13 Best Bars in Condesa, Mexico City

This stylish mezcaleria and gastropub has a smartly decorated tile-floor interior as well as plenty of sidewalk tables. In addition to artisanal mezcal and cocktails, there's a great wine and craft beer selection and well-prepared modern Mexican food to snack on.

This snug and stylish hideout just off Avenida Amsterdam is decorated with framed butterflies and bird illustrations and offers up an enticing list of innovative cocktails—try the Old George Sour with Altos Plata tequila, cardamom, and cucumber, or any of the several fine mezcal elixirs. The tight space with just a handful of seats inside and a few more on the sidewalk can get busy on weekends, but if you can snag a table, it's a lovely place to chat with friends or mingle with new ones. It's owned by the same team behind the Roma's famous Licorería Limantour.

This sleek and rather spare cocktail and natural-wine bar on the ground floor of Casa Nuevo Leon hotel stands out for its long list of expertly prepared cocktails and its well-chosen selection of very interesting wines, including pét-nats and still wines from Baja's Valle de Guadalupe, along with selections from Georgia, Portugal, New Zealand, and other vino-centric parts of the world. There's also a tempting selection of seafood-focused bar bites, including anchovy toast, smoked-oyster pâté, and crab-salad sandwiches.

This diminutive bar along nightlife-rich Avenida Álvaro Obregón is further evidence of Mexico City's increasingly fervent embrace of craft beer. As the name suggests, it has a particular soft spot for Belgian beers, but you'll find a little bit of everything here, including some bottles from smaller, cult brewers around the world, as well as one of the most current selections of up-and-coming Mexican producers. The friendly bartenders really know their stuff, too.

One of the most fashionable cocktail venues in the neighborhood, this contemporary open-air rooftop bar is perched atop the chic Hotel CondesaDF. Hang with friends beneath a white umbrella on one of the wide arm chairs or snag a table overlooking the lush foliage of Parque España. In addition to well-crafted drinks, there's a menu of tasty sushi and other Japanese-fusion snacks.

Mingle with the fashionable crowd that frequents this trendy wine bar on the border of Condesa and Roma Norte. The focus is mostly on natural wines, with many selections from Europe but also a good number from Mexico's own esteemed Valle de Guadalupe. A nice selection of share-worthy small plates—pastas, beef tartare, eggplant caponata—are available, too. Hugo is a cousin of its hip neighbor, Cafe Milou.

A womblike, intimate space with shelves adorned with countless bottles of mezcal, La Clandestina is one of four establishments in Roma and Condesa operated by Mezcales Milagrito, an artisanal distiller in Oaxaca (La Lavandería, El Palenquito, and Traspatio are the others). The fun here is in sampling some of the many different varieties, ideally straight up (take your time and sip slowly) so that you can taste the different complexities. There's also an extensive list of creative cocktails as well as tlayudas and other light bar snacks.

With more than 35 beers on tap and more seating than nearby beer haven El Trappist, this is another of the city's best bets for sampling unusual beers from around the world (or purchasing cans and bottles to go). It's dog-friendly, too. There's a second location in the charming southern Mexico City neighborhood of Tlapan.

This traditional 1940s cantina in the heart of Condesa serves up tasty Spanish- and Mexican-style tapas, inexpensive drinks, and loads of atmosphere. Tables go fast, so prepare to saddle up to the bar.

There's no signage outside this darkly seductive bar with blue-and-gold velvet seats and an intentionally distressed exterior, but everyone from postgallery-goers to hipster cocktail enthusiasts make their way here, six nights a week (they're closed Monday). The atmosphere is low-key, and the kitchen turns out pretty good bar food.

This long bustling bar ranks among the city's most popular pool halls. Since there's often a wait for the tables (it's two-for-one games before 4 pm), the bar area is an always buzzy gathering spot. There are often contemporary photography exhibits on the walls, and pretty good pub fare is served, too.

A dark back room and naked, muscular, bar-top dancers make for a cruise-y atmosphere at this long-popular Condesa gay bar. It doesn't attract as much leather gear anymore, but is a favorite of otters, bears, and guys who favor Scruff as their favorite hookup app.

A wall of windows allows the fashionable patrons of this posh champagne bar to enjoy views of lush Parque España. Inside, beneath a coffered ceiling and vintage light fixtures, you can sip bubbly or any number of well-poured cocktails while noshing on upscale bar fare. There's also seating on the rooftop deck.