Lifestyle // Luxe Life

Scenic Mexico City spots to reserve before you go

In England they're called city breaks - quick weekend trips to soak up another culture in a not-too-distant urban setting. And while Houstonians can't hop a train to Amsterdam or Paris, we are an easy two-hour flight to Mexico City. With its cooler, dry mountain air, the glamorous capital is an ideal city break this summer. Never been? These are a few scenic spots to book before you go.


Rosetta: This restaurant in a Roma Norte townhouse is popular for good reason, from its eclectically decorated rooms to its super-fresh Italian-leaning food. A meal by chef-owner Elena Reygadas, who trained under Giorgio Locatelli, might start with house-made bread and move on to blistered carrots atop white mole, followed by handmade tagliatelle pasta laced with Italian sausage. Early for your reservation? Whet your palate with a Moscow Mule in the soaring atrium at Blanco Colima next door;


Emilio: Posh boutiques and world-lauded restaurants, including Pujol and Quintonil, pack the Polanco neighborhood. Emilio is a lovely option for those who prefer to feel more like a local than a camera-wielding tourist. The sidewalk patio bustles, but for a more refined experience ask for a table upstairs, where buttoned-up servers deliver Euro-Mex fine-dining fare - think jamón Ibérico, tiradito and lechón (crispy suckling pig) - on white tablecloths as a breeze wafts in from large casement windows;


San Angel Inn: A late-afternoon meal in the lush courtyard here is a quintessential experience. The labyrinthine restaurant, a former monastery dating to the 17th century, is old-school: elaborate tableside presentations of dishes such as whole red snapper, caesar salad, tortilla soup and escamoles with guacamole, ordered by genteel diners who may arrive with their own security detail (standing at a discreet distance, of course). Bonus: Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo's former studio house is across the street;


St. Regis Mexico City: The St. Regis, a cylindrical 31-story tower designed by César Pelli along the majestic Paseo de la Reforma, is an elegant nest from which to museum hop - the mammoth National Museum of Anthropology, the Modern Art Museum and the contemporary Museo Tamayo all are a 10-minute stroll away. Views only add to the allure, whether from one of the well-appointed rooms or people-watching on the terrace of the hotel's boisterous bar. Rates from $229 per night;