Guadalajara
Tucked away on a side street on the eastern side of the Centro Histórico is this bohemian bar, cafe and live-music venue. One of the city’s coolest…
Must-see nightlife in Mexico
Isla Cozumel
Operating since 1996, this restaurant's food is underwhelming and the service is slow. Opt instead to come here for a romantic, candlelit après-meal…
Akumal
A popular beachside restaurant-bar with sand floors, swings and a drink menu with gimmicky cocktail names such as 'The Viagra,' which offers you 'a stiff…
Playa del Carmen
If you're tired of Mexico and need some Hawaii in your night, head to Tiny Tiki Hut, with tasty original cocktails, old Tiki faves like mai tais, and …
Central Pacific Coast
Open only on weekend nights during season, this friendly microbrewery doubles as the village nightlife hot spot. There are five brews to choose from;…
Monterrey
Shipping containers and guys with bushy beards and tats greet you as you enter this urban hipster bar. Some 42 craft beers are on tap at any given time –…
Guadalajara
This small but mighty bar stocks over 50 (mainly bottled) Mexican craft beers. Of interest are the Guadalajara-brewed Diógenes IPA and the Loba Negra…
San Cristóbal de las Casas
One of the first coffee shops in San Cristóbal and still about the best. La Selva is housed in an attractive old building with eye-catching wall murals…
Zihuatanejo
This tiny cafe has been in the family since 1952. The different types of coffee are all grown on their finca (farm) some three hours' drive from Zihua;…
Northeast Mexico
Once a 16th-century Franciscan convent, this boho-hipster tavern has live music, regular art exhibits and film showings. Seating is spread over two floors…
Isla Cozumel
As much a viewing point as it is a great place for a chilled beer, Freedom in Paradise is a family-run endeavor that's been around for decades. The mellow…
Cancún
An excellent open-air breakfast and lunch spot by day, and a popular bar with live music by night. The bartenders, or mixologists if you will, prepare…
Northeast Mexico
Facing the Plaza de Armas, this easy-going cafe pulls decent espressos and whips up frothy frappé dessert drinks. It's also one of the few places in town…
Acapulco
If you prefer salsa and cumbia to reggaeton or techno, this should be your go-to option on the Acapulco strip. The popular club looks out over the ocean…
Acapulco
Still the best nightclub in town, Palladium attracts a stylish crowd in their 30s and offers fabulous bay views from floor-to-ceiling windows. An…
Isla Cozumel
For the classic Cozumel botana bar experience (free snacks come to the table each time you order a new round), hit this fan-cooled establishment for a…
Morelia
A hopping gay bar in a beautifully converted colonial building, Rojas Morelia Pop is one of the hottest spots in town. Cozy seating, chandeliers and a lit…
Northeast Mexico
Mixologists serve up beautiful and delicious concoctions and craft beers at this open-air bar in the heart of town. The patio setting features graffiti…
Playa del Carmen
The writing is literally on the walls (and on the lampshades, and pretty much everywhere) at this Cuban restaurant-bar. After a few mojitos you'll be…
Zihuatanejo
There is much to love about this bar, from the bartenders' knowledge of mezcal and their signature cocktails (mezcaltinis, mazcalinas, mojitos infused…
Guadalajara
This swank corner wine bar with large windows stocks a wide range of Mexican vintages as well as wine from Spain, France, Portugal and even Slovenia…
Sonora
Run by two talented sisters (one of whom contributed artwork to the walls), ecofriendly Meri Meri serves up the best coffees in town. The bright, inviting…
Mazunte
One of the few spots in Mazunte where you can get some dance grooves on. Live bands play cumbia (music originating from Colombia), salsa and reggae under…
The Copper Canyon & Ferrocarril Chihuahua Pacífico
This homey cafe serves up all manner of coffee drinks, Italian sodas and milkshakes to local intellectuals and visiting hipsters. Desserts and savory…
Puerto Vallarta
DJs here will have you shaking your booty to cumbia (dance music originating from Colombia) tunes (especially after a few mezcals) in this casual bar with…
Isla Mujeres
Has a lobby bar with nightly live music and a beachfront bar with thumping music and more hippies than all the magic buses in the world. It’s a scene, and…
Playa del Carmen
This popular gay dance club proudly features foreign strippers from such far-flung places as Australia and Brazil, and it stages weekend drag-queen shows…
Isla Holbox
Truly living up to its name, this corner gastro-bar is Holbox's go-to spot for live music, dancing, spirited boozing and late-night munchies. Much to the…
Puerto Vallarta
This pre-club venue is well loved for its convivial atmosphere, buff bartenders and terrific go-go, pole and silk dancers. The soundtrack is resolutely…
Puerto Morelos
The party usually spills out onto the street at this popular bar just south of the plaza. Bara Bara spins the best tunes in town, prepares martinis that…
Guadalajara
A popular multistory disco, with three dance floors and endless lounges and bars full of gorgeous young things dancing and various acts on stage (from go…
Cancún
The large floor at this happening club is the perfect place to practice those Latin dance steps you've been working on. Live groups play Cuban salsa and…
Cancún
This indoor-outdoor space has earned fame over the years for its massive one-liter micheladas, a Mexican drink made with beer, lime juice, sauces and more…
Centro Histórico
Potent mezcal is poured from a beautifully designed, talisman-shaped bar at this downtown mezcalería, where you can catch nightly music acts (live bands,…
Polanco & Bosque de Chapultepec
A pioneer of Mexico City's craft beer boom, Fiebre de Malta has more than 30 brews on tap, with suds ranging from hoppy IPAs to German-style Hefeweizens…
Cancún
Imitating the vibe of a stylish British pub, this bar attracts everyone from local university students to 50-somethings. It’s the live late-night bands…
Puerto Vallarta
Named for the artist who is on a first-name basis with the world, Frida is a cozy and sociable cantina featuring enticing drink specials. It's a good spot…
Cancún
At Palazzo, theme nights like 'Electric Party Wednesdays' and 'Red District Saturdays' give a sense of what to expect. The excitement is spread over…
Mazatlán
The ostentatious white castle on Punta Camarón at the south end of the Zona Dorada is the undisputed epicenter of Mazatlán’s nightlife. Inside its walls…
Puerto Escondido
A hip and romantic (depending on who you're with) beach bar/restaurant good for nocturnal drinks with a Zicatela crowd either propping up the bar or…
