Handshake Speakeasy

North America's #1 and World's #2 in 2025; two consecutive years as Best Bar in North America. Eric van Beek's program now operates inside the NH Hotel in Colonia Juárez, where some cocktails take up to two days to prepare and technique drives every drink. Best for a serious cocktail evening, but be mindful of the 90-minute limit per reservation.

Order: the Mexi-Thai. The Once Upon a Time in Oaxaca.

Tlecān

North America's #3, World's #23 in 2025. Eli Martinez Bello, named Bartender's Bartender 2025, runs the Roma mezcal program. Deep agave list, considered approach to traditional Mexican spirits, and one of the most decorated Mexican bartenders behind the bar. Best for an evening that begins with one mezcal and ends three hours later, with Bello explaining the third.

Order: a flight of mezcal. Anything Bello recommends.

Licorería Limantour

North America's #9 in 2025. The Roma Norte classic that helped put Mexico City on the international cocktail map a decade ago, two-story bar with the upstairs running more relaxed. Reliable, not flashy, the room locals reliably bring visitors to. Best for a first-night-in-CDMX drink before dinner in Roma.

Order: the Margarita Al Pastor.

Baltra Bar

North America's #20 in 2025. The Condesa neighborhood bar elevated, named for the Galápagos island that inspired Darwin's evolution research. Small format, no theatrics, a thoughtful list of cocktails that change seasonally. Best for a quiet weeknight drink with one other person.

Order: whatever the seasonal menu suggests.

Pujol

World's 50 Best Restaurants #11 in 2025. Enrique Olvera's Polanco room, the standard for Mexican fine dining since 2000, with two menu options: the standard tasting and the Taco Omakase, a 7-course taco-counter experience that's the right entry for cocktail-trip travelers. The mole madre, aged for over 3,000 days, is the dish that made the place. Best for an anniversary or a one-night experience with Olvera's program.

Taquería El Califa de León

The only Michelin-starred taco stand in Mexico, in San Rafael since the 1960s. Four tacos on the menu, the gaonera (thinly sliced steak) as the calling card. No reservations, cash only, standing room only. An essential stop, but in a city defined by legendary hole-in-the-wall gems and street-taco culture, it's best enjoyed as a vibrant chapter of a longer evening rather than the final destination.

Sofitel Mexico City Reforma

The 38-story tower on Paseo de la Reforma, opened 2021, dressed by Pininfarina interiors and built for the international guest. Cityzen rooftop bar pours sunset cocktails over the Ángel de la Independencia; the lobby, the pool deck, and the contemporary suites round out the appeal.

Four Seasons Hotel Mexico City

Also on Reforma, the volcanic-stone courtyard hotel that has been the diplomatic and cultural address since 1994. Fifty Mils bar in residence, longtime North America's 50 Best Bars fixture, the hacienda-style courtyard one of the most peaceful spaces in the city. The hotel where serious CDMX visitors stay.