Museum Restaurants in CDMX / Cafetería Dolores Olmedo: Mexican Antojitos Adorned with Culture
The spectacle of the gardens, peacocks, and restored 16th-century hacienda buildings is complemented by a menu perfectly aligned with the museum's exhibitions.
By Alejandro Pohlenz
My work as a television playwright can lead me down unexpected paths. Some time ago, we planned to create a show about Frida Kahlo. One might say that's not very original: Frida Kahlo is a popular figure known worldwide (literally: I've seen her in Austria, Germany, and Spain). What was fascinating in this case was that I met someone who had original letters written by Frida Kahlo. Simply incredible. I got to see some where Frida wrote to a very young prostitute she often visited and with whom she was platonically in love. She accompanied her letter with a drawing of the young woman's nude body...
Museo Dolores Olmedo
The place I'm introducing today is in Xochimilco and is connected to Frida because it houses an extensive collection of her work and that of her twice-husband, Diego Rivera (the second time they married, she lived in the house designed by Juan O’Gorman in Altavista, and to see each other, they'd meet on the bridge that divided their respective living quarters). This museum is named Dolores Olmedo, in honor of the philanthropist who purchased the old Hacienda de la Noria in 1962. The place was formerly called Rancho San Juan la Noria and was built in the 16th century. Ms. Olmedo restored it as it was very deteriorated. She founded the museum in 1994 and, as I mentioned, it exhibits pieces by Frida, Diego, Angelina Beloff, and Pablo O’Higgins. It also features a large collection of pre-Hispanic, colonial, and popular art (it holds about 900 archaeological pieces).
La Veranda
Located there is La Veranda, a fabulous restaurant with views of the beautiful gardens and the noisy peacocks. The food at La Veranda is, as one might imagine, Mexican; specifically, what are known as "antojitos": there are some truly outstanding enchiladas de la Antigua Hacienda (with chicken, ancho chile, Cotija cheese, chorizo, and carrot). They also offer sopes, tamales, and refreshing agua de jamaica (hibiscus water).
It's vital to know that to visit the café, you need to pay the museum entrance fee, which is a steal at only 50 pesos. I think it's a "must-do."
- What we love and you must try: The enchiladas de la antigua hacienda.
- Address: Avenida México 5843, Colonia la Noria, Xochimilco, CDMX.
- Hours and days of operation: Temporarily closed.
- Ideal for: Breakfast, lunch, and cultural enrichment.
- Payment: Cash and and credit/debit cards.
- Nearby public transport: Tren Ligero, Huichapan station.
- Accessibility: Yes.
- Reservations: Not required.
- Pet Friendly: No.
- Kid-Friendly: Yes.
- Vegan options: Yes.
