Casa TEO 1 by Enrique Olvera in Polanco, Mexico City

A Culinary Sanctuary in Polanco by Chef Enrique Olvera

Inspired by artist residencies and designed to facilitate what Olvera calls "creativity through reflection and dialogue," Casa TEO occupies the first floor of the building where Pujol first opened in 2000. The design identity—developed by New York and Mexico City studio Savvy Studio—is grounded in typographic lightness and tactile, natural materials: Japanese papers, raw leathers, and a considered restraint that reads as warmth rather than austerity. The open kitchen and its 10-seat communal table are the spatial and social center of the project.

The 180-square-meter apartment centers on an open kitchen bathed in natural light, with a communal dining table for 10. Adjacent to it, a curated library holds Olvera's personal selection of books on gastronomy, ingredients, and food culture—functioning also as a workspace for his team. Two bedrooms each have their own private bathroom, and the apartment also has a dedicated office. The apartment's balcony sits in the tree canopy of Polanco.

What we love

We love how the owner, chef Enrique Olvera, personally curated the details of this apartment in one of the best neighborhoods in CDMX, and above one of the coolest mezcal bars in town. This is hospitality as we like it, a beautifully designed space, neutral tones, handcrafted ceramics, and a curated art collection. Not to mention the handpicked gastronomic literature providing an in-house library for food lovers.

Layout

This vacation home for rent in Polanco, Mexico City sleeps up to four guests. It offers two bedrooms across 180 square meters on the first floor. Bedroom one holds two single beds. Bedroom two holds one queen bed. Both have en-suite bathrooms. A half-bathroom (guest WC) serves common areas. The flow moves from entry through the office and into the central open kitchen and dining space, which opens onto the balcony.

To see Casa TEO 2, click here.

Experiences

The in-house concierge team can arrange access to otherwise difficult reservations at Pujol, Quintonil, and other Polanco institutions, as well as personalized gastronomic tours of Mexico City. The building's program of workshops, talks, and chef-led dinners runs separately and can overlap with stays. Check the Casa Teo calendar before booking.

Good to know

Casa TEO 1 operates as a fully self-serviced apartment: check-in is by keypad, and there is no traditional front desk. The in-house team handles daily housekeeping and concierge requests but is not on-site 24 hours. No pets are permitted. The property is not suitable for infants under two years. Breakfast ingredients, freshly sourced and prepared by the team, are provided. Carbon monoxide and smoke alarms are fitted. No car is needed within Polanco. Taxis and ride-hailing apps serve the wider city well.

Amenities & services

Professional kitchen, daily housekeeping, personal concierge, curated gastronomy library, dedicated office/workspace, wifi, flat-screen tv, in-unit washer, carbon monoxide alarm, smoke alarm, keypad self check-in, daily breakfast ingredients, assistance with restaurant reservations and gastronomic tours

Around

Polanco began its development in the late 1920s and has evolved into Mexico City's most cosmopolitan colonia, an area of human-scale avenues named for intellectuals and writers, flanked by embassy residences, independent design shops, and the country's highest concentration of serious restaurants. Casa Teo sits on Francisco Petrarca, the street where Pujol first opened. Pujol's current address on Tennyson is a 10-minute walk. Two-Michelin-star Quintonil is on the same block. Parque Lincoln is three minutes on foot. Bosque de Chapultepec and the National Museum of Anthropology are a 15-minute walk. Museo Soumaya and Museo Jumex (David Chipperfield, 2013) anchor the cultural offer to the north. The metro's Polanco station is nearby.