MEXICO CITY WITH JAMIE ESPINOSA

NAME: Jamie Espinosa

WHAT YOU DO: Media / Advertising Planner & Photographer STAR SIGN: Capricorn

SOCIALS: @jlouislouis

LIVING: Newtown, Sydney

LOCATION: Mexico City aka CDMX

SLEEP

Wedged between the super trendy La Condesa & La Roma is a cool little neighbourhood, Hipódromo.

Hipódromo is filled with so many cool cafes, restaurants and bars but a walk outside is just as great as it’s surrounded by beautiful art deco buildings, leafy green parks and heaps of dogs!

EAT

Contramar An institution in CDMX. The perfect mix of old school charm and new school cool. A must go if you have the $$. Order the red and green grilled snapper, and after your mains the waiter comes out with a huge platter of different sweets to choose from.

Fonda Fina

A trendier take on fondas - small family run restaurants in Mexico - selling elevated versions of meals typically served there. Try the bone marrow dish and any tostada.

Street Food

Get outside and try them all! There’s so much good food everywhere you look - tacos, elote, tlayudas, chilaquiles, chicharon…all you have to do is walk around, pick a place with a crowd, ask the server ‘que recomiendas?’ and you’ll be fine!

DO

There are so many things to do in CDMX! I recommend visiting the spaces dedicated to prolific Mexican artists such as Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera & Luis Barragan.

Also seeing a Lucha Libre Match is definitely a great night out!

Here is a list of some of my faves:

Bosque de Chapultepec A huge park in La Condesa with a heap of galleries and a zoo with free entry. Try to go on the weekend for the ultimate people watching experience.

Museo Nacional Antropologia

Worth seeing for the architecture alone. Over 20 exhibition rooms spanning from pre-hispanic to modern day culture.

Masa Galeria

Amazing contemporary art and design gallery. They change venues for every exhibition. When we visited it was hosted in a beautiful old mansion.

Xochimilco

Canals filled with colourful boats called trajineras. Boats with street food, Mariachi Bands and families bump up against each other as you float down the stream. I recommend doing this through a tour - we booked this super fun one through Airbnb.

SHOP

La Lagunilla Sunday Antiques Market: On Sundays this already massive market becomes even bigger with open air pop up stalls lining the streets - you can find anything from second hand-clothing to antique furniture to random kitschy objects. Sprinkled in between stalls are makeshift bars blasting reggaeton.

We love shopping for vintage clothing but it's still quite a small scene in CDMX. We did however manage to find a few really good spots with some nicely curated collections - Void, Goodbye Folk and Vintage Hoe. Onora Casa The owners collaborate with artisans across Mexico to meld traditional techniques with contemporary design.