Where to eat, stay and play in the neighbourhood of La Condesa Mexico City. With its lush green spaces, gorgeous Art Deco buildings, dozens of dogs and tranquil vibes, this was our favourite colonia in CDMX.
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About the Condesa neighbourhood Mexico City
La Condesa was one of our favourite neighbourhoods in Mexico City.
It feels worlds away from the hustle and bustle of Centro Historico, and while it still had that trendy and cool factor, it was more relaxed and laidback than neighbouring Roma.
It’s hard to believe you’re in a city of 22 million people while you’re wandering through the leafy streets, past alfresco cafes and stunning Art Deco houses to the backdrop of bird song.
La Condesa is home to some of the city’s nicest parks, occupied every day by hundreds of dogs with their trainers, getting babysat while their funky young professional parents are at work.
In our opinion, Condesa has all the best of Roma without the extra busyness and popularity. It’s effortlessly chic and cosmopolitan, and still largely a residential area (although it is growing).
Whether you pop by for a day or use La Condesa as a base for your entire Mexico City itinerary, this neighbourhood is a must-visit.
La Condesa is actually a broad name for the area that includes three different colonias or neighbourhoods:
- Colonia Condesa
- Colonia Hipódromo
- Colonia Hipódromo-Condesa
For all intents and purposes, ‘Condesa’ refers to the area in its entirety, and although there are three distinct neighbourhoods, they tend to melt together and you don’t really feel a change from one to the other.
In this post, I’m going to use Condesa and La Condesa interchangeably, and my recommended things to do, restaurants and hotels will be across all three colonias.
Top 3 experiences in La Condesa
MICHELIN TACO TOUR BY BIKE
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ROMA & CONDESA WALKING TOUR
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
CRAFT BEER BREWERY TOUR BY BIKE
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Where is La Condesa
La Condesa is a neighbourhood in the southwest of central Mexico City. It forms part of the Cuauhtémoc Borough.
It is bordered by Juarez to the north, Roma Norte to the east/northeast, Chapultepec Park to the west and Colonia Escandón to the south.
La Condesa is bound by Avenida Veracruz in the north and Avenida Insurgentes to the east, both along the border with Roma. The Circuito Interior Bicentenario borders La Condesa to the west and south.
La Condesa is central to other popular neighbourhoods in Mexico City, like Roma, Centro Historico, and Polanco, and is right next door to the famous Parque Chapultepec.
6 Things to do in La Condesa
1. Avenida Amsterdam
One of the major sights in La Condesa is Avenida Amsterdam. This oval-shaped avenue is the heart of the neighbourhood, with its shape reminiscent of its former life as a horse racing track.
‘Racetrack’ in Spanish is hipódromo, which is where the name Colonia Hipódromo comes from.
There is a leafy pedestrian walkway in the median of the avenue and it is such a lovely and peaceful area to stroll around.
This is the best place to see the charming Art Deco and Art Noveau architecture the area is known for, and we were daydreaming about which mansion we would live in!
2. Parque Mexico
The centre of the oval is the sprawling Parque Mexico, one of the loveliest parks in the city.
We were dwarfed by towering palms and Cyprus trees, and there were lush tropical gardens, decorative fountains and statues throughout.
The park also has a lake, as well as Foro Lindbergh (Lindbergh Forum), an open plaza designed in Art Deco style. This area was a hive of activity when we visited, with plenty of local basketball and soccer games going on.
One thing we loved about Parque Mexico was its audiorama. In a hidden corner of the park, this community area is managed by the city and is designed to be a quiet space for people to come throughout the day.
There are books you can borrow to read, plenty of lounges and chairs (including ultra-comfortable hanging egg chairs), calming meditative music playing and a strictly enforced silence policy. This was the perfect place to sit down and rest our feet, and we spent half an hour reading our books.
3. Parque España
A couple of streets away from Parque Mexico is Parque España. It’s a smaller area, but still just as lovely! It’s definitely worth strolling through both parks.
The park also has an audiorama area, with the same setup as Parque Mexico, so keep that in mind if you’re choosing where to have a rest.
4. Dogs, dogs and more dogs
Something unique happens in the parks of Condesa that I had never seen before, but absolutely LOVED!
Each weekday, hundreds of dogs hang out in the park all day with dog trainers and dog sitters, while their paw-rents are at work.
Both Parque Mexico and Parque España have a zona canina (canine zone), which is a fully enclosed area where the dogs can run free and play off-lead.
Some dogs just seem to be having a good old time under the watchful eye of their dog sitter. While others looked to be undergoing some pretty intense training!
There were dozens of dogs lined up along the paths in the parks, not moving a muscle. They weren’t being held or actively watched, they had been trained that well.
It was incredible to see so many of them together, being so still and well-behaved. And it was hilarious watching different dogs get sick of the routine and try and break the line, with the trainers descending on them with no more than a stern look before they sheepishly sat back down again!
If you love dogs, you’ll be in heaven and definitely want to spend some time just watching the dynamics of so many pooches together!
5. Take a food tour
La Condesa and neighbouring Roma Norte are home to some of the city’s best restaurants, from fine dining to streetside taco stands.
This was verified when the Michelin Guide finally came to Mexico in 2024 and included many restaurants from Condesa and Roma in their list.
And what better way to explore the newly crowned Michelin taco restaurants? By bike!
This awesome new Michelin Taco Bike Tour looks like the best way to explore the local food scene in La Condesa and Roma Norte, hitting up the Michelin-recommended taco spots on a bike tour with a local.
I can’t wait to go back and do this! Eating tacos and riding bikes around a pretty city are two of my favourite things to do.
🚲 Book your Michelin Taco Bike Tour
6. Wander aimlessly
The sights above are the cornerstone attractions in La Condesa, but once you’ve seen these, the best thing to do is just stroll aimlessly.
It is such a pretty neighbourhood, it’s nice to get lost for a few hours and simply soak it all up. (Don’t worry, it’s not that big, so you can’t really get too lost!).
Any and every street is cute and worth wandering down, but to give a bit of structure to your roaming, these are some major streets that have a lot of cafes, restaurants etc.:
- 🪧 Avenida Mexico
- 🪧 Avenida Nuevo León
- 🪧 Avenida Michoacán
- 🪧 Avenida Tamaulipas
- 🪧 Avenida Veracruz
- 🪧 Avenida Mazatlan
👣 If you’d prefer to wander and learn at the same time, join a Condesa & Roma Private Walking Tour With a Local
7. Admire the architecture
I’m sure you’ve already gathered La Condesa has some seriously stunning architecture.
Together with neighbouring Roma, the Condesa neighbourhood dates back to the 20th century, when upper-class residents of the city were looking to escape the bustling Centro Historico, to an area with more space, green areas and larger houses.
These planned neighbourhoods were developed on the model of European cities, with large tree-lined avenues, lots of parks and grand single-home mansions, with Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles.
Although a lot of the area was damaged in the 1985 earthquake, La Condesa still has plenty of charming mansions and beautiful examples of this style of architecture.
Hotels in La Condesa Mexico City
The Condesa neighbourhood is a great place to base yourself in Mexico City. It’s a great place to be in its own right, with its relaxed vibe, green spaces and great food options. It’s also very safe.
But it’s also very easy to travel around to other areas of the city, with a few metro stations nearby, and also the famous Chapultepec Park right next door!
BUDGET HOTELS & HOSTELS
Where to eat and drink in La Condesa
I loved the food scene in La Condesa. It’s got a great mix of cute cafes, fine dining restaurants and international cuisine (hello Japanese food, it had been a while!) so you get a taste of those funky vibes. But it still has affordable tacos and good Mexican food if you’re on a budget.
When the Michelin Guide finally made it to Mexico in 2024, Condesa got quite a few mentions in the list!
Cafes and sweet treats
- 💻 Blend Station: an aesthetic cafe with incredible coffee, Instagrammable dishes and plenty of tables for digital nomads to work on laptops.
- 🌿 Maque Cafe: a gorgeous cafe in an Art Deco building with tables spilling onto the sidewalk and views of Parque Mexico. Try their tasty pastries or traditional Mexican breakfast dishes.
- ☕️ Quentin Cafe: with branches in both La Condesa and Roma Norte, this is a cafe for coffee lovers. Coffee is taken seriously here, and they also have a range of yummy pastries.
- 🥯 Mendl: a New York / Jewish style delicatessen, with a gorgeous airy plant-filled dining room, bagels, pastrami sandwiches and latkes are paired with sweet treats and coffee.
- 📚 Cafebreria El Pendulo: a chain of bookstores-cum-cafes found all over the city, including in Condesa. It’s such a great idea and a lovely place to stop for a coffee or a cold drink, browse the books and take a rest.
Tacos, markets and street food
- 🍍 El Tizoncito: claiming to be the creators of the iconic al pastor tacos, this casual taco spot has two branches in Condesa. Open late, tacos al pastor with the lot will fill any craving!
- 🌮 Taqueria Orinoco: this famous Roma Norte taco shop has a location in Condesa too. Serving just three specialities, pastor, arracherra or chicharron, this place is jam-packed day and night.
- 🍤 El Pescadito: serving up some of the best tacos de camarones in the city, these mouthwateringly crispy shrimp tacos are something else.
- 🌮 Tacos Don Juan: authentic, cheap and tasty tacos. Doesn’t get much better than this, with a good range of meat and veggie options.
- 🥘 Tacos Hola El Güero: this very popular local spot offers dozens of different guisado (stew) fillings to choose from, and all tacos come fully loaded.
Restaurants
- 🍱 Koku: this Japanese restaurant has a gorgeous courtyard hidden at the back of the restaurant. Delicious sushi, and try their rice bowls.
- 🫔 Esquina Común: this is the only restaurant in La Condesa that earned a Michelin star (one star, others were awarded with the ‘Bib Gourmand’ ranking). This lovely rooftop Mexican-fusion restaurant was formerly in a secret location. While the address is public knowledge, reservations are still very hard to come by and can only be obtained via Instagram message.
- 🍝 Lardo: Meditteranean and Italian flavours meet Mexican staples at this iconic Condesa restaurant, from the same chef as the famous Rosetta in Roma Norte.
- 🌵 Botanico: a cactus-filled outdoor space offering a mix of cuisines, all with a Mexican twist and a strong focus on fresh ingredients. The cocktails are delicious, the service top notch and don’t skip their fresh seafood options.
- 🐟 Meretoro: an upscale option serving Baja California cuisine, with a focus on the region’s specialities: seafood, meat and wine.
Bars
- 🍹 Baltra Bar: claiming a spot on The World’s 50 Best Bars list, this Darwin and Galapagos-themed bar mixes up some delicious cocktails.
- 🍷 NIV: an extremely chic wine bar focusing on natural wines from small-batch producers around the world.
- 🍸 Caiman: a little on the pretentious side, but this stylish bar serves up a great range of cocktails and natural wines.
- 🥃 La Clandestina: if you’re looking to delve into Mexico’s lesser-known liquor, mezcal, this is a fantastic place for a tasting with a range of smokey mezcal cocktails.
- 🍻 DrunkenDog: a classic brew pub with a range of craft beers on tap, from around Mexico and internationally.
🍻 If you’re a beer lover, check out this Mexican Craft Beer Tasting Experience by Bike in Roma and Condesa
How to get to La Condesa
When you look at a map of La Condesa, you’ll see the metro only runs around the outside of the neighbourhood, there are no stops actually in Condesa.
It’s still an easy walk into the heart of it, so if you want to come to La Condesa by train, these are the best stops to disembark:
- Chapultepec
- Juanacatlán
- Chilpancingo
Otherwise, Metrobus Line 1 runs down Avenida Insurgentes on the eastern border of Condesa.
I would highly recommend using the city’s bike share scheme, EcoBici, to get to and around Condesa. There are tons of bike stations within the neighbourhood and all the paths in the parks and medians on the major avenues are great to ride around.
Uber is an easy way to get to La Condesa from other parts of the city too.
🚊 I have a complete guide on how to get around Mexico City for more information on transport
Is Condesa Mexico City safe?
Mexico City is a very safe city overall, and La Condesa is a particularly safe neighbourhood.
It’s an upper-class, affluent residential area that is quiet and peaceful. There are always plenty of people out and about at cafes, restaurants and bars, and we felt comfortable walking around here day and night.
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La Condesa Mexico City: Final thoughts
I completely understand why the Condesa neighbourhood is one of the most popular in Mexico City.
We loved how green and quiet it was, but it still felt so trendy and funky. The houses are beautiful, the dogs are cute and the food options are amazing. It was one place we could see ourselves living.
Whether you’re basing yourself in Condesa for your entire Mexico City stay, or just visiting for the day, I hope this guide was helpful!
You can easily combine your Condesa explorations with neighbouring Roma Norte too, so don’t forget to check out our Roma guide as well.
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- Ultimate Guide to Centro Historico, Mexico City
- The Concise Guide to Roma Norte, Mexico City
- The Concise Guide to La Condesa, Mexico City
- Best Way to Get Around Mexico City as a Tourist
- El Patio 77: Sustainable Bed and Breakfast Mexico City
The Comments
Andrew
Sally, is there a Golf Course in or near Condesa ?
Thanks so much for your time and consideration.
Andrew
Sally Rodrick
AndrewHi Andrew, Condesa is very inner city so there isn’t any golf courses there. The closest would probably be the Club de Golf Chapultepec or Club Campestre de la Ciudad de México, you could use an Uber to reach either of them from Condesa. All the best! Sally