Live Aqua Urban Resort Mexico. Credit: Live Aqua Urban Resort Mexico
Mexico City is a destination built for brunching. The pace of the bustling metropolis slows down a little during the weekend, just enough that you can settle into a sidewalk café and watch the world go by over coffee and chilaquiles (tortilla chips topped with cheese and egg).
With so many culinary gems to explore in Mexico’s capital, you’ll want to squeeze in another meal between breakfast, lunch and dinner to maximize your options. These are some of the best places to do so in Mexico City.
Live Aqua Urban Resort Mexico
This Forbes Travel Guide Recommended boutique property offers Sunday brunch from 1 until 5 p.m. for those who like a later start during a relaxing weekend. Helmed by Italian chef Francesco Cavicchi, the hotel restaurant puts out a spectacular spread of seafood, cold cuts, pastas, salads and a gratis bar of local wines and craft beers.
If the weather cooperates, snag a spot on the terrace to soak up some Mexico City sunshine and graze the hours away with friends.
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El Cardenal
A hugely popular brunch spot with Mexican families, this traditional restaurant is conveniently in the heart of downtown. Go early to bag a table, since the large dining room fills up quickly.
This is the place to sample local breakfast staples accompanied by pan dulce (sweet breads and pastries) and a proper Mexican hot chocolate, whipped into a froth by your waiter right at your table.
Appetite sated, check out one of the multiple museums nearby (the ever-popular Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes is just a 10-minute stroll) that offer free entry on Sundays.
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Tetetlán
Start your day the healthy way by heading to the yoga studio inside this refurbished historic space. Follow your warrior poses with a delicious brunch in the compound’s restaurant made with the best Mexican ingredients, like handmade corn tortillas and fresh local eggs poached inside aromatic hoja santa leaves with a side of deeply flavorful heirloom beans.
If you visit on a Saturday, pop next door to Casa Pedregal, where you will find organic farmer’s market Mercado el 100. Shop the stalls and fill your bags with some local goodies for later.
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Restaurante Tamayo
A lovely spot in Chapultepec Park, this stylish eatery sits alongside the Tamayo Contemporary Art Museum. After a walk through the grounds or a visit to an exhibition, the upscale restaurant is a great place to stop and refresh.
The food is fresh and interesting with options such as healthy açai bowls, baked eggs and more traditional chilaquiles. Mimosas and bloody marys are also on the menu for those who like a tasty tipple with brunch.
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Lardo
A trend-setting spot in the tony Condesa neighborhood, this light-filled dining room provides a picture-perfect perch for Sunday brunch.
Chef Elena Reygadas of Rosetta fame brings Italian and French techniques combined with local ingredients to bear once again with incredible pastries accompanied by steaming coffee and interesting breakfast plates.
With the look of a Provencal bakery or a quaint Tuscan town café, this is a great place to get together with friends over hearty breakfast sandwiches on fresh-baked bread while doing a bit of Mexican celebrity spotting at the same time.
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Belmondo
Mexico City’s tree-lined Roma neighborhood seems like it was almost made for brunching, especially this cozy venue at Mérida and Tabasco streets.
Belmondo serves a mixture of delightful interior design and fantastic food. Grab a breakfast sandwich, a bagel, a plate of eggs Benedict or even tacos de barbacoa (barbecued beef), alongside a strong coffee or a berry-filled smoothie to start your day off right.
Café de Tacuba
An institution in Mexico City — so much so that popular Mexican rock band Café Tacuba was named after it — this restaurant is more than 100 years old.
Come here for brunch accompanied by the sound of live music played by trios that pass among the tables. Savor traditional Mexican breakfasts served by waiters who wear the same style of uniform donned since the establishment’s inception in 1912.
Ask for café con leche to enjoy an artful presentation: milk is poured into your glass coffee mug from about a foot above the table, creating a light and airy latte, a tradition started in Veracruz and continued in just a few places these days.
