Zinco Jazz Club

Our Take on Zinco Jazz Club

Zinco sits below Motolinía 20 in a space that was a bank vault in the 1930s and has been the city's finest jazz room since 2003. The descent from the street — down a curved staircase, through a low arch — is short and transformative. By the time you find a seat, Centro Histórico feels very far away.

The programming covers local swing quartets, visiting Afro-Cuban ensembles, and the occasional international act that chooses Zinco specifically for its acoustics and its audience. Sets typically start at 9:30pm and run until midnight, at which point the DJ takes over and the remaining crowd shifts into something more freeform. On the right Friday, this is one of the great late nights in North America.

The cocktail list is edited but serious. The bar sources mezcal and agave spirits from the same producers that supply Hanky Panky — they share a philosophy about the drink, if not the approach. The Negroni Mexicano, built with raicilla and a house bitter infused with hoja santa, is the edit's centrepiece. Order it and settle in before the first set.

For context on Mexico City's wider nightlife, read our guide to live music bars in Mexico City and the broader Mexico City bar guide. Zinco also makes the list of our favourite hidden gems in the city — not because it's unknown, but because it operates entirely outside the tourist circuit.