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Condesa, Roma, Centro Histórico, Coyoacán, and Polanco stand out as Mexico City's hippest neighborhoods. If you're looking to do some barhopping and want to foot it, you can do so in La Condesa. The Zona Rosa has lost ground to Condesa, Roma, and Polanco in the past few years, but it's still packed on Friday and Saturday nights, and everything is within walking distance. Niza, Florencia, Londres, and Hamburgo streets are teeming with bars and discos.
Night is the key word. People generally take in dinner and a show at 9 or 10 pm, head to bars or nightclubs at midnight, then find a spot for a nightcap or tacos somewhere around 3 am. (Cantinas are the exception; people start hitting them in the late afternoon and most close by 11 pm.)
You should have no trouble getting around on your own Always take official hotel taxis, sitio (stationed) taxis, or use the safe taxi apps Yaxi or Uber; it can be expensive to barhop this way, but your safety is worth the cost.
It housed conquistadors during the 16th century; today the Centro is a Spanish cultural center with daily art exhibits, plays, films, and other events, including occasional live indie, electronic, and rock bands on the terrace of the bar-restaurant.
This sloppy gem of a loft is part metro stop, part college-dorm commons, part debating society, and part pulquería. It's run by 1950s national lightweight boxing champion and folk hero Epiphanio "Pifas" Leyva, and serves beer and pulque (a drink made with the fermented sap of one type of agave plant) to a young, intellectual crowd that loves to sing and dance to the excellent jukebox of punk and local guacapunk (Mexican ska) classics. If you want a rowdy afternoon (the bar is usually closed by 11, and always closed on Sunday), this is the place. Note that it's technically in the Doctores neighborhood, but borders Colonia Roma.
Set in the vault of an art deco bank in the heart of Centro, the capital's coolest jazz joint hosts local and international acts. The intimate setting and enthusiastic audiences seem to bring out the best in performers. It's open Wednesday through Saturday, and offers a small menu of international dishes.
A classic cantina in the colonia Tabacalera, 5 Caudillos serves up botanas (snacks) that rotate through weekly specials, with options like chamorro (roasted pork shank) and solomillo (pork loin) drawing crowds on Thursday. Musicians play daily after 4 pm.
A favored fixture along the voguey nightlife row that is Avenida Álvaro Obregón, Félix is a popular, dimly lit cocktail bar at first glance. Head down the side hallway to the back, however, and you'll find a chatter-filled garden pizzeria that rakes in sizable crowds until late into the evening—the pies here are pretty tasty, too.
Dim and elegant with a long wooden bar, stained glass, and high-backed chairs, Bar Mancera is perhaps the best preserved of all Centro's early 20th-century watering holes. Founded in 1912, just two years after the beginning of the Mexican Revolution, this is the perfect place to sit back with a tequila or a beer and imagine yourself living in the optimistic days after the fighting had ended and a new political order had emerged.
The young and the hip favor this bar, a 10-minute walk northeast of Zona Rosa. Upon entering, you need to change pesos into milagros (miracles), which are notes necessary to buy drinks throughout the night. The trick is to remember to change them back before last call.
Bright lighting and a bold color scheme create a striking vibe for singing karaoke, watching live bands, dancing, sipping craft cocktails, and nibbling on Japanese-Mexican-fusion bar snacks in this quirky late-night space that draws a mix of artists, club kids, and style-makers. Music tends toward the playful and accessible—think trash disco, alternative, reggae, and pretty much anything that gets the diverse crowd moving. Oriente's two private karaoke rooms are great for small parties (they hold up to 30 guests).
One of the most revered artisanal mezcal makers in the country, Oaxaca-based Alipus—which also runs the restaurants/bars Los Danzantes and Corazón de Maguey in Coyoacán—operates this stylish little spot in historic Tlalpan Centro. Stop by to sample the mezcal either straight up or in the extensive list of interesting cocktails, and note the well-prepared traditional Mexican food, including a number of Oaxacan specialties.
Ensconced within one of the most opulent Porfirian mansions in Roma, this urbane bar is a dramatic setting for well-crafted cocktails and tasty tapas. Located in the mansion's former courtyard, the bar is just one element of the building's rambling series of dining spaces (which also includes an oyster bar and a more formal high-end farm-to-table restaurant), but it's also arguably the most delightful of the venues to pass time in.
The lounge in the Camino Real Hotel, southeast of Polanco, has a sophisticated crowd, mellow music, and good martinis—a relaxing stop if you're staying in the hotel or just passing through. Lighting and overall color schemes are, as you probably guessed, blue tinged. There are several seating areas; furnishings are eclectic but are heavy on mid-century modern pieces. One area has a translucent floor that's lighted from below and set over water—very cool, very blue.
The tiny, gritty Cabaret La Perla dates from 1946 and is now one of several popular gay bars lining the western end of Calle República de Cuba. Weekend drag shows are some of the city's best, with performances focusing on Mexican pop divas.
Closed off for pedestrians and lined with bars, this street is basically one long pub crawl, spanning several blocks and all kinds of different establishments. You’ll be approached with menus by the hype people for various bars as you walk; feel free to take a quick look and move on to the next option if a place doesn't interest you (they're used to it). La Terraza and Bukowski's Bar are particularly good for people-watching and drinks, although you're better off looking elsewhere for dining.
One of a handful of cantinas competing for the title of oldest in Mexico (it was founded over a century ago), Tío Pepe is about as atmospheric as it gets. A Tiffany-style stained glass window, a heavy wooden bar running the length of the room, swinging wooden doors, and unflattering fluorescent lights add up to make this the paradigmatic Mexico City cantina.
Midway between Coyoacán's plazas and the Cineteca Nacional film center, this spacious, conversation-filled bar and grill stands out for its extensive selection of both Mexican and international craft beers on tap and by the bottle. But there's also a big all-day-and-night food menu featuring pretty tasty pizzas, burgers, pastas, sandwiches, and the like.
In a two-story redbrick brewery on a quiet alley in historic Romita, you can sample some of Mexico City's finest craft brews, from a crisp golden pale ale to a toasty and rich porter. There's a small selection of bar food, and occasionally musicians perform.
Meant to evoke the inviting, laid-back trappings of a friend's (very large) departamento—or apartment—this often packed lounge has DJs spinning trancy tunes on turntables. It's a fun place to chill and mingle before going clubbing, or a place to enjoy while the night is winding down. Some nights there's live music.
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.
Although this dramatic space in a former 16th-century convent is better known as a restaurant, having drinks on the cloistered central patio is the best way to enjoy a visit here. The food is fine, but it's more about the setting, which is especially lovely around dusk, making it a great option for predinner cocktails. There's live music some evenings, too.
A bustling branch of Mexico City's self-proclaimed world beer store, this dark and otherwise nondescript bar and bottle shop stands out for its vast selection of both Mexican and international craft beers. There are about 15 other branches around the city, and light pub fare is available as well.
Domestic and international beers take the spotlight here. With a weekday happy hour and plenty of food options, this is a great choice for anyone who just wants a place to hang out without any of the pretentiousness that can frequently come with nightlife in this area.
Centro's branch of one of the city's best craft beer bars has a handful of outdoor tables on a pretty pedestrian street and serves up to 150 beers, roughly 80% of them made in Mexico. Look out for beer brands like Colimita, Wendlandt, and Insurgentes.
Students and intellectuals of all ages pack "the Raven's Son," thanks to an interesting mix of rock, jazz, and other live music performances as well as intriguing art shows on the walls. Set on the northwest corner of Jardín Centenario, it's also a nice spot to enjoy a beer or a light bite to eat on the patio. It stages occasional theater shows, too.
This nightclub is known for its drag contests, musical tributes, and overall exciting entertainment. Things get going on the later side and reservations are recommended. Drinks come tableside from attentive servers, with all seats in the house having a solid view of the stage.
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.
