Traveling to CDMX

[patrickamory]

Any recommendations for CDMX? Headed there for a business trip. I know about the small LCDH in Polanco and the bigger one in Roma Sur, and I've read about Cigar Lounge in Roma.

Anywhere else? Any classic old-school Hemingway-type places, in Centro maybe?

Thanks for any recommendations! : 0

[BrightonCorgi]

I assume that's Mexico City?

[dominattorney]

I had a wonderful time in CDMX early October. Brought my own sticks though. I did pick up a monte 2 ad sanborns and smoked it on a nice hotel deck. Most of my smokes were at in laws house on the balcony. 

Do not miss the museum of anthropology. It's 80 pesos to get in. I could have spent the whole day there. 

[patrickamory]

@BrightonCorgi apologies yes, Mexico City!

@dominattorney thanks, I'll try to check it out. What is Sanborns - I googled and it looks like a restaurant, but also a store?

[dangolf18]

One of my favorite cities in the world. You might be able to get some of the most recent regional from one of the LCDH. Other than that, I’d enjoy the sites and the food. Highly recommend checking out Teotihuacan.

[patrickamory]

Thanks!

Just had a local (non-smoker) recommend a place in Roma Norte called "La Bodeguito del Medio" that is supposedly a branch of a place in Havana, with a walk-in. Anyone familiar / can vouch?

[PuroDiario]

I highly recommend the balcony bar at Hotel St Regis in Reforma for a drink and cigar. Pricey but fantastic, they used to have a proper humidor the waiter would bring your way with great cigars. Not sure now, but you can bring your own.
 

depending on the time you land (I always landed perfectly timed to go have a bite) and where you are staying, what I always liked to do is to grab a ride and asked them to take me to El Kalifa (Reforma) or El Farolito (Polanco) and ask the driver if he was hungry so he waited for me while I enjoy (offering him to do so too, remember $1:P$19.35) a few simple everyday tacos (Kalifa’s bistec are great) and El Farolito (gringa) is great too. Then he can drop you at the st regis for a welcome cigar with a view or Bar Delgados for a lounge like bar in Polanco. So you start the trip high in stamina.
 

you definitely should try to have dinner at Maximo Bistrot and a weekday lunch at Contramar both a scene and absolutely delicious food. Estoatorio Nostos in las lomas is a beautiful restaurant and great food in a posh area, but I don’t think will make much sense if first time there. Silvestre in Polanco is a great dinner spot, loud and dynamic, with food both local and international. Cool trendy spot, and if with friends the waiters will happily go get you some smokes or so. Tip them properly please. Favorite restaurants you will not regret apart from the above Lardo, Blanco Colima (dinner and drinks), Quintonil, Maison Belen (Brunch), La Docena (oysters), Gin Gin la Roma (drinks late at night), Pujol (upscale Micheline superstar type), Rokai (great sushi), Rosetta (brunch), etc. book Maximo, Contramar or any of the others ASAP or will not be easy.

Some general list I used to send to people below too.

·       Teotihuacán (pyramids) and Basilica de Guadalupe (i would go on a bus tour) 
 
Centro
·         Go to el Zocalo (big plaza)
·         Walk around
·         Go inside Palacio Nacional and see Diego Rivera’s murals
·         Go inside Bellas Artes and see murals
·         Cathedral
·         Ciudadela Market (cheap artisan market, super mexican experience)
·         Lunch at Centro: go to Azul Histórico (beautiful restaurant)
 
Polanco
·         Walk on Masaryk (5th ave. Mexico)
·         Walk to Polanquito and Parque Lincoln
·         Walk to parque Chapultepec and go to Castillo de Castillo de Chapultepec
 
Museums around Polanco:
·         Museo de Antropología
·         Museo Tamayo
·         Museo JUMEX,
·         Museo Soumaya (only the building is cool, museum terrible but super funny to see the top floor)
 
Coyoacán and San Angel
·         Casa Frida Kahlo
·         Walk around coyoacan
·         Walk around San Angel
·         Mercado del Carmen in San Angel for lunch
·         Mercado del sabado (artisans market on saturday)
 
Xochimilco
·         Boat and Mariachi tour
 
Additional places to go / things to do
·         Go to Garibaldi (preferably Tenampa) à Listen to Mariachi’s while drinking tequila with friends (late night)
·         Bullfighting
·         Museo Universitario de Arte Contemporaneo (MUAC) à great contemporary museum
·         Lucha Libre (def fun)

[Vetteman]

15 hours ago, patrickamory said:

Thanks!
Just had a local (non-smoker) recommend a place in Roma Norte called "La Bodeguito del Medio" that is supposedly a branch of a place in Havana, with a walk-in. Anyone familiar / can vouch?

Never been to Mex City, but I believe LBdM is a Cuban restaurant chain. I dined at one in Playa del Carmen a number of times. The food and drinks were decent, and it had a very small humidor (not a walk-in) with a limited number of smokes. I didn't purchase any there, but I assume they were legit.

[SenorT]

Saw this just now:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/11/17/travel/things-to-do-mexico-city.html

I've only been once, a few years ago (before the earthquake). Spent most of the time in Condesa.  I picked up a box of Petit Edmundos (my jam at the time) at El Cigarrito.  Really enjoyed La Clandestina and the Alipus bar for mezcal.  Rooftop drinks at Hotel Parque Mexico.  Ate barbacoa at El Hidalguense for breakfast so that I could fit it in (it's in the Taco Chronicles series on Netflix).  Another breakfast at Fonda Mayora was great for the huevos encomisados (they cook the blue corn tortilla so it puffs up, then crack an egg inside and cook it in the tortilla). We also splurged and had dinner at Pujol- that was mind blowing.

[patrickamory]

Wow thanks all, especially your list @PuroDiario. We have a reservation at Contramar... I shall report back on everything.

[ender.lmm]

27 minutes ago, chasy said:

Was at LCDH in Polanco about a month ago, they had a pretty solid selection / inventory. I didn’t really do the math, but felt like prices were fairly inflated (might just be a Mex tax thing, idk though).

Interior courtyard at Four Seasons is a great place for a smoke. Right off of Avenue Reforma (Main Street separating Polanco from Roma).

+1 on all @PuroDiario recommendations 

Mexican tax is killer, 60 to 80% over MSRP. Enjoy the city is great, I had been visiting since I was a kid and definitely there is something for everyone. Good recommendations already shared, agree with those.

 

 

[PuroDiario]

1 hour ago, patrickamory said:

Wow thanks all, especially your list @PuroDiario. We have a reservation at Contramar... I shall report back on everything.

Anytime. Maximo Bistrot if you have the chance is also bueno bueno bueno

[dominattorney]

21 hours ago, patrickamory said:

@BrightonCorgi apologies yes, Mexico City!

@dominattorney thanks, I'll try to check it out. What is Sanborns - I googled and it looks like a restaurant, but also a store?

Sanborns is a department store. They sell everything. Model ships even. Kinda cool. 

 

Also, Pujol was one of the best dining experiences I've ever had in my life. Phenomenal. I ate at Quintonil as well. But it was 3x the cost and gave everyone in my party food poisoning. 

I'd recommend visiting the Chapultapec Castle, and the Turibus line was a great way to spend a day seeing the city. It was way less touristy and chintzy than the tour busses in other major cities I've visited. You pay like 12 bucks and can ride the bus all day. Get off wherever and another bus swings by within an hour to pick you up after you're done. 

I also highly recommend seeing the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico if you can. 

https://www.balletfolkloricodemexico.com.mx/

It's a dance and mariachi performance that is truly spectacular. What we saw had a dueling harp section and some really nice folk dancing. The musicians and dancers were top notch. 

My wife and I saw it at the pallacio belles artes and enjoyed it immensely. 

[patrickamory]

Thanks all for the recommendations - it was a whirlwind business trip so I didn't have time to do a lot, but here is a quick report:

- La Bodequita de Medio: branch of a place in Cuba that supposedly invented the mojito. Bought a couple sticks to smoke in their humidor (a Reyes and a PJ) that were fine, but annoyingly you can't smoke in the bar. The mojitos were good.

- LCDH bigger branch: the one just south of Roma Sur. Mystifyingly closed on a Friday.

- El Cigarrito: cool old cigar store in Roma Norte. Bought 10 gorgeous SCs. No English. Old school.

- Contramar: incredible 3-hour lunch including the tuna crudo tostadas, the whole grilled fish with red and green salsa, so many other dishes...

- Expendio de Maiz: a bit hipster but delicious breakfast, we avoided the lines by getting there early, lots of unusual corn varieties in the masa

- Casa Bell: old school palm garden restaurant with caged songbirds near all the tables to help keep conversations (either business negotiations or assignations) private. You can smoke and they offer to go around the corner to buy puros for you. Amazing tacos with seared duck meat and skin bits and their homemade salsas.

- Kyo: omakase sushi, really hyped and totally to avoid.

- LCDH smaller branch (in Polanco): waited for about an hour while two gentlemen spent forever at the counter with the hostess inspecting box after box. I gave up and went to the insane FIFA/Adidas store next door and spent the cigar money on a pair of Mexican-exclusive sneakers

- La Barra del Fran: GREAT tapas place in Polanco. Sat at the bar and had great wine, jamon iberico de bellota, anchovies, boquerones, papas fritas and an endless selection of other tastiness.

The airport duty free was sadly free of almost any interesting Cubans, in great contrast to when I was there in 2018 and the Montecristo boxes were stacked high.

I'll be returning.

[dangolf18]

Has anybody been to the Masaryk or Loreto location recently? Wondering how inventory looks and if it's even worth checking out.