Last updated on December 3rd, 2024 at 01:59 am
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Are you thinking about spending New Year’s Eve in Mexico City? Mexico City is the perfect New Year’s Eve destination. This vibrant city offers plenty of options for celebrating, the weather is typically nice, and it is easily accessible from many places in the US!
In 2019, we started a new tradition: celebrating the New Year somewhere new every year. To ring in 2019, Luke and I spent New Year’s Eve in Mexico City. It was an unforgettable experience.
My theory is if you start the new year somewhere new, it will bring you more travel in the coming year. I have absolutely no proof to back it up, but I don’t see why not. And regardless, spending the first day of the New Year on top of a pyramid was pretty cool.
Mexico City has now become my favorite destination and I have been wanting to go back since. Check out my guide to visiting Mexico City.
Why travel over New Year’s Eve?
New Year’s is one of the best holidays to travel, in my opinion. If you are lucky, you are likely off New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, so you don’t need to use as much vacation time! It is also not a family-focused holiday like Christmas or Thanksgiving, so there is less guilt in spending it away from home. Christmas is a magical time to be home, but starting the New Year in a new place is exciting!
Of course, the downside is that you may pay higher prices to travel over the New Year, but that is why going to Mexico, where things are a bit cheaper, is a great idea!
New Year’s Eve Traditions in Mexico City
Mexico has some fun New Year’s traditions.
Eating 12 grapes on New Year’s Eve, one at a time as the clock chimes towards midnight, is a tradition in Mexico. Each grape represents a month of the year and can be accompanied by a wish. This is common in other Latin American countries as well as Spain, where it seems to have originated.
Read More: Explore Spain in Two Weeks
In certain places in Mexico, it is tradition to create a scarecrow out of old clothes and newspapers to represent the old year, “el año Viejo”. The stuffed dummy is lit on fire at midnight to signify letting go of the year’s regrets and failures.
Another tradition is to coordinate the color of your underwear with your desires for the new year. If you desire love in the new year, wear red underwear on New Year’s Eve and if you are looking for good fortune with money, wear yellow.
On New Year’s Day, if you would like to have good travels in the upcoming year, it is tradition to walk your luggage around the block. You can also place your luggage in the center of your room and walk around it.
Where to Celebrate New Year’s Eve in Mexico City?
In Mexico, New Year’s Eve is a family holiday. However, there are still plenty of things going on if you are a visitor. For people in Mexico City who are not celebrating with their families, there are a few options for things to do on NYE.
New Year’s Eve Celebration at Angel of Independence
The first is a large celebration at the Angel of Independence. Luke and I walked through this after midnight and people were still going, dancing in the streets as a band played. Several large screens displayed the band, which was streamed to other places in Central and South America. There were also food and gift stands and fireworks.
This party used to take place at the Zocalo, but it hasn’t for the last couple of years.
New Year’s Eve Dinners in Mexico City
Another option for celebrating New Year’s Eve in Mexico City, if you aren’t necessarily into partying all night, is that many restaurants offer a set menu on New Year’s Eve.
The following restaurants have a New Year’s Eve dinner:
Balcón del Zócalo
El Balcón del Zócalo has a New Year’s Eve dinner and celebration each year. The restaurant, located in the historic center of Mexico City, has a great view of the Zocalo (the main square) and the cathedral. This is a popular New Year’s Eve event and it books up quickly, especially the balcony seating. They usually post on their Facebook and Instagram, so give them a follow if you want to be in the know.
Blanco Colima
Blanco Colima is a dreamy restaurant in a historic building in Roma. I can only imagine that the New Year’s Eve dinner here is spectacular! Again, check Instagram or Facebook which is where they usually announce their NYE dinner.
Balmori Roofbar
Balmori Roofbar is a stylish restaurant and bar with a rooftop in Roma. Reservations are available via Whatsapp, according to their Instagram page.
Bellini Restaurante Giratorio
If you wish to have 360-degree views of Mexico City, Bellini Restaurante Giratorio might be the perfect place for you to celebrate New Year’s Eve! This is a rotating restaurant on the 45th floor of the Mexico World Trade Center and will make a memorable evening for any NYE celebration. The 2024 menu and booking instructions are available on their Instagram. Just be aware that it is a little outside of the regular tourist area so it may take extra time to get there with holiday traffic.
Miralto Restaurante
Miralto is in the Torre Latinoamerica, one of the best views in the historic center of Mexico City. We visited Nivel 40 Skybar and thought the drinks, prices, and views were great. The reviews are a little mixed on food and service, however.
Maximo Bistrot
Another spot in Roma, Maximo Bistrot focuses on fresh and seasonal food. It has made the 50 Best Restaurants in Latin America several times. At the moment, there isn’t any information about a New Year’s Eve event, but check their social media if you are interested.
My Experience Booking a New Year’s Eve Dinner in Mexico City
I did a lot of research on where to go for a New Year’s Eve dinner in Mexico City and I didn’t find much. New Year’s Eve reservations cannot be made on Open Table because often it is considered a special event and your reservation might be canceled. The best way to make a reservation is to call or have your hotel concierge call, the restaurant. You can also try reaching out to restaurants via email, Facebook Messenger, or Instagram DMs.
The first place I tried to get a reservation was El Balcon de Zocalo, but they were full. Reserve your table in advance, especially if you want to sit on the balcony.
I tried many other options discovered in my research, but whenever I would call from the US, the connection would get dropped or the person couldn’t understand me. It probably would help to speak Spanish, but I didn’t have many issues communicating in English once we arrived in Mexico City.
I also tried emailing some places but only got one response in return, asking for me to wire transfer money so I could secure my spot. This seemed risky and we ultimately decided to take our chances and make a reservation when we arrived.
Tips for Finding a New Year’s Eve Dinner in Mexico City
To find a restaurant, however, I researched restaurants in Mexico City that seemed likely to have an event for the holiday. The upscale restaurants are more likely to do a New Year’s Eve dinner, so I researched the best restaurants in Mexico City.
Once I had an idea of several restaurants that sounded interesting, I searched their Facebook or Instagram pages. This was the best way to find out who was offering a New Year’s Eve dinner as most places didn’t have any of this information on their website and, of course, calling and emailing didn’t seem to be working.
Dulce Patria was one of the restaurants that I discovered had a Cena de Fin de Año, or a New Year’s Eve Dinner, posted on their Facebook page. They even included the courses in the post.
When we arrived in Mexico City, we made a point to stop by Dulce Patria on Saturday, December 29th to make a reservation. Luckily, they still had reservations. I’m not sure if this is a common occurrence because much of my research said to make reservations months out, but I would guess that unless you have one specific place you would like to spend New Year’s Eve, there will be enough space for all. Mexico City is huge, after all.
New Year’s Eve Dinner at Dulce Patria
I absolutely loved our dinner at Dulce Patria. I don’t think I have ever been more full in my entire life, so I definitely recommend coming hungry. Other than that, this dinner was everything I had been hoping for out of this experience.
We also got there way too early in typical American fashion, at 6:30 PM, the time we had reserved. It took a good hour or two for the place to fill out. At first, we were worried about how many empty seats surrounded us. In retrospect, however, the people who came later were still eating their entrees at the New Year’s countdown, so I think it is better to be early than late.
No matter what time you arrive, you will get served the same number of courses. You have your table until midnight or later, if necessary.
Price: $2750 pesos per person or $143 USD per person
Courses
The menu theme was traditional Mexican foods.
To start, they served an avocado and mezcal cocktail with “its Mexican heart,” which turned out to be a dried worm.
We ate it because, well, when in Rome. Also, I am not a huge fan of mezcal, but when you are in Mexico City you have to try it. We had several good mezcal cocktails that in Mexico that may have changed my opinion about the spirit – so give it a try!
The drink was also rimmed with a bit of worm salt. It was a unique cocktail.
Luke then ordered another mezcal drink, which was not included in the price, but they let him sample from a bottle of really expensive and smooth mezcal. The mezcal he ended up ordering (the less expensive one) was also served with a worm. Note: letting your worm soak in mezcal does not make it taste better and gives it a mushy texture.
Next was a shrimp and mole salad that was quite good, followed by a roasted apple soup served with some dried fruits and bread.
The jewel of corn filled with green beans and pulque sauce came after that. Pulque is made from fermenting sap from the maguey tree, something we tried during our canal ride in Xochimilco.
The next dish was fish in adobo with charred corn, smoked peppers, and black bean puree. This was essentially a fish meatball, unusual for us, but not bad. This was also the point when I started to become very full.
The pork cheek with punch fruit mole was one of my favorite parts of the meal. It was served with little corn tortillas to make tacos. The pork was tender but had a crunchy crust that was very good.
Finally, two desserts dotted with butterflies arrived, one a ball of chocolate filled with a fruity interior and the other a little cake with a perfect dollop of ice cream on top.
Included with our meal came “Smoking grapes of prosperity and Champagne for New Year’s Toast.” The grapes weren’t really smoking, just sitting in dry ice and water. Following tradition, we waited to eat the grapes until it was midnight. They also brought out some Mexican chocolates, at which point I started to feel like the meal would never end, and coffee.
Also included in this experience were some New Year’s party favors and a Mariachi band. This was a fun touch!
When midnight rang out and our fellow diners clinked their champagne flutes together with cheers, there was nowhere else I would have rather been.
I recommend finishing your meal and paying before the New Year’s countdown because afterward, everyone is trying to close out at the same time. Some people, who arrived later, were still eating.
Tips for New Year’s Eve in Mexico City
Safety in Mexico City
I never felt unsafe in Mexico City.
However, when traveling anywhere in the world it is important to remain alert and aware of your surroundings. This is especially true if you decide to celebrate at the Angel of Independence on New Year’s Eve.
I always carry a cross-body bag and I try to keep my hand on it while walking through crowds. I also limit the amount of cash and cards that I carry with me.
Traffic in Mexico City
Traffic is not good in Mexico City on a regular day, it is much worse on a holiday like NYE. I recommend staying somewhere near where you plan to celebrate so you can walk or take an Ecobici.
Ride-share apps like Uber and DiDi are available in Mexico City, but they are not as cheap as they once were and will likely take a long time.
Where to Stay in Mexico City for New Year’s Eve
I recommend the Hotel NH Collection Mexico City Reforma, which is where we stayed when we visited for New Year’s Eve. It was clean and comfortable with a rooftop pool.
You can also look for local stays in Mexico City with this map:
New Year’s Day in Mexico City
On New Year’s Day, we visited Teotihuacan, but most other tourist attractions should be open. Teotihuacan was pretty busy and I assume some of the other tourist attractions are as well.
Restaurants often close or have limited hours on New Year’s Day. Luke and I desperately wanted to go to Pujol while we were in Mexico City but they were closed the entire week for the holiday.
Have you ever spent New Year’s Eve in Mexico City? Have you ever celebrated the new year somewhere new?
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What a fantastic night! How gutsy of you to eat the worm! And , I don’t really want to know what worm salt is but after that it sounds like such a special date. Thanks for your letting us in on this experience! We look forward to hearing about your next adventure.
I came across your blog while doing some research for NYE 2022. We started doing this tradition in 2009. You will not regret carrying on this tradition year after year. And from personal experience, starting the new year in a new place DOES bring more travel prosperity. Cheers!