Mexico City has become internationally known for its cocktail scene, with four of its bars listed in the prestigious World's 50 Best Bars list. Usually, cocktails of this calibre will set you back about $20-$25 USD in major cities, however in Mexico City, these premium cocktails go for around $12-$15 USD.
One of my hobbies at home is creating new cocktails to enjoy with friends. It's the chemistry lab I wished I had in university, precisely putting together ingredients to make a harmonious concoction of flavours and aromas.
I made it my mission to discover as many of Mexico City's innovative cocktail bars as I could. After visiting all of the bars on the World's 50 Best Bars list and hanging out at hidden spots recommended by talented mixologists, I created a list of the 14 best cocktail bars in Mexico City.
These are the bars that stood out from the rest.
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14 Best Mexico City Cocktail Bars
1. Handshake
Best overall
Handshake Speakeasy
Out of the four bars on the World's 50 Best Bars list, Handshake is our top choice. Ranked #3 on the list, the speakeasy has it all with its glamorous Art Deco interior, dark and sexy ambience, exciting cocktails and friendly service. You can also easily make reservations on OpenTable - just make sure you do it far in advance.
We enjoyed sitting at the bar, watching talented mixologists create cocktails with a fun twist. For one of the cocktails Ari ordered, he had to catch a smoke-filled bubble from the air in his glass! It took him 4 tries 🙈.
Location: C. Amberes 65, Juárez
2. Licoreria Limantour
Best for state-of-the-art cocktails
Once we took our first sip of our cocktail, we could immediately see why it was ranked #7 on the World's 50 Best Bars list. These cocktails may look simple, but their flavours are unbelievably complex, changing throughout each sip. We can't wait to go back to try more.
Although the decor isn't as cool as some of the other bars in the city, the passionate bartenders and energetic crowd more than makeup for it. Reserve your table online far in advance.
Location: Av. Álvaro Obregón 106, Roma Norte
3. Cafe de Nadie
Best for a fun and lively setting
Cafe de Nadie
Located on a quiet side street in Roma, this cocktail bar has a fun atmosphere with groovy tunes playing from its owners' collection of over 1500 vinyl records. Cafe De Nadie has a welcoming vibe, attracting both sociable locals and tourists. It's a cool, yet casual hangout, where a spontaneous dance is not out of the ordinary.
⚠️ Watch out for some of the prices of the cocktails - they vary quite a bit on the menu.
Location: Chihuahua 135, Roma Norte
4. Baltra Bar
Best for martinis
Ranked#45 on the World's 50 Best Bars List, Baltra Bar is known for its evolution-themed cocktails inspired by Darwin and the Galapagos Islands.
Regulars know to come on Martini Tuesday for their 100 MXN (~$6 USD) martinis. The chic bar is located just off Avenida Amsterdam, giving it a nice neighbourhood feel. Make your reservation in advance online - especially if you visit on a Tuesday.
Location: Iztaccihuatl 36D, Condesa
See our list of 11 unique things to do in Condesa, Mexico City
5. Maison Artemisia
Best for an intimate atmosphere
Maison Artemisia
We got a recommendation to check out Maison Artemisia from a bartender at Brujas. The dimly-lit, moody space located up the stairs feels like a seductive apartment bar in Berlin or Beijing. We enjoyed drinking their absinthe cocktails and listening to the obscure music that played.
Location: Tonalá 23, Roma Norte
6. Cafe Tacobar
Best for personality
Cafe Tacobar
Get shipwrecked in Mexico City with Captain Chris, the eccentric bartender of Cafe Tacobar. Off the tourist trail, this quirky spot attracts locals and travellers in the know. It's a chill neighbourhood spot, with well-crafted cocktails and some tasty tacos. The interior feels like a ship with its wood panelling, ship's bell, rope, globe, and eclectic memorabilia. Popular hits mixed into reggae first played, changing into old country classics later that evening.
Bartender Chris invited us to come sit at the bar and showed us hidden drawers in front of us stashed with gold chocolate coins and playing cards. Ask him to surprise you with a cocktail - he's an expert mixologist. Or, go for the clay pot distilled Cuishe mezcal. Our favourite touch was the free bar snack of pickled carrots and popcorn. Weird, but great at the same time.
Cafe Tacobar is walk-in only.
Location: Av Oaxaca 12, Roma Norte
See more amazing things to do in Roma Norte.
7. Tokyo Music Bar
Best for music
Tokyo Music Bar
You're going to be shazamming all night at Tokyo Music Bar, a speakeasy-style cocktail bar inspired by listening rooms in Japan. The cocktails here are the most expensive we saw in the city, so we recommend going only if listening to music is a priority. Vinyl is spun through their $100,000 Hi-Fi analog sound system, which makes the music sound so clear. Their music curation is excellent as well - we heard funky tunes play all night.
We recommend making a reservation in advance. Request to sit at the bar on the lefthand side, so you can see what record the DJ is playing in case you can't shazam it!
Location: Río Pánuco 132, Cuauhtémoc
8. Xaman Bar
Best for a night out
Step into this underground bar inspired by pre-Hispanic Mexico, with cocktails made from indigenous plants, herbs and fresh fruits. The sophisticated space feels inviting with its warm tones and greenery and is an excellent place to socialize and meet people. It gets bumpin' at night with its live DJs and intimate dance floor. Reserve a table online.
Location: Copenhague 6, Juárez
9. Bar Las Brujas
Best for the concept
Located on the ground level of a historic and unusual building named Casa de las Brujas (aka House of Witches), the women-led cocktail bar plays on this concept with witchcraft/shamanism themes and unconventional herbal ingredients. They also name their unique concoctions after prominent Latin American women activists.
Brujas is a hip space to hang out with its buzzing atmosphere and amber lighting. Reserve your table online.
Location: La Casa de Las Brujas, Roma Norte
10. Bijou Drinkery Room
Best for bespoke cocktails
Bijou Drinkery Room is a "secret" bar located at the back of a restaurant in a gastronomy university. While bars are technically illegal inside a school, there is an exception to this since it's a culinary school.
Upon arrival, we were asked to wait on a sofa before being escorted up an elevator to the bar. Once upstairs, we were led through the expansive restaurant to an unassuming door in the back adorned with a jewel. Stepping into the speakeasy felt like stepping into an exclusive party. The space was intimate with a stylish crowd and upbeat music setting the mood.
The highlight of Bijou Drinkery Room is undoubtedly its bespoke cocktails, crafted to reflect your individual preferences. You are given a Rubik's cube to customize your drink by selecting your preferred spirit and descriptors, such as creamy, vegetables, berries, bubbles, umami, picante or dulce.
We chose what we thought was a weird and interesting combination: rum, creamy, vegetables and sweet. The result? An absolutely delicious rum cocktail with asparagus ice cream, cucumber soda, celery bitters and cucumber syrup. It was fantastic!
If you want to know exactly what you're getting, they also have a menu with signature cocktails. Book your table online.
Location: Av Sonora 189 -B, Condesa
11. Sombra Speakeasy
Best for a mysterious allure
Sombra Speakeasy has an electrifying atmosphere the second you walk in, with its synth wave music, edgy crowd and crimson lighting that emits a mysterious allure.
It felt like we were drinking cocktails in the depths of a volcano. Its cosmic themed drinks make it even more intriguing.
Location: Cda. Orizaba 96, Roma Norte
12. Tlecan
Best for cocktails made with agave spirits
Tlecan feels like a pre-Hispanic temple, with its dark lighting, earthy materials and ochre coloured accents. This mezcaleria is your go-to for cocktails made with artisanal mezcals and less common agave spirits.
We enjoyed listening to traditional cumbia beats as we tasted premium mezcal.
Location: Av. Álvaro Obregón 228-Local 2, Roma Norte
13. Bar 686
Best for an elegant vintage feel
Bar 686 is discreetly accessed by stairs adjacent to the buzzy Japanese-Mexican restaurant, Em. After gaining entry past the black door and ascending the stairs, you're met with another door at the top. Once inside, you're greeted by a long, elegantly curved bar.
The dimly lit space has a chic, vintage feel with subtle backlighting, textured walls, and softly illuminated spotlights allowing the cocktails to take centre stage. Reserve your table.
Location: Tonalá 133-2do Piso, Roma Norte
14. Sod
Best for the entrance
Sod cocktail bar
Sod has truly raised the bar when it comes to speakeasy entrances. While most speakeasies settle for an unmarked door or a lever you pull in a bookshelf to gain entrance, they take it to the next level with an actual escape room experience.
Upon being welcomed by your host, you're led into a captivating escape-style room where you must decipher clues to unlock the secret entrance to the bar. The coolest part is that they change up the escape room, so it's not the same every time. It's a really fun concept that adds a layer of excitement to gaining access.
The cocktails at the middle eastern-themed bar were designed by renowned mixologist, Claudia Cabrera.
Location: Ámsterdam 53, Condesa
We hope you enjoyed these 14 cocktail bars in Mexico City!
🥃 We also recommend discovering Mexico City's mezcal scene. Did you know that Tequila is just one type of Mezcal made from one variety of agave? Agave is a desert plant that looks like a gigantic pineapple and there are a whopping 29 different varieties of it that can make Mezcal. Learn about the quintessential Mexican spirit on a Mezcal tour with a local guide.
Bonus: Our top hotel picks in Mexico City
For location, we recommend staying in the Condesa or Roma neighbourhood. All four of these places offer a boutique feel with exceptional design:
- Best in Roma: La Valise & Ignacia Guesthouse
- Best in Condesa: Casa Dovela & Casa Comtesse
Get started on booking your trip to Mexico City
- 🌃 Book your accommodation: Booking.com is our go-to for finding places to stay. Sort by top reviewed.
- 🌮 Browse tours with local guides: through GetYourGuide or Viator
- ✈️ Compare flights: with Skyscanner
- 📆. Track flight prices: with Hopper
Don't forget about travel insurance
👩⚕️ For affordable travel insurance: go with SafetyWing - it's budget-friendly and you can even buy it while abroad, but note the max medical coverage is $250,000 USD. 🏥 For comprehensive travel insurance: go with World Nomads - it's more expensive, but the max emergency medical coverage is $5-10 million, depending on the plan.Don't miss our other Mexico City guides:
- Ultimate 7 day Mexico City itinerary
- 5 Days in Mexico City itinerary
- 4 Days in Mexico City for food, art & culture
- 2 Days in Mexico City
- 11 Unique things to do in Polanco
- 17 Best Mexico City art galleries
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