Using fresh, locally sourced ingredients, this CDMX fast casual restaurant offers delicious egg, coffee and smoothie options.

A fantastic breakfast (or coffee or smoothie) option in the La Condesa neighborhood of Mexico City

Some cities really do have it all: food, culture, adventure and more. On our fourth morning in CDMX, we ventured out for breakfast and decided to try Ojo de Agua. Situated off the picturesque Plaza Citaltépetl roundabout near the tree-lined Avenida Amsterdam, Ojo de Agua is a fast casual restaurant that wants you to eat on the healthier side — without being bland or boring. With its own bountiful fresh fruit and vegetable stand on display inside, a literal feast for the eyes, the concept reinforces the proverbial saying “you are what you eat.”

The founder named the café after Ojo de Agua, the small town built around a freshwater spring pool located in the state of Michoacán, where the family is from. Their ethos “living a healthy life, in the company of people we love, in harmony with nature and strengthening habits which provide the body with tools to be fulfilled” rings true. The first location opened in the upscale Polanco neighborhood 14 years ago and the brand has since expanded to 23 locations in CDMX.

The clean and simple logo (a white background with turquoise type and Fanta-blue droplets of water) offer a nod to the town’s namesake spring and can be seen under the awning.

A tasty breakfast at Ojo de Agua’s sidewalk café in La Condesa

A Healthy Way to Start the Day

The interior is casual and chic with big windows, concrete floors, patterned Mudéjar-style tile and white-painted brick walls, which makes it bright and welcoming. Plus, if you arrive early like we did, there’s outdoor seating where you can soak up the morning sun and people-watch while enjoying some of the tastiest food in La Condesa.

You’ll find plenty of breakfast options to choose from on the menu, including açaí bowls, chilaquiles and cinnamon roll French toast. I ordered the santos ahogados, two poached eggs served in a cast-iron skillet over hoja santa, a large aromatic heart-shaped leaf plucked from the plant of the same name, complete with a generous helping of grilled panela cheese, in a broth of refried beans, salsa roja, salsa verde and sliced avocado. Wally ordered the huevos Polanco, made with two Parmesan cheese-crusted baked eggs served over an avocado purée and dressed with a za’atar-dusted cilantro jocoque, a fermented dairy product somewhere between yogurt and sour cream. My breakfast was savory, flavorful and very tasty. The salsa verde was relatively mild, while the salsa roja had a nice fiery heat to it.

Wally couldn’t help but be jealous of that thick slice of grilled panela cheese on Duke’s santos ahogados.

I appreciated that real silverware was provided, neatly presented in kraft paper sleeves. The unmistakable and familiar strains of “Bohemian Rhapsody” by the British rock band Queen played over the speakers as we ate up every last bit of our breakfast.

You’d be hard-pressed to find cuter details than this citrus juicer that acts as a napkin holder.

After breakfast, we made a beeline to the juice bar and ordered the South Face, a combination of fresh mango, passion fruit and pineapple juice. We also purchased a small jar of smoky salsa matcha. I’m considering tossing it with some roasted root vegetables or putting it on some chilaquiles. Needless to say, we left very happy and full. –Duke