Pasteleria La Ideal is locate at number 18 on Av. 16 de Septiembre Street in downtown Mexico City. About 4 city blocks from the Bellas Artes Metro Station. The bakery was opened in 1927 and was originally called the Ideal Bakery. Opened right in the middle of what is known as the Cristero War (Mexico vs. the Catholic Church) the bakery keeps things pretty simple. It makes a lot of classic bread at really cheap prices. The business model seems to be working because we went on a Thursday morning and they had already sold out of bolillos (mexican rolls), but there was more than an abundance of other bread to find. Also, not to be missed was the cake demonstration room on the 1st floor(as opposed to the ground floor). Some of the cakes there were 10 layers high.

Mexicans love jelly cakes.

A selection of filled turnovers.

Grab a tray and some tongs and pick away. Everything on this table was 5 pesos (about .28 cents)

The sign says a kilo for 75 pesos (2.2 lbs for about $4.50 USD)

I put AJ in this frame so you could start to get a feel as to how high these cakes got.

La Ideal keeps up to modern day with this Yoda cake. Basically, you give them a picture and they can make a cake out of it.

AJ and Denise looking through the bakery.