DINING & NIGHT LIFE

Mexico City surprises visitors with its excellent assortment of international restaurants, in addition to being the culinary capital of Mexican cuisine. Settings often highlight unique atmosphere, and service is always attentive and polite. Dining here is more formal than at beach resorts, and most of the finer dinner houses require coat and tie for men. Here is a sampling of restaurants in several categories.

French

Café de Paris
family operated, outstanding service and menu; art nouveau decor.
Les Célébrités
super elegant, with superb cuisine; Nikko Hotel. AAA***
Champs Elysées
Parisian-style dining, five dining rooms, popular.
Coté Sud
southern coast French cuisine in cozy atmosphere. Colonia Roma.
EL Discreto Encanto de Comer
elegant French colonial setting and fine cuisine.
Estoril
simple decor and excellent cuisine, Zone Rosa.
Fouquet’s one of the city’s finest, authentic and elegant, Hotel Camino Real. AAA***
Honfleur
refined atmosphere, Zona Rosa.
Ile de France
gourmet menu and serene setting, Hotel Galeria Plaza.
Maxim’s de Paris
authentic replica of the famous restaurant. Presidente Inter-Continental hotel. AAA***

Spanish

El Divino
gothic mansion setting; Catalán cuisine.
Mesón del Cid
authentic decor and cuisine from throughout Spain.
El Parador de Jose Luis
old time favorite in the Zone Rosa, superb food and service AAA***

Italian

La Botiglia
cozy setting, a favorite for Polanco residents. AAA**
La Góndola
indoor or patio dining in the Zona Rosa.
Mezza Notte
dancing on tables at midnight. Polanco. Upper crust hang-out.
Peccato
delicious Italian delicacies. Same owner as Zeco.
Prego
popular 2-location eatery with fresh made pasta.
Raffaelo
popular for lunch, in the Zona Rosa.
Toffanetti
trattoria popular with foreigh residents, outstanding pizzas.
Zeco
trendy trattoria-style dining. Polanco.

Mexican

Los Alcatraces
gourmet Mexican dining, lovely setting.
Los Almendros
traditional Yucatecan specialities. Two locations. AAA***
Antigua Hacienda de Tlalpan
elegant restored 18^th-century hacienda.
Bolivar 12
on Bolivar Street downtown, this fine Mexican restaurants in especially nice on Sundays when a sumptuous brunch is followed by a trolley tour of the historic city center.
Café Tacuba
one of the city´s oldest and best; near the Zocalo.
La Cava
Classic Mexican cuisine, magnificent colonial decor.
Cícero Tacuba
one of the city´s oldest and best; near the Zócalo.
La Cava
Classic Mexican cuisine, magnificent colonial decor.
Cícero Centenario
Victorian decor and creative Mexican favorites.
La Fonda del Refugio
simple setting in the Zona Rosa, unbeatable cuisine. AAA**
La Galvia
innovative gourmet Mexican dining in a relaxed colonial-style setting.
Los Girasoles
haute Mexican dining.
Hostería de Santo Domingo
oldest in Mexico City, restored convent, popular. Situated in the historic center.
Isadora
trendy nouvelle Mexican dining. Live nightly entertainment.
Loredo
colonial decor and excellent food.
Las Mercedes
gourmet Mexican cuisine, refined colonial-era setting.
Meson del Caballo Bayo
music, fun, fine food in a hacienda setting.
La Tecla
Excellent Mexican nouvelle cuisine. Moliere 56 in Polanco.
Villa Maria
former Polanco mansion serving regional favorites. Live music and delicious variety.

Asian

Benkay
sushi bar and four tatami rooms, at the Hotel Nikko.
Chez Wok
Chinese "haute" cuisine in an elegant setting.
Kamakura
tepan-yaki grills and huge sushi bar, Hotel Krystal Rosa.
Suntory
authentic Japanese setting; choice of dining areas; expensive but good.
Teppan Grill
tepan-yaki grilled meats and seafood, Hotel Nikko.
Villa Sakura
tepan-yaki and sushi bar.
Vong
Thai-French cuisine.

NIGHT LIFE

As befits a truly world-class capital city, there’s plenty of after-hours diversion, from symphony to ballet, to live theater and concerts. Remember that discos and clubs open after 10
00pm, and the city’s residents dress to the hilt when they are out on the town. Pick up a copy of the magazine, Tiempo Libre, to see what’s happening.

BARS

Campanario Bar
located in Hotel Majestic, offers sweeping views of the Zocalo.
Cicero Centenario
housed in an historic downtown building, features entertainment by pianists or trios.

DISCOS

Discos Housed in major hotels
Cero Cero (Camino Real), Dynasty ( Nkko) and Taízz (Sevilla Palace). Vist the Havana Club disco if you´re looking for sophistication, there´s a dress code here and guests must be 18 and over. Mekano offers spacious dance floors and a mixed crowd. Magic Circus is a large, lively disco for couples only. Passage has international, contemporary music.

LODGING

Surprisingly, the world’s largest city only has about 44,000 hotel rooms. Nearly 15,000 rooms are in the economy price range ($10-30 US per night, with private bath and TV). There are 15,000 three- and four star rooms ($30-60 US per night), and over 4,000 five-star units (60-150 US per night). In the exclusive "Gran Turismo" category there are 2,000 rooms ($150+US). During weekdays space at upper end properties can be difficult to book, due to tremendous demand by business travelers. Hotel frequented by international visitors are concentrated in four, relatively compact areas
the Historic Center, the Zona Rosa, along the Reforma, and bordering Chapultepec Park.

Hard Rock Café
popular with the younger crowd, offers dancing and live bands.
Jorongo Bar
at the Sheraton Maria Isabel Hotel; it’s a long-time favorite.
La Opera
enjoy lunch or dinner cantina style or sample the wide variety of drinks.
Shelty
in the Hotel Nikko, with a British pub setting and private atmosphere.
Restaurant-Bar Tasca Manolo
a romantic setting with traditional Mexican music.

NIGHTCLUBS

Gitanerias
in the Zona Rosa, features Gypsy Flamenco shows and Latin-style dancing.
Premier
with top-name entertainers, is one of the most popular night spots.
Maquiavelo
in the Krystal Hotel; modern and lively, with floor shows regularly.
Santa Cecilia
Mexican cuisine as well as typical Mexican music and dancing.

TROPICAL MUSIC

Visit Antillano’s for live salsa music and dancing, or Salón México for a variety of tropical music (salsa, swing, mambo, etc.). Bolivar 12 features Cuban bands Thursday-Saturday nights.

MEXICAN FIESTAS

At Focolare in the Zone Rosa enjoy dinner and a show with authentic Mexican food and dancing, typical music and Mariachis.