Roma, alongside La Condesa, forms the artsy, bohemian center of Mexico City, just southwest of Centro Histórico. But while that neighborhood is known for its museums and archeological sites, Roma is more about food, drink, boutique shopping, and nightlife. This may be the best neighborhood to find yourself in at mealtime, and here are some of the best places to go.
Mercado de Medellín
More than just a place to grab a bite, Mercado de Medellín stands out as one of our favorite things to see in the neighborhood. This traditional market has hundreds of booths. While some of them are farmers'-market type vendors with produce, dairy and more, this is also a phenomenal place to get a single-source coffee at El Conde de Medellin, a good meal from Tacos Los Canarios or La Morenita, and ice cream at Helados Palmeiro. Roma is known for its food and drink, and there's no shortage of options. If you want to sample the fare of the entire neighborhood, there's no better place to do it than here.
Maximo Bistrot
Offering pan-European cuisine with a contemporary flair, Maximo Bistrot artfully prepares dishes like ribeye, lobster, and suckling pig. While it's a little more expensive than a lot of places in town, the consensus is that it's well worth it. In fact, the place is so well-loved by the locals that when the daughter of a government inspector tried to get her father to shut the place down due to a perceived snub, the office of the president launched a formal investigation into potential abuse of power almost immediately.
Porco Rosso
Porco Rosso is actually an American-style barbecue restaurant located in Mexico City. By all accounts, they get it pretty darn close to perfect. The ribs are fantastic, the pulled pork is great, and the sides are varied and well done. They're even working on growing some of their own vegetables on site. While you might hesitate to try such a quintessentially American food while you're out of the country, bear in mind the differences Americans have brought to food from across the world.
Forever Vegano
Of course, you can call a neighborhood "hip" and "artsy" and "bohemian" all you want, but unless there's a vegan place, you're going to have real trouble backing up those statements. Luckily, there's Forever Vegano, which offers pasta dishes, inventive veggie burgers, and vegan takes on local fare, all out of a beautiful Art Nouveau building that's almost worth checking out even if you're not hungry.
Butcher & Sons
In case you really need to drive home the feeling of being in Brooklyn, it's nice to know Butcher & Sons is around. Located in an industrial-looking setting—black pendant light fixtures and exposed brick—Butcher & Sons serves tastefully-constructed burgers named for the likes of David Bowie, Tom Waits, Frank Zappa, and Jimi Hendrix. They also serve spiked milkshakes, with a whole separate section of the menu for gin. Whether you feel more homesick over the food or the trappings back home, Butcher & Sons has you covered.
Cabrera 7
Cabrera 7 is a great place for Mexican food and local wine. The ceviche is amazing, the guacamole goes well with just about everything, and they have some fantastic Mexican wines. In fact, this is a great place to go for drinks, in general. Food is reasonably priced, if not super cheap, and the corn tortillas are made fresh.
