303 Best Bars in Mexico

Don Pato serves craft beer in a lively setting, right in the middle of Sayulita. They also serve great food including burgers, enchiladas, and burritos. 

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.

One of Mérida's historic traditional cantinas, Dzalbay is experiencing a second life in the hands of a group of expat musician-owners. The bar has a crowded calendar of performances by blues and jazz acts, both local musicians and ones passing through Mérida. A large outdoor terrace and menus of signature cocktails, microbrews, and bar snacks also help make Dzalbay a local favorite. If a low-key, welcoming cantina is what you are searching for, it may become your favorite, too.

The hottest gathering place for younger people is the bar of the restaurant El Bronco. There's a well-stocked bar at the center of the room.

The vibe at this beachfront palapa bar is laid-back throughout the day. It's open early morning till late at night, and is an easy place to get a meal and do some great snorkeling at the same time. The meals are uncomplicated Mexican fare, but you can't beat the view of the ocean and downtown.

Though it's hardly a secret—it's one of the venues that hosts the Guitarfest in March— El Canto de la Sirena is something of a hidden gem, if only because of its unlikely location outside of town by the main bus station. This local favorite is owned by a local legend, guitarist José Luis Cobo López, who performs most evenings. There's live music (and sometimes dancing) Tuesday through Saturday starting at 10 pm; jam sessions usually last until the wee hours.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Liter-size bottles of beer (called caguamas throughout Mexico, but in Baja specifically, you can also say ballena, which means "whale") line the shelf behind this classic bar, part of which has been converted into an epic stage for live music. Every night of the week from 10 pm until 1 am a band performs either rock n' roll or banda, traditional Mexican music with brass instruments.

Like mezcal? Come here. Don't like mezcal? Come here anyway and your mind will be changed. El Refugio serves a constantly changing list of artisanal mezcals sourced directly from small, family producers from across five different states in Mexico. Try them in a cocktail, or better yet, order a flight—but don't forget to read the written descriptions of what each mezcal tastes like; crafted by co-owner Rachel Glueck, they are among the most unhinged segments of creative writing you'll find outside of a hipster poetry slam, and only become more amusing with each pour you consume. It's cash-only and not cheap, so make sure your wallet is packed with pesos.

For Cuban rhythms downtown, head to the unpretentious El Rincón de la Trova, where people of all ages gather Thursday through Saturday.

El Soñador is a small but cool and unpretentious bar where you can have a cold beer or a fancy cocktail, and play pool downstairs or dance on their rooftop terrace. 

The epitome of Cabo San Lucas nightlife, this original and iconic three-story dance club has changed very little since its opening three decades ago, but remains as popular as ever. Revelers of all ages can be found lined outside for admission on any given night, despite a hefty cover charge and the neighboring clubs remaining empty. It's known to get wild, and that's the main draw for most---either to participate in the madness, or to people watch with amusement. At virtually every breakfast buffet in town, you'll hear someone remarking about "what happened last night at El Squid Roe."

The second-floor El Tapanco has a happy hour that lasts from 3 until 11. Local bands play covers of all those '70s, '80s, and '90s songs you haven't heard in ages.

Owner Os Navarro is always coming up with original recipes and inventive twists on classic cocktails from behind "the good" bar. There's limited seating here, so try to come early (or prepare to hover) to claim a spot.

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.

On the northwest corner of the square, this watering hole draws cruise-ship crowds by day and vacationers staying on the island at night. Expect frozen daiquiris, ice-cold beers, and blaring rock at tourist prices. You'll find a second location at the Puerta Maya cruise terminal.

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.

A unique sports bar concept—unique for Cabo San Lucas, anyway—this Red Sox--themed bar features live sporting events (from every sport) on close to a dozen TVs. Owner Ignacio “Nacho” Padilla Rivas grew up in Aguascalientes, Mexico, but is a die-hard fan of the Boston team and has furnished this funky little hole-in-the-wall with a replica Green Monster scoreboard and memorabilia galore.

The Fiesta Mexicana is one of the city's oldest tourist traditions: the kitschy concept of a trip through Mexican history via a whirlwind of music and dance still draws and deserves big audiences for dinner shows Tuesday and Thursday (May through October only), and Saturday from 7 to 10:30 (doors open at 6). The $35 fee covers an all-you-can-eat buffet, open bar, the entertainment, and the chance to dance yourself.

Stop by the Galería Bellas Artes, where artwork is for sale. It's open Monday to Saturday 9:30 to 5.

Students gather for drinks and salsa dancing (including classes) at Galería de Sabores.

This isn't necessarily the kind of place where you'll strike up a conversation with the guy on the next barstool; rather, it's an upscale place to go with friends for a sophisticated, air-conditioned drink or two. A musician plays piano or gentle jazz on weekend nights during high season, less often the rest of the year. Garbo, renowned for its martinis, is primarily a gay club but is straight friendly.

You'll find some of the city's most esteemed mixologists slinging drinks in this swanky cocktail bar in a grand old house off Cibeles. The menu changes regularly, but you might try El Viejo Reyes with Ancho Reyes (a poblano and ancho-chile liqueur from Puebla), Siete Misterios Doba-Yej mezcal, Angostura bitters, and flaming orange oil, or Gin Gin's take on a mule with Bombay Sapphire, ginger, yerba buena, cane syrup, lime, and soda. There are tasty food options, too. There are additional locations in Condesa, on the eastern side of Roma Norte, and in Polanco, but this one has the most inviting ambience.