Condesa, Mexico City

Neighborhood guide

Condesa neighborhood guide

“La Condesa” usually refers to three adjoining colonias — Condesa, Hipódromo and Hipódromo Condesa — west of Avenida Insurgentes, and travelers often search for it as Condesa DF. Much of the area was developed in the 1920s and 1930s on the grounds of a former racetrack, which is why Avenida Ámsterdam still runs in a closed oval. The same decades left Condesa with one of the city’s best collections of Art Deco and early modern apartment buildings, including the Edificio Basurto on Avenida México.

Where to eat in Condesa

Condesa restaurants range from destination dinners to counter tacos. Lardo on Agustín Melgar, Botánico, Esquina Común, Azul Condesa, MeroToro and Baldío are the seated tables in this guide; Maizajo pairs a restaurant with a taquería. For tacos, Tacos Don Juan, Tacos Hola El Güero and Taquería El Greco are casual stops, Molino El Pujol sells tortillas and masa-based snacks, and Nevería Roxy Condesa has been scooping ice cream in the neighborhood for decades. The full list is in Condesa restaurants.

Bars in Condesa

Evenings in Condesa are fewer and more relaxed than in Roma Norte: Baltra Bar is a small cocktail bar near the park, and Cabuya Rooftop serves food and drinks above the neighborhood. For a longer night, Roma Norte’s cocktail bars are a short walk east.

Things to do in Condesa

The heart of Condesa is Parque México, officially Parque General San Martín, with its Art Deco details and the open-air Foro Lindbergh. A few blocks north, Parque España is smaller and quieter. Walking the planted median of Avenida Ámsterdam makes a full loop of the old racetrack, and the neighborhood market, Mercado Michoacán, is close by. Routes and details are in things to do in Condesa.

Getting around

Condesa is best explored on foot; the parks are a few minutes apart and most streets are shaded. Avenida Insurgentes, with its Metrobús line, runs along the eastern edge, and Roma Norte is just across it. To decide between the two, see Roma Norte vs Condesa.