Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/845163
Librería Vasconcelos. A modernist garden of knowledge whose structure mimics those of the botanical gardens that encircle it. The concrete and glass structure is a series of open balconies and staircases and is home to Gabriel Orozco's sculpture Ballena that sits prominently in the lobby. Teotihuacan. If you'd like to see pyramids, this is the place to go — but get there early. Take a hot-air balloon tour over the pyramids. teotihuacan.inah. gob.mx. Xochimilco. Some of the last remaining waterways from what was once a lake prior to Spanish colonization. The area is also a sanctuary for the endangered axolotl, a Mexican salamander. xochimilco.gob.mx. MEXICAN DESIGN AND SHOPPING Bazaar Sábado. This arts and crafts fair has been held every Saturday for more than 50 years. elbazaarsabado.com/mx. Blend. A huge complex of stores in Las Palmas. Much of what they sell is imported, but the store and space are impressive. The owner is behind Design Week Mexico. blendmexico.com. Casa Bosques. This store in Roma sells magazines and books, local chocolates, with a boutique downstairs. It's next door to Puebla 109, a hot spot with a fine bar and restaurant. casabosques.net. Colectivo 1050. The company is based in Oaxaca, but you can find their designs — avant-garde work with rustic ceramics — in the city. 1050grados.com. Havre 64, A combo location with a menswear store, tattoo parlor, and barbershop. The block itself is interesting, with a number of restaurants and bars. Hector Esrawe. Very luxe- modern. Esrawe is a fantastic guy and one of our favorite Mexican designers. His showroom is in Polanco. esrawe.com. La Ciudadela. The best market for handcrafts. laciudadela. com.mx. La Lagunilla. The Sunday flea market. No need to get there early; nothing happens on Sunday mornings. La Metropolitana/Lagos del Mundo. A collective of young designers in Roma. lagosdelmundo.com. Mercado Roma. A new food emporium where you can find classic Mexican specialties. mercadoroma.com. Nouvel Studio. Probably the best glassblowers in the country, with a factory store in Naucalpan. nouvelstudio.com. Onora Casa. This local brand works with artisans to create slightly more minimal designs. onoracasa.com. Pirwi. Also located in Polanco, Pirwi works with eco-friendly wood. pirwi.com.mx. Void Mexico. High-end vintage clothing. voidmx.com. WHERE TO EAT Azul Condesa. Traditional Mexican cuisine. There's another branch downtown, but we prefer the Condesa location. azul.rest. Bistro Maximo. Nice bistro in Roma. maximobistrot.com.mx. Celaya. This gorgeous Victorian candy store downtown offers a fun mix of candy, much of it super traditional. We like the sweet corn cupcakes. d u l c e r i a d e c e l a y a . c o m . Contra Mar. The best seafood in town. One of our haunts, Contra Mar has quite the lunch scene, with politicians, telenovela stars, hipsters, even mafia. Get there early — which for Mexico means before 1 pm. contramar. com.mx. El Califa. Legendary tacos al pastor (although we prefer the competition, El Faraón in Roma, which locals affectionately call Cali-fake). elcalifa.com.mx. Havre 77. Beautiful food from this bistro on calle Havre in Juarez. One of our fave spots. havre77.com. La Capital. Must-haves are the salpicón de pato and the guacamole. lacapitalrestaurante.com. Lalo. Fantastic communal- table bistro in Roma. Lalo also serves a great breakfast. eat-lalo.com. Lardo. Small and intimate bistro with farm-to-table changing menus. A must for a relaxed, elevated dining experience. lardo.mx. Mercado Roma. Another new gourmet location, with many different stores sharing the space. mercadoroma.com. Nicos. Traditional Mexican done nicely. nicosmexico.mx. Pujol. The best in new Mexican cuisine. Renowned chef-owner Enrique Olvera's restaurant is a lot of fun, with affordable tasting menus. pujol.com.mx. Quintonil. Another top- notch restaurant that's highly recommended. quintonil.com/en. Rosetta. Italian in a stunning building. The bone marrow is a must-have. rosetta.com.mx. COCKTAILS Alvaro Obregon. A perfect place in Roma to barhop. Cine Tonalá. Part cinema, part restaurant, both pretty fine. cinetonala.com. Leonor. Hipster ground zero. Limantour, limantour.tv. Great for cocktails with a very pretty bar. There's one in Roma and another in Polanco. One of the bartenders, Mafer Tejada, is the Latin American cocktail champ! M N Roy. One of the best clubs in the city. Designed by architect Emmanuel Picault. Puebla 109. Another one to try. And the store upstairs, Casa Bosques. Sells good local chocolate and magazines. puebla109.com. Romita. A nice bar that also has great boutique. WHERE TO STAY Camino Real – Polanco, caminoreal.com. Hotel Condesa df. Swell rooftop bar and weekend brunch. condesadf.com. H o t e l D o w n t o w n . downtownmexico.com. I n t e r c o n t i n e n t a l Presidente Mexico City. presidenteicmexico.com. Habita Hotel. Fashionable hotel in Polanco with a beguiling rooftop terrace. hotelhabita.com. La Valise. Gorgeous boutique hotel. lavalise.com.mx. Museo Nacional de Antropología Havre 77 M N Roy Galería Kurimanzutto 47