This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
Itinerant restaurants as well as large tables make Mexico City a delicious landmark for gourmets. The same goes for all-round culture enthusiasts.
The Mexican megacity has more than 22 million inhabitants. It may seem overwhelming, but it is very easy to explore on foot or by bike, one neighborhood at a time. In the company of Rachid Sebbah, French-speaking guide for Voyageurs du monde, a tour operator specializing in tailor-made stays, we have lunch at the Medellín market. “The particularity of this market, as its name suggests, is that it offers, among other things, Colombian ingredients, which are not found everywhere in Mexico,” he explains.
At the Cocinas Juanitas y hijas family counter, run by a mother and her daughters, you can smell the range of aromas specific to Mexican dishes in the kitchen. How good it is to be back in this extraordinary city!
We opt for the chicken enchiladas, covered in mole negro, made with cocoa and spices, and the chilaquilesso-called tortilla chips totoposgenerously topped with salsa verde and topped with scrambled eggs. This is what we call a very satisfying lunch.
On the San Juan Pugibet market side, you can find fine products there. These range from tequila flavored salts to honey cardamom and chicatanas, ants from Chiapas. These latter are our favorite! You would think they were flavored with miso. But they are simply roasted.
Located at the boutique hotel Roso Guest House in the Roma Norte district, we are very close to several good addresses. One of them is Rosetta, the restaurant of Elena Reygadas, named best chef in the world in 2023 according to the ranking of 50Besta desired stop every time we are here.
Italian-inspired, its menu is nevertheless imbued with typically Mexican ingredients and recipes. We find the beef tartare there al pastor (this time with beetroot and 100% vegan) or the tacos made with Savoy cabbage, garnished with pistachio cream and chopped Mexican pepper leaves. With its dining room located in an interior courtyard, Rosetta is a real haven of peace, where it is good to drink and enjoy.
While it’s not always easy to find a seat in this popular restaurant, the Voyageurs du Monde concierge service, included in all stays, is truly appreciated because it does it for us.
To drink and to eat
Given the incredible cocktail bar offering, we have an aperitif at Baltra Bar. Inspired by Darwin’s travels, the place offers original creations, such as the delicious Old George Sour made with tequila, basil, cucumber, cardamom and absinthe.
With our appetite well whetted, we let ourselves be tempted by the tasty street food. Tacos al pastor to esquites (a mixture of corn, mayonnaise, chili, cheese and lime juice), tacos topped with a thin slice of beef, grilled cheese and nopales (cactus) sautéed… our taste buds are completely seduced.
The next day we travel through the magnificent Chapultepec Park, which stretches for almost 7 km2. Not far from there is the chic Polanco district. Among the good addresses in the area, the Aúna restaurant catches our attention. This is the new kid on the block from chef Jorge Vallejo, known for Quintonil, one of the best restaurants in Mexico. In collaboration with chef Fernando Torres, they designed a more affordable version than Quintonil, while maintaining their vision of sustainable gastronomy and modern Mexican cuisine.
We particularly enjoy the potato and shrimp dumplings, topped with Hollandaise sauce and garnished withikura (salmon eggs). We also tasted zucchini flowers stuffed with mushrooms and accompanied by guava chutney and a macha salsamade from chili arbol chile. Each time, Mexico charms us and makes us fall more and more in love with it.
This stay was partly made possible thanks to Voyageurs du monde.
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