Mérida
For a fun night of booze and cheap(ish) international eats, head to this atmospheric, lively and diverse culinary market, where the margaritas will have…
Must-see nightlife in Mexico
Tijuana
Channeling Miami's Wynwood art district, the latest drinking establishment from revered local brewery Border Psycho is not exactly at the beach, but the…
East of Mexico City
This wine bar is complete with spittoons at each table, a basement wine cellar (visible through a section of see-through floor) and domestic and imported…
Western Central Highlands
While hiking up to as close as you are going to get to the summit of Volcán de Fuego, you might stop at 1500m at this rustic cafe in a working coffee…
Oaxaca City
So good they named it twice, this clean-lined corner cafe could just as well be named 'carrot cake carrot cake' or 'mango smoothie mango smoothie.' As in…
Mérida
This post-modern cantina (think contemporary grunge) is the current hot spot in town. If the live music doesn't inspire you to get a tropical groove on,…
Bahías de Huatulco
Some get sloshed on beer, others wander into Zamora for the kind of smoothies that would make even hippies raise their eyebrows. Para la Prostrata (for…
Acapulco
The clifftop bar of Hotel Los Flamingos is old-school impeccable and the best sundowner spot in Acapulco, thanks to its famed menu of signature cocktails,…
Oaxaca City
Goodbye Corona, hello Lúpulo (meaning 'hop,' as in the plant). Oaxaca's cherished nano-brewery (that's a brewery even smaller than a microbrewery) offers…
Coyoacán & San Ángel
This immensely popular, iconic joint churns out coffee from Veracruz for long lines of bean lovers – the café de olla, with a touch of cinnamon and other…
San Miguel de Allende
This perennially popular place has separate areas for differing entertainment purposes; hit Mama's Bar for live rock/funk on Fridays and Saturdays (or…
Bahías de Huatulco
Overlooking the Plaza Principal, Casa Mayor serves good organic coffee from Pluma Hidalgo, one of Oaxaca's best coffee-producing regions. Decent breakfast…
Puebla
A wall brimming with mezcal bottles could make you light-headed with choice, but the bartender-owner can guide you through the different varieties at this…
Sayulita
Belly up to the bar at this friendly neighborhood mezcal joint where you can sip smoky raicilla (tequila-like distilled agave drink), viscous pulque (low…
Todos Santos
Tucked into a grove of mango trees just off the highway in Pescadero, this pleasant coffee shop serves strong Mexican-grown coffee in all the fancy ways:…
Oaxaca City
Oaxaca’s most prestigious and ubiquitous local coffee roaster uses organic beans plucked from growers in the western part of the province. The company has…
Oaxaca City
Like most of Oaxaca's mezcalerías, this place is small, dark and rustically trendy with an atmosphere that gets friskier as the evening wears on. The…
Oaxaca City
A synonym for chocolate in Oaxaco, Mayordomo has numerous branches, but the best is just south of the Mercado 20 de Noviembre. Walk in through the sweet…
Veracruz
If only all cafes could be like this. Calufe occupies the interior of an agreeably peeling colonial mansion with eclectic nooks arranged around a dimly…
Sonora
A short drive (or steep 10-minute walk) up above the Old Port, this place has one of the best sunset-viewing spots in town. There's a full menu of classic…
Guadalajara Region
This wonderful upstairs bar and tequila-tasting room in the center of town has excellent cócteles artesanales (craft cocktails) and flights of three…
Cuernavaca
A great drinking option away from roudy La Plazuela, this 'market' is a secluded courtyard with pubs and small terraced bars from where cool locals can be…
Campeche
With ceiling fans high over an airy hall and a solid wood bar amply stocked with rum, this Cuban-style drinking establishment appropriately served as a…
Mazatlán
This friendly back yard, strewn with picnic tables and cushions for lounging on, is a must for beer connoisseurs. Owner Brian sources over 100 – from the…
Ensenada
Visit the cultured bar inside the Riviera del Pacífico, where having a drink is an exercise in nostalgia. It’s mostly quiet unless a cruise-ship tour…
Mazatlán
This simple bar only really serves one thing: Pacifico beer, which has been a fixture of city life ever since the Germans opened the local brewery in 1900…
Mérida
This loud, retro-styled bar with nightly live music and tons of Mérida atmosphere has reasonably priced mezcals, beers and cocktails flowing all night…
Tijuana
Feel cool just finding this dark brewery hidden on a mysterious alley with windows overlooking the US–Mexico border. Try the hoppy yet easy-drinking 4…
Tulum
There are several bars here and a bunch of tables, all clustered around a cenote (yes!) that's actually swimmable, so if you get bored with your drink or…
Acapulco
This Flintstones-esque faux grotto construction opens up to the thumping of unbridled reverie and bad decisions. The fun kind. Translation: it's a popular…
Palenque
There's an air of secrecy about this smart, concrete-heavy place nestled away in a jungle garden, but that's how Casa Fuga seems to like it ('fuga' means …
East of Mexico City
Sip one of a dozen-or-so flavors of house-made pulque (low-alcohol brew made from the maguey plant) in a colorful courtyard decorated with Día de Muertos…
San Miguel de Allende
With taxidermied bulls heads jutting out of the walls and shelves full of dusty bottles, this is a real spit and sawdust, cowboy's kind of authentic…
Tijuana
Enjoy fabulous festive decor at this cavernous cantina/restaurant with its bullfighting posters, classic '50s movie posters, colorful paper flags and…
Monterrey
A cool cat club in the heart of the Barrio Antiguo, this converted grand mansion has two floors of music – typically, electronica on the first level and…
Isla Cozumel
The term 'Coconuts' is used here metaphorically, and some of the decorations are a bit tacky (the thong-wearing beach balls, for instance), but what would…
La Paz
This swanky bar and restaurant wins for its potent craft cocktails, killer sunset view and friendly service. The setting is incredibly romantic,…
Mazatlán
The adjoining bar of restaurant La Fiera provides a much-needed escape from the Zona Dorada's raucous nightclubs. Resident and guest DJs spin everything…
Guadalajara
This fun hipster bar in the Centro Histórico has elevated the michelada (a concoction of beer, lime juice and assorted sauces) to a fine art,…
Ensenada
Beloved craft microbrewery with sea-creature-themed art and an open-air, second-story tasting room. Whether you're into fruity sours, frothy ales, creamy…
