Pushing beyond the ordinary, Club Tengo Hombre visits places most tourists don’t take the time to … [+] enjoy.
Club Tengo Hombre
My social feeds are loaded with pictures of friends in Mexico City this summer. I’ve visited the city myself over the years but the FOMO is real. At least I have a new set of goals for my next visit. Based on what I’m seeing on Instagram and reading between the lines of online reviews, here’s what looks amazing in CDMX right now.
WHAT TO SEE & DO
An after-dark tour with Club Tengo Hombre immerses visitors into Mexico City’s vibrant nightlife … [+] scene.
Club Tengo Hombre
Club Tengo Hombre calls itself the guided touring company “for people who travel to eat.” The company’s Mexico City food and market tours and after-dark excursions get hundreds of five-star reviews on TripAdvisor, with raves about the energetic and knowledgable guides (Alejandra and Daniela are the standouts) and next-level site visits. For example, rather than the usual antiseptic walk-around at Mercado Medellín in gentrifying Colonia Roma, CTH leads visitors through the sprawling La Merced market in a working-class part of Zona Centro. One recent reviewer says, Alejandra “knew the market intimately and provided us with highly useful guidance about navigating what would otherwise be a potentially overwhelming experience for a first time visitor.” Sounds like having a Mexico City friend with know-how and connections where you need them the most.
Our college-age son and his girlfriend were in Mexico City in July and loved their street food bike tour with a small company called Food Hood Tours. “Mexico City Off-The-Beaten-Path” had them pedaling through less touristy neighborhoods, including San Rafael and Santa Maria la Ribera, and with some adventurous food stops along the way, like one for the traditional drink known as Pulque. The CDMX immersion lasted more than five delicious hours.
The crowds line up early outside the Anthropology Museum in Chapultepec Park, and further south at the Museo Frida Kahlo. But next time I’m in town, I want to see the Folk Art Museum, aka Museo de Arte Popular, in historic Centro. With thousands of handicrafts and folk pieces from across Mexico, it’s a celebration of the creativity and artistry of the country’s indigenous cultures. The museum is famous for its annual parade of the colorful and spindly figures known as alebrijes, which I’d love to see.
WHERE TO EAT
Cocktails with a creative twist at Handshake Bar, a speakeasy in Colonia Reforma in Mexico City.
Handshake Bar
Pujol, Contramar, Quintonil, Rosetta, Lardo. Culinary nomads know about Mexico City’s dining classics. But lately I’m seeing some off-the-radar ideas. Handshake is a tiny speakeasy in Reforma with stunning cocktails that go a bit extra when it comes to prep and presentation. There’s a clarified piña colada as clear as a mountain stream, a martini with fresh local figs, and an old fashioned fashioned with butter mushroom. Dooriban is an elevated Korean kimchi spot in Colonia Roma, with a cult following for its kimchi bokkeumbap—bacon fried rice mixed together with fermented cabbage. The Korean fried chicken wings get lots of online love, too. Canton Mexicali is a late-night family-style spot that somehow mashes up Mexican and Chinese flavors in an old-school Chinese eatery in bustling Hipódromo. As Eater notes, don’t miss the carne Mexicali and chile shrimp, both house specialties.
WHERE TO STAY
At La Valise, a suite has an outdoor soaking tub and a bed open to the skies above Mexico City.
La Valise
You could pick a grand luxury hotel — The Ritz-Carlton, The Four Seasons, The St. Regis and Sofitel all have palaces in the skies over CDMX. But I have my eye on the hidden retreats. Friends of mine recently stayed at Octavia Casa in Condesa, which they said was like a Mexican boutique hotel with Japanese Zen aesthetics—slat wood window framing, neutral grays on the walls and floors, crisp lines everywhere. Seven rooms total, so it’s never crowded. Not to mention a gorgeous evening cocktail hour by candlelight in the discreet small lobby.
Zen calm in the lobby of Octavia Casa in the Condesa neighborhood of Mexico City.
Octavia Casa
In Colonia Roma, La Valise looks like Mexico City as interpreted by, say, Salvador Dali. Their Insta account shows extravagant daybeds in bold blues with cushions of gold, and standing tubs big enough to soak in with a bull. But this is what I really want to see one day: There’s a suite with an outdoor bath and a bed that’s also open to the heavens. Talk about a fantasy hotel room.
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Publish date : 2024-08-05 14:00:00
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