Avenida Presidente Masaryk is Polanco’s main shopping boulevard and the closest thing Mexico City has to Rodeo Drive or Bond Street. It’s a wide, tree-lined avenue flanked by flagship stores from the world’s major luxury brands, upscale restaurants, and the kind of manicured streetscape that says serious money in any language. Whether you’re here to shop or just to observe the spectacle of wealth on display, Masaryk is worth a walk.
The Boulevard
Masaryk runs through the heart of Polanco, roughly east-west, and the luxury shopping is concentrated in a stretch of about 10 blocks. The street is lined with large trees that provide shade and soften the commercial intensity somewhat. Sidewalks are wide, well-maintained, and designed for pedestrians — this is one of the few streets in Mexico City where walking feels like a deliberate part of the urban design rather than an afterthought.
The brands are what you’d expect on any international luxury corridor: Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Hermes, Salvatore Ferragamo, Hugo Boss, Tiffany, and dozens of others. Mexican luxury brands and high-end boutiques fill the spaces between the global flagships, along with concept stores and galleries that cater to the same affluent demographic.
The architecture along the avenue is modern and commercial, mostly mid-rise buildings designed as retail spaces. It’s not going to win any historic preservation awards, but the better buildings are sleek and well-designed. The overall effect is polished and international — you could be on a luxury shopping street in any major city, which is both the point and the criticism.
Restaurants and Cafes
The dining scene on and around Masaryk is excellent, if expensive by Mexico City standards. Several of the city’s most acclaimed restaurants are within a block or two of the avenue, and the concentration of high-end dining options rivals any neighborhood in the city.
The cafes are good for people-watching. Grab a table on the sidewalk and you’ll see a cross-section of Polanco life: well-dressed shoppers carrying branded bags, business lunches at the surrounding restaurants, dog walkers with breeds that cost more than a car, and the general parade of affluence that defines this neighborhood.
For something more affordable, the side streets off Masaryk have a broader range of options, including some genuinely good taquerias and fondas that serve the neighborhood’s workers rather than its residents.
Shopping Practical Notes
If you’re actually here to buy things, prices are comparable to the same brands’ stores in the US or Europe — sometimes slightly higher due to import duties, sometimes competitive during sales seasons. The advantage of shopping here versus at a mall is the street-level experience and the ability to combine shopping with dining and walking in a pleasant neighborhood.
The Centro Comercial Antara, a large upscale mall, is nearby on Avenida Ejercito Nacional and has additional luxury and premium brand stores. Between Masaryk and Antara, you can access virtually every luxury brand available in Mexico.
Sales tax in Mexico is 16%, and there’s no VAT refund system for tourists, so factor that into your calculations. Some stores offer tax-free shopping for foreign visitors, but it’s not standardized across the avenue.
Beyond Shopping
Masaryk’s value isn’t limited to retail therapy. It’s also a useful orientation point for exploring Polanco more broadly. The avenue bisects the neighborhood, and the residential streets on either side contain some of the city’s best restaurants, galleries, and hotels. Use Masaryk as your spine and explore the cross streets for a fuller picture of what Polanco offers.
The western end of Masaryk is close to Chapultepec Park, making it possible to combine a morning in the park’s museums with an afternoon of shopping and dining on the avenue. The eastern end connects to the Nuevo Polanco area, where the Soumaya and Jumex museums offer a cultural counterpoint to the commercial focus of the boulevard.
Getting There
Metro Polanco (Line 7) exits near the middle of the avenue. From the Historic Center, the metro ride takes about 20 minutes. Taxis from Roma or Condesa take 15 to 25 minutes depending on traffic. The avenue is walkable from Chapultepec Castle in about 15 minutes.
Masaryk is at its busiest on weekend afternoons when Mexico City’s affluent class comes out to shop and be seen. Weekday mornings are quieter and better for actual shopping if that’s your goal. If you just want to walk the avenue and observe, any time works — the streetscape is pleasant at any hour.