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f a l l 2 0 1 8 | 4 9 ■cr tasted in recent memory. At Huset, a roman- tic restaurant in Roma Norte, I sipped the Mayahuel cocktail with mezcal, pineapple juice, tamarind, and lime in a courtyard adorned with twinkling lights. Nearby, Licorería Limantour, which makes an appearance at No. 11 on the 2018 "World's 50 Best Bars" list, serves ex- pertly crafted libations in a narrow bar. Featuring striking graphic design and typog- raphy, Limantour's menu book is available to take home for a small fee. Guests can take their pick of modern cocktails like the La Morena with Havana Club 7-Year Rum, hibiscus-and- cardamom syrup, basil, and guava foam or the ½ Kilo with Mezcal San Cosme, avocado, cucumber, green curry, and beer. The city also provides plenty of options for those seeking more off-the-grid spots. At an innocuous taqueria in the city's La Juárez neighborhood, a suited man will lead you down a hallway to Hanky Panky, a small speakeasy with an expansive cocktail menu and rotating guest bartenders. Prospective visitors must make reservations to get directions to its loca- tion; a small note at the bottom of the menu, meanwhile, politely asks that patrons avoid tagging the bar on social media. Restaurant-Hopping Through CDMX While Paris may be known for its world-famous patisseries, Mexico City's panaderías and pas- telerías—the former focuses on bread, while the latter leans toward sweets and cakes— aren't far behind. Steps away from the Palacio de Bellas Artes museum, Pastelería Ideal is a vast, multi-level bakery offering hundreds of varieties of pastries, breads, cakes, and sandwiches (the second story features tower- ing wedding cakes and more than 80 types of cookies). Customers pile their trays high with items, which are then efficiently packaged by a line of female employees. At the nearby Panadería Rosetta, bread is the star of the show: The Havre street location sells crusty, rustic loaves alongside pastries and cof- fee in a cozy space with chandeliers, brick walls, and checkerboard floors. And as a passionate churro lover, I would never consider a visit to Mexico City complete without a visit to one of the El Moro churrerías, where the equivalent of $3.70 USD got me four piping-hot churros and a choice of one of eight versions of hot chocolate (I opted for the French with a touch of vanilla). Open late, it's the perfect stop for a sweet snack before turning in for the night. Many renowned restaurants call Mexico City home, and despite my deep and abiding love for street tacos, I felt I would be remiss if I didn't visit a few more-formal establish- ments while in town. Planning far in advance, my boyfriend and I were able to get a reserva- tion for lunch at Contramar, whose ultra-fresh seafood helps the restaurant rank among the most popular spots in the city. I opted for the daily special—a simple tostada with tuna loin, avocado, and briny uni topped with lime and bonito flakes—before my main course of whole grilled white fish split and rubbed on either side with red chili adobo and zesty chimichurri- like parsley sauce. Perhaps my favorite dish of the trip, it left an impression further elevated by the fantastic dessert: a cake made with whipped cream and strawberry that was piled high with crispy meringue. Our next fine-dining destination was Dulce Patria in the tony Polanco district, an area oft described as "the Beverly Hills of Mexico City." At the acclaimed restaurant, Chef Martha Ortiz serves vivid yet delicate dishes that weave to- gether to tell a cohesive story. The current spe- cial menu, titled "The Baroque," featured items like almond horchata with avocado effluvium and ceremonial tamales with ashes, beef tongue stew, and Oaxacan chicatana ant sauce. Ortiz's culinary creations and plating techniques are distinctly feminine, as seen in a neat composure of duck with mole negro, banana leaf, and violet corn-flavored rice as well as the chiles en nogada—poblano chilies stuffed with meat and topped with a walnut cream sauce, pomegranate seeds, and dried parsley. For dessert, a small, brightly painted toy Ferris wheel was brought to our table with Mexican sweets. From sidewalk quesadillas to roasted mar- row in dinosaur-sized bones and deep-fried scorpions chased with a shot of mezcal, I was able to sample a myriad of cuisines this culture-rich city has to offer during a relatively short trip. While I only just scratched the surface of the Mexico City food scene, these missed opportunities provide an excuse to return with an empty stomach and adventur- ous palate. At Pastelería Ideal, there's a lot more than just a baker's dozen of pastries, cakes, and cookies available to try. Sweet churros and hot chocolate make for the perfect late-night snack at any of the El Moro Churrería locations in Mexico City.

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