50 Best Bars in Guatemala

Vegetarian restaurant Asados Puente holds happy hour every night from 8 to 10 pm.

Grab a cup of coffee or a drink on the second-floor outdoor balcony of Balcón del Enríquez, in the Pasaje Enríquez building on Parque Centro América.

A lively young gay crowd frequents Black & White Wednesday through Sunday night, and there always seem to be drink specials on tap.

Blanco y Negro, located in the same block as the Pasaje Aycinena and the Pasaje Rubio, specializes in reggae.

Blue Angel Video Café serves up fruit and veggie drinks while you log in via Wi-Fi on your laptop.

Enjoy live music each Thursday evening at the mellow Brooklyn Bar.

Café & Bar Sabina offers Trova, a kind of folk music that originated in Cuba.

The mellow Café del Arco serves light, café-style food to a mixed clientele, nightly except Sunday.

Down a beer or a made-to-order mezcal drink with proudly bohemian friends at Café No Sé. The place offers an eclectic calendar of live music and poetry readings. Browse among the selection of Spanish and English offerings in the adjoining Librería Dyslexia bookstore.

Stop by Café Sky, whose rooftop terrace offers the best volcano and sunset views—along with nachos, chips, and guacamole—to accompany a drink. It all comes with a “weather permitting" caveat during the May--October rainy season.

Casa Babylon attracts foreign students and Guatemalans alike. They have an extensive mixed drink list.

The dimly lighted Chapiteau Disco plays mostly rock, Wednesday through Saturday.

Like its namesake 1980s television show, Cheers draws a friendly crowd, mostly for the sporting events being shown on the big-screen TVs.

The Circus Bar is a popular spot for locals and travelers alike, and has live Latin music most nights.

Edificio Paseo Plaza makes club-hopping easy (and relatively safe) by offering half a dozen venues with differing personalities in the same building.

Upstairs from Frida's is El Ático, a popular local hangout. The pool table is free as long as you're drinking.

Catering to the university crowd, El Duende is the place to go dancing on weekends.

You're a long way from the Caribbean coast, but El Pelícano Dorado presents Garífuna music Thursday through Sunday evenings.

Nurse a glass of wine and listen to live music or a poetry reading at El Viñedo Tuesday through Saturday.

A branch of the outlet by the same name in Antigua, Frida's is a place to knock back a margarita with a few friends, with prints by Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera as backdrop.

Frida's offers a gay night the last Friday of every month.

Giuseppe Verdi is an upscale bar that caters mostly to tourists.

Head to Hotel Backpackers for a beer at the waterfront bar. It's a fun place to while away the evening, and it's a bar with a conscience, to boot. All the proceeds go to benefit Casa Guatemala Orphanage, so drink up.

Jake's the popular restaurant, also has a sophisticated lounge perfect for a quiet drink in a grown-up atmosphere.

We like Kloster, a German oom-pah-pah kind of place with a variety of fondues as well as tasty microbrews.

Take your pick, depending on the night of the week, at Kokoloko's, and dance to salsa, reggae, or world music. Happy hour is from 7 to 9 every night.

La Fonda del Ché has trova, a genre of protest music popular in Latin America, Tuesday through Saturday night.

For a taste of Xela's bohemian scene, head to the oh-so-funky La Luna. Though they don't serve alcohol, the extensive hot-drink menu is enough to satisfy any espresso addict or chocophile.

La Mansión Marilyn offers live music with a lot of Marilyn Monroe decor in the background Tuesday through Sunday.

Dance the night away, Latin style, at La Parranda.