on seafood where all the business people go to be seen. Honestly, I think it’s a bit too much of an institution with lots of tourists, though it’s listed in all the guides. I put it here to say, “Meh, maybe skip this one.”
Primos: This is a beautiful French-style bistro serving some French and some Mexican food. It’s near the park in Condessa and is a gorgeous place to sit outside for any meal.