Casona Roma Norte

Bound for Casona Roma Norte, it was news to me that Mexico City is one of the largest cities in the world. Geography was never my strongest subject. I still remember Mrs Blows — an elderly geography teacher, who had also taught my mum — valiantly trying to get our class to listen, let alone learn. Looking back, it’s probably no wonder my knowledge of the great metropolises is a little shaky. But back to something I do understand: food.

I was travelling with a group of fellow chefs and our food-centred Mexican trip had been nearly a year in the planning. So when we left London for a week in one of the world’s most exciting-for-food cities, we couldn’t have been more thrilled. We were taco ready to say the least.

I’m incredibly lucky that my job as a caterer sometimes involves travelling and eating in interesting places — and I absolutely love it. Swapping a grey February week in London for a week learning about food in Mexico City felt like the perfect New Year tonic.

What I quickly realised on arrival was how much I had underestimated the city. I’d assumed its appeal was mainly the food scene, but there’s so much more. Mexico City sits on a lake, is surrounded by volcanoes, is slowly sinking each year, and is home to ancient chinampas — floating agricultural gardens that have existed for centuries. The more we walked its uneven, chaotic pavements, the more we loved it. What struck me first was the colour: every building, street corner, gate and graffiti-covered wall adds to the vibrant backdrop.

Our hotel, Casona Roma Norte, with its pretty pink exterior, fits perfectly into the leafy streets of Roma Norte. Inside, historic art nouveau charm meets a clean, contemporary style. Casona means ‘big house’, and stepping into Casona Roma Norte certainly feels like you’ve arrived home. As the double doors close behind us, the buzz of the street is blocked out, and we’re enveloped in the cool and calm lounge, where soft lighting illuminates interiors in shades of cream and white.

Ahead lies a whitewashed brick courtyard, with an innovative organic restaurant and a bar specialising in spirits distilled from the native agave plant. Look up towards the sky (which is almost always blue), and you’ll spy rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows, a multi-storey mural and the rooftop bar. There’s a reason they call it the Experience House — during your stay, there might be a chance to try urban yoga, matcha-cake-decorating and mezcal-tasting. I instantly wanted to stay longer — if only to lounge on the immaculate white sofas, admire María Rec’s artwork and people-watch in the lobby.

Sadly, there wasn’t much time for lounging. Our week was packed with taco tastings, market visits and meetings with chefs and pulque experts, all organised by our brilliantly bossy guide, Anna Pao, who kept us eating at the very best street taco spots while ensuring we stayed on schedule.

One of our first adventures took us two hours outside of the city to the market in Ozumba, where we joined Michelin-starred chef Victor Toriz on an ingredient-buying trip for his restaurant, Gaba. The market was intoxicating — loud, colourful and full of incredible produce. Breakfast with the locals included a brilliant cactus soup. At one point, I was asked to eat a live bug. After a brief internal battle — and feeling too polite to refuse — I did it. It popped with a bright citrus flavour. I could have eaten more… I didn’t, but I could have.

Another highlight was spending time in the kitchen at Baldío, Mexico City’s first Green Michelin Star restaurant. We learned about fermentation, preserving and zero-waste cooking before visiting the ancient chinampas in Xochimilco. A sunrise boat ride to Arca Tierra, where the restaurant’s vegetables are grown, was magical.

If I hadn’t been getting up at 4.30am for that trip, I might have made better use of the hotel’s complimentary yoga. I did manage to enjoy the breakfasts though — chilaquiles and huevos aporreados were excellent local options. And if you ever reach peak taco, there’s always an English breakfast.

My Instagram algorithm went into overdrive during the trip: top 20 taco spots, must-see CDMX, hidden gems. It’s easy to feel like you should do everything, which at times left me mildly panicked about missing something. That’s why having a calm, comfortable hotel to retreat to mattered. The cosy bed, crisp linen and steaming shower became the perfect reset between packed days.

Even if tacos aren’t your thing, Mexico City has plenty to offer. Watching Lucha Libre on a Friday night with a beer the size of my head was great fun. Don’t miss the extraordinary Biblioteca Vasconcelos, and if you want somewhere creative to explore or work, La Laguna — a repurposed textile factory turned cultural hub — is reason enough to visit on its own.