Campos Polanco

Worth getting out of bed for

If Campos Polanco’s arresting art collection has whet your appetite for vibrant visual stimuli, you’re in luck: Polanco just happens to be home to Mexico’s finest art galleries and museums. We’re talking Museo Soumaya, an utterly incongruous aluminum-clad building with a no-less-extraordinary collection that features notable pieces by Dali, Rodin and Picasso. Its near neighbor, Museo Jumex, a similarly eye-catching Modernist cube with a distinctive jagged roof, is home to works by Warhol, Duchamp and Hirst, as well as an awe-inspiring collection of Latin-American art. The work of legendary Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros is celebrated at the Sala de Arte Publico Siqueiros, while those who like their architecture, erm, kaleidoscopic, will find much to enjoy in the colorful courtyards at Casa Luis Barragán.

It almost goes without saying that you can’t stay in Polanco without being drawn moth-like to Mexico’s most luxurious shopping street, Avenida Presidente Masaryk. Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Cartier and Porsche are just a few of the high-end retailers vying for your peso(s) along this million-dollar drag. Post-spree decompression opportunities abound in the neighborhood’s many excellent parks. Grab an iced coffee for a gentle meander around Líbano Garden directly opposite the hotel; check out the weekly farmers’ market and peaceful reflecting pools in nearby Lincoln Park, or don comfy loafers to explore the 17,000(!) acres of the Bosque de Chapultepec, CDMX’s great green lung, which comes complete with a hilltop palace, a zoo, a boating lake and two museums.

Local restaurants

Pujol is the flagship restaurant of Mexican wonder-chef Enrique Olvera, whose fusion tasting menu and umami signature mole sauce tell you everything you’ll ever need to know about what made him a household name. Quintonil’s earthier approach is no less imaginative, with a thoroughly modern menu of Mexican dishes that includes stone crab in pipian verde, and a cactus-paddle sorbet. Book either of these well in advance: your social media feeds will thank you (even if your bank balance doesn’t).

Local cafés

Late tequila nights are best followed by strong coffee and plenty of fresh air. Grab your favorite morning brew (ideally with a giant slab of frosted cheesecake) at nearby purveyors of the good stuff, including Boicot and Niddo Café Polanco, then dip into peaceful Lincoln Park for full recovery.

Local bars

Inviting cocktail bars abound in prestigious Polanco. Case in point: Limantour is a split-level joint that woos the local in-crowd with a buzzy atmosphere and regional takes on classic concoctions (the signature Machete and Mezcal Stalk cocktails pack a particularly potent Mexican mezcal punch). Over the other side of the Bosque de Chapultepec, trendy Gin Gin Polanco serves joyous riffs on juniper, from a refreshing Bramble to the spicy ginger kick of their Gin Gin Mule.