When to Visit - Arts and Events
Mexico City's premier cultural event takes place in March when the plazas, palaces, halls and theaters around Mexico City are taken over by the Festival del Centro Histórico, a three-week festival of the arts. The Festival del Centro Histórico is a celebration of classical music, popular music, dance, art, theater and many cultural events.
Mexico City Dining
Mexico City has been a culinary capital since the days of the Aztecs, when the Emperor's feasts were legendary. It is thought that 300 different kinds of dishes were served, including fresh seafood provided by relay runners from the Mexican coast.
This tradition of gastronomic excellence in Mexico City has continued to the present day, with the contribution of Spanish and French cuisine which has further enhanced those unique Mexican flavors. Try, 'Chiles en Nogada', a large poblano chili stuffed with pork, raisins, onion, olives and almonds topped with a creamy walnut sauce and pomegranate seeds, or a hearty soup of avocado and tortilla called 'Sopa Azteca'. Whatever your taste, there are over 15,000 restaurants in the city to choose from, with many world-class international, as well as local, establishments to enjoy.
Mexico City Tipping Advice
Since Mexico is not a rich country, foreigners are seen as being relatively wealthy. For this reason tipping is usually expected - but people may expect larger tips than seems reasonable. As a guide, waiters should be tipped about 10 to 15 percent of the bill, depending on the service. Mexico City bell boys and porters should recieve about 7 MXP.
Hotel maids should recieve about 3 MXP per night, and taxi drivers should not be tipped unless they provide help with your bags- then they should be paid about 4 MXP to 8 MXP, or 10 percent of the fare. Bear in mind at all times that pesos were replaced by new pesos in 1993, so change should be checked for unfamiliar coins and credit card reciepts should be checked for inaccuracies. Mexico City does have a bad reputation for fraud and similar offences.
