Alexander Hotel

Worth getting out of bed for

The easiest of excursions is to the spa of course, but for a change of speed you can summon a personal trainer to the gym, or go for free spinning at the neighbouring Síclo. Outside, explore Chapultepec – on foot, by bike, or even by boat at the main lake. The fringes of the forest are seeded with cultural picks, too. The celebrated National Museum of Anthropology is chief among the museums, across from the Tamayo – a trove of modern art: on a small plaza between the two, check out the dizzying “Dance of the flyers”, which is performed every half hour by artists braver than us. Further afield, neighborhoods such as upscale Polanco, fashion-forward Roma, and graceful Condesa each deserve your time if only for a mooch – or a taco crawl if you’re hungry. The Alexander Hotel concierge can arrange gastro tours of the city, as well as day trips to the pyramids of Teotihuacán, Frida Kahlo’s favorite Coyoacán, and the characterful canals of Xochimilco.

Local restaurants

There are cosmopolitan options aplenty in the Lomas neighborhood. Nostos brings the glory of Greek tavernas to the Mexican capital, while Zeru is all about elevated Basque cuisine – including pick-and-mix pintxos and heroic grilled octopus. And for sublime sushi and slurp-worthy noodles, get yourself to Ginza, a no-nonsense and very local favorite.

Local cafés

For smashing smashed avo and Mexico’s preferred hangover dish chilaquiles, the Ojo de Agua down the road is an excellent choice. Opposite, sandwich shop Frutos Prohibidos caters to all your smoothie needs, with a menu including a creamy Cocoa Chanel, a mango-loaded Marilyn Monroe, and a zesty Frida Kahlo.

Local bars

You don’t have to speak the local language to know that the coctelería at Carmela y Sal is the place to head for margaritas and more come sundown. The mixology masters at Limantour are further away in Polanco (30 minutes’ walk), but worth the trip for the mezcal milk punch alone.