Mexico City has long been a culinary paradise. And now, a variety of hotels around the city are showcasing their gastronomic creativity with revamped menus and new venues that reflect the evolving tastes of today’s travelers.
Among the newest hotels to bring noteworthy dining options online is Brick Hotel, a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World that’s located in the trendy Roma Norte neighborhood. The 17-room property opened in 2020 as a stylishly refreshed relaunch of a hotel that had operated under different ownership in previous years.
Brick Hotel’s main restaurant, Cerrajeria, is named after the locksmith shop that occupied part of the hotel’s original building — but the structure’s earlier history as a brothel catering to powerful politicians is a more fascinating part of the building’s backstory. Cerrajeria offers both indoor and outdoor seating, as well as private dining rooms decorated with unique original art.
Under the guidance of Chef Armando Acosta, the hotel’s restaurant serves sophisticated variations on international specialties; I loved the margarita de huitlacoche (made with a corn fungus commonly used in Mexican cooking) and savored the best beef tongue I’ve ever had, complemented perfectly with caramelized onions. Even the fried chicken — a nod to the chef’s time working in Atlanta — was tasty enough to compete with my Kentucky grandmother’s own recipe.
Beef tongue with caramelized onions at Brick Hotel
Credit: 2021 Mark ChesnutSeveral longstanding hotels, meanwhile, are revamping their offerings with admirable results. The InterContinental Presidente Mexico City, for example, this year debuted a new, open-air venue called Bosque Gourmet — literally, Gourmet Forest — that makes excellent use of the verdant gardens outside the hotel building. The new dining concept is one example of how IHG Hotel and Resorts and Grupo Presidente — its corporate partner in Mexico — are rethinking their approach to hospitality, placing the InterContinental hotel brand within its Luxury & Lifestyle collection and devising new ways to improve the guest experience.
Bosque Gourmet expertly unites various selling points of the Mexico City property. Not only is the venue designed to provide open-air social distancing with upscale flair; it’s also the perfect place to sample creations from all of the hotel’s chefs, since the menu features dishes from the hotel’s other restaurants: Au Pied de Cochon, Chapulin, Alfredo di Roma, The Palm and Cafe Urbano. Menu items range from snapper filet from Au Pied de Cochon to New York cheesecake with strawberry sauce from The Palm. I especially enjoyed the savory duck tacos and the indulgent creme brulee.
With seating for 120 people amid soaring trees and lush landscaping, Bosque Gourmet provides lots of space for patrons to spread out. The venue, which is open for lunch and dinner from Wednesday through Saturday, also has an open-air lounge bar that features live music from a DJ from Thursday to Saturday (4 p.m. until 10 p.m.).
The ultra-luxurious St. Regis Mexico City, meanwhile, has also debuted a stylish new open-air dining venue. Appropriately named Bloom, the restaurant sits on a picturesque third-floor rooftop, amid a carefully manicured garden graced with wooden pergolas. It’s a delightful setting for sampling dishes such as the hotel’s signature avocado pizza, grilled seafood and other delicacies, and patrons can also choose liquid refreshments from a decidedly sophisticated beverage menu that includes a tea ritual and an array of unique bloody mary options.
Bloom is the latest addition to the luxurious St. Regis Mexico City.
Credit: 2021 Mark ChesnutOn Fridays and Saturdays, Bloom hosts a “farm-to-grill” barbecue event limited to only 10 guests, complete with a private chef. The Sunday brunch has also become a popular event as well, and reservations are required for both.
Hungry families, meanwhile, might want to consider a stay at the JW Marriott Mexico City, which has introduced a new Pool Package that includes a $40 credit, redeemable in the pool area, so that kids and adults alike can refuel while relaxing at the outdoor pool.
And for travelers looking for a truly exclusive culinary getaway, you can’t get much more private than Casa Teo, a two-bedroom apartment that functions like a boutique hotel. Owned by celebrity chef Enrique Olvera, owner of Pujol (a AAA Four Diamond restaurant), the property offers customized dining experiences that can be coordinated with guest chefs and even other restaurants.
