Mexico City's cocktail scene has been on a tear since Licorería Limantour opened in 2011. Hanky Panky, Handshake and Xaman have all made the world's top 10. The 10 below cover the modern Mexican cocktail vocabulary — mezcal, tequila, sotol, and a generation of bartenders who train in CDMX and export globally.
Part of our 50 Best Cocktail Bars in the World listThis article is one chapter in our larger global guide. See the full pillar with every featured city.
Read the world list
The 10 best cocktail bars in Mexico City
01 · Mexico City
Juárez
$$$
Speakeasy · Through a taquería
You enter through a taquería and behind a curtain. Mexico City's most theatrical entry; consistently top of the World 50.
Order: Bartender's choice — tell them your favourite spirit
02 · Mexico City
Roma Norte
$$
Two floors · Patio
The bar that made Mexico City legible to the global cocktail scene. World's Best Bar 2014.
Order: Margarita al Pastor (tequila, pineapple, coriander)
03 · Mexico City
Juárez
$$
Speakeasy · Reservations
World's 50 Best Bars top-10 fixture. Through an unmarked door near Hanky Panky.
Order: Whatever spec is on this year's award-winning menu
04 · Mexico City
Roma Norte
$$$
Mayan-themed · Underground
Hidden underground bar with a Mayan-cosmology-inspired menu. Hyper-local Mexican botanicals.
Order: A drink built around copal or local cacao
05 · Mexico City
Condesa
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16 seats · Counter
Sixteen seats. Cocktails built around Mexican spirits and seasonal local produce.
Order: A signature mezcal-led drink
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06 · Mexico City
Roma Norte
$$
Mezcal-led · Listening
Roma Norte mezcal bar. Quiet, listening-bar format. The deepest mezcal program in CDMX.
Order: A flight of mezcals from Oaxaca + Michoacán
07 · Mexico City
Roma Norte
$
Mezcal cantina · Casual
Roma Norte mezcal cantina. Cheaper, more casual; the mezcal selection is exceptional for the price.
Order: A flight of three mezcals + a tlayuda
08 · Mexico City
Polanco
$$$$
Hotel bar · Polished
At the Four Seasons Mexico City. Polished hotel-bar cocktail program, modern Mexican-spirit-led drinks.
Order: A signature Mexican-spirit cocktail
09 · Mexico City
Centro Histórico
$$
Templo Mayor view
On top of the Porrúa bookshop, looking directly at the Templo Mayor archaeological site.
Order: A mezcal, neat, with the ruins below
10 · Mexico City
Roma Norte
$$
Cocktail bar + DJ
Roma Norte cocktail bar with strong music programming. Casual atmosphere, modern drinks.
Order: A signature with sotol or raicilla
More CDMX cocktail barsThe full Mexico City cocktail-bar index by neighbourhood.
See the full list
Why CDMX cocktailing leads Latin America
Hanky Panky and Handshake are global top-10 fixtures. Limantour is the historical reference. The 10 above represent CDMX cocktailing at its peak. Most peak after midnight; some run until 4 AM in Roma Norte.
