Three months before my partner’s birthday, I had a few cards printed with icons of various destinations.

She didn’t know what the individual symbols meant. She just picked one at random.

It was Mexico City.

When I was preparing the cards, I had a different main theme for each city. In some cases nature, in others beaches or landmarks.

For Mexico City, it was bars.

Not because we wanted to spend five days just drinking. But because CDMX has become one of the best cocktail destinations in the world in recent years.

In the 2025 edition of The World’s 50 Best Bars, it has no fewer than five establishments in the global top 100.

And so a plan was hatched that we probably wouldn’t have dared to attempt in any other city: to visit all five within five days.

Looking back, I can say that this was one of the main reasons why we remember Mexico City as much more than just a city of pyramids, the Zócalo square or the Frida Kahlo museums (which we didn’t visit anyway, but more on that here...)

 We also managed a few other trips in Mexico City, which I write about here, for example:

• A hot-air balloon ride over the pyramids
• A trip to the Tolantongo waterfalls

And if you’re unsure about how to get around Mexico City in the evening, here are our experiences:

• Uber and only Uber: transport in CDMX
• Safe and unsafe neighbourhoods in CDMX

First evening: a very long day ending with mezcal

After the flight to Mexico, a hot-air balloon ride over the pyramids and a whole day on our feet, we had two options. Go to sleep. Or start ticking off the plan that had actually brought us here.

We chose the second option.

And so we ended up in Tlecán on our first evening, at bar #23 on the “50 Best” list.

Tlecán is a mezcaleria, i.e. a bar specialising mainly in mezcal-based drinks. However, there are also a few drinks featuring rum, vodka or classic tequila to choose from.

Tlecán is a very small bar with an interesting, original interior and a nice contrast.

The interior feels very cold, almost eerie, but it’s always full of people, music and great service, so the overall atmosphere is perfect. Unique!

For some, the lack of space and privacy might be a slight drawback. This is primarily a bar for sampling local Mexican drinks.

For my part, though, I have to say that the drinks themselves were a bit of a let-down for me. I found them a bit bland, but that’s really just my subjective impression.

My rating

• Drinks– ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
• Setting and atmosphere –⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
• Service –⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
• Originality of the menu –⭐⭐⭐☆☆
• Food selection –I can’t really judge; we were given some very spicy crackers free with our drinks, but we didn’t order anything else
• Is it worth a detour?Yes, if you’re already in Mexico City, I’d pop in here for the originality and the mezcal menu
• Prices– on average between 220 mxn and 250 mxn

Bookings

It is not possible to make a reservation at Tlecān bar.

You can walk straight in from the street. However, as the space is very small, you may have to wait outside for a table for 15–30 minutes.

We were there on a Wednesday around 8 pm and didn’t have to wait at all.

Where to stay nearby?

Tlecán lies on the border between the Roma Norte and Condesa districts.

Right next to the bar is the Holiday Inn Express CDMX Condesa ***, a hotel offering very good value for money.

Evening two: the bar we flew to Mexico for

If we were to visit just one bar from the whole list, it would be Handshake, the second-best bar in the world.

It was precisely because of this bar that I kept an eye on when bookings opened a few weeks before we left.

The bar is renowned for its laboratory-style approach to cocktails and its extreme attention to detail. In every respect.

The name “Speakeasy” suggests that the bar will be a bit mysterious. Just finding the unmarked entrance is quite a challenge for us (in the end, we notice quite by chance that the bar is right in the hotel where we’re staying!)

However, the receptionist immediately takes us under her wing and shows us to the bar.

"Bienvenidos!" They all say it in unison, which startles me a little. Later, we find out that this greeting (which means "Welcome" in Spanish) is how all the bartenders always greet new guests.

When a guest leaves, they all say in unison, “Hasta Luego!”

Very original, very nice!

The cocktail menu is original, interesting and easy to navigate. I know straight away what my drink will look like and have a rough idea of how it will taste. As well as the description on the menu, we also get detailed recommendations and explanations from the bartenders.

The drinks themselves are brilliant. Just as original as the menu, both in taste and appearance.

I appreciate the service, which is beyond fault. For example, when I pop off to the loo, the barman automatically places my glass on a cooling tray so that my drink doesn’t get warm.

The element of surprise

We have a booking for 1.5 hours.

Right after our first drink, the barman explains that, in addition to the main (upper) bar, there is also a secret lower bar, for which advance bookings cannot be made.

He suggests that we move there after 1.5 hours, which we naturally accept.

The receptionist leads us to the lobby of our hotel and then through dark, unmarked corridors down to the basement.

The menu in the basement bar is slightly different – most of the drinks are the same, but about five or six are different.

My rating

• Drinks– ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
  • great, original, but the best drink I’ve had so far was at the Foco bar in Barcelona
• Setting and atmosphere –⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Service –⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Originality of the menu –⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Food selection –⭐⭐⭐☆☆
  • Free pumpkin seeds with drinks, though they sometimes contain insects (intentionally)
  • The selection of tacos/quesadillas is rather limited, but the food is excellent
• Is it worth the detour?Yes. Definitely
• Prices– on average between 380 mxn and 400 mxn, the most expensive drink was 680 mxn

Bookings

I kept a close eye on when bookings opened, as this was our absolute priority and I really didn’t want to miss out on this opportunity.

Going to Handshake Speakeasy without a booking is very risky, especially as we were there on a Friday.

Bookings open14 days in advanceand can be made on the official website,handshake.bar.

Where to stay nearby?

It’s simple. Handshake Speakasy is part of the NH Collection Mexico City Reforma **** hotel.

Evening three: two bars in the space of an hour

This was the evening when we visited two bars from the world’s top 100 within an hour.

And, paradoxically, we liked the one with the lower ranking much more.

Bar Mauro (#54)

This small bar in the lovely Roma Norte neighbourhood is great for its relaxed and lively atmosphere.

I was a bit annoyed here, because we had a reservation at the nearby Licorería Limantour bar afterwards and the service at Bar Mauro is quite slow.

Or rather, laid-back. Nobody’s in a rush, nobody’s stressing, and everyone’s just enjoying their free evening.

If we’d had the whole evening here, I think I’d be quite chuffed in hindsight, because the drinks we tried here were really very good!

Bar Mauro combines a bohemian atmosphere in a tiny space with world-class drinks.

My rating

• Drinks– ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Setting and atmosphere –⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Service –⭐⭐☆☆☆
• Originality of the menu –⭐⭐☆☆☆
• Food selection –free crisps with drinks, we didn’t explore the rest of the menu
• Is it worth a detour?Yes, if you like lively places with a local vibe
• Prices– on average between 240 mxn and 280 mxn

Bookings

We arrived without a booking on Saturday around 7 pm and waited for about 15–20 minutes.

However, reservations can only be made via private messages on the bar’s Instagram profile.

Licorería Limantour (#52)

This bar is a pioneer of modern mixed drinks in Mexico City.

It has two branches in the city, and we visited the original one, opened in 2011, in the Roma Norte district.

It is more of a traditional bar, which at first glance doesn’t seem particularly remarkable. The atmosphere is intimate, enhanced by subdued lighting and music that isn’t too loud.

The menu is very extensive and quite clear: you can always see what kind of glass the drink will be served in, as well as its colour and flavour.

As for me, the drinks were interesting, but not to the extent that I’d still remember them today, as I do from Handshake Speakasy, for example.

My rating

• Drinks– ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
• Setting and atmosphere –⭐⭐☆☆☆
• Service –⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
• Originality of the menu –⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
• Food selection –a free spicy cracker mix with drinks; the menu mainly features smaller dishes, but we had the best guacamole of our entire stay in Mexico!
• Is it worth a detour?Not really, in my opinion; I’d rather have spent more time at Bar Mauro, where we’d been an hour earlier
• Prices– on average between 230 mxn and 270 mxn

Bookings

I made the booking 10 days in advance on thelimantour.tvwebsite, but it probably wasn’t strictly necessary.

We visited the bar on Saturday and there was no queue at the entrance.

Where to stay nearby?

Licorería Limantour and Bar Mauro are right next to each other in one of the best neighbourhoods in Roma Norte.

It’s also worth mentioning the more upmarket hotels in the area, of which there are several nearby. We were particularly impressed bythe very stylishBrick Hotel Mexico City – Small Luxury Hotels of the World *****.

Prices were quite high at the time of our visit, so we didn’t stay there, but you might be lucky enough to find cheaper dates.

Evening four: a bar for us travellers!

The last bar we visited was Baltra in the luxurious and very pretty Condesa district.

When I saw on the menu that every drink had its own airport story, I knew Baltra would be exactly my sort of bar.

But...

To be perfectly honest, we weren’t particularly impressed by the selection of drinks itself. There were very few cocktails with tequila or mezcal, and the flavours were a bit too... ordinary.

For me, the atmosphere was good, but overall it was a rather quiet, even sleepy bar. The service was fine, but the explanations of the drinks were nowhere near the standard of those at Handshake, Licorería Limantour or the Tlecán bar.

My rating

• Drinks– ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
• Setting and atmosphere –⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
• Service –⭐⭐⭐☆☆
• Originality of the menu –⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
• Food selection –no complimentary snacks with drinks, very limited menu options (just guacamole, nachos, etc.)
• Is it worth the detour?Not really, in my opinion, unless you’re staying at a nearby hotel
• Prices– on average between 240 mxn and 280 mxn

Booking

I wanted to be sure of a place, so I made a booking on thebaltra.bar website about 10 days in advance.

We were there on a Sunday evening and only about four tables were occupied, so a booking wasn’t necessary at all.

Where to stay nearby?

Condesa is the quietest and most luxurious neighbourhood in Mexico City.

Nevertheless, you’ll also find some fairly cheap and well-reviewed hotels here. About 3 minutes from Baltra Bar isthe pleasantHotel Parque México Boutique ****.

Was the trip to CDMX worth it just for the bars?

Definitely yes.

When my partner drew a card with Mexico City on it in a birthday draw a few months ago, the main reason for the whole trip was the bars. Five venues from the world’s top 100 in a single city sounded like a good enough reason to buy a ticket.

And they didn’t disappoint.

Handshake Speakeasy ranks among the best bar experiences I’ve ever had; Mauro had a great atmosphere, and the other venues also demonstrated why Mexico City is now one of the world’s top cocktail destinations.

Looking back, though, I have to say that the bars were just the beginning.

It was precisely because of them that we set off on one of the most interesting trips of recent years.

In the space of a month , we managed to spend a few days in one of America’s most fascinating cities, go swimming in the cenotes of Yucatán, and stay at the Impression Isla Mujeres hotel, which I would, without hesitation, rank among the best hotels I have ever visited.

So yes. I’d fly to Mexico City again just for the bars.

Only now I know it would be a shame to limit myself to just them.

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