Mexico City doesn't work the way other cities do. The place that looks like nothing from outside will have forty people in line by noon. The Italian restaurant in Polanco will still be seating tables past midnight. You can spend MX$80 on fries in Coyoacán and MX$300 on dinner in Granada, and both choices will feel correct. The altitude does something to your appetite here, and the sheer density of options across dozens of colonias can be paralyzing without a plan. Here's one.
Afternoon: Polanco and Granada
Chubbies at Lago Andromaco 17 in Granada is the burger spot that makes people drive across the city. Close to 1,200 reviews and a 4.8 rating. Prices are $100–200 MXN, open daily from 12:30 pm until 9:30 pm on weeknights and 11:30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Granada sits just east of Polanco, walkable from Polanco metro if you head toward Lago Alberto. Arrive by 1 pm if you want to skip the wait.
For dinner in the same area, 50 Friends at Av. Emilio Castelar 95 handles the Italian side of things. Nearly 1,900 reviews at 4.7 stars. The chocolate pizza has its own reputation in Polanco. Open from 1 pm daily, until midnight on weekdays and 1 am on weekends. The price range puts it above Chubbies on cost, though not dramatically. Good for groups who want to settle in for the evening.
Sports and Soup: Insurgentes
Torito Sports Bar at Av. Insurgentes Centro 1020 in Benito Juárez has over 800 reviews at a 4.8 rating, which is striking for a sports bar. The menu runs to micheladas, mojitos, tortilla soup, and whatever game is showing. Open Monday through Saturday from 12:30 pm, until 1 or 1:30 am on Thursdays and Fridays. Closed Sundays. Prices in the $100–200 MXN range. Don't skip the tortilla soup.
Something Different: Del Valle
Vegan Ramen Mei on Félix Cuevas 835 in Del Valle Sur is open every day from 2 to 9 pm. Over 1,100 reviews at 4.7 stars, prices in the MX$100–200 range. The orange chicken and sweet and sour options come up again and again in what people mention. Del Valle is easy from Roma Norte via Metrobus on Insurgentes, or a short Uber. If you've been eating tacos at every meal for three days running, this is how you reset without leaving the city.
Budget Pick: Coyoacán
Pipiris Fries on Calle A Mz. VII in Educación, Coyoacán, is the cheapest spot on this list. Prices stay under MX$100 for macho fries, jalapeño poppers, pulled pork, milkshakes, and monthly specials. Open from 3 pm daily, until 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Over 700 reviews at 4.7 stars. Coyoacán is worth the trip south on its own; eating here before heading back north is a reasonable way to end an afternoon.
Late Night: Nápoles
LOS DE ARRIBA at Maricopa 10-10 in Nápoles is open Wednesday through Saturday, 8 pm to 1 am. Over 1,350 reviews at a 4.8 rating. Live music and son cubano, with standup comedy on certain evenings. Closing Sunday through Tuesday is part of what keeps the quality up. Nápoles is centrally placed between Polanco and Coyoacán, easy from anywhere in the city. Come for the music; stay as long as they'll have you.
One Day in CDMX
Start in Coyoacán at 3 pm at Pipiris Fries (under MX$100). Uber north to Del Valle for ramen at Mei (MX$100–200, closes at 9 pm). Head to Polanco or Granada for late dinner at 50 Friends or Chubbies. If it's Wednesday through Saturday and you still have energy, end the night at LOS DE ARRIBA in Nápoles. Four neighborhoods, prices ranging from under MX$100 to the mid range, and enough variety that no two hours feel the same. That's a full day in this city.
