Breakfasts during our Stay in La Condesa

Always before when we have traveled to Mexico, breakfast was included in our lodging, so renting the condo was a change for us. Though we could have chosen to eat "at home" in the condo, we did not...mostly because we feel sampling & trying the local food is an important part of the experience of traveling in another country.

Breakfast at Restaurante Ciena 5 times in the first 6 days in La Condesa

For the first week, we primarily ate breakfast at Restaurant Ciena, which was on our street & only 3 blocks down from our apartment. We went here so often (we ate breakfast there 5 times in the first 6 days in La Condesa) that the waiters knew us. This place seemed to cater to a lot of expats and foreigners, & their prices reflected that also. Breakfast here would run you $12.00 USD a person, just like it would in the States...don't get me wrong; it was a good breakfast: a variety of freshly- squeezed juices, hot cereal topped with fresh fruit (including fresh figs, which was the way to Pat's heart), and all sorts of eggs: Huevos Rancheros, Huevos Divorciado...you name it; they had it. Their waiters had a good command of English. They would bring Pat the English menu, & me the Spanish menu...& they soon knew to speak to me in Spanish, so I could practice my Spanish. Ciena has an nice indoor dining area, as well as a wonderful sidewalk cafe, which is where we would usually sit for breakfast, so we could watch the neighborhood come alive in the morning, which was most enjoyable. One Saturday morning, it was so crowded that we had to sit inside (big mistake...the restaurant was jam- packed inside & out, but the acoustics inside were such that we could not hear ourselves think).

Pat, at our table on the sidewalk café, waiting to place his order for breakfast.

The front of Restaurante Ciena. You can see Pat, seated at our table

Our waiters at Restaurante Ciena's sidewalk café

2 other Restaurante Ciena's sidewalk café patrons in the morning with their puppy

This was the Saturday morning when we had to eat breakfast inside because Restaurante Ciena was so crowded

The grill area & kitchen of Restaurante Ciena

Pat, waiting for his Saturday morning breakfast order

Breakfast at La Ventanita Café: the Most Picturesque, Intimate & Romantic Sidewalk Café Ever!!!

On our 2nd day in La Condesa, we spent the entire day, exploring the neighboring Colonia of La Roma Norte, so that morning we ate an early breakfast at La Ventanita (Little Window) Café on the Plaza Villa de Madrid, in the center of which is the famous (& beautiful) Fuente de Cibeles. I had read about  La Ventanita Café a couple of years ago, and had, in fact, planned to eat breakfast there during our 2022 visit to Mexico City, but things didn't work out. I can tell you it was well-worth the wait! It is the most picturesque intimate & romantic sidewalk café (& it is also dog-friendly!)

The terrace of La Ventanita Café...it was absolutely beautiful with all of the trees & vines

Waitresses at the kitchen area of La Ventanita Café

La Ventanita's Menu

Another view of La Ventanita's terrace

Pat, sipping his morning coffee with my freshly-squeezed jugo de naranja

A shot of Pat's breakfast at La Ventanita Café

First Sunday Breakfast in La Condesa at the Fancy Restaurante Primos

We decided to splurge on our first Sunday in La Condesa, and eat our first Sunday breakfast at a fancy neighborhood restaurant that we had passed times, as we liked the menu & the looks of place. It was called Restaurante Primos (Cousins), & is located on Avenida Michoacán, one of the main avenues in that part of La Condesa.

It was, indeed, very fancy. The building & the restaurant itself were beautiful. There was a maître d' even for breakfast, and the waiters wore fancy white chef coats. The food was really good, but much too rich for us for breakfast. In retrospect, I would have rather come here for a dinner. Next time we visit Mexico City...

A shot of Restaurante Primos from the street. They had both inside & outside dining areas. An elegant building, as well as elegant dining!

The interior of Restaurante Primos. It was really elegant

Another shot of the interior dining area. You can see Pat's reflection in the mirror

Another shot of the outside dining area

A bowl of fresh fruit that we shared at Primos. Note: the fresh figs, much to Pat's delight!

A shot of Pat's morning coffee at Restaurante Primos

My glass of fresh juice at Primos...some type of berries & red fruit concoction...very tasty!

Pat's breakfast entree at Primos...a little heavier & richer than we like our breakfasts first thing in the morning

My breakfast entree...the eggs were a little too "sunny side up" for me. We encountered that problem a couple of times...make sure you specify " eggs easy over" in Mexico

One Breakfast "At Home" in our Apartment

On the morning that we went to see the Ruins of Teotihuacán, we had to catch an Uber at 8:00 am (it is at least an hour's drive each way to Teotihuacán, so there was not really time to go out for breakfast beforehand). This is where our grocery shopping on our first day in La Condesa really saved our bacon. We had Jumex Mango Juice (which I became addicted to in Oaxaca), split a fresh pink grapefruit and a fresh mango, along with a small bowl of Greek Yogurt!

Perfida Bistro Cafe: Our Favorite Neighborhood Breakfast Haunt

By the 2nd week, we finally found a favorite breakfast haunt in our neighborhood, Perfida Bistro Café. It was about 5 blocks away from our apartment on Avenida Tamaulipas, another major street in our neighborhood. Pat had actually researched & found it on the internet before we left the States, but it took us about a week to get our bearings & find it. It ended up being next to the Santander Bank from which we withdrew pesos. We ended up loving this place, & ate our last 4 breakfast there . It was a very small picturesque sidewalk cafe. The price was inexpensive, but the food was really good. We loved the neighborhood , and our waitress!

A shot of the front of Perfida Bistro Café, & the back of our wonderful waitress, to whom we became very attached.

A shot of the cafe's seating area ( yes, it is in a parking space out front of Perfida's). Pat is seated at one of the tables, perusing the menu.

Perfida's classy sidewalk display next to the seating area (in a parking space out front of the restaurant). Note the silver pan full of water for thirsty dogs who happen to pass by.

I was especially fond of their wood-bound cover for their menu...so elegant for a small sidewalk cafe!

Avenida Tamaupilas (on which Perfida Bistro Café. is located), also has a Promenade, just like our street, Calle Alfonso Reyes does. However, Avenida Tamaulipas is more secluded and less busy, so it is very peaceful & park-like in the mornings. In this picture, you can see the tree-lined promenade just across the way; it is almost as if the café & the Promenade are one. I absolutely loved eating breakfast here in the early mornings!

Pat with his bowl of cereal, topped with fresh fruit & nuts

Pat's cup of Capuchino one morning

Pat, enjoying his morning cup of coffee. Their dinnerware was a mixture of different styles, but I especially I especially liked this particular cup.

Our breakfast entrees one morning...&, of course, my freshly-squeezed orange juice.