Other entertainment in Mexico
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Kakao Natura
For something different, melt into a hot chocolate at the chocolatería Kakao Natura. The dozen or so varieties of artisanal chocolates (M$25 to M$38 per dozen) make fine gifts – if you can resist eating them yourself.
reviewed
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The Hangout/Soggy Peso Bar
This bar right on the sands at the north end of San Carlos’ most beautiful beach is worth the M$100 taxi fare from town. It’s simple: one of the best margaritas in Mexico, on the beach, as the sun goes down. Majestic!
reviewed
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La Estrella
Just off La Revo, this is a great spot to sip cheap beers, dance some salsa, or belt out karaoke tunes.
reviewed
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Hostal Carlos Einstein
Toward the west end of the beach, this place also boasts a lively scene most evenings, as guests, staff members and the owner (often seen in some type of ceremonial costume of his own making) pass around guitars, patter on African drums and sing trippy songs about their journies along the astral plane. If you’re a traveling musician, you might be able to exchange an evening’s performance for a free night’s stay and breakfast at the (rather dingy) hostel.
reviewed
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Clásico
With a nod to the genteel decór of an English country house, this dance club has upholstered walls and tiers of smart banquettes that rise around a dance floor that pulses like a two dimensional Rubik’s Cube on acid. The ‘classic’ music shuffle includes techno, disco and tunes from the ’80s and ’90s. It’s next door to the Borakay bar and the Hotel Camino Real, though not reachable via the hotel. Go by car or taxi.
reviewed
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El Refugio de la Luna
A funky high-ceilinged coffeehouse with Spanish tiles and wicker seating, this place offers some of the most consistent arts offerings in town. Stop in for live jazz, trova or fandango on Fridays and Saturdays, literary readings on Wednesdays, and free rooftop movies – Cine Bajo las Estrellas (Cinema Under the Stars) – on Thursday nights. Serves food, but no alcohol.
reviewed
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Ballet Folclórico de México
The Ballet Folclórico de México is a two-hour festive blur of costumes, music and dance from all over Mexico. At the time of research, the Museo Nacional de Antropología was hosting the Ballet Folclórico while the Palacio de Bellas Artes’s main theater was being renovated. Tickets are usually available the day of the show at the Palacio or from Ticketmaster.
reviewed
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Arena Coliseo
Watching masked luchadores (wrestlers) with names like El Terrible and Casanova gut-punching each other makes for a memorable night out. Expect scantily clad women, insult-hurling crowds, and screaming doughnut vendors: it’s all part of the fun of this classic Mexican pastime. The neighborhood surrounding the beloved coliseum can be a bit dodgy – watch your pockets.
reviewed
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La Peña Colibrí
Beyond a heavy wooden door, this intimate courtyard café glows with candlelight, illuminating the grinning Day of the Dead skeletons on the walls. Live music starts at 10pm – guitarists pluck weepy ballads, folk singers wail mournfully. Come on Friday or Saturday to see a well-known local troupe perform the danza de los viejitos, a classic Michoacán folk dance.
reviewed
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Ganesh
There’s something incongruous about this hole-in-the-wall bar – with its pounding techno, stark black-and-red graffiti murals and stylish hordes of cocktail-slurping hipsters – being named for a Hindu god. But the cocktails here are creative, cheap and abundant, while the bar’s kitchen serves good-sized portions of surprisingly edible bar food late into the evening.
reviewed
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El Nivel
If you get a chance, try to hear a rousing traditional banda sinaloense – a boisterous brass band unique to the state of Sinaloa. Watch for announcements posted around town or broadcast from slow-moving cars with speakers mounted on top, and check out the weekend performances at El Nivel, a cantina-style bar in the Fiesta Land complex.
reviewed
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G
La Mutualista
With smoke-yellowed walls and antique chandeliers dangling from high ceilings, this vintage dance hall simmers with the decaying glamour of Old Havana. Thursdays and Saturdays are salsa nights, the real reason to come. A Cuban band kicks off around midnight and the all-ages crowd explodes with eye-popping moves on the dance floor. Prepare to get sweaty.
reviewed
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Barra Beer
Perhaps the most impressive beer list you’ll see anywhere in Mexico, this shrine to las cervezas del mundo serves beers from far and wide, including China, Cuba, Australia, Spain, Belgium, Ireland and the United States. Unless you’re desperate for your native brew, try something from the near-comprehensive list of artisanal Mexican beers.
reviewed
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Iskra
Pour back a pils, stout or red ale created at this artisanal microbrewery, and watch local bands strut their stuff, or play a foosball match in the back room. Lit by colorful bar lamps and flickering with votive candles, Iskra showcases everything from son to swing, rock en español to electronica.
reviewed
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Bar El Calate
On the west side of the zócalo, this is the place to sip homemade hooch – flavored with coffee, limes, berries, you name it – orange wine, and the all-curing yolixpán, which is a medicinal herbal brew that consists of aguardiente (fire water) that has been tempered by honey.
reviewed
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Multiforo Las Velas
Embossed with vivid stencils and run by a collective of artists and musicians, this multilevel arts space ramps it up with an eclectic musical roster including reggae, rock, funk, jungle and dub step. Live music and dancing start around 11pm, though circus and theater performances occasionally take a turn.
reviewed
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Huracanzote
This fun bar is a quirky tribute to both kitsch and Huracán, Mexico’s favorite champion of lucha libre (wrestling). The walls are covered in funky 1960s-style florals superimposed with Huracán’s wrestling mask. You can prop yourself up in a ‘boxing ring’ surrounded by, um, women’s lingerie.
reviewed
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Velvet
This new spot on the roof of the Cinépolis building is hopelessly hip and extremely white – as in white awnings, white velvet sofas and white light fixtures. Oh, and the views are outstanding. During the film festival producers, directors and stars party here. Saturday night is the big night.
reviewed
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Bar Pro Boca
The former home of a popular Cholula jazz club, this small, two-story wine and tapas bar mixes modern furniture with vintage jukeboxes and transistor radios. The menu offers straightforward tapas and a huge selection of wine and beer, including many hard-to-find artisanal Mexican beers.
reviewed
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Antiokía
There’s no sign outside this romantic, hole-in-the-wall hangout, but you’ll know it by the smell – an irresistible mix of chocolate, freshly ground coffee and exotic teas from around the world. Mostly a café and dessert shop, Antiokía also serves savory fondues and paninis.
reviewed
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La Nueva Luna
Run by indefatigable Carlos from Argentina, this bar is the nightlife and social center of the Mazunte traveler scene. Come here for live Latin or reggae from around 10pm to midnight most nights, plus assorted other events such as aerial acrobatics, dancing and art classes.
reviewed
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Grado Cero
Overlooking the Jardín de la Marimba, this upstairs open-air lounge features live trova, rock and banda starting at 8:30pm. It’s a chill place with black lights, a friendly atmosphere, and a tasty food selection to accompany the drinks.
reviewed
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Blue Chairs Beach Club
Blue Chairs Beach Club is the most popular, visible gay beach bar, with droves of gay couples enjoying the sun’s ubiquitous rays and cool drinks. A great place to start, it’s located at the south end of Playa de los Muertos.
reviewed
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Torino
Expats patronize this bar, run by an US-French couple, for everything from breakfast to late-night drinks. If you’ve had too many, don’t venture out back without a flashlight – the 75-year-old crocodile (Fluffy) is no hallucination.
reviewed
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La Xícara
Celebrate bohemia at this tiny new chill-out arts space on a pedestrian alley, where the resident DJ spins techno and you can nibble on waffles and quesadillas while sprawled out on the red leopard-print sofa. Look for a red light.
reviewed
