THE ADVENTURE COLLECTIVE® · Independent discovery and booking for outdoor travel
Turn raw cacao into a custom hot chocolate on a leafy art-filled rooftop in Hipódromo. This three-hour hands-on workshop combines traditional metate grinding, Mesoamerican flavor experiments, and city views for an unforgettable culinary experience.
Turn raw cacao into a custom hot chocolate on a leafy art-filled rooftop in Hipódromo. This three-hour hands-on workshop combines traditional metate grinding, Mesoamerican flavor experiments, and city views for an unforgettable culinary experience.
Book with Martaja
Verified experiences and guided adventures in the surrounding area.
Operated by Martaja · Ciudad de México, Ciudad de México
Martaja’s Bean to Beverage workshop is a hands-on chocolate atelier perched on the Lugar de Huida rooftop in Hipódromo, Ciudad de México, where city views, street jacarandas, and local art frame a sensory lesson in Mesoamerican flavor. Over roughly three hours guests trace cacao’s arc from bean to cup: a short primer on cacao history, hands-on roasting and grinding of beans on a traditional metate, and a creative tasting where chile, achiote, and avocado leaf are mixed into hot chocolate recipes. The rooftop occupies the upper level of a working print gallery and sculpture studio; participants pass through the artist’s workspace, climb steep stairs, and arrive at a planted terrace anchored by a large mural and an eccentric display of discarded busts of former Mexican presidents.
What makes this class special is the collision of craft and context. You aren’t simply following a recipe; you are working with tools and flavor profiles that trace to Mayan and Aztec practices, and doing so in a neighborhood that champions independent artists and experimental food. The metate’s coarse grinding transforms roasted nibs into a paste with a tactile, slightly grainy texture you won’t recreate with an electric grinder, and the optional additions—smoky chile, earthy achiote, and aromatic avocado leaf—expand the notion of chocolate beyond the supermarket bar.
Practical details matter: the experience runs about 2:30–5:30 PM, supports up to 12 people, and is offered in English and Spanish. The rooftop is accessed by several steep staircases and can be moved if evening rains occur between June and August. Martaja can host the class on the rooftop, in the gallery tasting room, or as an at-home visit, and offers private upgraded experiences and souvenirs as extras.
Classes include a short history of cacao cultivation across Mexico and hands-on instruction in roasting, grinding, and blending; instructors demonstrate traditional techniques then guide each guest through making and serving their drink on artisanal serveware. Small groups mean plenty of one-on-one attention, and the class’s rhythm balances explanation, active work, and relaxed tasting time beneath open sky comfortably.
Why visit? For food travelers and culture-minded visitors staying in Ciudad de México, this workshop is both a culinary skill session and a portrait of Condesa/Hipódromo’s creative pulse—a place where sculpture studios, murals, jacaranda-lined streets, and small-batch food craft intersect. It’s an approachable, low-impact way to learn culinary history while producing a memorable souvenir: a personalized cup of hot chocolate you roasted and ground yourself.
Bring comfortable shoes for stairs, an appetite for spicy-sweet experimentation, and a camera—the mural, the purple jacaranda canopy in season, and the rooftop’s portraits make striking backdrops. Exact meeting details, including venue address Cholula 142, Hipódromo, Cuauhtémoc, 06100 Ciudad de México, are supplied at booking.
The workshop runs approximately 2.5–3 hours, typically 2:30–5:30 PM.
The rooftop is reached by several steep staircases; it may not be suitable for those with limited mobility.
Live guides are available in English and Spanish.
Yes—Martaja offers private upgraded experiences and can host classes in the gallery tasting room or at-home venues.
All cacao, flavorings, and serveware are provided as part of the class.
Age requirements are not specified; contact the operator to confirm suitability for younger participants.
Martaja is a Mexico City cooking studio and experiential host based in Ciudad de México. The business specializes in hands-on Mexican cooking classes and guided market tours that focus on traditional techniques and regional recipes. Martaja offers multiple venues—including a scenic rooftop, an Art Deco home filled with Mexican treasures, and a historic Agave location—where guests learn to prepare authentic moles, tamales, salsas, tortillas, and accompanying dishes. Each experience emphasizes practical skills and cultural context. Classes guide participants from market selection through ingredient preparation to the finished plate, teaching how to balance spices, prepare and toast chiles, craft masa for tamales, and form fresh tortillas. Signature offerings include rooftop mole workshops where guests create two moles from scratch and dine on locally-made dinnerware; tamales classes that cover green and fresh-corn varieties paired with smoky salsas; and combined market tour and cooking classes that pair a lively market visit with a communal feast. Martaja highlights regional specialties such as manchamanteles with pineapple, fruity red and sweet pineapple moles, and vibrant green moles with spinach and herbs. Sessions typically conclude with a shared meal, drinks, storytelling, and hands-on plating or table setting. Located in Ciudad de México and operating across rooftop, home, and historic settings, Martaja provides activity-driven culinary experiences for visitors seeking authentic technique-driven classes. The business’s focus on market-sourced ingredients, hands-on instruction, and clearly described class formats offers reliable options for travelers wanting to learn traditional mole and tamal recipes in Mexico City.
Book with Martaja