Things to do in Mexico City
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El Imperial Club
Mexican indie bands, and the occasional imported act, perform in this ornate two-story house with antique furnishings and tasteful red-and-black vintage touches throughout.
reviewed
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Malafama
As trendy as Condesa’s bars and cafés, this sleek billiard hall doubles as a gallery of photo art. The well-maintained tables are frequented by both pool sharks and novices.
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Nalanda Libros
This well-established bookstore specializes in esoteric and religious books, with a healthy selection in English. There are DVDs of sacred music to put you in the mellow mood.
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Parrillada Bariloche
This stall along the southern aisle of an upscale street market grills some of the least-expensive Uruguayan-style steaks and sausages in town, along with excellent side salads.
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La Ópera Bar
With booths of dark walnut and an ornate tin ceiling (said to have been punctured by Pancho Villa’s bullet), this late-19th-century watering hole remains a bastion of tradition.
reviewed
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Ex-Convento del Santo Desierto de Nuestra Señora del Carmen
The Ex-Convento del Santo Desierto de Nuestra Señora del Carmen, a 17th-century former Carmelite monastery, is within the Parque Nacional Desierto de Los Leones.
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El Bataclán
A theater within a club (La Bodega), this intimate cabaret showcases some of Mexico’s more offbeat performers, with frequent appearances by the wonderfully surreal Astrid Haddad.
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Entre Vero
This is a nice plaza-side spot that is known for its grilled meats, served Uruguayan-style. Nonmeat options include tuna steaks, a grilled vegetable platter and thin-crust pizzas.
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Pasagüero
Some visionary developers took a historic building and transformed its stonewalled ground level into a space for various cultural happenings, especially rock and electronica gigs.
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Área
Atop the Hábita Hotel, this open-air roof lounge does a brisk trade in exotic martinis, with sweeping city views as a backdrop and videos projected on the wall of a nearby building.
reviewed
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Edificio Tehuacán
The Edificio Tehuacán, recently converted into the upscale Hippodrome Hotel, features a typical deco marquee, as well as a Maya-influenced arch around the entryway.
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Monumental Plaza México
One of the largest bullrings in the world, Monumental Plaza México is a deep concrete bowl holding 48,000 spectators. It’s a few blocks west of Avenida Insurgentes.
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La Perla
Once a red-light venue, this cabaret has been reborn in the age of irony as a cradle of kitsch, with hilarious drag shows featuring traditional Mexican songstresses. Tickets go fast.
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Bar Oasis
This packed disco cuts across class lines, with both cowboys and businessmen dancing against a Day-Glo cityscape. Stick around past midnight for shows featuring lip-synching trannies.
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Frutos Prohibidos
When you need a break from bistek, Forbidden Fruits puts together healthy salads, wraps and fruit-juice combos. Consider taking out for a picnic in nearby Parque México.
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Cluny
For unpretentious French cuisine, this bistro in a shopping arcade hits the spot. Quiche, salads, crepes, decadently delicious desserts and generous portions are the order of the day.
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Cineteca Nacional
Thematically focused film series are shown on seven screens, with at least one for Mexican cinema. Hosts the Muestra Internacional de Cine, an international film festival, in November.
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Museo Nacional de Culturas Populares
The Museo Nacional de Culturas Populares stages innovative exhibitions on folk traditions, indigenous crafts and celebrations in its various courtyards and galleries.
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Tostadas Coyoacán
Inside Coyoacán’s main market, between Malintzin and Xicoténcatl. The tostadas here are piled high with things like ceviche, marinated octopus, shredded chicken and pig’s feet.
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Centro de Enseñanza Para Extranjeros
The national university offers six-week intensive classes meeting for three hours daily (M$4750). Students who already speak Spanish may take content courses on Mexican art and culture.
reviewed
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La Feria
Kids will enjoy La Feria, an old-fashioned amusement park with some hair-raising rides. A ‘Super Ecolín’ passport (M$100) is good for everything but the rollercoasters.
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El Tenampa
Graced with murals of the giants of Mexican song and enlivened by its own songsters, El Tenampa is a festive cantina on the north side of the Plaza Garibaldi; a visit here is obligatory.
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Black Horse
Besides preparing bangers and mash, and screening the soccer match, this authentic British pub boasts an international social scene and has excellent bands playing the back room midweek.
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Bar El Vicio
With liberal doses of politically and sexually irreverent comedy and a genre-bending musical program, this alternative cabaret is appropriately located in Frida Kahlo’s old neighborhood.
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El Hijo del Cuervo
A Coyoacán institution, this stone-walled hall on the Jardín Centenario is a thinking person’s drinking person’s habitat. Assorted musical ensembles perform Wednesday and Thursday nights.
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