Best Mezcal Bars in Mexico City

"One of the most singular dining experiences in CDMX — no-name mezcal bar that became a Michelin-starred corn temple. Oaxacan DNA, CDMX spirit. Cash only, reservations essential."

"CDMX pulque is usually mediocre. This is the exception. Sourced from a single tlachiquero in Hidalgo."

"From the team behind Handshake Speakeasy (#2 World's 50 Best Bars). Same craft standards but louder, more party — giant table-sharing cantaritos, no time limits. Opened Oct 2025. Cover ~$900 MXN. One of the most talked-about new venues in CDMX."

"Hidden in San Ángel's lush gardens—one of CDMX's most beautiful settings. Pre-Hispanic cooking meets modern technique."

"Won Best Cocktail Menu in Mexico at the Shaker Awards 2025, just months after opening. 12 cocktails, one per Chinese zodiac sign. Mexican ferments meet Chinese spirits. Bar #8 in Mexico. Thu–Mon only, 7pm til late."

"From the Licorería Limantour team. The spicy margarita uses 9 different chilis in different forms. It shows."

"The birthplace of the mezcal boom, now a Michelin-listed icon of contemporary Mexican cuisine."

"The bar traverses the entire room, tiles hand-painted with Mexican sayings, cumbia on the soundtrack. It feels like a cantina from the future."

"A Roma Norte speakeasy with a carefully guarded entrance and a cocktail menu that leans on Mexican ingredients and minimal fuss. The kind of bar that travels by word-of-mouth only—ask a local bartender how to find it."

"A mezcal-focused bar in Roma Norte with an absurdist sensibility—the menu is short, the mezcal is excellent, and the stated philosophy is buen mezcal without frills. The kind of place that appears in a friend's story and disappears when you try to find it again."

"Dinner and live music done with intention. The kitchen is serious and the programming is genuinely good."

"Buzzy Roma courtyard bar with a great wine list and a crowd that actually knows what they're drinking. A scene."

"Proof that vegan Mexican food can be deeply satisfying. The mole negro takes days to make. Fully plant-based."

"Classic Mexican cantina energy with live cumbia and an excellent mezcal selection. A true neighborhood gathering point."

"A micro wine bar on Veracruz dedicated exclusively to wines from Coahuila—a northern Mexican wine region with 400 years of history that almost nobody outside Mexico knows. No fancy glassware, just the wine. Alberto Moyeda pours everything himself."

"Mexico City's only Japanese standing bar, run by food entrepreneur Edo Lopez in a warehouse-turned-bar. Industry insiders and Michelin-starred chefs drink here. The kitchen fuses Japanese and Mexican gestures into stunning small plates—Monday is Japanese curry night."

"Hidden inside the kitchen of Pavorosso restaurant, Rossi is a red-lit intimate speakeasy where the cocktail menu rewards lingering. The entrance trick—asking the restaurant host for Rossi—adds to the ritual."

"Go for the martini. Seriously. Best dirty martini in Roma. They also do excellent coffee during the day."

"A Middle Eastern-Mexican fusion speakeasy in Condesa where you solve clues to unlock the hidden door. The interior fuses modern elegance with traditional motifs, and chef Chris Gómez's hummus is required ordering."

"A reservation-only hidden bar on Atlixco in Condesa, known for craft cocktails with actual creativity and a speakeasy feel without the theatrics. The small space and curated crowd keep it genuinely local."

"A 1920s-meets-1980s speakeasy hidden behind Maison Paricuta, a Mexican hat shop on Tonalá in Roma Norte. Opened late 2024; the entrance trick requires knowing the hat shop. The cocktail menu travels through Mexican history."

"The house sirloin is cooked over coals with serious confidence. Bring a group and order the full cut."

"Izakaya-style botanero with creative Asian-Mexican mashup drinks and snacks. Lively and loud in the best way."

"Celebrates Mexico's heirloom corn varieties with modern technique. The mole is a masterclass."

"Everything is cooked over live fire. Smoky, charred, and deeply satisfying. Great wine list too."

"A pilgrimage spot. Ancient corn varieties, hand-pressed tortillas, legendary mole negro. Worth the Uber to Doctores."

"A proper British pub that somehow works perfectly in CDMX. Great for live music, strong pints, and Sunday roast vibes."

"Oaxacan flavors with a Roma sensibility. The tlayuda is the real draw and the mezcal selection is serious."

"Natural wine bar with a carefully chosen list and good charcuterie. Terrace is perfect on cool evenings."

"Polanco rooftop with views, good cocktails, and a menu that actually delivers. A rare rooftop that's worth the hype."

"Mexican street food elevated in a Centro colonial space. The mezcal list is deep and the antojitos are legit."

"Unique Amazonian-influenced kitchen drawing from Colombian and Brazilian traditions. Challenging and interesting."

"Modern take on Mexican street food in Juárez. The antojitos are elevated without losing their soul."

"Condesa wine bodega with a carefully curated list and a shaded terrace that's perfect on any evening."

"A strict deep-listening bar above the Ninety Nine Records store on Ámsterdam, with only 12 tables and a recording-studio-grade hi-fi system. Conversations happen in whispers; the music is the star."

"A low-profile Roma Norte bar with a soft warm aesthetic and an aperitivo-forward drinks menu that fills up with creative industry people on weekends. The name signals the vibe: small, tender, worth protecting."

"A cocktail social club in Roma Norte that leans into the idea of drinking as a communal ritual—designed for lingering, sharing, and the pleasant haze of a well-made spritz. Low profile, high regulars-to-tourist ratio."

"A laid-back Condesa bar where the mezcalita is locally legendary and jazz bleeds into hip-hop without apology. Despite the name, the vibe is pure ease: generous pours, no attitude."

"Created by chef Diana López del Río and Eduardo Cervantes on Donceles in Centro, Matuche specializes in Mexican distillates—mezcal, raicilla, sotol—served straight with minimal fuss. Diana travels to meet every distiller personally; the label selection reflects that obsession."

"A vinyl bar and record shop on Dinamarca in Juárez where you buy or listen to records while drinking cocktails made by Carmen Huizapol. Monthly Sunday DJ school for aspiring mixers. One of the best music-drink concepts in the city."

"A basement bar filled with books in Roma Norte where every cocktail on the menu comes with a card explaining its history and the bartenders who fought over its creation. The vinyl DJ sets feel curated, not random."

"Fun, lively, vermouth—three words that define Oropel in Roma Norte. Over 20 vermouth labels, obscure natural wines, cheap mezcal shots, and a homey cozy vibe packed into a tiny room. Despite a low Google rating, locals adore it."

"A mezcal bar on Chiapas in Roma Norte with a botanical aesthetic matching its name. The mezcal selection is carefully chosen from small producers and served with the kind of knowledge that turns a tasting into a conversation."

"A neighborhood wine bar in Roma Norte with a short rotating list of natural and low-intervention wines, served without ceremony in a compact candlelit space. The kind of place locals return to weekly."

"A compact Roma Norte bar at Orizaba 171 with a loyal neighborhood following and a well-curated short cocktail menu. The kind of place that fills up with industry folks after midnight."

"A custom-built hi-fi listening bar on Álvaro Obregón in Roma Norte with turntables, CDJs, and an Allen and Heath mixer. For audiophiles who also want excellent cocktails. The outdoor terrace softens the listening-room intensity when you need air."

"An intimate natural wine shop-bar in Condesa where owner David curates everything obsessively. The sidewalk chairs at dusk are some of the most coveted seats in the colonia; the music system is dialed in and the glasses are always clean."

"A gastro-bar set in a restored Porfiriana mansion on Córdoba, with curated vinyl on the turntable and a short but precise cocktail menu. Feels like a well-kept local secret even on a busy Saturday."

"A Roma Norte cocktail bar with a strong focus on seasonal Mexican fruit and a tight short-format menu that changes with the market. The apricot branding signals a light-touch philosophy: delicate, precise, never heavy-handed."

"A compact bar on Río Hudson in Cuauhtémoc with a vermouth-forward drinks program and a warm, unhurried pace. The kind of bar where the bartender asks your name before your order."

"A retro Roma Norte bar with a piano room, a DJ room, and a cool two-part setup that makes it hard to leave. El Ayer transports you to an undetermined decade through design and live performance—the piano bar favorite in CDMX."

"Somsaa is a Thai wine-and-tea room on Orizaba in Roma Norte—an unexpected combination of Southeast Asian tea culture and natural wine, with small plates that bridge both worlds. One of the most singular concepts in the colonia."

"A French-owned natural wine bar on Dinamarca in Juárez, offering small-producer bottles with creative European-Mexican food pairings. The owner curates obsessively and will pour you something genuinely unexpected if you ask."

"A charming retro Juárez bar on Marsella with stained glass, a vintage jukebox, Budweiser pool-table lamps, and beat-up furniture. The Manhattan is served in adorably small glasses, and Tuesday/Wednesday 2-for-1 Cuba Libres with free snacks is an unbeatable deal."

"A craft brewery installed inside the Edificio Gaona—Mexico's first multifamily apartment building from 1922, now a national monument on Bucareli street. Beer is literally brewed on-site in a small room visible from the bar. One of the most atmospheric spaces in Centro."

"Chef Lula Martín del Campo's vermouth bar next door to her restaurant Marea, with four house vermouths made by cousin Nicolás and over 100 labels from around the world. Designed for standing, talking, and staying longer than planned."

"One of Mexico City's oldest cantinas, operating since 1869 in the Centro near Chinatown. William Burroughs drank here; the old sign forbidding women entry is now just a relic. Come for the history, stay for the cheap beer and tostadas."

"An open-door bar rooted in synth-pop culture with multiple rooms, each carrying its own personality. Queer-friendly and inclusive, it has become a favorite late-night social hub in the Juárez corridor."

"Named for a Russian doctor who rebuilt his life in Mexico, KATZ is built around alchemy—each cocktail tells a story. Two floors: a relaxed ground-floor bar and an upstairs laboratory where the most complex preparations happen."

"A second-floor Roma Norte bar in a historic building with an open circular skylight—you drink under the stars. Chef Christina runs a wood-fired small plates menu while live jazz takes over at 9 pm. One of the most romanticized bars in the colonia."

"The rare dark Roma Norte bar that doesn't try too hard—warm lighting, a proper Manhattan, an even better Naked and Famous, and prices more affordable than almost every bar on Álvaro Obregón. A bar bar, not a concept."

"A cocktail bar by chef Oswaldo Oliva where culinary techniques drive the drink menu: fermentation, fat-washing, controlled oxidation. Also a proper listening room, with vinyl playing throughout and walk-ins welcome."

"One of the original champions of Mexican wine in the capital, on Zacatecas in Roma Norte. The menu evolved from private tastings to an open wine bar with local cheeses and tapas. Monica and Oscar know every producer personally."

"A highball bar in the heart of Roma on Colima, designed as a multi-format space where afternoons are relaxed and sharable, and nights have curated music and mezcal. The small plates arrive without being asked."

"A vibrant Hipódromo bar on Nuevo León that feels like a well-curated house party: eclectic decor, natural wines, craft cocktails, and canned goods alongside tapas. The whiskey sour and dirty martini are reliably excellent."

"Named Bar No. 8 in Mexico at the 2025 Shaker Awards, Chow Chow House blends Chinese zodiac lore with fermented Mexican ingredients—each of the 12 cocktails represents an animal sign using Asian and Mexican elements. No gimmick, just genuinely excellent drinks."

"A listening bar designed to see and be seen, with DJs spinning salsa into 90s hits starting around 9 pm. By 11 pm the center fills with people swaying—arrive earlier for a table and one of their silky martinis."

"A modern cantina in Juárez that celebrates feminine leadership and bans machismo—with eight free botanas with any drink order, a domino tournament on Sundays, and Tuesday locals' nights with 50% off agave spirits for CDMX residents."

"Named after the German word for a casual snack bar, Imbiss is a Juárez European-Asian bistro that becomes a genuine wine bar after dinner service. Chef Filipe Neves' tteokbokki carbonara is the dish everyone comes back for. Industry favorite."

"A rooftop-accessible restaurant-bar on Orizaba in Roma Norte with outdoor seating and a quiet view of the colonia's skyline. Less known than the Condesa DF rooftop crowd—feels like something a local architect would show you."

"A Condesa bar-restaurant with a Spanish-Mediterranean soul and a piano in the corner for sipping mezcal cocktails. The narrow space fills fast but the service stays warm; Wednesday through Saturday nights get festive."

"A thematic cantina celebrating northern Mexican culture in the heart of Roma, with live banda music, corridos, DJ sets, and a food menu of Monterrey-style tacos and potato dishes. The energy on Friday night is unlike anything else in the colonia."

"Split into Less (2-ingredient minimalist cocktails) and More (complex layered versions in the back room), this Roma Norte bar uses culinary science to make you rethink what a cocktail can be. Named Best New International Bar by Tales of the Cocktail."

"A small experimental brewery that started in a basement in 2010 and became a Roma Norte institution for craft beer lovers. The porter, pilsner, and blond rotate with seasonal specials, and prices stay some of the lowest for craft beer in the colonia."

"Opened November 2024 by two former Handshake bartenders who use centrifuges and rotovaps in a polished-concrete Roma Norte space. Every byproduct becomes a garnish or snack. No waste, high science, genuinely beautiful drinks."

"Named place of fire in Nahuatl, Tlecan is a Roma Norte mezcalería that transports you to prehispanic Mexico from the moment the burning herbs hit your nose at the doorway. Ranked on North America's 50 Best Bars 2025."

"The Mexico City outpost of San Miguel de Allende's award-winning Dos Aves brewery, with 12 house taps, limited-edition releases, and a contemporary food menu built to pair with beer. One of the few spots where craft beer gets the same reverence as mezcal."

"A rooftop bar inside a building with a curved glass art deco ceiling in the heart of Juárez, combining 1930s elegance with a contemporary cocktail program. Thursday through Saturday it becomes one of the city's more stylish rooftop experiences."

"A Condesa whisky bar with over 200 labels from around the world, a gorgeous upstairs terrace, and a Netflix filming history (Sense8). The monthly cocktail special is always thoughtful, and the combination of whisky depth with Mexico's playful hospitality is singular."

"The first cocktail bar in Latin America run entirely by women, founded by Claudia Cabrera in 2016 and now in Juárez after years in Del Valle. Japanese izakaya soul meets Mexican ingredients, with sake front and center. Ranked No. 40 in North America's 50 Best Bars 2025."

"A Juárez rooftop with a jungle-decorated open space, panoramic views of the Reforma skyline and Chapultepec Castle, and a Baja-inflected menu. Sunday brunch is a locals' ritual; Thursday through Saturday nights attract a stylish mixed crowd."

"Same team as Handshake (World's No. 2 Bar), same obsession with ingredients—but in a walk-in cantina format on Reforma. The Batanga, Margarita, and Cantarito are reimagined without the prix-fixe structure. Opened October 2025."

"No. 87 globally in World's 50 Best Bars 2024 and best new bar of 2023, Rayo launched the concept of sensorial blind tasting in CDMX: numbered flasks let you pick your opening cocktail by smell. Housed in a 1900s heritage building with a semi-open rooftop."

"Brothers Ricardo and Eduardo Nava honor their grandfather Mauro Mendoza with a 1970s Milanese oasis on Tabasco in Roma Norte. Ranked No. 54 in World's 50 Best Bars 2025 and No. 14 in North America. The Mango Salad cocktail is the most-photographed drink in the colonia."

"Mexico City's original speakeasy (2016), accessed through a false wall in a Oaxacan restaurant kitchen. Ranked No. 13 globally in World's 50 Best Bars. Inspires everything that came after it in the CDMX speakeasy scene."

"No. 2 in the World's 50 Best Bars 2025 and No. 1 in 2024—Handshake Speakeasy on Calle Amberes is the bar that put CDMX on the global cocktail map. Each drink takes 48 hours to prepare. Still surprisingly accessible if you book in advance."