Must-see nightlife in Northern Central Highlands

  • Beer Company

    Guanajuato

    Not the place to come looking for a glass of wine…The Beer Company is a small narrow bar with a roof terrace and the best selection of craft beers …

  • Cantina las Quince Letras

    Zacatecas

    Founded in 1906, this oft-crowded classic is filled with bohemians, musicians, drunks and poets. The art showcases some well-known local and international…

  • El Faro

    Querétaro

    A shining light on the local drinking scene, the Lighthouse exudes elements of old with a recent polish (it originally opened in 1927 and is believed to…

  • Mama Mía

    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…

  • Cantina El Tenampa

    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…

  • Gracias a Dios

    Querétaro

    One of the many bars near Calle 5 de Mayo, this place revives traditions of old: a cantina-botanero (bar with snacks) complete with barrels and stools and…

  • Callejon 7B

    San Luis Potosí

    A hip bar named after the very beer it produces, Siete barrios, which is in turn named after the seven main regions of the city. After you've tried one of…

  • Los Lobos

    Guanajuato

    This cool, gay-friendly place is decked out with images of devils and Catrinas (skeleton dolls) plastered on every available surface. The crowd is far…

  • Golem

    Guanajuato

    This punk bar is a veritable maze of rooms with foosball, repurposed airplane seats and Anglo-indie music on the speakers. Margaritas are served in…

  • Why Not?

    Guanajuato

    You may not be asking yourself 'why not?' after you wake up with a throbbing headache from drinking all night with the hordes of local students who head…

  • Mina Club

    Zacatecas

    For a different experience do not miss your chance to descend into the earth and party in the tunnel of the Mina El Edén. On Saturday the popular…

  • Cafe Conquistador

    Guanajuato

    Delightful hole-in-the-wall cafe where most of the space is taken up by a huge coffee roaster and grinder and there's only just room to squeeze in a…

  • La Mezcalería

    San Miguel de Allende

    It's mezcal-mania time in San Miguel and this cool bar, where you can get your tongue around a mighty mix of mezcals from Oaxaca, plus good tapas plates …

  • La Inundación de 1905

    Guanajuato

    Students love this relaxed spot, named after the city's 1905 flood, for its flowing beer and, thanks to the tables out on the pretty square, the beer…

  • La Azotea

    San Miguel de Allende

    This roof-terrace cocktail lounge is a gay-friendly, laid-back place with a young and smart crowd; it's a top spot for sundowners.

  • Whoopees

    Guanajuato

    This friendly bar is the center of Guanajuato's gay scene.

  • Café Tal

    Guanajuato

    Spread over two buildings on either side of a steep, narrow side street, this student favorite is always busy with modish young things who love the owners…

  • El Café de la Mancha

    San Miguel de Allende

    Four people's a crowd in this tiny place that's just the spot for those who know you don't drink a cappuccino in the afternoon! The trained owner-barista…

  • El Grito

    San Miguel de Allende

    An oversized face above the doorway of this upscale disco surveys the fashionable young Mexican crowd queuing outside. While the club is named for Padre…

  • Clave Azul

    Guanajuato

    This artifact-filled cantina offers an authentic Mexican drinking experience with accompanying botanas (tapas-like snacks served free with drinks, in this…

  • Dalí Café & Bar

    Zacatecas

    This sprawling cafe-bar in front of Ex-Templo de San Agustín offers a surreal mix of furniture, cocktails and post-drink munchies (plus good hot-chocolate…

  • La Famosa Cantina Típica

    Zacatecas

    This popular and atmospheric bar is patronized by a well-dressed crowd of students and arty types. Like most bars in Zacatecas, it gets going late.