The Ultimate La Condesa, Mexico City Neighborhood Guide

Discover La Condesa, Mexico City—a leafy, Art Deco haven of chic cafés, world-class restaurants, boutique hotels, and effortless bohemian charm.

In the heart of Mexico City, La Condesa is the neighborhood that embodies effortless cool. Known for its Art Deco architecture, leafy avenues, and café terraces buzzing with people, Condesa is where style meets serenity.

Built around two lush parks—Parque México and Parque España—the neighborhood feels like an oasis within the city, a place where mornings begin with coffee under the trees and evenings end with cocktails in softly lit courtyards.

Condesa is refined yet laid-back, modern but steeped in history. Here, restored 1920s buildings now house boutique hotels, concept stores, and design-forward restaurants. It’s as easy to stumble into a yoga class or a weekend market as it is to find yourself in one of the city’s top cocktail bars by nightfall.

After countless trips to Mexico City, I often find myself splitting my time between Roma Norte and Condesa—their energy flows seamlessly together. Condesa, though, has its own rhythm: greener, a little slower, and effortlessly elegant.

This guide is my insider look at where to stay, eat, and explore in La Condesa, one of the most beautiful corners of Mexico City.

*This ‘La Condesa Mexico City’ guide may contain affiliate links, meaning I might make a small profit if you choose to book at no extra cost to you. This helps me to keep providing you with top-quality content for free. 

Where is La Condesa?

Condesa sits southwest of the city center, forming a natural extension of Roma Norte. The neighborhood is bordered by Avenida Insurgentes to the east, Circuito Interior to the west, Benjamín Franklin Avenue to the south, and Parque España, marking the border with Roma Norte.

It’s divided into two main areas—Colonia Condesa and Colonia Hipódromo, the latter wrapping around the green expanse of Parque México. Together they form a neighborhood that’s walkable, elegant, and distinctly bohemian—where art, design, and leisure meet beneath canopies of jacarandas.

A Short History of Condesa

Condesa’s story begins in the early 20th century, when Mexico City’s elite began building elegant homes inspired by European architecture. Its name—La Condesa—comes from the Countess of Miravalle, who once owned the land.

The result was a neighborhood filled with Art Deco and Streamline Moderne buildings, wide boulevards, and parks modeled after Parisian promenades.

After decades of decline and damage from the 1985 earthquake, Condesa, like Roma, saw a creative renaissance. Artists, designers, and young professionals moved in, opening cafes, boutiques, and galleries.

Today, Condesa is synonymous with modern bohemian living—a blend of nostalgia and innovation, where dogs, cyclists, and artists share the same leafy streets.

Where to Stay in Condesa

Condesa offers a refined collection of boutique hotels and stylish guesthouses—smaller in scale but big on charm and design. Quality over quantity is the name of the game here, with most stays tucked into historic buildings surrounded by greenery. Due to their small size, I recommend booking early.

La Condesa, Mexico City Hotels

Condesa Apartment Rentals

Best Things to Do in La Condesa, Mexico City

Explore the Streets of La Condesa

Wandering Condesa is one of the great pleasures of Mexico City life and one of the best ways to familiarize yourself with the neighborhood when you first arrive. The neighborhood is laced with tree-lined avenues, Art Deco architecture, and Parisian-style roundabouts, best enjoyed slowly and on foot.

Don’t miss Avenida Amsterdam, a circular street tracing the old horse racetrack that gives Hipódromo its name—today a shaded promenade perfect for walking, jogging, or people-watching.

Other beautiful streets include Tamaulipas, lined with cafes and boutiques, and Mazatlán, where elegant homes peek out from behind ivy-covered walls.

Visit Parque México & Parque España

Condesa revolves around its twin green hearts: Parque México and Parque España. Parque México, with its Art Deco fountains, dog walkers, and Sunday musicians, feels like the neighborhood’s living room—equal parts serene and social.

Parque España, smaller but equally charming, borders Roma Norte and often hosts open-air art shows and weekend markets.

Come for a morning jog, an afternoon picnic, or simply to sit beneath the trees with an iced coffee and watch the dog trainers. These parks are where Condesa’s community spirit truly shines.

Go Boutique Shopping

Condesa’s boutiques perfectly mirror the neighborhood—stylish, thoughtful, and a little bit understated. From concept stores and design studios to locally made fashion and homeware, shopping here is more about discovery than indulgence.

I have so many favorites when it comes to boutiques in La Condesa. A few I’d recommend you start with are:

Dive into the Gastronomy Scene

Condesa is home to some of Mexico City’s most beloved dining spots—casual but refined, with that effortless blend of quality and cool. Whether it’s a morning pastry, a lingering lunch, or late-night cocktails, the food scene here is endlessly rewarding.

Scroll down to the ‘Where to Eat in Condesa’ section for my curated picks of the best restaurants, cafés, and bars in the neighborhood.

Spend a Morning at Cafebreria El Pendulo

Part café, part bookstore, Cafebrería El Péndulo is a Condesa classic. Housed in a beautiful, plant-filled space lined with bookshelves that stretch to the ceiling, it’s the perfect spot to while away a slow morning browsing novels, design books, and travel titles while sipping a coffee.

The coffee is decent, but paired with the atmosphere, it hardly matters. Between the smell of books, the soft buzz of conversation, and the leafy terrace overlooking Avenida Nuevo León, the combination of caffeine and culture here is unbeatable.

Admire the Art Deco Architecture

La Condesa is a living gallery of Art Deco architecture, its elegant buildings standing as a testament to the neighborhood’s 1920s and ’30s heyday.

As you wander, keep an eye out for some of its most iconic examples—like the Edificio San Martín on Avenida México, with its sweeping curves and decorative reliefs, or the Edificio Basurto, whose rounded balconies and vertical lines have become a Condesa landmark.

Together, they give Condesa its unmistakable cinematic charm—glamorous, nostalgic, and perfectly preserved for slow urban exploring.

Best Tours and Activities in La Condesa

If you’d rather not explore solo, Condesa is perfect for guided tours. Food and mezcal tours take you through local taquerías and hidden gems, while architecture walks reveal the neighborhood’s Art Deco past.

For something different, consider a bike tour that combines Condesa, Roma, and Chapultepec—ideal for getting a feel for Mexico City’s central core in just a few hours. Here are some of the best La Condesa tours:

Where to Eat in La Condesa

La Condesa’s dining scene is every bit as exciting as Roma’s, with a focus on modern Mexican cuisine and vibrant neighborhood spots. Here are my recommendations for the best restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and bars to make the most of La Condesa’s extraordinary gastronomy scene.

Best Restaurants in La Condesa, Mexico City

Best Cafes, Bakeries in La Condesa

Condesa’s café culture is one of its biggest draws—easygoing, creative, and filled with excellent coffee. Here are my favorite, standout spots to sip and linger:

Best Bars in La Condesa

Baltra Bar – A Condesa institution from the team behind Limantour over in Roma Norte, offering creative cocktails in a cozy, Darwin-inspired setting.

Botánico – Equal parts restaurant and bar, this lush garden hideaway is perfect for tropical cocktails and long, lazy evenings surrounded by greenery.

Hugo – A chic, candlelit wine bar tucked on a quiet corner, offering an excellent selection of natural wines, craft cocktails, and refined bar snacks. Technically, Roma Nort, but who’s policing?

NIV – By day, a serene café and concept space; by night, it transforms into a stylish bar serving inventive cocktails and natural wines in a sleek, minimalist setting.

How to Get Around Colonia Condesa

Like Roma, La Condesa is best explored on foot—it’s compact, scenic, and filled with hidden gems best discovered at street level. If it’s your first time in Mexico City, I’d recommend staying in Condesa or Roma Norte, from which you can easily get around the two areas on foot.

The Chilpancingo and Patriotismo metro stations are nearby, and rideshares like Uber or DiDi make getting around quick and easy if you need to go a little further.

For a more local touch, grab a bike from the Ecobici system and cruise along Avenida Ámsterdam or through the parks.

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Ready to experience the best of La Condesa, Mexico City? Share your questions and comments below—I’d love to hear from you!

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