The best cocktail bars in Mexico City
By the Agoroam team · Published 20 August 2026
Quick answer
- Mexico City has one of the strongest cocktail scenes in the world and it is cheaper than New York, London, or Tokyo.
- Roma Norte, Juarez, and Condesa hold the density. Centro Historico has the old cantinas.
- Expect MXN 180 to MXN 320 for a serious cocktail, roughly EUR 9 to EUR 16.
- Order agave-forward: mezcal, tequila, sotol, raicilla, and bacanora all appear on good lists.
- The best bars take reservations and fill up. Book two or three days ahead for a group.
Why the scene is this good
Three things came together. Mexico has an enormous range of native distillates beyond tequila, including sotol from Chihuahua, raicilla from Jalisco, bacanora from Sonora, and the whole mezcal category. The country produces extraordinary fruit, herbs, and chillies year round. And a generation of Mexican bartenders trained abroad in the 2010s and came back.
The result is bars that are not imitating New York or London but are doing something specific: cocktails built on native spirits and Mexican ingredients, at prices that are half of what the equivalent would cost in a comparable city.
The neighbourhoods
Roma Norte is the centre of gravity: dense, walkable, and holding both serious cocktail rooms and casual bars. Juarez, just north, has become the more design-led part of the scene with several of the city best-regarded bars.
Condesa is more relaxed, greener, and better for a long evening than a hit list. Polanco is where the expensive hotel bars are and is worth one visit if you want the polished version.
Centro Historico is a different proposition entirely: the historic cantinas, some over a century old, where the point is tiled floors, long wooden bars, botanas brought with the drinks, and a bill that seems like a mistake.
What to order
Start with something agave-based. A well-made mezcal cocktail in Mexico City will be better than the one you have had anywhere else, because the base spirit is better and the bartender understands it.
Beyond mezcal and tequila, ask about sotol, distilled from a desert spoon plant in northern Mexico and increasingly available, raicilla from the Jalisco highlands, and bacanora from Sonora. These are not gimmicks, they are distinct regional traditions.
A well-made margarita in Mexico City using a decent blanco tequila and fresh lime is a completely different drink from the frozen version. So is a paloma made with real grapefruit rather than soda.
- Mezcal negroni or mezcal old fashioned, the gateway drinks
- Anything with sotol, if the bar has it
- A proper paloma with fresh grapefruit
- Carajillo, espresso with Licor 43, the Mexican after-dinner drink
- In a cantina: a beer, a tequila, and whatever botana arrives
The historic cantinas
Centro Historico holds cantinas that have been operating for a hundred years or more: long bars, tiled floors, swinging doors, and a tradition of bringing free botanas, small savoury plates, with each round.
The etiquette is different from a cocktail bar. You order simply, usually beer or tequila, you stay for a while, and the food arrives without being ordered. Some are historically men-only in reputation though not in practice, and most are welcoming.
A round in a Centro cantina costs a fraction of a Roma cocktail bar, and it is a genuinely different experience rather than a cheaper version of the same one.
Cost and reservations
A serious cocktail runs MXN 180 to MXN 320, roughly EUR 9 to EUR 16. Hotel bars in Polanco run higher. Cantina beer and tequila runs MXN 50 to MXN 120. An evening across three good bars lands at MXN 700 to MXN 1,200 per person.
The best bars take reservations and fill up on Thursday to Saturday. Book two or three days ahead, particularly for a group of four or more. Several of the well-known rooms have small capacities and long waits without a booking.
Practical notes
The altitude, 2,240m, makes alcohol noticeably stronger. Drink water and pace the first night.
Roma, Juarez, and Condesa are safe to walk in the evening. Use a ride app rather than a street taxi to get between neighbourhoods and to get home. Cards are widely accepted in cocktail bars, less so in cantinas.
Most cocktail bars open around 18:00 or 19:00 and the city drinks late. Dinner at 21:00 and bars afterwards is the normal rhythm.
Frequently asked
Where are the best cocktail bars in Mexico City?
Roma Norte and Juarez hold the highest density of serious bars, Condesa is better for a relaxed long evening, and Polanco has the polished hotel bars. Centro Historico has the century-old cantinas, which are a different and equally worthwhile experience.
How much is a cocktail in Mexico City?
MXN 180 to MXN 320 for a serious cocktail, roughly EUR 9 to EUR 16, which is about half what the equivalent costs in New York or London. Historic cantinas are far cheaper, with beer and tequila at MXN 50 to MXN 120 and free botanas with each round.
What Mexican spirits should I try beyond tequila?
Mezcal first, then sotol from Chihuahua, raicilla from the Jalisco highlands, and bacanora from Sonora. All three are distinct regional distillates with their own traditions rather than novelty products, and good Mexico City bars increasingly stock them.
Do you need reservations for Mexico City cocktail bars?
For the best-known rooms, yes. Book two or three days ahead, especially Thursday to Saturday or for a group of four or more. Many of the top bars have small capacities and long waits for walk-ins.
What is a carajillo?
Espresso mixed with Licor 43, shaken or stirred with ice, and the standard Mexican after-dinner drink. It appears on almost every menu in the city and is the correct way to end a long dinner.
Plan it with your crew.
Free for the first trip. Everyone votes. The AI does the boring half.