The cantina is this city's real drinking institution, not a bar in the Anglo sense but a place where the food matters as much as the drinks, where live bands play until last call, and where the whole ritual has been refined over decades of daily practice. Start here: El Viejo Camilo in Narvarte is the best bar in Mexico City.
1. El Viejo Camilo Av. Universidad 399, Narvarte Poniente, Benito Juárez
Over 5,000 reviews and the highest bar score in the city, earned one hanger steak and José José tribute at a time. El Viejo Camilo takes every element of the cantina form seriously: the kitchen, the norteño atmosphere, the valet parking (yes, valet, on Avenida Universidad), and the late hours from Tuesday through Saturday until midnight. The José José impersonator is apparently a regular fixture, which tells you the kind of place this is. Chayote, rack ribs, drinks, music. Nothing else on this list has the same combination of review depth and quality score.
2. La Dolida Palmas Av. Paseo de las Palmas 530, Lomas de Chapultepec, Miguel Hidalgo
The only bar on this list with a 4.8 rating. La Dolida is out in Lomas de Chapultepec, which is aspirational geography for some and inconvenient for others, but the animated performers and the singing atmosphere are worth the trip. Thursday through Saturday it stays open until 2am, which beats everything else in this top five on late-night availability. Weekday hours cap at 8pm, so plan accordingly. The energy here is performative and loud in a way that separates it from El Viejo Camilo, which is more about food and music than spectacle.
3. La Posada Del Sancho Av. Ejército Nacional Mexicano 364, Chapultepec Morales, Miguel Hidalgo
La Posada Del Sancho would rank second if it weren't closed Saturday and Sunday. For a bar, those are the two most important days of the week. What it has Monday through Friday, from 1 to 11pm: chamorro, arrachera, pozole, chiles in red wine sauce, board games at the table, and nearly 4,000 reviews at 4.5 stars. The food here is the best you will eat while drinking on this entire list. The weekend closure is a genuine problem that pushes it to third.
4. El Dux de Venecia Av. Azcapotzalco 586A, Centro de Azcapotzalco
El Dux de Venecia has history, dominoes, keg beer, and mole de olla, with drinks in the MX$100–200 range. The address in Centro de Azcapotzalco puts it well outside the usual bar circuit, which is its best quality. Open from 11am most days, with over 1,700 reviews at 4.3 stars. La Posada Del Sancho has better food; El Dux has more tradition and a wider schedule. The atmosphere says it has been here longer than most places on this list combined.
5. LOS 4 ASES SUCURSAL ROJO GÓMEZ Av. Javier Rojo Gomez 353, Agrícola Oriental, Iztacalco
The east side of the city gets left off most bar lists, and LOS 4 ASES is the reason to go. This is a dance cantina: you pay a consumption minimum, a band with cymbals plays, and you move. Open daily from 2pm, staying until 1:30am on Saturdays. Less polished than El Viejo Camilo, less upscale than La Dolida Palmas, and when the floor fills up on a Saturday night it is more alive than either. The atmosphere is working-class and unmistakably Chilango in a way that the Lomas bars cannot replicate.
If you only go to one, go to El Viejo Camilo. The norteño atmosphere and the hanger steak make the argument on their own, and over 5,000 reviewers have already closed the case.
