A Visit to Luis Barragán’s Casa Gilardi Dazzles the Senses on an Editor’s First Visit to Mexico City

Now that I’ve visited Mexico City for the first time, I recognize how completely UNACCEPTABLE it is that it took me 40 years to visit Mexico City for the first time. I’m a Texan, after all!

The short, non-stop flight from Dallas was easy breezy, yet transported me to the most pleasant, ideal temperatures, which Mexico City boasts almost year-round. I am not accusing anyone of gatekeeping the glory of Mexico City, but I didn’t expect it could exceed the hype, either. While I was there, I recognized that I wouldn’t be there long enough. I’m anxiously plotting a return visit. I simply didn’t have enough meal slots on my itinerary. The influential art hub offers so much to see, eat, and buy. I must return. At once!

For my inaugural visit to the city, I stayed at The Ritz-Carlton, Mexico City, which is ideally perched over the tree-lined Paseo de la Reforma. The towering hotel overlooks Chapultepec Park, which is twice the size of New York City’s Central Park. The Ritz-Carlton served as my supremely safe and secure fortress in the cosmopolitan capital city of Mexico. Each accommodation in the 153-room hotel offers a jaw-dropping, unique view of Mexico City. Almost every trip to Mexico City centers around its gastronomy, and with the offerings at The Ritz-Carlton, you don’t need to leave the hotel to indulge in the best the city has to offer.

Located on the 38th floor, Carlotta stands out as a must-visit sky bar high in the clouds, offering spectacular views of the sprawling metropolis and a particularly dazzling lychee martini. (The friendly staff even let this Texan take a spin behind the bar to craft my perfect margarita. Needless to say, I think I’ll leave it to the experts in the future!) During your stay, make sure you venture to Carlotta one evening at 6 pm for a Pasaje, a cocktail of tequila, citrus, and warm spices inspired by Día de Muertos. It’s more than a cocktail; in true Ritz-Carlton fashion, it’s an entire smoke-and-mirrors experience, set against the backdrop of Mexican sounds including mariachi and echoes of “La Llorona.”

The hotel’s signature restaurant, Samos Sabores Míos, absolutely delights and exceeds every connotation of a “hotel restaurant.” I started each morning with a decadent breakfast (chilaquiles, of course!) overlooking the city as it woke up. For dinner, my favorite dishes at Samos included the Sweet Potato Salad to start and the “Zarandeado” Octopus Nayarit Style.

Art Behind Every Unassuming Doorway

Have you ever experienced something so sensational and thought, “This would have been on my Bucket List if I knew it existed?”

Thoroughly fueled by chilaquiles, I commenced my visit with a walking art tour. A last-minute addition to the itinerary, I started with a visit to Luis Barragán’s Casa Gilardi in the San Miguel Chapultepec neighborhood of Mexico City. As a design enthusiast, I feel slightly embarrassed to admit that I’d never heard of Barragán, a Frida Kahlo-level famous Mexican architect. If I’d known anything about Casa Gilardi, a visit would have been on my Bucket List. Luckily, the fates intervened, in the form of my supremely knowledgeable The Ritz-Carlton, Mexico City-appointed tour guide, who secured reservations for the tour.

The cinematic Casa Gilardi, completed in 1977, centers around a jacaranda tree so majestic that it quite literally brought Barragán out of retirement at age 80. (Designing around the jacaranda and adding a pool were the non-negotiables for the owners.) I found the experience completely transcendent. As synetheste’s candyland, Casa Gilardi utilizes color as a structural foundation for the architecture. The games Barragán employs with light enchant the senses. I left completely gobsmacked.

Other stops on our walking neighborhood tour, where magic moments await behind unsuspecting doors:

• LAAA (Laboratorio de Arte, Arquitectura, y Arqueología)— an architectural and archeological studio doing interesting reproduction and replication work of ancient artifacts
• Casa ONORA— a must-visit shop with a masterful curation of Mexican handicrafts
• Patricia Conde Galeria— an art gallery showcasing notable Mexican photographers
• Hiperlocalidad— a fabulous co-op of ceramic wares and furnishings
• Daniel Orozco— an interior design studio showcasing the designer’s mixed material furnishings
• Yakampot— a women’s fashion boutique where I tried on heavenly linen sets by the Mexico City-based brand

I alluded earlier to not having enough meal slots on my itinerary. That’s because, in Mexico City, the day often centers around One Big Meal in the middle of the afternoon, functioning as both lunch and dinner. After pounding the pavement and delighting our senses, we dined at Carmela y Sal. Unsurprisingly, as a foodie, I opted for the tasting menu, which Chef Gaby Ruiz structures like a musical concert with a Preludio, Interludio, Clímax, and Outro. Bravo, Chef! I still think about the dragon fruit ceviche, as well as the signature chile en nogada.

With all five senses inspired, I anxiously await my return, with The Ritz-Carlton, Mexico City as my new home base for exploration and inspiration.