It’s no secret colonia Roma Norte is considered one of the most iconic neighbourhoods in Mexico City. The area as it appears today mostly dates back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when it became fashionable for Mexican aristocracy to relocate there and build large single-family mansions in the architectural styles of the time. Art nouveau and art deco are the predominant styles, visible in the facades and interiors of up to 1,500 mansions and apartment buildings, which have survived to this day under the protection of Mexico’s National Institute of Culture.

In recent years, colonia Roma Norte has repositioned itself as a cultural and gastronomical destination, with many restored turn-of-the-century casonas transformed into brilliant restaurants, boutique hotels, museums, and bars. Whether you are looking for a great night out, vintage fashion or a stylish abode to rest your head, these are the best things to do, see, buy and eat in Roma Norte.

The best hotels in Roma Norte

Nima Local House

Best for: A personal, boutique stay
Location: Colima 236, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700, Ciudad de México
Price: Rooms from 9,000 MXN / 450 USD

This luxurious boutique hotel is set in a stunning Roma Norte townhouse. It has just four bedrooms, all with high ceilings and tall windows overlooking a lush quiet street, giving it the feel of staying in a friend’s spectacular home. The peaceful inner courtyard, covered in monsteras, is a lovely place to have breakfast, read a book, work remotely, or just hang out with your significant other. Nima’s location can’t be beaten, with the best restaurants, bakeries, and boutique shops in the neighbourhood just a few doors down the street.
nimalocalhousehotel.com

Ignacia Guest House

Best for: Design you can take home with you
Location: Jalapa 208, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700, Ciudad de México
Price: Rooms from 4,300- 6,500 MXN / 220-330 USD

Ignacia Guest House is a 1913 mansion restored into a five-room boutique hotel, decorated in bold colour and furnished with a mix of traditional Mexican crafts and contemporary design pieces. Enjoy an afternoon cocktail in the bright red lounge, or have a classic Mexican breakfast with handmade tortillas on your room’s private balcony. Excellent hospitality and perfect location are some of the reasons why you will love your stay here in the heart of Roma Norte. And if you happen to fall in love with one of the design pieces, the owners run design boutique Originario in Roma, where you can buy many of the pieces featured in the house.
ignacia.mx

Brick Hotel

Best for: Proximity to the best restaurants in Roma Norte
Location: Orizaba 95, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700, Ciudad de México
Price: Rooms from 6,800-7,800 MXN / 340-390 USD

Brick Hotel is one of the newest and best boutique hotels in Roma Norte, Mexico City. The 20th-century mansion was built in an English style by its original owner, who lived between Mexico and England, and brought yellow bricks over from London to construct the house. Each of the 17 rooms is designed with elegant touches of off-white and cream tones. Some of the rooms have a private balcony overlooking Calle Orizaba, and guests can enjoy a private spa, in-house restaurant, and bar. The Brick Hotel is located just a block away from Mexico City’s best pastry shop Panadería Rosetta, setting you up for coffee and pastries each morning during your stay in Roma Norte.
itbrickhotel.com

The best restaurants in Roma Norte

Makan

Best for: Fragrant food and natural wine in stylish surrounds 
Location: Querétaro 11, Cuauhtémoc, 06700, Ciudad de México
Price: dishes starting at 150 pesos / 7.5 USD

Makan is a hip lunch and dinner option for locals and visitors alike, tucked away in a quiet inner courtyard behind an old Roma house. The restaurant specialises in Singaporean cooking and Southeast Asian culinary traditions with popular dishes including laksa soup and poached chicken with jasmine rice. Dinner nights at Makan are lively affairs, filled with cocktails and funky natural wines from the old world, making it a great way to start a night out in town.
makan.mx

Maximo Bistrot

Best for: a special dinner
Location: Avenue Álvaro Obregón 65 Bis, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700, Ciudad de México
Price: Dishes starting at 320 pesos / 16 USD

Maximo Bistrot is considered one of the best restaurants in Mexico City. Chef Eduardo García fuses French and Mexican flavours in a lively setting, which places its top-of-the-line kitchen front and centre of the space. Expect delicious comfort food and attentive service here – and the cocktail menu is not to be left out during any visit. Order the caramelised onions with comte cheese, the classic ceviche, or the flat iron steak with velvety potato purée and morels.
instagram.com/maximobistrot

Meroma

Best for: Long lunches with friends and family
Location: Colima 150-1, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700, Ciudad de México
Price: Dishes starting at 150 pesos / 7.5 USD

Meroma is the best restaurant for a casual meal in a relaxed atmosphere. Chefs Mercedes Bernal and Rodney Cusic have created a menu with international touches that celebrates the bounty of ingredients coming from sustainable farms surrounding Mexico City. The wine and cocktail list honour the effort put into each plate, and the restaurant has a small but perfectly formed rooftop to enjoy some al fresco dining. Try the foie gras terrine, the soft shell blue crab from Veracruz, or the wild mushroom risotto, dishes that speak of Meroma’s culinary range.
instagram.com/meromamx

The best bars in Roma Norte

Salón Covadonga

Best for: Lively cocktails and late-night parties
Location: Puebla 121, Roma Norte, 06700, Ciudad de México
Price: dishes starting at 100 pesos / 5 USD

Salón Covadonga is a classic Spanish cantina where micheladas, margaritas, and vodka tonics come thick and fast. The bar starts filling up by mid-afternoon, and by nighttime, it becomes a real party, where locals of all sorts – creatives, hipsters, old and young office workers – gather around to drink, play dominoes, or watch soccer games. The menu includes Spanish-inspired dishes, a variety of tortas, and small bites to share at the table.
instagram.com/cantinacovadonga

Cantina Riviera del Sur

Best for: excellent drinks and comfort food
Location: C. de Chiapas 174, Roma Norte, 06700, Ciudad de México
Price: dishes starting at 60 pesos / 3 USD

Cantina Riviera del Sur is a modern take on the traditional Mexican cantina, and is one of the best places to drink in Roma Norte. The food menu is inspired by regional dishes from the Yucatan peninsula – we recommend the cochinita pibil slow-roasted pork, stuffed panuchos tortillas, or sopa de lima (A Mexican soup). The bar fills up towards the weekend and the service can take a while during busy hours, but it’s worth the visit for a true taste of the local drinking culture of Mexico City.
instagram.com/larivieradelsur

Maison Artemisia

Best for: cracking cocktails
Location: Tonala 23, Roma Norte, 06700, Ciudad de México
Price: dishes starting at 180 pesos / 9 USD

Maison Artemisia has been a favourite in the local bar and cocktail scene in Mexico City for several years. It’s tucked up on the first floor of a Roma Norte mansion, above the natural wine specialists Loup Bar. Besides the cosy space, Artemisia’s winning card is the lively, friendly bartenders. The best place to be when visiting Artemisia is sitting right at the bar, so don’t be shy to mingle with locals for a lively night of signature cocktails and friendly vibes. The salmoncito cocktail – a concoction of gin, Campari, and grapefruit – is a stalwart of Mexico City’s drinking scene, so order one or five – it’s fresh, aromatic, and easy to sip.
instagram.com/maisonartemisiamx

The best shops in Roma Norte

Xolo Vintage

Best for: Covetable vintage finds
Location: Querétaro 157, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700, Ciudad de México
Price: Pieces starting at 500 MXN / 25 USD

Xolo Vintage is recognised by locals as one of the best boutiques for vintage clothing and one-of-a-kind pieces from the 1950s to the ’90s. The store sits discreetly inside an old Roma Norte house on a quiet street, which can be easy to miss. Don’t expect thrifty finds – prices are on the higher end of the scale, but it’s worth the price when each item featured in the store is a gem.
instagram.com/xolo_df

180 Grados

Best for: Contemporary fashion from local and slow-fashion brands
Location: Colima 180, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700, Ciudad de México
Price: Pieces starting at 400 MXN / 20 USD

180 Grados was one of the first shops in Roma Norte that gave window space to local Mexican designers and small boutique brands from abroad. The shop is tiny but well edited and is conveniently located on one of the busiest streets of Roma Norte. Peruse handmade pottery, leather shoes and responsibly made clothing and accessories from contemporary slow fashion items at 180 Grados.
180grados.mx

Amor & Rosas

Best for: Unique hand-embroidered designs
Location: Valladolid 55b, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700, Ciudad de México
Price: Pieces starting at 2,700 MXN / 135 USD

Amor & Rosas’ storefront is sandwiched between Roma Norte’s best bars, clubs, and restaurants. This socially-conscious slow fashion project combines contemporary design with sustainable textiles and traditional Mexican handmade embroidery to create truly unique kimonos, work jackets, blouses, and pants. Amor & Rosas pieces have a relaxed silhouette and are locally made to boot.
amorandrosas.com.mx

The best things to do in Roma Norte

Dancing at Salon San Luis

Best for: A local institution to shake your body
Location: San Luis Potosí 28, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700, Ciudad de México
Price: Drinks starting at 100 MXN / 5 USD

A true gem from days of old, Salon San Luis has more than 70 years of tradition as a salsa dancing hall and is considered among locals as a legendary Roma Norte social spot, particularly on weekends. The red light immediately transports you to a 1940s neighbourhood cabaret and the drink menu keeps up with the vintage vibe: expect inexpensive beer, straight tequila shots, and easy-to-mix cocktails like rum and soda or vodka tonics. A live salsa orchestra attracts professional and amateur dancers to the floor. Don’t be intimidated by their salsa skills and dive right in.
instagram.com/sanluisclubroma

Visit MODO Museum

Best for: A short but sweet visit to a local museum
Location: Colima 145, Roma Norte, Cuauhtémoc, 06700, Ciudad de México
Price: Ticket entrance starting at 50 MXN / 2.5 USD

MODO is a small design museum that focuses on Mexican objects and prints dating from the 1800s to the present day. Photography, magazine design, packaging, shoe polish, poster advertising, graphic arts – you name it, and MODO will have an example from Mexican history on display. The museum is located in a historic 19th-century house – it’s not enormous, so you devote a short time to the visit.
elmodo.mx

Best place to co-work in Roma Norte

Publico

Best for: remote workers, content creators, and entrepreneurs
Location: Alvaro Obregón 171, Roma Norte, 06700, Ciudad de México
Price: coworking desk monthly membership starting at 3,900 pesos / 195 USD

Considered one of the best places for remote working in Mexico City, Publico is the Mexican equivalent of WeWork with slightly fewer facilities but a stronger architectural design. Publico’s co-working space in Roma Norte sits on Alvaro Obregón Avenue, which is a short stroll from the area’s excellent cafes and restaurants. Publico’s co-working amenities are ideal for content creators as it includes a photo studio and a podcast room, while also providing open and green spaces to work to make the most of Mexico City’s balmy climate.
publi.co