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Top 5 bars in… Mexico City

It may not be the prettiest place to visit, but vibrant Mexico City is a hot spot when the sun goes down. James Lawrence raises a glass to a good-time capital.

*This feature was originally published in the February 2018 issue of The Spirits Business

It’s not beautiful. It has a reputation for street crime – although greatly diminished – and horrendous traffic congestion. It’s not short on attractions, but it has no Colosseum, no London Eye, no Louvre. So why, when there are so many enticing options out there, would anyone choose to visit Mexico City?

The simple answer is alegría (happiness), which reaches its apogée during a night out in Central America’s most dynamic city. While Mexico City lacks the architectural splendour and refinement of, say, Buenos Aires, it more than compensates with a legendary nightlife scene that starts on Thursday afternoon and rolls on until Monday morning. Locals often refer to Thursday as ‘little Friday’, which begins with the obligatory precopeo, or ‘pre­-drinking’.

This is an essential part of any night out in Mexico City; it involves meeting at a friend’s place or bar to sip Tequila and prepare yourself for the long period of indulgence ahead. Despite its sharp skew towards partying and clubbing, Mexico City also caters to discerning sybarites, and boasts numerous upscale cocktail bars and designer haunts.

As well as the city’s luxury hotels, the upmarket districts of Polanco and Santa Fe are also good places to seek out bespoke cocktails, while La Roma is a hipster’s paradise. Condesa and Zona Rosa are tourist beacons, but justifiably so, as they contain the city’s best examples of Art Deco architecture, and today serve as a meeting place for the city’s vibrant gay community. Hell, even Chinese restaurants are in on the act; one famous venue in the district of San Ángel transforms into a clandestine dance hall, after the last diner has gone home, of course.

It’s a cliché, sure, but a cliché that works for this multifaceted city: there really is something for everyone in La Ciudad de Mexico

.Click through the following pages to discover the top five bars in Mexico City.

Americana Club Social

Calle Lucerna 42, Juarez

A heady mix of the refined and the sensual, Americana Club Social boasts artwork by Gildo Medina, sophisticated cocktails, slick service and, erm, a stripper pole.

Such are the contradictions inherent to this beguiling city, where businessmen are often seen partying alongside students and inebriated frat boys.

Situated in a converted colonial house and set over two floors, Americana Club Social guarantees a very memorable night out.

Cantina El Tio Pepe

Independencia 26, Centro

A Mexico City institution, Cantina El Tio Pepe has been catering to a mixed crowd of journalists, tourists and barflies since 1870, and has conserved its original Art Nouveau décor.

Many political discussions have taken place in these hallowed walls over the years – today most prefer to sip Tequila and charlar, or chat.

Jules Basement

Julio Verne 93, Polanco

Mexico City’s first speakeasy is still its finest – black leather furniture, glass-encased clay skulls, soft lighting and outlandish ornaments give Jules Basement a distinctly Shoreditch vibe, complete with the requisite hipsters who fill the place to the rim at weekends. You enter via a door designed like a refrigerator in one of the city’s top restaurants, where mouthwatering drinks, slick service and soothing jazz awaits.

Licoreria Limantour

Alvaro Obregón 106, Roma Norte

Arguably the city’s most reliable cocktail bar, Limantour serves consistently excellent Margaritas and Manhattans in a laid­-back yet upmarket atmosphere.

Its overriding trump card is simply its array of ingredients: fresh herbs, flowers, fruit, syrups, shrubs and spices all play a starring roles in a brilliant drinks menu, which provides stunning flavour combinations and flawless presentation.

Fifty Mils, Four Seasons Hotel

Paseo de la Reforma 500, Juárez

A shrine to sophistication, Fifty Mils is undoubtedly Mexico City’s best – and eternally popular – hotel bar.

All the trappings of a luxury cocktail bar are here (gracious, professional service, talented mixologists and glamorous décor) but there’s a noticeable lack of stuffiness.

Head bartender Mica Rousseau is as friendly and approachable as a bartender gets.

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