8 Best Places to Shop in Condesa, Mexico City

Visit this shop to check out the extensive collection of Mexican-made clothing and textiles in stunning, colorful patterns, from folk-art-print T-shirts, caps, and boots to beautiful handbags and ceramics. There’s a nice mix of items for all ages, including young kids. There are a few additional locations around the city.

Owner and chocolatier Luis Robledo, who trained with Daniel Boulud in New York and at the prestigious L'école de Grand Chocolat in Paris, was named best pastry chef in Latin America in a República del Cacao competition. In his light and cheerful boutique on Avendia Amsterdam, you can shop for exquisite bonbons in intriguing flavors (cardamom--chocolate ganache, calamansi, mezcal-sea salt, and pineapple-ginger), or have a seat and sip a lusciously rich hot chocolate or mocha. There's also a selection of cakes, cookies, and French macarons.

You could easily miss this tiny artisanal chocolate shop if you walked by too quickly, but there's a pretty good chance the brightly colored handmade bonbons in the display cases might catch your eye. These beautiful little gems with speckles and swirls that look like abstract paintings have distinctive fillings like passionfruit, pistachio, chipotle, and tamarind---more than 50 varieties in all. The boxes of assorted flavors make lovely gifts. You can also order hot chocolate, lattes, and teas to enjoy on one of the handful of sidewalk seats.

Linen dresses by this Mexican designer are done in palettes and patterns that bring to mind (and sometimes incorporate) traditional Mexican textiles, embroidery, and lace. The draping and layering, however, are very contemporary. Skirts and wraps that flow elegantly—often in vertical lines—are juxtaposed with structured, sometimes architectural bodices and tops. Ties, fastenings, and jewelry are equally tantalizing, the latter often combining wood, silver, and seedpods. Rion has been recognized not only for her unique designs, but also for her ethical practices, which have included working with Mexican artisans to create her garments.

Small but with a well-chosen selection of books, this fun and free-spirited bookstore puts an emphasis on art and architectural titles. It also has benches where you can enjoy a cup of coffee while you peruse any books you're thinking about purchasing. There's a nice assortment of decorative gifts and knickknacks for sale, too.

With a superb selection of small-batch mezcals, this tiny shop is a must if you're looking for a great sippable Mexican souvenir or gift. The staff is extremely knowledgeable and helpful, and you'll find (and can sample) some truly special, and spendy, bottles here, but others are more in the 400 to 600 pesos range. You'll also find a few other specialty food items, such as Oaxacan coffee and sal de gusano, salt with ground agave-fattened worms.