Roma / Condesa
Colonia Roma · Condesa
Mexico City's two trendiest neighborhoods, with Art Deco apartments, jacaranda-lined avenues, Michelin-starred restaurants and street tacos, independent bookshops and mezcal bars. The setting of the film “Roma.”
Roma and Condesa are two neighboring districts south of Paseo de la Reforma. Planned in the early 20th century as garden residential areas for the upper class, they retain many French eclectic and Art Deco buildings. They declined after the 1985 earthquake, but from the 2000s artists, designers and restaurateurs revived them, and today they are the center of Mexico City's food, nightlife and design scene, and the area where foreign visitors most often stay. Alfonso Cuarón's Oscar-winning film “Roma” is set here in the 1970s.
Roma Norte centers on Álvaro Obregón Avenue (a central promenade with sculptures), Plaza Río de Janeiro (a replica of the David statue and the red-brick “Witch’s House”) and Colima Street. It is home to famous spots such as Contramar (seafood lunch), Rosetta (bakery and Michelin-starred restaurant) and Máximo Bistrot, as well as the Mercado Roma food market, the Casa Lamm cultural center, independent design shops and galleries. Condesa (Condesa/Hipódromo) is built around the oval Amsterdam Avenue (a ring-shaped tree-lined boulevard laid out on a former racetrack), Parque México (with its Art Deco open-air amphitheater and duck pond) and Parque España. Cafés lining the streets, dog owners and dog walkers capture local life, and brunch spots such as Lardo and Pan Comido often have queues. Metrobús runs along Insurgentes Avenue between the two districts.
Food tips: for street tacos, go to Taquería Orinoco or El Vilsito (an auto repair shop that turns into a taco stand at night). For churros and hot chocolate, try Churrería El Moro. In the evening, visit Licorería Limantour (one of the World's 50 Best Bars) or a mezcal bar.
Getting there: Metro Line 1 to Insurgentes or Sevilla station, or Metrobús to Álvaro Obregón station. From the city center, Uber takes about 15 minutes.
Tips: at night, avoid walking alone on the side of Roma that borders the Doctores district. Weekend restaurants require reservations. Sidewalks are uneven from earthquake damage, so watch your step.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Paseo de la Reforma & Angel of Independence
- Arena México (Lucha Libre)
- Chapultepec Castle
- La Ciudadela Artisan Market
- Monument to the Revolution
- National Museum of Anthropology
- Torre Latinoamericana
- Palacio de Bellas Artes