Entertainment in Mexico City
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A
Café El Jarocho
This immensely popular joint churns out M$11 cappuccinos for long lines of java hounds. As there’s no seating inside, people have their coffee standing in the street or sitting on curbside benches. Another branch is near Viveros park.
reviewed
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B
Celtics
An Argentinean-run facsimile of an Irish pub, Celtics remains hugely popular with young defeños. A Guinness will set you back M$70 here, a draft Sol M$35. The soundtrack is more U2 than Chieftains; bands play Sunday to Tuesday evenings.
reviewed
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C
La Puerta del Sol
This quintessential cantina, founded in 1887, still has the double-leaf doors that machos like to push with brio when entering the watering hole. It serves an array of botanas and is famous for its chamorros (marinated pork shank).
reviewed
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D
Bar Fly
The smallish dance floor at this candlelit two-story salsa club gets packed real fast once the live Cuban band starts playing. Wannabe salseros can pick up some moves from two talented cubanas, who dance as the group’s side act.
reviewed
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E
Mamá Rumba
Managed by a Havana native, Mamá Rumba features contemporary salsa, with music by the house big band. Instructors will get you started Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday evenings. Mamá Rumba has opened a larger branch in San Ángel at Plaza Loreto.
reviewed
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F
El Viena
The city’s only gay cantina is a friendly if nondescript place, attracting a varied crowd (from truck drivers to journalists) and the jukebox is terrific. Most patrons move over to the next-door Oasis disco at some point in the evening.
reviewed
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G
Pride
On the southeast corner of Condesa, Pride is a relaxed gathering place for a youthful, upscale LGBT crowd. Friends gather round the bar or head upstairs to lounge on sofas. It’s conveniently nearby the popular taco joint, El Califa.
reviewed
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H
Fly
An elegantly furnished space in a typical Porfiriato-era residence, the Fly organizes tastings on the last Tuesday of each month. Mezcal fans can appreciate the subtle gradations in flavor based on where the beverage is distilled.
reviewed
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I
Papa Beto
Run by a Japanese expatriate to highlight the impressive wealth of local talent, this club showcases the city’s top jazz musicians. Big band sounds fill the air the last Tuesday of each month, and Thursday’s program features jam sessions.
reviewed
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J
Teatro Juan Ruiz Alarcón
This plush 466-seat theater, within the university’s Cultural Centre, has a large stage and excellent lighting and acoustics, so is the frequent venue for large-cast musicals and similar, as well as Shakespearean and other classic drama.
reviewed
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K
T-Gallery
A low-key crowd kicks back with cocktails in the various salons of this lovely old Condesa home, each appointed with a splendid array of kitschy sofas, coffee tables and mirrors. Jazz, blues and bossa nova combos jam downstairs nightly.
reviewed
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L
Hookah Lounge
The fun revolves around the water pipes (from M$120). A bewildering array of tobacco flavors is available. Wednesday to Saturday nights, DJs produce an eclectic mix of electronica and Arabic rhythms, with no fewer than four turntables.
reviewed
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M
Ruta 61
Catering to the denim-clad blues cult, this split-level venue stages electric blues artists in the Buddy Guy/Howlin’ Wolf mold. About once a month there’s a direct-from-Chicago act, though you’re more likely to see a local cover band.
reviewed
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N
Salón Corona
Punks and suits crowd this boisterous, no-nonsense beer hall, running since 1928. Amiable staff serve up tarros (mugs) of light or dark cerveza de barril (draft beer) and bottles of almost every known Mexican beer.
reviewed
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O
Travazares Taberna
The downstairs adjunct of a cultural center, this popular Roma hang-out strikes a suitably bohemian tone. Recycled objects furnish a series of cozy, candlelit salons where artistically inclined youth converse over wine or beer.
reviewed
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P
Centro Cultural del Bosque
Behind the Auditorio Nacional, Centro Cultural del Bosque features six theaters, including the Teatro de la Danza, dedicated to modern dance. On weekend afternoons, children’s plays and puppet shows are staged.
reviewed
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Q
Estadio Azteca
The country’s biggest stadium (capacity 114,000) is home to the América club. Games are played on weekend afternoons; check the website for kickoff times. Take the Tren Ligero from metro Tasqueña to Estadio Azteca station.
reviewed
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R
Hard Rock Live
Occupying a superb old Polanco mansion near the Auditorio Nacional, this branch of the international club hosts the cream of rock en español, with groups like La Cuca, the Nortec Collective and Molotov on stage.
reviewed
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S
Dada X
Black-clad youth gravitate toward this space on the upper floor of a magnificent colonial building. The varied program includes cult films, poetry readings and live music, which might be anything from ska to electronica.
reviewed
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T
La Hermosa Hortensia
Opening onto Plaza Garibaldi, this is a good pulquería for beginners: its hygiene is above the norm, they’re used to seeing foreigners, and the atmosphere is 100% ‘familiar.’
reviewed
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U
Pulquería La Botijona
Possibly the cleanest pulque dispenser in town, this institutional green hall near the train station is a friendly family-run establishment, with big plastic pails of the traditional quaff lining the shelves.
reviewed
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V
Bar Mancera
This atmospheric gentlemen’s salon seems preserved in amber, with ornate carved paneling and well-used domino tables. Lately it’s been adopted by young clubbers, who set up turntables on Friday night from around 9pm.
reviewed
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W
Café La Habana
This grand coffeehouse is a traditional haunt for writers and journalists, who linger for hours over a café americano. Legend has it that Fidel and Che plotted strategy here prior to the Cuban revolution.
reviewed
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X
Pata Negra
Nominally a tapas bar, this oblong salon draws a friendly, clean-cut crowd of 20-something Chilangos and expats. There’s live music on both levels, with the upper Salón Pata Negra striking a more bohemian tone.
reviewed
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Y
Multiforo Alicia
Behind the graffiti-scrawled facade is Mexico City’s premier rock club. A suitably smoky, seatless space, the Alicia stages up-and-coming punk, surf and ska bands, who hawk their music at the store downstairs.
reviewed