HOTEL HABITA
Lounge in an Eames chair or on a B&B Italian sofa at this boutique hotel, which is furnished with postwar design from Scandinavia, the Mediterranean and the U.S. For further relaxation, take a dip in the rooftop pool or make a spa appointment.
Avenida Presidente Masaryk 201
52-55/5282-3100
Rates: $215-425
hotelhabita.com

Eat:

IZOTE
Izote is named after the white flower that blossoms from the yucca plant — one of the many indigenous ingredients that acclaimed chef and cookbook author Patricia Quintana employs in her high-end Mexican fare. "I like it because there is no attitude — just great food," says MFA Houston curator Gilbert Vicario.
Avenida Presidente Masaryk 513
52-55/5280-1671

FONDA EL REFUGIO
For fresh guacamole served with a little bit of stardust on the side, try this traditional Mexican restaurant. Housed in a white stucco mansion, this spot "was popular with the actors of the golden age of Mexican cinema," says photographer Miguel Flores-Vianna. Today members of the new generation, including Salma Hayek, are making reservations.
Liverpool 166
52-55/5525-8128
fondaelrefugio.com.mx

SAN ANGEL INN
After a visit to the Anahuacalli Museum (see below), Julián Zugazagoitia recommends supping at this tranquil former monastery. Sample local favorites like chicken with mole or international dishes like Shrimp Rockefeller. Diego Rivera 50 y Altavista 52-55/5616-1402
sanangelinn.com

CONTRAMAR
"You always run into four or five people from the art world," says Vicario, who raves about the tuna sashimi tostada at this lunch-only seafood spot. "Go between two and five — that’s the Mexican lunch hour," advises Museo Tamayo director Tobias Ostrander.
200 Calle Durango
52-55/5514-3169
contramar.com.mx

See:

THE KAHLO-RIVERA TRAIL
The two most obvious stops are the blue house where Frida Kahlo was born, known as Casa Azul (Londres 247; 52-55/545-999), and the pair of modernist buildings, called the Diego Rivera Studio Museum, where the famed artist duo once lived and worked (2 Calle Diego Rivera; 52-55/5616-0996). Don’t forget the Anahuacalli Museum, which houses Rivera’s collection of pre-Hispanic sculpture (Calle Museo 150; 52-55/5617-3797). And Vicario highly recommends the house of Dolores Olmedo Patiño, Diego’s longtime lover, which has an impressive cache of Kahlo and Rivera works. Avenida Mexico 5843; 52-55/5555-1221.

ANTIGUO COLEGIO DE SAN ILDEFONSO
After a stroll through the colonial-era Alameda Park — where you might run into the artist Francis Alÿs, who lives nearby — drop into the small art museum housed in an 18th-century Jesuit college in the city’s historic center. Famous for its José Clemente Orozco murals, the museum is hosting an incongruous exhibition through June 17: Mexico’s first solo show of David LaChapelle’s glossy photography.
Justo Sierra 16
52-55/5702-6378
sanildefonso.org.mx

MUSEO TAMAYO
Although founded by Tamayo, the museum is devoted not to his splashy modern canvases but to the best of international contemporary art. On view this month is a retrospective of Liliana Porter, the Argentinean artist whose dynamic, multimedia work has lately been a hit at art fairs.
Chapultepec Park
52-55/5286-6519
museotamayo.org

CASA BARRAGAN
Make reservations in advance to visit the former residence of the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Luis Barragán. This UNESCO landmark is considered by many to be the seminal work by the father of Mexican Minimalism. "In a way, it is a mini encyclopedia of everything he did in every other building," says Vicario.
General Francisco Ramírez
1452-55/5515-4908
casaluisbarragan.org

LA COLLECTIÓN JUMEX
Established by fruit-juice mogul Eugenio López Alonso, this collection of contemporary art is the largest private trove in Latin America, featuring work by Andreas Gursky and Andy Warhol. Every year during Zona Maco, López hosts at least one blowout party for fairgoers, but you can also make an appointment to see the works during daylight hours.
Vía Morelos, 272
52-55/5775-8188
lacoleccionjumex.org