Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.01-Day Mexico City Food Crawl: Tacos, Mercados & Chef Stops
A one-day eating route through Roma Norte, Condesa and the Centro Histórico: legendary tacos al pastor stands, grazing through Mercado Roma and Mercado de San Juan, fresh churros at El Moro and a chef-driven lunch in Roma. The plan re-plans itself around how you travel — your style, pace and budget.
Pick a style, a budget and a pace — the route and days below re-plan themselves.
3 stops · 2 meals · 1 hotelThis is the editor’s pick.
Condesa's 22-acre Art Deco park: fountains, the duck pond and old-growth trees on the old racetrack. Walk off the tacos here.
Mexico's first gourmet food hall: dozens of stalls over three floors plus a rooftop beer garden. Graze here for a snack.
Monterrey-born taquería with some of the city's best tacos al pastor: chicharrón and campechanos too. Clean, consistent, cheap, open late.
- Mercado Roma to Orinoco Condesa: six minutes apart — end the Roma leg at some of the city's best pastor tacos.
Closer: El Parnita, right on your way
Roma Sur's Latin American market ('Little Havana'): 500+ stalls of Colombian, Cuban and Yucatecan produce, plus cheap prepared food.
A vibrant Roma antojería: tacos de quintoniles, torta bañada and tlacoyitos with live guitar, steps from Mercado de Medellín.
- Graze the three floors of Mercado Roma, then duck into El Parnita steps away for tacos de quintoniles.
Closer: Tacos Hola El Güero, 6 min out of your way
Darwin-and-Galápagos-inspired cocktail bar in Condesa with creative cocktails and personalized service. The nightcap.
- End at Baltra Bar, seven minutes off Parque México, for creative cocktails and personal service.
A 27-room Art Deco guesthouse in Condesa with a rooftop breakfast terrace near Parque México.
Where to stay in Mexico City
Ranked for foodie travelers on a comfortable budget. The places this plan sleeps in come first.
Casa Decu
A 27-room Art Deco guesthouse in Condesa with a rooftop breakfast terrace near Parque México.
Casa Blanca in Coyoacan
A small garden guest house in Coyoacán with free parking and WiFi, about 1 km from the Frida Kahlo Museum.
Condesa DF
The design hotel that put Condesa on the map: 40 Mahdavi-designed rooms in a 1928 building with rooftop views across the neighborhood.
Flights to Mexico City
Fly into MEX (MEX)
Flight results via Travelpayouts — we may earn a commission on bookings.
Getting around Mexico City
How to actually move around the city — transit, rideshare, bikes, and taxis.
Public transit
The backbone of the city: the Metro, Metrobús bus rapid transit, the integrated MI fare card, the Cablebús gondolas and city buses. Everything runs on the rechargeable Tarjeta de Movilidad Integrada.
- Metro
One of the largest subway systems in the Americas: 12 lines and nearly 200 stations reaching the Zócalo, Chapultepec, Coyoacán and most major sights. A single ride costs $5 MXN (about US$0.25).
Tip: Runs daily 5am to midnight. The first 2–3 cars are reserved for women and children during peak hours; ride outside 7–9am and 6–9pm to avoid the crush.
- Metrobús
Bus rapid transit on dedicated lanes: 7 lines and 283 stations covering areas the Metro misses. Standard fare is $6 MXN per ride, paid only with the MI card (contactless bank cards and Apple/Google Pay also work at turnstiles).
Tip: Line 4 connects the airport to downtown: the Quetzalcóatl route runs from Amajac on Paseo de la Reforma to airport terminals 1 and 2 for $30 MXN, daily 4:30am–midnight.
- Tarjeta de Movilidad Integrada (MI)
The single rechargeable card for the Metro, Metrobús, Cablebús, RTP buses and Ecobici — and often the only payment method accepted. Buy it for $15 MXN at vending machines in any Metrobús station.
Tip: Get one on your first day; you cannot pay cash on the Metro or Metrobús.
- Cablebús
The city's gondola lift system: 3 lines and 19 stations. Line 3 links the four sections of Bosque de Chapultepec out to Santa Fe, and Line 2 in Iztapalapa is the longest urban cable-car line in the world (10.55 km). Fare is $7 MXN with the MI card.
Tip: Ride Line 3 for aerial views over Chapultepec park — it's genuinely useful for tourists, not just commuters.
Rideshare
Uber, DiDi and Cabify all operate widely in Mexico City and are the go-to for visitors — generally safer and more convenient than hailing a street cab, especially at night.
- Uber
The most widely used rideshare app in the city, with UberX, Comfort and airport pickups. Fares are cheap by international standards.
Tip: Use Uber at night and for airport runs; agree nothing in advance — the app sets the price.
- DiDi
The main local rival to Uber, often slightly cheaper with frequent promos. Works the same way: app-set fares, card or cash payment.
Tip: Worth having as a backup when Uber surges during rain or rush hour.
- Cabify
A third rideshare option operating in Mexico City, popular with business travelers.
Tip: Useful when Uber and DiDi are both surging.
Bikes
Flat central neighborhoods make cycling easy: the Ecobici bike-share covers Roma, Condesa, Juárez, Polanco and Centro, and every Sunday Paseo de la Reforma closes to cars for the Muévete en Bici ride.
- Ecobici
The city's public bike-share, with hundreds of docking stations across the central neighborhoods. Bikes unlock with the same MI transit card.
Tip: Best for short hops between Roma, Condesa and Juárez — stations are densest there.
- Muévete en Bici (Sunday ciclovía)
Every Sunday, Paseo de la Reforma and other major avenues close to car traffic for the city's weekly bike ride — ride an Ecobici or your own bike through the empty boulevard.
Tip: Go before 10am for the emptiest streets; the closure typically runs until early afternoon.
Taxis
Taxis are everywhere, but visitors should use authorized sitio (radio) taxis or the official App CDMX rather than hailing cars off the street. No tip is expected in taxis; 10% is customary in restaurants.
- Sitio (authorized) taxis
Licensed taxi stands (sitios) at hotels, airports and busy corners; the fare is set or metered and the car is registered. Avoid hailing unmarked street cabs, especially at night.
Tip: Ask your hotel to call a sitio taxi, or walk to the nearest marked stand — never get into an unmarked car.
- App CDMX
The city government's official app, which includes hailing and paying for authorized taxis at regulated rates.
Tip: Download it before you arrive so you can pay official taxis by card without negotiating.
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