My guide, Paco, a.k.a. Francisco de Santiago, 46, is a full time tour guide, and also a former child chess champion and bullfighter (“that was many kilos ago”), orders a flight of artisanal mezcal samples at our first mezcalería of the evening, and instructs me on the proper way to taste the purest of agave drinks. “You spread the mescal on top of your hand, like this, then wait for the alcohol to evaporate, then smell it for citric, floral, or smoky tones.” After smelling, a sip, then another for good measure, you take a bite of orange slice dipped in crushed maguey worms and sea salt. After that, we dive into the city’s tacos and street food, beginning our night with two cups of esquite—boiled corn kernels mixed with lime, chili pepper, and mayonnaise, which we bought from a father-son team who have been working the same street corner for 22 years. I booked my 4-hour “late-night taco and mezcal tour” with Eat Mexico Culinary Tours. Francisco de Santiago of Mexico also runs Every Angle Tours (desantiagotours@gmail.com, tel. 55-2086-0851, $85–145 per person, depending on tour, includes food, beverage, transport, guide); all kinds of specialty culinary tours, or an all-day Frida Kahlo tour of the city.)
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Late-night Tacos and Mezcal Tour is a Must-Do in Mexico City, D.F.
My guide, Paco, a.k.a. Francisco de Santiago, 46, is a full time tour guide, and also a former child chess champion and bullfighter (“that was many kilos ago”), orders a flight of artisanal mezcal samples at our first mezcalería of the evening, and instructs me on the proper way to taste the purest of agave drinks. “You spread the mescal on top of your hand, like this, then wait for the alcohol to evaporate, then smell it for citric, floral, or smoky tones.” After smelling, a sip, then another for good measure, you take a bite of orange slice dipped in crushed maguey worms and sea salt. After that, we dive into the city’s tacos and street food, beginning our night with two cups of esquite—boiled corn kernels mixed with lime, chili pepper, and mayonnaise, which we bought from a father-son team who have been working the same street corner for 22 years. I booked my 4-hour “late-night taco and mezcal tour” with Eat Mexico Culinary Tours. Francisco de Santiago of Mexico also runs Every Angle Tours (desantiagotours@gmail.com, tel. 55-2086-0851, $85–145 per person, depending on tour, includes food, beverage, transport, guide); all kinds of specialty culinary tours, or an all-day Frida Kahlo tour of the city.)
Take a Mexico City Food Tour
Mexico City can be overwhelming, especially for first-time visitors, due to its sheer size, teeming population, and–when it comes to food, in particular–enormous variety of options. One excellent way to get a sense of the city’s scope and sabor (flavor) is by taking a food tour. Two companies, Eat México and Mexican Food Tours, offer walking tours that include Polanco in one or more of their itineraries. Eat Mexico also runs market, street food, and late-night tacos and mezcal tours in other parts of the city, including the hip neighborhoods of Condesa and Roma, and the Centro Histórico. Both companies’ tours include tastings and some include transportation.
Food Tour Mexico City
A great introduction to the street food scene in Mexico City. Super friendly, knowledgeable tour guide introduced a small group of us to vendors around the city, explaining what they sell, when they sell it, and how to order. In just a few hours, I felt armed and ready to navigate the vast array of street food options all around me.
