There has never been anything I’d been so quick to review. During my most recent stay in Mexico City, I was travelling solo. Whenever I’m alone, I love to join a group tour. While I do personally enjoy my solitude, I also enjoy meeting new people and getting to experience new adventures with others. I knew a food tour was in order, as I think there is no better way to get to know someone than having a meal with them! But it took me a while to find a tour that really piqued my interest. But then I found Eat Like a Local.

About Eat Like a Local

Eat Like a Local is a female-owned Mexico City Food Tour company that strives to be one of the best in sustainable tourism. It pays its female-only employees a proper wage and supports female-owned businesses in the market places. Plus, part of the tour price helps young girls go to school to learn to speak English. Providing them with a rich education that sets them up to succeed and grow. Any extra money the tour company earns goes towards sending some of the girls to go on a trip of their own. Anywhere around the world. Allowing them to see the same world of travel, they help tourists experience in their own city.

Giving back to the Community

The company even uses part of the tour price to support the infrastructure of the marketplaces. Helping to improve them. So many tours I saw listed seem to use the marketplaces as a tourist attraction. These tours don’t actively view the marketplace as a real place of work and community. While eating inside the marketplace is great to support the individual businesses, supporting the infrastructure where they work is a sign of a true venture into sustainable tourism. So with all that in mind, and a promise of some truly phenomenal street food, I booked my ticket and joined the tour.

The Best Foor Tour in Mexico City!

1. About Eat Like a Local
2. The Tour Details
3. The Overall Experience
4. La Condesa
5. Taking the Metro
6. Jamaica Market
7. La Merced Market
8. Juarez Gelato Shop

The Tour Details

Cost

Eat Like a Local offers three different food “safaris” for you to choose from. Each one costs $115 USD. This covers all the food you’ll eat on the tour as well as your transportation. I opted for the Mexican Food 101 tour as it seemed to cover the widest variety of food. They also have a Flower Market and Mezcal tasting tour but since I don’t drink very much I thought that one might not be for me. There is also a street food at night tour that I really can’t wait to check out next time I’m in town!

When you book, you’ll only pay half of the total tour price online via their website. The other half you MUST pay in CASH upon meeting the guide. They use this cash to pay for the food along the way. So it’s essential to bring the right amount of money when you arrive at the meeting point. Don’t think you can just stop at the ATM after the tour is over.

How Big is the Tour

Like any good tour group, the size of the group is small. This means you have a much more intimate experience. But with the guide and the rest of the group. I cannot stress enough how the five of us felt like old friends by the end of the day. I even knew all their kids’ names! Small tour groups really are a sign of a great experience to come.

How Long is the Tour?

The entire tour lasted about four hours. In that time we covered a lot of ground (thanks to hopping on and off the metro.) They say that you’ll walk about 4.5 miles throughout the tour. I loved all the walking as it really helped make room for more food! Dress comfortably, and wear good walking shoes. Be sure this means closed-toe shoes since the marketplaces can get wet.

A Note about Safety

When booking the tour, one of the things that both intrigued, excited and made me a bit nervous was the fact we would travel via the metro. I had long wanted to experience taking the metro in Mexico City. But after hearing so many stories about how dangerous it was, I was always hesitant. But my tour guide Panda made the experience fear-free and super explanatory for future trips. The metro was so efficient and I never felt unsafe. And aside from drawing attention to ourselves as a group of loud English speakers on a tour, I don’t think anyone would have given us a second look.

I was careful to bring only my phone with me and kept it in a bag with an internal zip when required. Panda was great about letting us know when we should be more careful. Just like any big city, some areas are more prevalent with pickpockets. The largest market in Barcelona is a huge hot spot for pickpockets, so don’t think it’s just CDMX. I never felt the least bit afraid anywhere we went on the tour. So don’t let their overly cautious advice put you off! Use common sense, leave your large camera at home and don’t wear or bring anything flashy. Our tour guide also took lots of pictures and even emailed them to us afterwards. So if you wanted to just leave everything at home, and immense yourself, you’ll still get lots of souvenir pictures to take home.

Accessibility

This tour might be challenging if you’re travelling in a wheelchair or have issues with accessibility. Both are due to the distance covered and the lack of accessible entrances in various parts of the marketplace. But, you can absolutely reach out to the tour company directly to book a private tour. They do lots of private tours and they will be able to curate a specific tour just for you.

Bathrooms

I am definitely someone who has a small bladder, so bathroom breaks are always imperative for longer tours. There were plenty of stops along the way for bathrooms. Don’t hesitate to ask if you need to use one. Most of the bathrooms inside the marketplace cost 5 pesos to enter, so bring a bit of change to use them. Our guide also had some coins for those who didn’t have any on them.

Dietary Restrictions

The tour states they can accommodate all different dietary restrictions, including vegetarian and gluten-free. Be sure to let them know in advance. This way, they can ensure something will be available for you at every stop. We had a vegetarian with us on our tour, and it was so fun to see all the different alternatives to our dishes. He definitely had to skip one of two stops but there were plenty of options at most places. And honestly, there is so much food on tour, missing out on one or two places might actually be a good idea!

The Overall Experience

Their website lists all the different types of food you’ll taste along the way, so I’m not giving anything away by detailing my experience here. I wanted to share the wonderful stories from my experience as a means to encourage those travelling to Mexico City to book a tour for themselves. But also as a way for those who read my blog to feel immersed in another world to travel along with me. Even if they can’t go themselves. Even if I did give you step-by-step instructions on where to go, you’d never be able to explore these places for yourself. There are too many hidden secrets and tiny sellers that only locals can guide you to.

La Condesa

We met up in La Condesa to start the tour off right with a coffee! This gave us all a chance to meet each other and get to know our guide. Our guide, Panda, was one of the most hilarious and fun people I’d ever met. From the minute she starting she felt like an old school friend and had us all smiling from ear to ear. After grabbing our coffees, we needed a little sweet treat. So we set out for pastries! We stopped at a Condesa institution which sells concha (sweet bread.) The perfect starter to get our stomachs prepped.

Tacos de Canasta

Next, we explored two different street food stalls in La Condesa. One was selling the classic breakfast staple Tacos de Canasta, aka sweaty tacos. These tacos are made by filling a taco with stew and bathing them in oil or butter. They are then layered up inside baskets and sold all over the city. Sometimes on the back of bicycles, but in this case at a street food stall.

The man working here had been selling them for over 35 years!! He is so popular that he made enough money selling these tacos to be able to send his kids to university! Here you had the options of a variety of fillings, from pork to potato and chicharron. Once you pick your filling, you could smother them in hot sauce. I was so surprised by how delicious they were. I had never tried tacos de canasta before because I thought they’d be soggy. But that wasn’t the case at all! I could have honestly eaten a dozen. But knew I had to save room in my stomach, as this was only our second stop!

Mixiotes

The next stop was tacos mixiotes. Mixiotes are made from stewing meat inside an agave leaf bag. The meat was so flavourful, seasoned with a mixture of all different chillies. This stand had almost a dozen other toppings you could add to your taco. I wanted to really savour the flavour of the meat, so I just went with a few slices of nopales (cactus) pads. And, of course, a squeeze of lime and hot sauce.

It was about now that I realized I would never be able to finish everything we sampled at this rate. As much as I wanted to because everything we ate was delicious. Thankfully, Panda, our guide, stepped in and told us no one would be offended if we didn’t finish. And we could split what we could share, or she could ask the vendor for a smaller portion. I felt so relieved as I’m always so worried that my small stomach and inability to always finish what’s on my plate is apt to offend the cook!

Taking the Metro

After this stop, we hopped onto the metro at Baldera station. I had been pretty nervous about riding the metro. But from the minute we descended down into the station, I realized how perfectly normal and unintimidating it was. All your tickets are paid for upon entering, but Panda took us through how to buy your tickets and use the system in case you want to ride the metro on your own after the tour.

The metro platforms were incredibly clean and actually super pretty to look at. The floors and walls were made of beautiful stone that looked like the station were carved out of the ground. While we were on tour, the metro was fairly empty, only getting busy near mid-afternoon. Most of the time, we could all get seats with no problem. When the cars were super full, we simply waited for the next train. They come very frequently so we had no trouble getting enough space and feeling safe. Interesting to note that there are also female-only train cars. These are marked on the floor of the station platform with pink signs marked with “Solo Dames y Menores de 12 Anos.”

Jamaica Market

The next stop on tour was inside Jamaica Market! Although you might read the word “Jamaica” and think of the country, Jamaica actually means “hibiscus flower” in Spanish. The Jamaica Market is home to the largest flower market in the city, with over 1,150 stalls selling over 5,000 different varieties of flowers! Almost all of them grown around Mexico.

The market is divided into two different areas; the first is almost devoid of flowers entirely and primarily sells produce, meat and other grocery staples. When you cross over to the second section of the market, you’re immediately overwhelmed with the smell of flowers. Before you can even see the flowers, you’ll know you’ve arrived.

Tacos Carnitas & Tepache

Our first stop was at a long communal table right at the market entrance. Pig heads hung in the butcher shops down the aislse, and you knew right away this was the place to get pork! The order was simple, tacos de carnitas, topped with raw onions and cilantro. While I thought I’d had carnitas before, after tasting this, it felt like I had never eaten them before in my life. This was the best-tasting taco I’ve ever eaten, and I still dream about it! While we were eating, Panda explained to us the myths about why you are almost always given two tortillas with every serving of tacos. But I’ll leave that tidbit for you to discover on tour…

To pair with our tacos, we got to sample tepache. Tepache is a fermented pineapple drink made from the peel and the rind of pineapples and refined cane sugar. It had that tang you get from other fermented drinks like kombucha. It was super sweet but so delicious and definitely cleansed the palette from the fatty pork tacos. The perfect combination!

Jicaleta

Next up, we walked around the market to the brightly coloured bins of what looked like powdered sugar. Beside these pins were huge round discs on popsicle sticks that looked like white lollipops with the words “Rico Jicaleta.” I have seen these signs all over the city and always wondered what they were! It turns out the giant thing on a popsicle stick is a Jicama, a root vegetable.

To convince kids to eat their vegetables, someone came up with the genius idea to cover the jicama with chamoy (pickled plum with chile sauce) and then dip the veggie in powdered sugar. Since the jicama is pretty neutral in its flavouring it allows itself to be the vehicle for these amazing flavours of powered sugar. Everything as simple as strawberry or blueberry to more exciting flavours like mango chilli and tamarind. You can even use the other colours to create a cool rainbow-like pattern on the jicama. I can see why these are such a popular treat with both kids and adults.

Piñata Market

Next up on tour, we walked deeper into the marketplace amongst hundreds and hundreds of piñatas. The Jamaica market is known for its huge piñatas selection. Design range from traditional stars to cartoon characters. And I even saw a covid one! What a perfect thing to bash away at, a way of taking out all the pent up frustration over the loss of the last two years.

Chorizo Verde

Sitting down outside a small shop beside piles of bright fruits and vegetables, we tried what I thought was the most incredible taco innovation of the whole tour; green chorizo! The proud owner displayed all his different types of chorizo sausages outside the shop. But none were as eye wateringly delicious to look at as the green chorizo. The pork-based sausage is mixed with a blend of fresh green veggies like spinach and lettuce. Then zesty green herbs are added to ramp the flavour up. Anything from cilantro, thyme, marjoram, whatever is in season.

After this they add green chillies (because heat is a staple of the chorizo sausage) and the most important and unique ingredient – NUTS! Yes, that’s right, they add anything from peanuts to pumpkins seeds or almonds to the meat. We ate it completely plain to start to ensure we could appreciate the flavour of all the ingredients. And OMG, I cannot explain how incredible this was. Truly one of the most unique and surprising parts of the tour. I wish I could remember where this was so I could go back to eat more!

Heading down to the other side of the market, we stopped at a few more stalls for some tiny samples as we went. Crispy tortillas covered in locally made crema y queso (cream cheese) and a bite of chicharrón (deep-fried pork skin).

Fresh Fruit Stalls

On the other side of the market, where the smell of flowers filled the air, we stopped for a selection of fresh fruit. The fruit was just what the doctor ordered to change things up and refresh my palette. I always admire the beautiful spreads at these fruit stands when I pass by. So many different fruits I’ve never tried, let alone seen before. Lucky for me, when we stopped, the friendliest man came out from behind the piles of fruit with these little banana leaf trays. Inside were slices of all kinds of fruits. Panda took us through what each bite was, and we dove in.

My taste buds were exploding. I couldn’t believe how delicious some of these fruits were, things I’d never tried before, which set my mouth alight. My favourite by far was the Soursop, which was tangy, sweet, and, as the name indicates, sour. I need to find this in Toronto! And my other favourite was the black zapote, which tastes like chocolatey permission pudding! The Chirimoya blew my mind as it tasted like a strawberry blended with a kiwi. I was truly entranced by all the flavours and vowed to make more of an effort to buy fresh fruit next time I’m in town.

Wholesale Flowers

Walking around the flower market was the best kind of chaos. We didn’t have a ton of time to admire the flowers; this is a working market, after all. People were milling about, grabbing carfuls of flowers for their stands in the city and small bouquets for their homes. Voices cried over one and other as people haggled for the best price.

During the Day of the Dead ceremonies, this market is packed to the rooftops with trucks full of orange Mexican marigolds. These are the most popular flower synonymous with the festival. They are used to decorate the ofrendas of past loved ones as the brightly coloured flowers are thought to guide the spirits of those who have passed back home.

As we moved through the crowds of people, we arrived at the back, where the larger floral displays are located. These are for celebrations like communions and quinceaneras in addition to funerals and weddings. But apparently, one of the most popular reasons people buy huge floral displays is to apologize for cheating on their wives…or at least that’s what Panda told us! The bigger the arrangement, the more sorry you are!

Esquites

The next stop on tour was for a cup of esquites fritos. Esquites are fire-roasted corn kernels, stewed in lard, and mixed with aromatic herbs and arbol chillies. I’ve had esquites many times before, as they are one of my favourite street snacks, but none as delicious as the ones we got here! There are definitely some secret ingredients at work here.

Before leaving the market, we stopped at a tortilla maker cranking out hundreds of perfect corn circles every hour. There is genuinely nothing more fresh than eating a hot tortilla right off the press. With nothing more than a sprinkle of salt, you can really appreciate how simple and complex the flavours are. And why this tiny disc has become such a staple of Mexican food throughout the centuries.

La Merced Market

After a quick bathroom break, we hopped back on the metro. We transferred from the teal line (#4) to the pink line (#1) and made our way directly into the Mercados de la Merced. Mercados de la Merced, or La Merced Market, has its own dedicated metro stop. And unlike other metro stations where you need to exit onto the street to get to your next destination, this stop exits right into the heart of the market. This is actually the only way you should enter the market. The exterior streets around here are a little dangerous but by entering directly inside, you avoid the exterior entirely.

History of the Market

La Merced Market is named after the monastery of Nuestra Señora de la Merced de Redención de Cautivos. The monastery was established here in 1594, just after the Spanish Conquest. The neighbourhood that sprang up around the monastery also goes by the name La Merced. After the conquest, this part of the city, being just on the outskirts (before the expansion of what is now CDMX), was a hotbed for traders. They would arrive here from all different parts of the country and beyond. They could easily dump their goods here for sale and transfer further into the central part of the city.

By 1860, almost the entire neighbourhood was one big market. So the city decided to move the marketplace into a permanent, covered building. By now, the old La Merced Monastery has been closed down for years. But the empty building proved to be the perfect place to establish the new permanent market.

20th Century Market

In the 20th century, the market continued to expand becoming one of the largest wholesale markets in the city. Here you can find everything from fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry, toys, clothes, flowers, candy and more.

Sadly, there is a dark history to the building as well. In 1988 a fireworks stall exploded inside the marketplace, killing more than 60 people! Then again, in 1998, there was another fire due to faulty wiring that destroyed much of the old main hall and 572 stalls. Luckily no one was killed in that fire, but the damage was extensive. Despite the accident occurring almost 20 years ago, repairs are still ongoing.

Just in front of the entrance to the market from the metro station, you’ll see a cheerful cartoon map of the marketplace. Each different section of the market is dedicated to a different specialty, so you know exactly where to go for what. I was immediately drawn to the candy section and was delighted to hear we would be stopping in there near the end of the tour.

Insects

Our first stop inside the market threw us right into the deep end of Mexican cuisine, at the Insectos stand. Yes, that’s right, bugs! I actually really like bugs as food; I’ve had them a few times around the world and find the flavour pretty interesting. If you don’t want to try them, just politely say no. Don’t make a big show of being grossed out or anything like that. Insects have been eaten and used in cooking here for centuries. It’s disrespectful to act disgusted by a kind of food they consider pretty normal.

I do recommend trying them at least once. And when you stop here at the stall, they also give you a glass of freshly pressed pineapple juice to chase down the bugs. In case it’s just not for you. My favourite was the crickets, but I was actually surprised how much I liked the little worms! The scorpion was the least tasty, a little too earthy for my liking, but I’m sure it would be great in other dishes.

Micheladas

We walked through the crowds of stalls towards the outer edge of the market, along Rosario street. Despite being a working street, with cars and lorries driving through, it also feels like an extension of the marketplace. Stalls pour out onto the streets with their wares leaning out so far they almost touch either side of the road. It’s so tight that often when a big truck comes thru, some stores need to move things they’re selling back inside to allow the cars to pass. It’s a very cool bit of choreography to watch.

We took a seat inside a casual bar where we gathered around a large table, welcomed by the smiles of the locals. Then we were given a series of brightly colours bowls, jars and glass bottles, like a modern-day apothecary in the centre of Mexico City. We were greeted by the amazingly kind Arely, one of the girls from the 80IQ program. 80IQ is a program created by the Eat Like a Local founder that funds the education of these young women and where they also receive mentoring.

With her adorable son in tow, Arley came to our table to practice speaking English and teach us to make a Mexican Michelada. Micheladas are such a fun beverage to make and we loved learning all the steps and ingredients that go into it! First, cover the rim in chamoy and dip in caramelized sesame seeds. Next, add more chamoy, Worcestershire, and hot sauce then filled the glass with a cold beer! Since I don’t drink beer, so I was given a glass of fizzy pineapple juice, and let me tell you mixture was just as delicious!!! We took this chance to enjoy our cold drinks, a refreshing break from the heat of the day. We grabbed for a bit, chatting with Arley and even celebrating an anniversary in our little group!

Quesadillas

From here, Arley handed us over to Wendy, another girl from the program. Wendy spoke incredibly well at only 14 years old and was such a great guide! She took us to her grandmother’s street food stall, where a series of women bustling around a hot comal. They went about serving us bite-size pieces of a variety of classic Mexican street food samples.

Huitlacoche

The one I was most excited about trying were the quesadillas. Although this might not seem very exotic, the filling inside the quesadilla was ‘huitlacoche‘ or, as it is known in English, corn smut! Huitlacoche is considered a delicacy in Mexico, even though it might not seem very appetizing. The word comes from the Nahuatl language and means “sleeping excrescence,” because the corn is transformed by a fungus that impedes them from developing. Thus, they remain “sleeping.” If the fungus doesn’t sound appealing to you, I’d ask, “well, have you ever eaten mushroom?” because the flavour is essentially the same. I couldn’t believe how complex the flavour was, and I was so happy I had finally been able to sample it! 

Pambazo

We also got quesadillas with squash blossoms filled with cheese from Oaxaca. Then there was a slice of tlacoyo filled with black beans and covered in requeson (like ricotta cheese) and more nopales. The last item on the place was Pambazo. The pambazo sandwich is apparently the most authentic Mexico City street food. One that originated here. It is made from a white bun that has been dipped in adobo sauce and then filled with chorizo, cheese, cream and lettuce.

Candy

After all this, I thought there was no way I’d ever be able to get up. But somehow, we shuffled out of the tiny chairs outside the street food stall and bid a sad farewell to Wendy’s family. They waved goodbye to us with big smiles as we headed back into the crowded marketplace. But I perked up as we learned we were on our way to the candy district. There are many reasons I love Mexico City, but one of them has got to be their love of bulk candies. You can find little carts wheeling around the neighbourhood every day. Filled with candy fills at the ready for your cravings. But here in the marketplace must be where they all come to load up these carts every morning.

Candies exploded out of bins and baskets in rainbow colours everywhere we looked. We sampled a few unique varieties like dried mango with chilis, tamarind candies, spicy candied almonds and, of course, lots and lots of flavoured powdered sugar. My favourites are these little fruit-shaped gummies that look like they are made of glass. Almost too pretty to eat! I could honestly have been here for hours, but I was too full to try anything more, lucky for my blood sugar.

Juarez Gelato Shop

To arrive at our last stop on tour, we hopped once more on the metro and made our way over to the Juarez neighbourhood. This part of town is just starting to become a new hot spot for hip eateries. We stopped at one of the chicest gelato shops, where we were greeted by flavours out of this world. Tamarind & mezcal, Oaxacan chocolate, cempasúchil (marigold), tonka bean, olive oil, lavender, and even epazote elato leaf are just some of the falvours that are on rotation here. We got to sample any three flavours we wanted. Although I had felt like I couldn’t eat another bite earlier, there seems to always be a second stomach for dessert.

This was our last stop, so we all just sat around chatting while eating our ice cream. None of us wanted to leave. We had all really become friends by the end of the day. Panda gave us all her recommendations based on the questions we asked along the way. After much hesitation, we all eventually parted ways! Leaving with full bellies, smiles on our faces, and lots of stories to share with our friends and family. The perfect end to the perfect tour.

To Tip or Not to Tip?

Tipping is always a considerate thing to do at the end of a tour just as at the end of a meal. It’s a way to say “thank you” to the guide for their time, effort and expertise. While it’s not required, it is appreciated. Don’t feel the need to financially burden yourself but honestly, even a little bit goes a long way to show your appreciation.

I truly can’t say enough good things about this tour and I really hope if you get the chance to visit Mexico City you put booking this Mexico City Food Tour with Eat Like a Local at the top of your list!

Happy Travels, Adventurers!

The post The Best Street Food Tour in Mexico City! first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

Filigrana

Filigrana is my new favourite brunch spot so I had to update this list to feature it. Walking inside, you are immediately in awe of the environment. The glass walls allow the beautiful morning sun to filter in, creating rainbows of light on the floor. You are immediately greeted by friendly servers and before you’ve ever ordered are brought over to their pastry tray with some of the most inventive and delicious pastries! I had to try at least one even though I knew more food was on the way. Filigrana specialized in Mexican fusion with dishes that combine a variety of different cultures. The tortillas served alongside your meal are made literally on sight and you can see the tortillas makers around the corner from the washroom for some in-house entertainment.

Be sure to sample the licuado de mamey, which is a smoothie made with the Mexican native mamey fruit! So creamy and delicious. For your meal I recommend highly the tostadas, chilaquiles and, of course, some delicious freshly made guacamole served with their fresh tortillas. What is so convenient about Filigrana is the fact you can make easy reservations in advance on Opentable. Especially if you’re visiting on a weekend with a larger group reservations are absolutely mandatory! But they’re not too hard to find if you book up well enough in advance.

Panadería Rosetta

Panadería Rosetta is a café that combines the best of French and European traditions with Mexican ones. The café offers a daily selection of bread, so depending on what day you come by, there is always something extra special to try. They offer both sweet and savoury bread as well as sandwiches, cakes, muffins and more! Everything hidden away in their little glass cases is to die for. Their baked good are so delicious in fact that this bakery delivers their goods to dozens of cafes around town. But I like coming right to the source!

While they have some table service, I love coming to Panadería Rosetta to stock up on various treats and then carry them over to a nearby park to enjoy my spread. Mexico City is home to a plethora of public parks, and they make the perfect spot for a morning picnic! I love nothing more than Sunday brunch in the park as Sunday is when everyone brings out their dogs to play. It’s so much fun to just sit back and watch the adorable little pups playing.

Restaurante El Cardenal

Restaurante El Cardenal is an institution in Mexico City with multiple different locations. The San Ángel location is their newest expansion, and it’s by far my favourite location! El Cardenal was founded in 1969, and the family founders wanted to bring their love of traditional Mexican cuisine to an upscale setting. One of the most luxurious parts of dining inside El Cardenal in San Ángel is the gorgeous architecture. The restaurant is set inside an old colonial mansion. The stained glass windows and gleaming wood floors make just sitting inside such a joy to experience.

To start the perfect breakfast, begin with hot chocolate, not coffee! Their unique hot chocolate is made with famous Doña Oliva chocolate and is like drinking a cup of history. Hot chocolate originated in Mexico and was an essential part of the Aztec culture from 1400 AD. My favourite part about the experience of eating here was the pastry tray. When you come inside a waiter brings you over an enormous tray of sweet pastries. And you can choose, with your own eyes, which pastry you’d want to start off the meal right with.

Another traditional breakfast dish you’ll only find in Mexico is the Egg omelette with escamoles. Escamoles are colloquially called “Mexican caviar,” and are edible ant larvae. Escamoles have been consumed in Mexico since the age of the Aztecs and are high in nutritional value. It’s definitely one of the most unique and classic dishes on the menu. But if that’s not your thing they have many other traditional options for those who aren’t that adventurous.

La Güera Tortas de Chilaquiles

La Güera Tortas de Chilaquiles is one of those local hot spots that is finally getting its due with the international crowds. But sadly, this means the secret is out, and you NEED to get here early for a chance at these fantastic sandwiches. This popup street food stand is set up every morning on the corner of Tamaulipas and Alfonso Reyes in La Condesa. We stumbled upon this place as it was only a few blocks away from our hotel. One piece of advice I almost always follow when travelling is that when you see line up for food, get in line. Especially if the people in line are locals. And I wasn’t disappointed.

A tortas de chilaquiles is a massive breakfast sandwich made to order. When you approach the table their little makeshift assembly line will get to work putting together your sandwich. Inside that perfectly crispy yet pillowy-soft bun are huge handfuls of shredded chicken, fried chicken cutlet, or cochinita pibil (pork). When they ask which meat you want, just point if you don’t know what they’re called. And honestly, it’s all delicious but my preference is always the pibil. On top of the meat, they will slather a layer of crema, crumbled queso fresco, onions and spicy peppers. All for only 35 PESOS!!! That’s less than $2! And the sandwich is enormous, I almost always split the order with my husband.

The only caveat? If you plan to come here on the weekend, be prepared to line up early (like 7 am early). Although the stand won’t start serving until 8am, you’ll see the line before you arrive and you’ll just have to wait patiently. I try to come on the weekdays when things are a little slower.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Revista HojaSanta (@hojasantamag)

Cafe De Tacuba

Cafe De Tacuba is a slice of history carved into the fabric of the Historic District. The café tends to get extremely busy during brunch hours, but it’s worth the wait if you want to try their honey and caramel-layered pancakes with cinnamon. Café de Tacuba has been a hot spot here in the Historic District since 1912. The restaurant gained real notoriety in 1922 when Diego Rivera held his wedding reception to novelist Guadalupe Marín here. Sadly, Rivera would divorce Marín and marry one of the most famous Mexican artists, Frida Khalo. Another notable event that took place here was the assassination of the local governor of Veracruz, Manlio Fabio Altamirano Flores. You might think such an event would put people off, but it only increased the draw.

But it’s not just the history that brings people here. Aside from the fantastic food is the incredible interior design. The interior is covered in fantastical paintings from the pre-Hispanic period. Vibrant mosaics and stained glass windows encircling the space make you feel like dining inside a museum. It’s truly a joy to eat here!

Lalo!

If you want to go to brunch and be guaranteed a smile, then you must visit Lalo! Lalo! is another popular brunch spot located in the Roma neighbourhood. Lalo! is the nickname of the owner and acclaimed chef Eduardo Garcia. Brunch is bustling here, so be prepared to wait a while to get a table but trust me, it’s worth it

Painted on the cafe walls are these incredible colourful, feel-good drawings by Belgian graffiti artist Blue Warrior. They say you eat with your eyes, and being surrounded by these positive and happy-inducing images; you can’t help but eat while filled with pure joy. The most popular items on the menu are their huevos con chorizo and the Huevos fritos con salsa ranchera.

Mercado Medellín

If you’re looking for an uncomplicated yet authentic brunch inside one of the most lively markets, you need to make your way over to Mercado Medellín. The Colonia Roma neighbourhood is also known as “Little Havana” because of the large number of Cuban and Latin American immigrants that live in the area. With this comes an incredible selection of coffee. Inside the market, there are a few different coffee vendors selling the beans and crafting expertly brewed cups of coffee.

On Saturday and Sunday mornings, this market is flush with locals buying food for the week. Fresh fruit and veggie stalls are overflowing with incredible finds in as many colours as the rainbow. There are over 500 stalls in total that sprawl over the vast city block-sized marketplace. Towards the back of the market, past the vendors, you’ll find the food court. The food court is as uncomplicated as you can get, but you’ll have the chance to eat a real typical Mexican breakfast. This includes many dishes with eggs, like Huevos Rancheros, eggs in salsa, eggs with chorizo, chilaquiles, and breakfast tacos. Don’t be scared; the food here is fantastic, not everything has to be posh and pristine. The tacos I had from the ladies cooking on the sidewalk right outside the market were honestly the best breakfast tacos I’ve had in my entire life!

Los Amantes Café & Bistro

Los Amantes Café & Bistro in Coyoacan is a little out of the way if you’re staying in the centre city, but WELL worth the effort to get out there. PLUS, I always recommend spending at least a half-day in the beautiful and colourful neighbourhood of Coyoacan so you can make the most of your trip over here. Situated inside a quaint and cozy corner of Coyoacan, Los Amantes cafe is another tribute to talented grandmothers. The chef’s grandmother taught her as a young child all about the virtues of each ingredient and how to mix them to create the perfect harmony of sweet, savoury and sensational!

Their brunch menu is super trendy and primarily consists of different kinds of bread typically served with local fresh fruits, preserves and cheeses—each item complimenting the next. There were so many fruits I didn’t even recognize, and it was a joy to experience the menu without asking any questions until I was finished! It turns out the Mamey fruit is my new favourite treat!

Lardo

Lardo is a beautiful brunch spot in the La Condesa neighbourhood. It’s located inside the old apartment buildings built by THE Condesa that the district is named after. I love how the restaurants are almost hidden away behind the crawling plants that cover the facade of the building. This area of town is so busy on the weekend, and the ambience outside the restaurant is just intoxicating. The menu features hip Mexican-European fusion food, which is as delicious to eat as it is mesmerizing to look at. 

Don’t leave without trying the Fried egg, chile con carne and avocado. The Mexican deconstructed version of avocado toast. My husband is obsessed with their selection of granola, and their baked granola served with red berries, and almond milk is a playful take on cereal. Reservations are recommended at this place since it’s one of the most popular spots in Condesa.

Pastelería Ideal

Pastelería Ideal, located in the heart of the Historic Centre, is a local haunt where you’ll find people clamouring to buy up everything for their sweet tooth! This bakery is so famous that you might have even seen its iconic blue and white pastry boxes all over the city. Many business and cafes buy up their daily pastries from this shop every morning.

The bakery was founded in 1927 and has been opened in this very spot ever since. They have since opened up three other locations, but this is the original. This bakery has everything from traditional Mexican bread and pastries, cakes and cookies to Parisian puff pastry, viennoiseries, and more! All of this is served up on huge platters towering with treats. Just grab a try and use the tongs provided to serve yourself up some pastries. Once you’re done piling up (they make great breakfast pastries, too), take your collection to the counter. There they will pack them up for you and give you a ticket to pay. After you’ve paid, they’ll wrap your baked good, all perfectly wrapped up to go. Enjoy them back at your hotel or over in the famous Alameda Park!

I hope you enjoyed this list of my favourite exciting, hip and delicious brunch spot in Mexico City. Hopefully, you manage to make your way out to visit a few of them on your next trip to Mexico City. Let me know in the comment if you have any other favourite spots that you never skip when visiting CDMX!

Happy Travels, Adventurers

The post The Best Breakfast & Brunch Spots in Mexico City [UPDATED 2023] first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

What’s a tianguis 

A tianguis (tehYAN-gyez) comes from the old Aztec word tianquiztli, which meant the marketplaces. Markets were of the utmost importance in the Aztec culture. The Aztecs built their empire on trade, and the ritual continues to this day in Mexico.

The pink tarps which cover the entire market are actually quite important as they signify that this market is a part of a government-sanctioned program. They ensure the legitimacy of the sellers, which can trade in the tinaguis’. The government-run organization is called the “System of Markets on Wheels” (Sistema de Mercados Sobre Ruedas). It’s named as such since these same vendors have to be mobile and move their shops around the city, wherever the market is open that day.

Opening Times

The Condesa Tianguis market is only once a week, on Tuesdays, which made it even more special that I had just happened upon it. The market runs along Pachuca street from Agustín Melgar Calle south to Calle Juan Escutia. They shut this entire road down from traffic for the day, and it feels like it completely transforms the feeling of the neighbourhood. It changes from just another side street to a lively traditional shopping experience. The market opens at 10 am and closes at 5 pm.

The Condesa neighbourhood has always been one of the more upscale districts in Mexico City. Because of this higher class clientele, don’t expect to find the lowest prices here. But even when they are slightly more expensive, it’s still shockingly cheap! I do find the quality of food and produce here to be somewhat above par as well, so you definitely get more bang for your buck!

Some of the most unique things you’ll find here are sold by the older generations of indigenous women. These women grow their own fruits and vegetables on their farms outside the city. Unlike some of the other vendors who might be buying from more commercial business, they are grown by some rural farmers. The women’s smiling faces are enough to bring you right up to their stalls to take a closer look at their fantastic produce.

Produce on Sale

Unlike the supermarkets which seem to carry everything no matter the season, the fruits and vegetables available here change based on the season. The very best products to get each season is as follows:
Summer: Mangoes, Tomatoes and Tomatillos, Corn, avocados, Pitaya
Fall: Corn, Apples, Pumpkin Black sapote, Prickly pear, Passionfruit
Winter: Apples, Pumpkin, criollo avocado, Mamey, Black sapote, Jicama, Prickly pear
Spring: Mamey, Jicama, Passionfruit
Year-Round: Nopales, chillies,

Clothing and Household Goods

These markets sell more than just produce though. You’ll find anything from bras to makeup, kitchen products and more! You really never know what you going to find! It’s a one-stop-shop for locals, no need to go to the grocery store at all. I loved seeing all the different things on offer since it felt like a surprise every time you came upon a new section of the marketplace.

Flowers

The flower sellers were some of my favourite stalls. I timidly asked how much a large bouquet of sunset coloured roses was and was blown away when they asked for only 50 pesos ($3 US). Having an Airbnb, we had the space to decorate it with flowers, and so I bought it up!

When I visited earlier in the day, I was the only foreigner there! Everyone seemed very friendly, and my Spanish went a long way with impressing the locals. Later in the day, when we came back for dinner, we did see a few more foreigners. Still, overall, it really felt like a neighbourhood event with locals going about their daily business.

Walking down the aisles, you’ll be offered fresh-cut fruit samples from various sellers. While most of this time, this is to entice you to buy some whole fruit, I never found any of them to be very pushy in making me buy anything I didn’t want. It was great fun to get to try so many different fruits, some of which I’d never even heard of before. The Mamey fruit was my favourite. It was like a combination between a sweet potato and a peach.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Maritza Ortega (@maritza.moments)

Street Food

One of my favourite things to eat in Mexico city is elote, but here there was something a little different, which was esquite. This dish is similar to elote, but the corn is sauteed with chilli peppers instead of being roasted on the grill. The corn ends up being a little spicer and more straightforward, as it is served without the cheese and mayonnaise. But just as delicious!

Another street food staple is the tlacoyo, fried blue corn cakes stuffed with beans and topped with cheese and nopales. In the early morning, you could really taste how fresh the masa was, most likely being ground that very morning.

Tamales vendors are on either corner outside the market, but the real food can be found in under the white tents. Inside are a dozen or so little food vendors selling tacos, gorditas, flautas and more! Large communal tables are lined with salsas and hot sauce. Grab your favourite dish from any of the vendors and take a seat to see if you can strike up a conversation with your neighbours. One of my favourite things is how inviting the locals are, especially when in a neighbourhood environment. They are so proud and are always so happy to see foreigners visiting.

For dessert, there is nothing better than a cup of fresh fruit. My favourite is the mango, served with chilli and lime. Sweet, salty and spicy! All my favourites flavours!

Fresh Nuts and Candy

If fruits don’t satisfy your sweet tooth, another of my must-buy items are fresh candies and nuts. These brightly coloured products draw your eye in immediately. The gummies are some of the softest and most flavorful I’ve ever tasted! I can not recommend them more. And they each cost only about 20 pesos for a huge bag.

Stumbling upon markets like this is one of the most lovely things about Mexico City. There is always something exciting going on, and even if you’re not looking for it, wonderful places like this just seem to reveal themselves to you!

What has been your favourite moment of happenstance on your last vacation?

Happy Travels Adventurers!

The post Discover the Amazing Flavours of La Condesa’s Tianguis Market in Mexico City first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.