Colonia Roma is popularly known for the beautiful architecture of its houses and buildings, with styles that vary between art nouveau, eclectic or French, as well as having a large number of gourmet cafes decorated with great elegance and with the best flavors. As if that were not enough, in the Roma neighborhood you can find all kinds of restaurants, bars, parks, squares, shops and many of the most beautiful streets in the city. Mexico City.
Join us on this trip where we will know everything you need to have an incredible experience in the Roma neighborhood.
What makes Colonia Roma so important?
Historically speaking, the Roma neighborhood had the honor of being one of the first in the city to have the necessary urban services, in addition to having been designed with wide streets with ridges, such as Orizaba Street, and beautiful tree-lined avenues, such as those of Veracruz. and Jalisco, which have a touch similar to that of Paris, France. You will be able to observe when walking through its streets, that they were identified using the names of states and cities of the Mexican Republic, and to complement it, it has two cozy squares: Plaza Rio de Janeiro and Plaza Luis Cabrera.
The architectural relevance of the buildings that you can find here is also something remarkable, with more than 1,500 houses and buildings that were transformed into monumental artistic works. Talking about historical or important people who have lived in the Roma neighborhood, there are Álvaro Obregón, Fernando del Paso (writer, draftsman, painter), Sergio Pitol (writer), Ramón López Velarde (poet), Andrea Palma, Jack Kerouac ( writer of the Beat generation), María Conesa, among others, making the area a cultural focus.
Do not forget to bring a camera or take some pictures with your mobile, as this way you can later remember the incredible experience lived in "La Roma".
What places are recommended to visit?
If you want to get an idea of what the Roma neighborhood was at first, you should start by visiting the old site known as La Romita, located near the Cuauhtémoc Road Axis, which resembles a town square, and where you can admire the Temple of Santa María de la Natividad, built in the 17th century. Continuing the route, you can walk through Pushkin Park, and thus arrive at Álvaro Obregón Avenue, which is beautifully and naturally decorated by trees in the central ridge, in addition to having some beautiful stone quarry fountains, making this road a kind of Paseo de la Reforma of the Romans.
We recommend that you explore Avenida Álvaro Obregón slowly, giving you the opportunity to visit some of the old shops located on its sidewalks, such as the popular Los Bísquets Obregón, buildings of historical significance such as the house of the poet Ramón López Velarde, the Mercado Parián, the Francia building and some beautiful houses that show the elegance and good taste of the Roma neighborhood. In addition to the above, do not forget to explore the surrounding streets a little more, since there are certain art nouveau buildings that you cannot stop admiring.
The next stop is Orizaba Street, which has great opportunities to appreciate sites and buildings, starting with Plaza Ajusco, then going on to the Renaissance Institute, which is a beautiful school built with a partition simulating a castle, the traditional store of Bella Italia ice creams, the sophisticated Balmori building, Casa Lamm, which is an important point of culture and art, and Plaza Rio de Janeiro. Also the House of the Witches, which enjoys great fame due to the conical structure that the apartment building has, for which it gained this nickname; the Parish of the Holy Family and the beautiful neocolonial building that serves as the headquarters of the University House of the Book of the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
Finally, we recommend you to walk the streets of Colima and Tonalá, where there are various French-style residences that symbolize the atmosphere that the Roma neighborhood had in its heyday.
Where is it advisable to eat, have a drink or a dessert?
In the Roma neighborhood you can find a wide variety of restaurants, cafes, pastries, bars, breweries and places to enjoy excellent gastronomy, a few drinks with friends, a coffee in the morning, or some delicious desserts in pleasant company. We will start by telling you about restaurants, which vary in their menus, satisfying all tastes and all budgets.
Starting with a favorite of many in this neighborhood, the Pan Comido restaurant has for you a wide variety of healthy, organic and natural food dishes, including hamburgers, hot dogs, faláfel, salads, curries, soups and other delicacies that They are served or made, mostly, in order not to use cutlery and thus promote water saving. This site is very popular because several of its products are purchased from neighboring stores, in order to promote trade in the area, thus acquiring organic coffee from La Porcedencia, chai from Chai Bar, biodegradable plates and glasses from La Huella Verde or vegan and granola breads, which are bought from a girl who comes every day.
Another excellent option that we recommend you visit in the Roma neighborhood is the popular Patisserie Domique, which is considered a little piece of Paris in Mexico City, offering the most delicious breakfasts with its croissant, the pain au chocolat and the main attraction : the oeufs cocotte. These are casserole eggs with dehydrated tomato and goat cheese, accompanied by freshly baked bread, which makes the place a very special bakery proposal.
If you prefer to eat in a restaurant with that touch of fonda or in a more intimate setting, in Salamanca 69, Las Nazarenas, La Buenavida Fonda and La Perla de la Roma, you will find excellent menus.
In Salamanca 69 they offer healthy dishes of Argentine origin, such as steamed vegetables with house dressing, spinach quiche with corn or an order of exquisite jalapa ribs; Coconut rice, sweet or savory empanadas are also highly recommended, meat, choripán and dulce de leche very popular.
Go to Las Nazarenas to enjoy the richest and most traditional Peruvian food, with its star dish: ceviche, as well as other dishes that change from day to day. Buenavida Fonda is an excellent option with moderate prices without losing the gourmet style offered in the Roma neighborhood, with delicious dishes such as chicken breast stuffed with cheese accompanied with corn, or the popular poblano cemitas de flanchera with chorizo. As for drinks, the place has refreshing combinations of flavored waters, such as cucumber with lemon, watermelon with grape or guava with mint.
If you prefer seafood, then the perfect option is to go to La Perla de la Roma, a place with simple decoration but with a fast and efficient service, with a menu worthy of the best seafood restaurant, being able to order all kinds of seafood and fresh fish and prepared in different ways: garlic, steamed, garlic sauce, fried, breaded, overflowing or butter.
In addition to what has already been seen, there are other alternatives to enjoy a delicious meal, accompanied by exquisite drinks and cocktails that will transform your outing into a night party. Among these, we recommend visiting the Félix hamburger restaurant, the Balmori Roofbar restaurant-bar, the Covadonga Lounge, the Linares bar, the El Palenquito bar, the Broka Bistrot restaurant, the Puebla 109 restaurant-bar, all excellent options to spend an afternoon-night amazing in the Roma neighborhood.
What are the shops in La Roma?
The popularity of the Roma neighborhood has made it home to a large number of brand name stores, others not so well known and several that offer rare and unique items.
We will start by telling you about the most contemporary and most visited stores, such as Slang, where you can find all kinds of basic garments such as t-shirts, tops, sweatshirts, dresses and shirts. Each of these pieces shows some pattern with a symbol of modern culture, and they are produced 100% in Mexico, making the orders sent to be a perfect option. In the Lucky Bastard store you will find all kinds of clothing related to hip hop and rap, such as loose-fitting t-shirts, caps with buttons or adjustable, beanies, vintage glasses, cushions, hoodies and jackets. The brands include some of the favorites of rapper mcs and djs.
Other very unique stores that you can find are Carla Fernández, with clothes that she herself has designed; the Naked Boutique store, where you can find the best of Mexican fashion production; Robin Archives, where you can find all kinds of bags and portfolios, which are to your liking and request; Kamikaze, where you can appreciate fun artistic toys; the peculiar 180 ° store, with all kinds of limited edition items and clothing.
The Roma neighborhood has transcended among the inhabitants of the city and foreign visitors due to its great diversity, its beauty and its ability to provide the best in entertainment, food and places of interest, so we hope that this guide has been helpful. for you and we await your comments, letting us know what you think and if it was to your liking.
