The key to understanding Mexico City lies in its historic center, its most bustling neighborhood and the setting of its origin story as a world-class capital.
Here’s where to eat, where to stay, and what you can’t miss when you’re here.
All that remains of the Templo Mayor, the gleaming tiered pyramid that was the “symbolic as well as the physical center of the Aztec universe,” as archaeologist Eduardo Matos Moctezuma described it, bursts out from a dig site below street level in a small square of Mexico City’s downtown.
After Spanish conquistadors led by Hernán Cortés sacked the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan in 1521, Catholic friars ordered the razing of the great temple, and colonial leaders centered their new settlement, Mexico City, practically on top.
Today, both the indigenous and Spanish cultures underfoot vie for space in Mexico City’s Centro Histórico, a frenetic zone that’s its seat of government and street-level commerce. A visit to this UNESCO World Heritage Site will be a half-day well spent for travelers looking to jostle with locals and five centuries of history.
The neighborhood is laid out like a checkerboard lined with ornate colonial architecture and punctuated with landmarks. The old sacred precinct of Tenochtitlan, where the Templo Mayor once loomed, is now Mexico City’s Zócalo, its main plaza and the largest in Latin America, stretching the length of two football fields. The gothic twin-spired Metropolitan Cathedral occupies its northern edge and the National Palace, where the country’s president lives and works, its eastern.
At the Museo del Templo Mayor, visitors can walk among the ruins of the temple and study exhibits on the Aztec’s war campaigns and the environment of Tenochtitlan, which was built in the middle of a lake. The glorious white marble Palacio de Bellas Artes, the city’s fine arts headquarters, houses works by the country’s “Big Three” muralists: Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros.
Archaeologists of the future may reach for the same words to describe the Centro neighborhood of the 21st century: the Mexican universe seems to glow brightest here. Explore on foot between the sites and museums, with as much to see in the side streets and storefronts as at the destinations themselves. When it’s time to refuel, visit our four standout options.
Limosneros
Set in a former colonial era convent, Limosneros offers a transportive experience for both the eyes and the palate. The dramatic brick and stone-blended walls in its moody ground level dining room and breezy second floor terrace were built from limosnas, or alms – donated stones and material – in a practice common for religious constructions of the period. “This kitchen has a clear respect for tradition, even reviving old recipes, but it's all done with an infusion of contemporary flair,” according to our Inspectors, who recommend the tasting menu and the “unusual-but-intriguing taco tasting,” which includes a 28 day-aged Wagyu skirt steak taco with fig and prickly pear complements.
Taquería Los Cocuyos (Bib Gourmand)
This nearly 50-year-old spot, on a street clustered with musical instrument stores, is one of the city’s most beloved taco institutions. Its menu is extensive and can read exotic for foreigners, with options like cachete (cheek), tronco de oreja (ear), and molleja (gizzard). We recommend the “tender, melting” cabeza, with meat from the cow’s head, and the classic al pastor.
Caracol de Mar (Bib Gourmand)
Caracol de Mar is like an oasis of cool in one of the most chaotic parts of the Centro Histórico, just by the ruins of the Templo Mayor, where vendors sell ancient-themed trinkets and indigenous healers in feathered dress perform smoke cleansing ceremonies. Located in the lush courtyard of a hotel, the restaurant focuses on seafood, like the aguachile de camarón, with pieces of shrimp prepared with lime and chili, a “deliciously fresh dish that is as beautiful as it is refreshing,” our Inspectors wrote.
Ricos Tacos Toluca
Sausage tacos are the specialty in this modest taqueria, situated on a busy street corner with just a few red plastic stools to dine on. Chorizo, the Spanish favorite that's a vestige here of the colonial era, "delivers a subtle sweetness and terrific flavor" when prepared with tamarindo, our Inspectors wrote. Or get the obispo, “a large pork-based sausage, seared ever so slightly for a delicate crisp.” Topping options include grilled or fresh onions, French fries, cilantro, and salsas.
Where to Stay
Casa9 Zocalo
This masterfully restored boutique hotel is set in one of the oldest houses in Mexico City, which itself stands on the grounds of an ancient temple. Staying here feels like renting a private house, with two levels of stately terraces and a verdant central patio framed by soaring stone arches. Rooms are outfitted top to bottom in polished wood, from the beamed ceilings to the hand-carved furniture to the gleaming parquet floors.
Downtown Mexico
Built from what was once a 17th-century palace, this modern boutique hotel brings a stylish clean and contemporary feeling to the lively neighborhood. Charming period details, like original high ceilings, are kept in tact, while dark tiled floors and raw wood furnishings add an artisan chicness. A terrace restaurant, with a rooftop swimming pool, attracts a fashionable set.
Círculo Mexicano
Rooms in this gem of a boutique hotel are minimalist and airy, designed in simple traditional materials and Oaxacan textiles with subtle luxuries throughout, like furniture from local studio La Metropolitana. Hidden on its roof is a terrace with a swimming pool, bar, and a lively restaurant.
Address Book
Zócalo
P.za de la Constitución S/N, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06010 Ciudad de México, CDMX, México
Metropolitan Cathedral
P.za de la Constitución S/N, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06000 Ciudad de México, CDMX, México
National Palace
P.za de la Constitución S/N, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06066 Ciudad de México, CDMX, México
Museo del Templo Mayor
Seminario 8, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06060 Ciudad de México, CDMX, México
Palacio de Bellas Artes
Av. Juarez S/N, Centro Histórico de la Cdad. de México, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06050 Ciudad de México, CDMX, México
Hero image: Bill Perry / Adobe Stock | Metropolitan Cathedral Sunrise Zocalo Mexico City Mexico
