I left Mexico 7 years ago to go to college, and every time I’ve gone back I’ve increasingly learned to appreciate many things that Mexico City has to offer, including its beautiful historic neighborhoods and amazing food spots. It’s like visiting your hometown with the eyes of a tourist – places look new. It’s refreshing.
The {Colonia Roma}, commonly referred to as {La Roma} by locals, is a wonderful neighborhood or {colonia} close to Mexico’s historic center that has become a hotspot for bars, restaurants and galleries in the past years. It has revived to attract the young(er) generations of artists, hipsters, bohemians, writers and such.
You can walk around and see a contrast of old buildings, devastated by the 1985 earthquake, new buildings built after that, and historic buildings that have been conserved to preserve the area’s historic and architectural heritage. People walking and street vendors found along the tree-lined streets, parks and plazas add to the unique charm of {La Roma}.
A couple of Sundays ago I spent the day in {La Roma} with some friends. After walking the streets for a while, we stopped at {El Duke} and had a scrumptious juicy burger with a crisp, cold beer. I have to say, I am not a big burger eater in Mexico. After living in the states, burgers don’t get much better anywhere else, but when I took a look at it as a waiter set it on the table next to us, I couldn’t resist myself.
After that we headed to {El Toscano}, an Italian coffeeshop/restaurant in front of the {Plaza Rio de Janeiro} offering simple food like paninis, salads, soups and such. I just love spots like this. Not pretentious, laid-back, cozy sidwalk cafés with a European feel. Rustic wood floors, communal tables, hand-written menu on the chalkboard columns and the open kitchen all add to the comfy, mellow feel of this place. We just had a few bottles of wine there, so I couldn’t really write about my opinion on the food, or the coffee, but I can say {Cafe Toscano} could be my go-to spot for a lazy weekend brunch.
