Shopping has always been one of my favorite past times and shopping in Mexico City is no different. Except for the fact that it is, on almost all accounts, SO much better.
If you’re thinking of moving to Mexico City, you needn’t worry about finding all your favorite chain stores. There are malls all over the city and suburbs filled with H&M’s, the Gap, and Zara. I live right around the corner from a Home Depot, a Walmart, and an Office Max. There’s even a Costco not too far from here.
That’s not what I’m going to talk about though. I’m going to tell you about all the best boutiques that you won’t find anywhere else. I’m going to share my favorite spots to buy souvenirs and t-shirts, sunhats, and knock-off Raybans (are you allowed to say that on the Internet?).
I just want to preface all of this with the fact that Mexico City is not a place for bartering. If you are going to buy a few of something from the same stall, you may ask for a discount. But in general, haggling is actually quite rude and is not the done thing.
Bazaar Sabado
The Saturday Bazaar in San Angel is one of the best spots to go for one of a kind artisan pieces. It’s slightly more expensive than what you might pay elsewhere in Mexico City, but the quality is worth it (and it’s still WAY less than you’d pay for similar pieces in the USA or UK).
The Bazaar has everything from jewelry to homewares, clothing and shoes, paintings and pottery. Right in the middle of the Bazaar is a really good restaurant, too.
I just loving coming here on a Saturday when the bazaar is on. The whole square is buzzing with people. There’s an art market in the park right across from the bazaar. Just around the corner is a craft (read: tchotchka) market with loads of cheap jewelry and souvenirs. The shops are all open and selling beautiful pieces of art. My favorite stores in the area, besides the bazaar, are the galleries along Calle Benito Juarez – diagonally across from the bazaar. The pieces in there are amazing.
Location: San Jacinto 11, San Angel
Hours: Saturday 10am-7pm
Mercado Artesanal Mexicano
This is one of my favorite souvenir markets in the entire city. It’s a great place to pick up pottery, jewelry, and Mexican crafts. There are leather stalls, shoe makers, and even a few tattoo artists. It’s SUPER busy on weekends, so just be aware, but it also makes for great people watching.
If you’re looking for authentic souvenirs, wandering around this market and the whole central area of Coyoacan is a great place to start your search. There are a few local women who sell handmade blankets near the Coyoacan Market.
Location: Felipe Carrillo Puerto 25, Coyoacán
Hours: Monday-Thursday 11am-9pm. Friday-Sunday 10am-11pm.
Fonart
This is a really lovely store (which I’m pretty sure is government owned?) with Mexican artisanal crafts from all over Mexico. They carry pieces from artists that live in Oaxaca, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Guerrero, Vera Cruz and a few other states.
They have beautiful embroidered clothing, statues, pottery, and blankets. I love coming in once every few weeks and seeing what new things they’ve gotten from different parts of the country. You never see the same piece twice, so if you spot something you love, buy it! It likely won’t be there for very long.
Location: Avenida Juárez 89, Colonia Centro
Hours: Daily 10am-6pm
La Lagunilla Market
This market is on everyday and is one of the biggest in the city. There are clothes, food, and homegoods, like in most neighhorhood markets. Sundays however, it turns into something totally different.
On Sundays it turns into one of the best antique markets I’ve ever been to. It reminds me of the flea markets I used to go to as a teenager. There are old photographs, foreign coins, ancient ashtrays, beautiful old cameras, furniture, silverware, jewelry, and you can even pick up parts to fix your fridge (or car or bicycle). It’s that good that it has become one of the most famous antiques markets in all of Mexico.
It’s a great place to pick up a few cheap (sometimes VERY cheap) souvenirs to remind you of your time in Mexico City.
Location: López Rayón 46 (right around the corner from the Garibaldi metro station).
Hours: Everyday 10am-8pm
Fabrica Social Boutique
Everything in this shop is made by Mexican woman as a way to support themselves and their families. It is all beautiful handmade embroidery and homewares. Like Fonart, this shop is constantly changing it’s stock with new and completely different pieces of work. It’s an amazing program to support and in return you get a seriously beautiful handicraft to take home with you.
Location: Calle Isabel la Catolica 30, Centro Historico
Hours: Monday-Friday 10am-8pm. Closed weekends.
Not the prettiest market, but it’s what’s inside that counts!
Ciudadela Market
One of the best souvenir markets in the city center. If you can’t make it out to Coyoacan, this is the next best place for your authentic souvenirs. Just like Mercado Artesanal, Ciudadela has everything from hand-painted skulls and pottery to sarape blankets and embroidery.
It’s quickly become one of my favorite places to pick up Mexican crafts like painted skulls and art pieces. There are some seriously beautiful Aztec inspired paintings to be found here.
Location: Avenida Balderas (near the Mexican library), Colonia Centro
Hours: Everyday 9am-7pm (closes at 6pm on Sundays).
Cañamiel
This is a gorgeous boutique shop with clothing from designers all over Latin America. In the fancy suburb of Polanco, it definitely fits in. It’s one of the more expensive places to shop on this list, but you’re certain to find one of a kind pieces here and designers that you’ve never heard of before.
Location: Edgar Allan Poe 308, Polanco
Hours: Monday-Saturday 11am-8pm. Closed Sundays.
Mercado de Artesanias Insurgentes
Another great craft market right in the middle of the city (there are seriously SO MANY). This is a great spot to come if you want things like hand-painted nativity figures or anything made of silver. There are silver trays, silver bowls, silver platters, and tons and tons of silver jewelry.
Locations: Londres Street between Florencia and Amberes, Zona Rosa
Hours: Everyday 9am-8pm (Sundays it closes at 5pm).
Pasaje Polanco
This is like a fancy outdoor shopping “mall” that I feel like might find somewhere in California. It’s very art deco and has beautiful courtyard where you can sit and enjoy a coffee (there are two coffee shops here). There are tons of different boutiques that I’ve never seen anywhere else. It’s mostly women’s clothing, but there are a few accessories shops in here as well as a shoe store. Like everywhere else in Polanco, this is a place you could easily spent quite a lot of money.
Location: Calle Julio Verne 112, Polanco
Hours: Everyday 9am-10pm.
Tiba Boutique
On the second floor of the busy main street that runs through Condesa and Roma, this boutique is the sort of place that seems like it has nothing yet absolutely everything. There are cute handmade cards, beautiful unique pieces of jewelry, women’s clothing that is so different than what you find on the high street, and handmade dolls.
They carry a lot of designers from around Mexico City, but they also have fun stationary from Europe and Asia. It’s one of those stores that you go into for a peak and walk out with a bag full of stuff. Nothing is super expensive in there either.
Location: Avenida Alvaro Obregon 25, Condesa
Shopping in Mexico City is an adventure. Be ready for crowded markets. Shop around and be sure you’re getting the best price. Most importantly though, have some fun with it and buy something you love.
Want to read more about Mexico City? You might enjoy these other posts!
Or simply check out the Mexico City section of the blog!