Travel Guide: My Mexico City with Stephanie Barba Mendoza

Mexican-born, London-based interior designer Stephanie Barba Mendoza offers her personal guide to Mexico City. With its extraordinary architecture, vibrant histories and endlessly inspiring corners, she reveals the places that capture the spirit of the city: from volcanic stone museums and Porfirian houses to beloved restaurants, hidden cultural spaces and one of the most beautiful bookshops in the world. Stephanie also shares a first glimpse of El Desconocido, the recently unveiled, richly atmospheric Roma Norte cultural club she designed.

My Favorite Places to Stay

I stay with family in La Condesa, which is a privilege in itself. That said, Condesa DF, part of the Habita Group, who consistently deliver beautifully considered hotels, is an excellent choice.

I would also keep an eye on El Cortés in La Roma, which has just opened its doors. I have not yet visited, but I am planning to when I am next in the city. It looks exquisitely restored, another Porfirian building, no less.

My Favorite Cozy Bar: El Desconocido

I love El Desconocido, although I might be a little biased as it’s run by my brother and sister-in-law who enlisted me to design the space. You can settle in for a quiet drink with wonderful music at the Hi-Fi bar, or catch an extraordinary live concert in an intimate and wonderfully informal setting.

The food is outstanding, the kind of sharing plates that feel simultaneously relaxed and considered. It is perfect for when you want great music, great company, and absolutely none of the stiffness of a formal restaurant. You might be lucky enough to go when there is a tarot reader there too.