Whenever I have a free Saturday, I head to the San Angel Market, one of the most quaint and historic neighborhoods in Mexico City. The market has been running since the 1960s and I hope it continues for many years to come.
San Angel was a separate town until the 1940s when the sprawling metropolis of CDMX engulfed it. Yet, when you visit, you feel transported back in time to the days when Spanish aristocracy had summer homes here. Even Frida and Diego had a place; nowadays a museum and popular tourist attraction.
El Bazaar Sabado is a weekly market that floods the streets of the barrio with art, jewelry, trinkets, luxe food products, and so on. These colorful treasures combined with the cobbled streets and characterful, colorful buildings of the San Angel neighborhood are nothing short of idyllic.
Read next: neighborhood guide to San Angel, Mexico City
Where is the San Angel market in Mexico City?
The San Angel neighborhood is in the south of Mexico City, close to UNAM (University City) and famous Coyocan neighborhood.
Getting to San Angel Saturday Bazaar
By taxi app: calling Uber or Didi is affordable. From the Historic Center or the Roma/Condesa area, it should cost 150-200 pesos depending on traffic. You can also try the InDrive app where you enter a bid and wait for drivers to accept. It’s usually cheaper, however I find Uber & Didi offer a smoother travel experience.
By public transport: 15 minutes walk from the Saturday market is the closest Metro station, Miguel Angel de Quevado, on Line 3 (catch it directly from Hidalgo station in Centro or Hospital General station by Roma Sur). The journey costs just 5 pesos. Buy a MetroCard in the station if you don’t have one already.
The Metrobus travels the whole way down Insurgentes (passing Juarez, Roma, Condesa, Escandon, and Napoles) making stops along the way. Get off at La Bombilla station just 5 minutes walk from the market. The journey costs just 6 pesos and you can pay with a Metro card.
San Angel market visitors guide
There are several sections of the market including a few open plazas known for art, as well as inside and outside sections selling food products, body products, homeware, and jewelry. I can tell you where to go for affordable souvenirs and trinkets, as well as where to invest in high-quality items.
Here’s a summary of the different areas of the market, doubling up as a walking tour of the area. I usually start at…
Plaza del Carmen
Located close to Avenue Insurgentes connecting San Angel with the city center, Plaza del Carmen is a sensible place to begin a tour of the area. But it’s not just convenient: this open plaza with grassy spaces and ornate water fountains is idyllic.
Browse different styles of art from local Mexican artists, displayed between colorful umbrellas. There are small paper prints for as little as 150 pesos alongside huge, framed works of art with high price tags.
Right beside Plaza del Carmen is another part of San Angel Market not to miss…
Mercado del Carmen
Beside Plaza del Carmen art market is this indoor market located within a beautiful blue building. In the front section of Mercado del Carmen, you’ll find a range of artisanal stands selling everything from candles to ice cream and other gourmet food and body products.
At the back is a food court with stands serving a range of cuisines from Mexican to Asian. You can expect a hipster, modern vibe with additional stands selling wine, mezcal, cocktails, and craft beer. There are plenty of options for vegan and gluten-free diets. Prices are a little high but standard for San Angel.
On Sundays, Mercado del Carmen is open from 11am-8pm. Dogs are welcome.
In addition to the market stands, there are a few stores to pop inside. Anthea Tea Boutique is a must for tea fans to browse and buy numerous types of tea. Cafe Diaz at the front is a coffee shop with hot drinks and simple food options. It’s not the best coffee in Mexico City but it’s a pleasant cafe with pink granite surfaces and outdoor seating.
El Sabado Bazaar (inside area)
The main hub of San Angel Market is this gorgeous 18th-century hacienda with a giant tree growing in the middle and Oxa restaurant’s tables below its branches. It’s a large building beside Plaza Jacinto with people spilling out; you can’t miss it.
There’s a busy restaurant, Saks, beside it as well as a cute coffee cart that’s always beside the entrance on market days. It’s the best place to grab a cup of specialty coffee as you peruse the stands.
Note – the restaurants Saks and Oxa are open throughout the week even when the Saturday market stands aren’t there.
Downstairs in San Angel Market
Set around Oxa restaurant with the big tree in the middle, there are shops and stands selling homeware, textiles, leather bags, silver jewelry, and the like. Everything here is expensive yet high quality (for more affordable items, keep reading).
Don’t miss the chance to sample mezcal (tastings available) and sip a craft beer from the Monstruo de Agua stand. They have some creative flavors like ginger and lemongrass and, better yet, proceeds go to the endangered axolotl, a salamander-like creature living in Xochimilco waterways. If you like the beers, visit their bar in La Condesa for more.
Note – drinking outside is illegal in Mexico so be sure to finish your beers inside the market. Grab one to start then work around the market in a clockwise direction, then head upstairs.
Upstairs in San Angel Saturday Market
Go upstairs (beside the front right entrance) for luxe food products, body products, and more. This is THE place for free samples! I like…
- Quinto Molinillo chocolate stand is very generous with samples of their traditional Mexican chocolate with flavors like cardamon, chili, and even chapulines (grasshopper!)
- El Mezquite make my favorite artisanal green mole. I buy this every time rather than just sampling it
- Peregrinas sell delicious honey with so many flavors on offer, even chocolate and coffee. Note – the colorful clay mugs and pots beside the honey stand are pretty and affordable.
- Los Chilitos del Maestro make great chicharrón de chile AKA fried chili peppers in oil. Use them like salsa to flavor food or as a snack on tortilla chips.
You could spend a good hour slowly working your way around the top level of the indoor market trying samples of everything! I know I have…
Plaza Jacinto – more art
In front of the indoor market, Plaza San Jacinto is another open plaza selling paintings, prints, and other types of art.
There are also some great nieves (ice cream) stands with traditional flavors like pitaya, coconut, lime, and tuna (a cactus fruit, not fish – thank god!), and the popular ‘beso de angel’ (kiss of an angel). I need to try this because I can’t think what that could possibly taste like!
Grab a cone and peruse the art.
I love the atmosphere in this plaza because there are often live mariachi bands playing. The streets are dabbled in sunshine from the many trees surrounding the plaza. You feel as if you’ve stepped back in time 50 years in this quaint, traditional setting.
Outside market stalls at Plaza Tenanitla – best for a bargain
The outdoor tianguis (the word for local markets) at Plaza Tenanitla are where I shop for bargains. Unlike the expensive indoor section of San Angel market, these stands sell the kind of craft items you see all around Mexico.
Yes, some are machine-made but there are plenty of handmade crafts, too, from cushions, rugs, and other woven items to jewelry, clothes, masks, and bags. There are countless fridge magnets but not the tacky ‘I’ve been to Mexico type’: many are in the shape of traditional Mexican foods. They’re so cute!
I also like the little wooden boxes with tiny characters acting out scenes from Mexican life. These have a comedic focus and I think would make a great souvenir or gift.
Sweet stands: directly outside the main indoor market building as you walk over to the tianguis are several stands selling traditional candies, many typical delicacies from Puebla. The adorable marzipan ones shaped like fruits look almost too good to eat.
Other stores
The shops along Madero are open throughout the week but, given that this street connects Plaza del Carmen and Plaza Jacinto, it gives the feeling that the whole neighborhood is one big bazaar.
Some of my favorite shops near San Angel Saturday market are…
Chidomex
Chidomex is a store and cafe selling adorable items you never knew you needed (and probably don’t – but they’re so cute). Candles come in the shape of sugar skulls, cobs of corn, and pan de muertos, while coin purses are shaped like avocados and conches (Mexican sweet bread).
The coffee, served in cute chinaware, is decent and starts from 35 pesos. Climb the spiral staircase to the upstairs level where you can browse comedic scenes from Mexican life in small wooden boxes.
Happening
Next door to Chidomex, this is another expensive shop with some fabulous things inside. Happening only sell items made by Mexican designers from retro sunglasses and shoes to funky handmade jewelry and blissful-smelling soaps.
There’s also a branch in Roma Norte.
Barrio San Angel Bazar Galleria
Directly across the road from Happening and Chidomex is this bright orange building with stores inside selling colorful items (including alejibres, fantasy animals derived from Mexican folk art). Upstairs, there’s an art gallery and a few other stores, one selling different types of incense.
Where to eat near San Angel Market
There are plenty of restaurants in San Angel with many on the high end, in particular lots of French ones.
To enjoy the vibe in the heart of the Saturday Market, you can eat at Oxa restaurant, or Saks next door. Both are pretty pricey.
A few of my favorite restaurants include…
Na Tlali (Mexican vegan food)
You truly don’t need to be vegan to enjoy Na Tlali. Classic Mexican dishes from Oaxaca and Vera Cruz are as aesthetically pleasing as they are tasty. The breakfast menu is enormous with seven types of chilaquiles (my favorites are the ones with peanut mole and a giant battered mushroom on top), plus fruit pancakes, and enchiladas. The three-mole sauce is out of this world!
I love starting my day in San Angel here for breakfast but it’s also a good option for lunch and dinner. The ‘tuna’ tostadas made with soy-soaked watermelon are delicious. Everything is served on beautiful crockery, and the restaurant has a section of fresh fruit and gourmet items for sale like kombucha and craft beer. Better yet, the food is affordable.
Na Tlali is at the back of a complex of restaurants, with Ojo de Agua (also a good option for breakfast in Mexico City) at the front. It’s a 2-minute walk to Plaza del Carmen so I usually get the Uber to drop me at Na Tlali then, after eating, I begin perusing the market from there.
El Cardenal
Just down the street from Na Tlali (a little further from the market) is El Cardenal, a favorite Mexico City restaurant with branches in Centro, Lomas, and Napoles. They all have the same traditional aesthetic, plus waiters in smart uniforms and the occasional mariachi band playing.
Note – if you’re looking for Diego murals in CDMX, you must visit the Centro restaurant.
The San Angel restaurant is inside an old mansion with period features like a stained glass ceiling and impressive artwork. They serve traditional dishes with lots of meat, mole, stuffed chiles, and fish dishes. I went with an unusual veggie starter comprising a whole block of cheese topped with flor de calabaza (squash flower) and wrapped in banana leaves. Main dishes cost 300-400 pesos.
San Angel Inn
Just across from the Frida & Diego studio is a real institution open since 1963: San Angel Inn, a famous restaurant with outdoor seating set around a charming, historic fountain. It’s a beautiful place to dine but just make sure to book a table in advance as you’ll be lucky to bag one on a Saturday without a reservation.
With dishes like rib-eye steak tacos, huitlacoche fettucini, and soups flavored with poblano chili and nopales, the menu serves Mexican classics in innovative ways. Prices are high, as you’d probably expect.
Tips for visiting San Angel Market
- The cobbled streets aren’t very accessible for people in wheelchairs or with baby strollers (best to bring a carrier). Comfy shoes are better on the cobbles than flimsy sandals.
- San Angel Saturday Market opening times are 10am-6pm but some vendors don’t arrive until after 11am so don’t go too early
- It’s open year-round… I’ve even been on 24 December, the most important festive day in Mexico
- Fast explorers can factor 2 hours for the market or half a day for the whole neighborhood, but for fellow slow travelers, I suggest half a day for the market and the whole day for the area.
More things to do in San Angel neighborhood
This isn’t a neighborhood packed with must-see attractions, which might just be a good thing… More time to wander the quaint streets and soak up the atmosphere!
- Visit Carmen Convent and Museum – the crypt has some creepy mummies not for the faint of heart!
- Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo – although the main Frida museum is over in Coyoacan, this is another popular CDMX museum for fans of her and Diego’s work.
- Museo Casa de Risco – a cultural center with a beautiful fountain decorated with tiles and oyster shells. It always looks amazing in the run-up to Dia de Muetos (and just after when the decorations are still up).
- Parroquia San Jacinto – a beautiful church near Plaza Jacinto
- Mercado de Flores – a pretty street of flower stands just around the corner from the main San Angel market.
Read next: things to do to San Angel, Mexico City
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