Coyoacán is known for its many coffee shops and the hippie intellectualism that supposedly lurks there. Indeed, if there is a place in Mexico City where you are most likely to see a young person hunched over a battered copy of Las Venas Abiertas de America Latina or arguing with a group of dreadlocked friends about whether the PRD can ever truly be a radical party, it is probably in one of the dozens of coffee shops within a few blocks from the Plaza Hidalgo.

One of the most popular coffee venues is El Jarocho, which has several locations clustered in the center of Coyoacán. Although it’s hardly an undiscoverd gem, El Jarocho has become a favorite of mine, not so much for the coffee they serve (which is quite good), but for their frozen chocolate. This treat, which comes served in a styrofoam cup, captures the essence of chocolate caliente, complete with tiny flecks of cinnamon floating around, but in a form that is a cross between a milkshake and a cup of nieve.

Their coffee is strong and good; it has a bit of a following. Although there is no indoor seating at their location on the corner of Allende and Cuauhtémoc, it’s not uncommon to see lines stretching down the block, waiting to order at the counter. Other locations are a bit more relaxed, with benches and plastic chairs partially blocking the foot traffic on less-busy streets.

I have taken to heading to El Jarocho after having tortas at La Barraca Valenciana; there is a location right next door, on Avenida Mexico between Malintzin and Xicotencatl. I always go for the chocolate frío, but there are other frozen drinks, a surprisingly large selection of caffeinated and decaffeinated teas, as well as rich-smelling cups of Veracruz-style espresso drinks. The pan dulce is nothing to write home about, but as a vehicle for the coffee, you could do a lot worse. They also sell coffee to brew at home.

El Jarocho; www.cafeeljarocho.com.mx/; locations throughout Coyoacán

But if you are someone who seeks a specific destination in your escape from the (often oppressive) bustle of Plaza Hidalgo and the Jardín Centenario, I recommend heading south down Calle Higuera for several blocks until you reach La Conchita, a small park centered around La Capilla de la Conchita, a tiny eighteenth century baroque chapel with moorish-inspired details.

balloon seller in La Conchita

The park itself is peaceful and has many benches, good for public necking, but there are some historical sights that make La Conchita worth strolling through. In addition to the Capilla de la Conchita, this plaza is home to the Casa Colorada, historic home of La Malinche (a.k.a. Malintzin to the Aztecs, and Doña Marina to the Spaniards), the mistress/native informant/baby mama of Cortés, symbolic mother of the mestizo, and fascinating historical and cultural figure. Hers is the red house on the corner of Higuera and Vallarta, but it is no longer open to the public.

If you stroll down to La Conchita to escape the bustle of Plaza Hidalgo and the Jardín Centenario (which, at this date, are undergoing major construction, threatening the livelihood of many vendors who usually set up shop there) and are looking for a place to grab a coffee, the Plaza Café, on the northern edge of the park, is not a bad choice.

In addition to hot and cold coffee drinks (between 14 and 30 pesos), you can also buy coffee grounds and beans here. Although I have never done so, the quality of the drinks I’ve ordered in house suggests that this might not be a bad place to come for a bag of freshly ground. Items which caught my eye on the menu (but which I have yet to sample) were the strudel and bisquets served with homemade fruit preserves. There are also many flavors of ice-cream and sorbet. For more savory options, under the section of the menu labeled “Para Matar el Hambre” (“Kill Your Hunger”) there are also empanadas and sandwiches served on bagels from 28 to 43 pesos.

The atmosphere of this cafe is open and relaxed; the music is not obnoxiously loud. It seems to draw a younger crowd (who linger near the front, perhaps just to hang out with the wait staff) as well as people in their thirties and forties enjoying a quiet place to have a coffee. I met an awesome transgender dyke there once, suggesting a pretty queer-friendly vibe among the staff, although not an explicitly lesbian or transgender establishment. The Plaza Café is a perfect place to seek refuge if you are caught in a summer rain while meandering in La Conchita.

Plaza Café; at the corner of Vallarta and Higuera on the northern edge of La Conchita

One of the things I love about the Centro Historico is the way the combination of the architecture, the fonts on the signs, and the styles in the storefronts allows you to time travel through decades, even centuries of Mexican history. Simply walking down Cinco de Mayo, from the majestic Palacio de Bellas Artes, past the 16th century decadence of the Casa de los Azulejos and the stylish lines of art deco buildings, all the way down to the Catedral Metropolitana, gives any visitor a sense of the way different eras seem to overlap and bleed into each other in this part of town.

My favorite place to stop for nourishment along Cinco de Mayo is La Pagoda. Formerly called “Cafe Popular,” La Pagoda has all the charm and attitude of a well-run roadside diner. The front part of the restaurant has row of booths for two or four, opposite a long counter. The counter is often full of single gentlemen stopping in for some comida corrida or a piece of pan dulce and some coffee, depending on the time of day. The back room is sunnier and has more booths and tables. The decor is an interesting blend of 1950′s and 1970′s hues and furniture, with small televisions propped in the corners of the ceiling, displaying an ever-rotating slide show of featured menu items.

The service is snappy and provided by sassy waitresses (of all ages) dressed in matching pink uniforms, complete with hair piece. Perhaps the reason the service is so good is that patrons are handed an evaluation card with the check. I’ve never had a reason to fill it out negatively, and usually have something positive to say about the service.

In my experiences, waitresses have never so much as raised an eyebrow upon seeing a large group of machas or an affectionate lesbian couple tucked in a booth. Additionally, I have seen transgender women dining here, without incident.

The menu offers a wide variety of styles of food, from sandwiches served on bagels, to soups (including ass decent sopa azteca), to egg dishes, to salads, to more standard Mexican fare. My favorite item on the menu is the chilaquiles verdes, with chicken, with an egg, or plain; all are delicious and filling. The portions are large and served with a generous amount of cheese. La Pagoda also offers well priced comida corrida during the day (around forty pesos). Nothing on the menu is over 100 pesos, and most items are under 50.

Aside from its savory fare, La Pagoda is well known for its pan dulce and delicious cafe con leche. For those that have never ordered cafe con leche in Mexico, the ritual of the experience is part of what makes it delicious. Dark, hot Espresso is poured first into a glass (you say how much), then topped off a minute later with hot, slightly sweet milk. The glass vessel allows you to witness the color of the beverage get lighter and lighter as the milk reaches the top of the glass. I will admit to not being a very sophisticated coffee drinker, but I love ordering this, and have done so at both 9:30 in the morning and 11:30 at night.

La Pagoda is open twenty-four hours a day, and is a wonderful place to stop for a reasonably priced and delicious meal or snack both during the day between sights in the Centro Historico and late at night in an attempt to prevent a hangover the next morning.

La Pagoda, address: Cinco de Mayo 52, Centro Historico, corner of Filomena