Unlike any other place in the world, the environment, people, and even the landscape change drastically in the different areas of Mexico City.
If it’s your first time here, it might be hard to size the extension and numberless possibilities to do and see. This post will show you which neighborhood is the best for you, and where locals go to have fun.
In Gay Mexico City we are obsessed with showing you the best spots curated by locals. Don’t be surprised if we are not listing Frida here; we already know hundreds of posts that can help with that!
Let’s start!
The neighborhoods
This section will show you the highlights of the main areas in Mexico City, why to go there, and the spots you can’t miss.
Downtown Mexico City (El Centro)
If you did your research, I bet your safety points include Templo Mayor, the Cathedral, and Bellas Artes.
And don’t get me wrong, these are great places to visit. However, the best thing to do is to see firsthand the reality of hard-working Mexicans.
El Centro is full of contrasts: from surreal gay bars to laid-back restaurants with dishes comparable to La Condesa’s, there is something for every taste.
If we had one day to explore El Centro, this is what our day would look like:
A traditional breakfast table
Start your day by having breakfast in an iconic place, El Cardenal.
El Cardenal resembles the Mexican province breakfast: fresh-baked pastries and “Natas,” hot chocolate skimmed at your table, and dishes from the Mexican countryside.
Even if El Cardenal has multiple locations, the original place on Palma Street inside a beautiful French-style building is the one to visit.
Art Nouveau
The most prominent example of Art Nouveau in Mexico City is located inside “El Gran Hotel de la Ciudad de Mexico” The enormous Tifanny stained glass ceiling above the lobby and the cage-like elevators are worth the visit!
The hotel’s rooftop bar is a great option to have a drink and enjoy the incredible view of the Zócalo.
Street commerce
If you want to deeply understand many Mexicans’ daily lives, it is worth visiting the streets surrounding the Zocalo of Mexico City. Although it can be a bit chaotic, a stroll through the streets like Calle de Moneda will give you an objective perspective of what it’s like to make a living as a Mexican street vendor.
Other streets of the historic center that are also very peculiar are Correo Mayor, where you will find street vendors selling very cheap underwear, and Donceles street, which is a must for old book lovers.
Spanish-Mexican fusion cuisine
I couldn’t think of a better option for lunchtime other than Hostería La Bota, a cult pub serving delicious Spanish meals but with a Mexican touch. The grilled octopus, tapas, affordable prices, and kitsch decor make this place memorable.
The best bar in Mexico City, period.
Hidden behind a silver curtain, there’s a bar only for connoisseurs: Bósforo.
With an underground vibe, an impressive mezcal selection, cheap pre-hispanic snacks, and tribal techno music that creates a magical setting, Bósforo will become one of the standouts of your trip to Mexico City.
The newest gay street
Okay, regardless of whether you’re gay or not, you must visit República de Cuba Street in El Centro if you’re in Mexico City.
This street started hosting different types of gay clubs with a unique vibe since 2010. These bars are not the cutest or fanciest; instead, they bring a revolutionary and more Mexican essence to gay clubbing.
Go from Thursday to Saturday and make sure to visit Soberbia, a gay parody to one of the most famous department stores in Mexico (with manikins and everything), El Marra, which is the pioneer of gay clubs outside Zona Rosa and the newest additions to this street: The Hot Room, a men-only fetish bar and Lx Locx, a secret underground party for queer people.
Condesa Mexico City
Of all the different areas in Mexico City, the second most famous right after Downtown Mexico City is La Condesa.
La Condesa is definitely a neighborhood that you should visit for its visual attractions, abundant vegetation, and extensive coffee shops, bars, and restaurants, but more than anything because it is the trendiest of all areas in Mexico City.
La Condesa is full of expatriates and privileged young Mexicans living their lives in an environment where they can balance their professional and personal lives from one block to another. That’s why the best option to visit La Condesa is to emulate a typical day in the life of a local.
A carb bomb
Start your day by trying a Torta de Chilaquiles on the corner of Alfonso Reyes and Tamaulipas. The chilango breakfast par excellence consists of a roll stuffed with chilaquiles and the protein of your choice, which can be chicken schnitzel, cochinita pibil, or shredded chicken. The line can be long and take up to 20 minutes, but it’s worth waiting.
Mexican specialty coffee and productivity
Do you need your caffeine fix to start your day? 5 blocks ahead on Tamaulipas street, you’ll find Blend Station, a sanctuary for coffee lovers, sound design, and productivity.
Blend Station is a stunning space to answer those emails you haven’t had the chance to, while you taste an authentic Mexican coffee. Ask their baristas for their recommendations and they will gladly guide you.
Don’t leave without trying their manually filtered barrel-aged coffees.
The local lifestyle at is best
Many visitors are in awe of how green Mexico City is, but few areas in Mexico City are greener than the lungs of La Condesa, Parque México. Take a break at noon, walk its paths, and observe how local life unfolds amid skaters, dog walkers, and art deco architecture.
Value Mexican modern cuisine
What’s the best restaurant in Mexico City? Well, it depends entirely on who you’re asking. For us, it’s not the fanciest or the most exclusive, nor the most internationally acclaimed. Instead, we value an original concept, incomparable flavor, good design, and affordable prices.
You will find all of that in La Capital, a place with signature canteen cuisine and a menu created for sharing. Of all the fantastic options they have, we think the best dishes are outside of the main course section. And if we have to talk about cocktails, Horchata de Mamey is our favorite.
The perfect menu to share for two people would look something like this:
- Fideo seco (Dry Noodles) ($150)
- Esquites ($130)
- Torta de Cangrejo de concha suave (Soft Shell Crab Torta) ($190)
- Pulpo a la brasa (Grilled Octopus) ($295)
- Brulée de Elote con Helado de Turrón (Corn Brulée with Nougat Ice Cream) ($130)
- Chocolate en dos Texturas (Chocolate in two Textures) ($120)
Total MXN 1,015 (48 USD)
A three-course fine-dining in Mexico at USD 24 per person is not easy to find in all areas of Mexico City, and certainly not in La Condesa!
Pre-copeo
With so many options per square meter, pregaming in La Condesa is an opportunity you can’t miss, and we have the perfect drinking spot before going out clubbing: Felina.
On the ground floor of an unassuming apartment building, you’ll find a super low-key bar decorated with vintage furniture from the 1960s in a low-light ambiance.
Felina is an excellent spot for solo travelers and people looking to have an exotic cocktail prepared by expert bartenders outside the hustle and bustle of La Condesa. The house specialties are rum-based cocktails.
The best gay bar in Mexico City
In addition to all of the superb offerings of bars and restaurants, La Condesa is home to one of the most iconic gay clubs in the city.
Inside a Sistine Chapel with ceilings covered with naked male bodies, you’ll find Tom’s Leather Bar, a men-only club with a kinky atmosphere.
Besides having the most famous darkroom in Mexico City, this bar plays all the gay hits you’re looking to dance. Did I mention the strip shows in the intermissions?
Dance the night away
An excellent option for boys and girls is Fünk Club, a venue for techno lovers with a state-of-the-art sound system in a basement near Parque México.
Fünk Club will make your night out memorable with great music, cocktails, and lightning.
Disco Fetish takes over Fünk Club on Thursdays, a disco party for the queer that will keep you on the dancefloor until dawn.
La Roma
Memorable coffee
From all the areas in Mexico City, La Roma is the favorite of hipsters and bohemian people.
Our route through this lovely neighborhood begins in a café with the best Mexican beans, Memorias de un barista.
In this tiny coffee shop in La Roma, you will find premium Mexican coffees extracted with scientific precision. We recommend trying a coffee from their special menu.
If you want to take the experience back home, buy a bag of coffee beans from their roaster, Sonata.
A no-menu restaurant
One of our best recommendations for foodies in town is a restaurant with a passion for experimenting with corn.
Expendio de Maíz is a no-menu restaurant where dishes change daily depending on the ingredients they’ve picked up fresh in the Mercado and your own personal preferences or restrictions.
The concept makes the experience something very unique and personal. They start by serving you a small pig-shaped tortilla with fresh cheese while the staff asks for your dietary restrictions. After that, the dishes will start rolling out until you say, “No más.”
An apartment outside your apartment
Departamento Studio Bar is a laid-back bar with a fantastic atmosphere. There are three levels and three different vibes: Azotea + Studio Bar + PB salon.
The concept behind Departamento is like going to a friend’s apartment (a friend with excellent cooking skills and music taste).
Check them out on Instagram for their weekly lineup at departamento_studiobar
Beer from Mexico City
Over the past decade, Mexico City has experienced a substantial craft brewing boom, leading to several fantastic, independent breweries popping up. Still, no other represents better than Falling Piano, Mexico city’s canned-craft beer factory. A spacious taproom featuring a suspended piano in the middle. Get an IPA pint and try their secret smoked food menu on the weekends.
Club hopping in La Roma
La Roma is widely known for being the most stylish, colorful district in Mexico City. Whether you’re in the mood for a signature cocktail prepared by an expert bartender or something a bit wilder, you’ll be able to find the best nightlife spots to suit any mood.
One building, three experiences
Righ in front of Falling Piano on Coahuila street, from Thursday to Saturday three different gay concepts take over one same building and turn it into one of the most extravagant parties you will ever see.
Thursdays are Dragaret nights, a staged Drag show resembling a Cabaret with live music, performers, and dancers. Enjoy the show while you drink a cocktail, and after it finishes, the place turns into a dance club. A great option to spend a Thursday night!
On Fridays, there is Discoteca, a famous club for Disco Glam extravaganza where Drag Queens and the most fantastic queer spirits are the stars of the night.
On Saturday, dance the whole night in Guilt, a fancy gay club playing popular hits with a primarily young and hot crowd, making it a great spot if you’re looking to hook up.
Make sure to get on the list by texting one of the PRs on Instagram, @lilia_ahumada or @yanezsue
New kid on the block
One of the newest additions in La Roma is El Dos Noventa y Uno in Alvaro Obregón Street. Pop nights and Drag Shows until down.
Party starts late, which makes it perfect as a second spot of the night.
Techno beats and rave vibes
We know at this point you are just in denial: you don’t want the party to be over yet, and we heard your prayers. That’s what we came up with the best for last!
Japan Club is a small but trendy club in Uruapan and Monterrey street. Japan plays beats that gravitate around house and techno, funk, and other genres conceived of as within the universe of “club music” and is definitely a reference in the city’s experimental scene.
Let’s not forget to mention their Negronis, which are our favorites.
Extra points
Bacal
Bacal is an invented word from “Ba” from Baja and “Cal” from California, which is the location in La Roma of this bar with an amazing concept.
Every day is different in Bacal.
The place works under the scheme of complimentary appetizers with your drinks, worthy of a chef’s kitchen. Grab a plate and taste a little bit of everything.
The ambiance is very casual, and somehow it makes you feel at some friend’s home. It works as a space for guest chefs on selected days and one Sunday a month as a pop-up brunch. Follow them on Instagram to get their latest updates @bacalmx
La Casita
One of the darkest secrets in Mexico City is La Casita.
This cruising club is the favorite after-party for the gays who refuse to go to sleep on the weekends. If you want to have some dirty, filthy fun, you have to sign in the member’s book and pay your entry.
The place looks like a maze, is sleazy, dark, and filled with men looking to play. Many local guys come here, young, old, middle-aged, tops, and bottoms; in La Casita, you will always find someone to fulfill your fantasies.
Polanco Mexico City
Whether it be for the Anthropology Museum, Soumaya Museum, or you are planning to go shopping at the luxury boutiques in Masaryk, Polanco is on the itinerary for most travelers in Mexico City.
However, our goal is to make sure that Polanco is on your list for the right reasons.
Polanco has another face that can hardly step away from fanciness, but it’s a down-to-earth fanciness and much more authentic. In this little text, we will show you our Polanco’s safety pins.
The Clock Park
This iconic park, whose real name is Lincoln Park, is the meeting point for the most privileged families in Mexico.
If you visit in the morning, wealthy mothers will walk their children after finishing breakfast with friends. If you go on the weekends, the park comes to life with remote control boat competitions in the park’s small pond.
The perfect visit starts with one of the best cappuccinos in the city at Café Joselo. Grab your coffee and walk through the streets near the park, known as Polanquito (Little Polanco).
Duck tacos
Prepare your palate for an experience as exquisite as it is exotic, the famous Pato Manila tacos. An Asian-influenced taqueria that prepares tacos and other dishes with tender, juicy duck meat.
Even if the most popular dishes are tacos, their crispy spring rolls, tortas, and wontons are just as delicious.
The most authentic taqueria in Polanco, without a doubt.
The 17th Best Bar in the world
If you’re in Polanco, you might want to know why Limantour has been on “The World’s 50 Best Bars” list for so long.
Top-level bartenders came up with a vast cocktail selection with creative ingredients and the most innovative processes.
You get a cocktail book describing some of their specialty cocktails in the front, followed by other drinks. These first cocktails are the signature drinks.
Prices are definitely not cheap, but the drinks are worth every peso.
It’s gay sauna time
We couldn’t make a list of gay places in Polanco without mentioning Mexico’s most famous gay sauna: SO.DO.ME.
SO.DO.ME is undoubtedly the sauna with the best facilities in the city and the sexiest men. You will find this iconic place in a building with small round windows on Mariano Escobedo street.
Mexico City’s cuisine
La casa de Toño offers the most iconic dishes in Mexico City’s cuisine under the same roof, with excellent service and accessible prices.
Try Pozole with pork head meat or assorted flautas but don’t leave without trying everyone’s favorite “Flan de la Abuela”
Drag queens of Polanco
Inside a warehouse, you’ll find Pinche Bar. A place with a lineup ranging from brunch and drag queen bingo to beer yoga and even stand-up shows in English.
The Drag Queen Bingo on Wednesdays is iconic! Come by yourself or in a group! Check their weekly lineup on Instagram at @pinche_bar.
But if what you’re looking for is a whole Drag & Dine experience, then head to the W Hotel, where Fridays and Saturdays turn into a big drag party, El Sirenito.
With the best drag talent and a one-of-a-kind show, El Sirenito will keep you singing all night.
Try to book at least three days in advance to secure a spot. Send them a DM on Instagram to make a reservation at @sirenitomx
Coyoacan & South Mexico City
The South of CDMX is probably one of the least visited areas in Mexico City. And even if Coyoacán has many good things to offer, keep in mind that many incredible spots in Mexico City are outside your comfort zone, in a land of volcanic soil.
A restaurant built on top of a volcano
A 30 min ride away from La Condesa, an almost secret and fascinating space is built over volcanic rocks. Saying it’s a restaurant would diminish the essence of Tetetlán; however, it’s the perfect excuse to visit it.
Tetetlán might be a bit of a long Uber ride from most places a tourist sees, but it’s definitely worth it.
Please do not leave this place without ordering a coffee with a matcha concha, and try their molletes with longaniza.
Anahuacalli Museum
If you are coming to Mexico City, we’re sure that visiting the Frida Kahlo Museum is already on your list. However, most travelers don’t know their ticket includes access to another space with outstanding architecture: Anahuacalli Museum.
From a short ride from Coyoacán, you will find this spectacular building designed by Diego Rivera himself to host his private collection of more than forty thousand pre-hispanic treasures.
For us, Anahuacalli offers a more intimate and exciting experience than the Anthropology Museum in Polanco. It’s our favorite museum in Mexico City.
Okay, okay. Let’s do Coyoacán now.
Have coffee where baristas go
Yes, we’re talking about Avellaneda Café. An exceptional specialty coffee shop brewing Mexican beans only. Carlos, the owner, has included some of the drinks that made him become an internationally renowned Barista. Try the coffees brewed in methods or the “Juanito,” a Mexican spin on the espresso tonic, with juniper and tamarind.
Cineteca Nacional
La Cineteca is a cult place for all the film lovers in Mexico City and a must-see for every tourist.
Its broad offering makes it perfect for all visitors, whether you’re planning to watch a movie or not.
Get some tapas at “Señorito,” go for a cappuccino and churros, or grab some beers on the beautiful terrace.
La Cineteca hosts multiple art and film expositions during the year and
on spring and summer weekends, enjoy the open-air cinema for free.
The Real Underground Scene
Art, fun, and rebellion. A club for all the free spirits who value authenticity more than anything in the world (and cheap beer!)
If gothic, punk, and music from the ’80s resonates with you, The Real Under is the club for you.
This iconic bar with multiple levels of entertainment guarantees you to party until dawn.
Best neighborhoods in Mexico City — Tips & tools to visit
The different areas in Mexico City could compete against any at other capitals of the world for culture, attractions, food, clubbing, and just about anything you can imagine.
Still, unlike some other cities, there isn’t something like a central area with all the attractions in just one place. You will have to travel long distances to understand why Mexico City is so fascinating.
Our best advice for first-time visitors is to spend at least one day in each of the areas of Mexico City. Don’t spend all your energy visiting just one or two of them, such as Downtown or La Condesa.
After reading this post, we hope you get the vibe of each neighborhood, and if you visit any of our recommendations during your trip, write which one was your favorite in the comments.
And for the gay travelers, stay away from everyone that tells you that Zona Rosa is the LGBTQ+ area of Mexico City!
Except for Rico and Nicho’s, the best gay bars are in El Centro, on Republica de Cuba street. And in all the underground queer parties in La Roma / Condesa.
In Gay Mexico City, we want to take visitors to all the places only a local would know! Our goal is to diversify tourism and make sure we’re creating a more authentic way to travel our city.
For 200+ more recommendations like these, access to our Google maps with our personal pins in each of the areas of Mexico City, the best underground parties, and a pre-designed one-week nightlife itinerary download our guide here.