You do not get the address until you book. When you do, you are directed to an unassuming Oaxacan street-food spot in Colonia Juárez, led past the food, and through what looks like a storage door to a concealed stairway. At the bottom is Hanky Panky, widely regarded as Mexico City's first true speakeasy and the bar that seeded a scene now considered the best in the world.
We rank Hanky Panky No. 9 on our guide to the 25 best speakeasies in the world. It is the pioneer of the Mexico City hidden-bar movement, the room that came before our No. 1, Handshake, and proved the city could build destination speakeasies of genuine international standing.
An address you have to earn
Hanky Panky takes the speakeasy's secrecy seriously. Its exact location is not published; you receive it only when you make a reservation, and even then the way in is disguised. Guests are directed to a modest fonda, an everyday Oaxacan eatery, and then guided through a door that looks like it should lead to a kitchen store cupboard, down a hidden staircase into the bar below. It is a proper piece of misdirection, and it makes every arrival feel like being let in on a secret.
That commitment to concealment is part of what makes Hanky Panky feel authentic rather than themed. It is not a bar that hangs a "speakeasy" sign over the door; it is a bar you genuinely have to be told about and led into, which is exactly the spirit the format was built on.
Walter Meyenberg and Mexico City's first speakeasy
Hanky Panky opened in 2016, founded by Walter Meyenberg with a team that helped shape the city's cocktail scene. It is widely credited as Mexico City's first true speakeasy, the bar that introduced the hidden-room concept to a city that has since become one of the most exciting drinking destinations on earth. Everything that followed, the wave of acclaimed CDMX bars, the country's eventual rise to the very top of the world rankings, can be traced in part back to this room.
That pioneering status is central to Hanky Panky's importance. It did not simply open a good bar; it opened the first of its kind in its city, and in doing so it created a template and an appetite that a whole generation of Mexican bartenders would build on.
Prohibition glamour underground
Down the hidden stairs, the room trades the humble fonda above for Prohibition-era glamour: a handsome space of marble and copper, low light and polished detail, the kind of setting that makes the descent feel like a step up rather than down. It is intimate and atmospheric, a world away from the everyday street it hides beneath, and it sets the tone for a bar that takes both its drinks and its hospitality seriously.
The contrast is the point. Hanky Panky plays the classic speakeasy trick of an ordinary front and an extraordinary hidden room, and the reveal, from a plain eatery to a jewel-box cocktail bar, is one of the most satisfying in the city.
The drinks and the name
The bar is named for the Hanky Panky cocktail, the gin, sweet vermouth and Fernet-Branca classic created by the pioneering bartender Ada Coleman at the American Bar of London's Savoy Hotel. That nod to cocktail history is fitting, because the menu blends faithful classics with forward-looking, technique-driven originals and recipes borrowed from leading bartenders around the world. It is a list that respects the canon while pushing at its edges.
The result is a bar that appeals both to drinkers who want a perfectly executed classic and to those chasing something new. That range, tradition and innovation held together with real skill, is a large part of why Hanky Panky has stayed relevant even as the city's scene has exploded around it.
Honoured for hospitality
Hanky Panky's quality has been recognised internationally. It reached No. 42 on North America's 50 Best Bars in 2024, and it has been honoured by The World's 50 Best Bars for its hospitality, a fitting accolade for a bar whose warmth is as much a part of the experience as its drinks. Recognition for hospitality in particular speaks to the heart of what Hanky Panky does well: it makes guests feel genuinely looked after, which is the quality that turns a hidden bar from a novelty into a place people return to.
Those accolades also underline its staying power. In a city now crowded with excellent bars, several of them ranked higher, Hanky Panky has held onto its reputation by leaning on the things that first made it special: secrecy, craft and a genuinely warm welcome.
How to visit
Because Hanky Panky releases its address only on reservation, booking ahead is essential; this is not a bar you can reliably walk into, and the concealed entrance is part of the deal. Seating is limited, in keeping with its intimate scale, so plan in advance. Cocktails sit at premium Mexico City prices, still a relative bargain by the standards of London, New York or Tokyo. As ever, confirm the current booking process before you travel, since the reservation-only model is central to how the bar works.
Treat the whole thing as an occasion. Part of Hanky Panky's pleasure is the ritual, the reservation, the address revealed, the fonda, the hidden door, so arrive ready to enjoy the theatre of getting in as much as the drinks that follow.
The verdict
Hanky Panky is the bar that taught Mexico City the speakeasy, and it remains one of the most charming hidden rooms anywhere. Its address-on-reservation secrecy, its fonda-to-glamour reveal, its history-honouring name and its award-winning hospitality add up to a bar that is both a genuine pioneer and a lasting pleasure. Without it, the extraordinary Mexico City scene that produced our No. 1 might look very different. For its influence, its craft and its warmth, it earns ninth place on our list, and a firm recommendation.
See the full field in our 25 best speakeasies in the world, or keep exploring in our Mexico City guide.