Best-of list · Hidden Gems
The 7 best hidden gem bars in Mexico City for 2026, from Hanky Panky and Handshake to Tlecan, Baltra, Xaman and Licoreria Limantour. The verified list.
The short answer
7 ranked rooms follow. How we picked is at the end of this guide.
Mexico City has become one of the world's great bar cities, and it hides its best rooms behind taqueria counters and unmarked stairs. The seven below are the ones we could confirm are open and pouring in 2026, from the bar the world voted No.1 to a century-old cantina with a bullet hole in the wall. We dropped three names that we could not verify as open CDMX bars.
Eric van Beek runs Handshake in Colonia Juarez, and in 2024 the world voted it the single best bar on the planet. It held No.2 on the World's 50 Best Bars 2025. The drinks are molecular and exact, built on house ferments and clarifications, yet the room stays warm. Book well ahead, since seats go fast. Order off the signature list and trust the team. For drinkers who want to see how far a cocktail can go.
Full listing & hours →Hanky Panky opened in 2016 behind a working taqueria, and the walk through the kitchen to a hidden door is half the fun. It helped start the CDMX speakeasy wave and still draws a warm, full room most nights. The classics are tight and the welcome is genuine. Reserve, give the password, and let the bartenders steer. Best later in the evening once the room fills. For drinkers who want the entrance and the cocktails to both deliver.
Full listing & hours →Tlecan, which means place of fire in Nahuatl, sits on Alvaro Obregon in Roma Norte and treats mezcal like a sacrament. The room is dim and earthy, almost a tomb, and the list leans hard on small producers and female distillers. Ask the bar to walk you through a flight by region. Best early before the seats fill. It ranked No.23 on the World's 50 Best Bars 2025. For drinkers who want to understand agave, not just sip it.
Baltra is a tiny Roma Norte bar named for a Galapagos island, with a science-minded list that changes with the seasons. It seats a couple dozen at most, so the bartenders work close and talk you through each drink. Come on a weeknight for a seat at the counter and order whatever is new. Best early evening before the small room books out. A regular on North America's 50 Best Bars, it rewards the curious.
Full listing & hours →Xaman hides one flight down off a side street near Paseo de la Reforma, a gated door with no sign at all. Inside, the list runs on plants and a shamanic theme, dim and a little mystical. It opens Wednesday through Saturday and earns a 4.8 from OpenTable diners. Find the unmarked door, head downstairs, and order something herbal. Best midweek when it is quietest. For drinkers who want the secret-door thrill done right.
Full listing & hours →La Ópera on 5 de Mayo is a century-old cantina in the Centro Historico, all carved wood, velvet booths and a bullet hole in the ceiling said to be Pancho Villa's. Order a proper tequila or a beer and a plate of caracoles en chipotle. Come in the afternoon for a break from downtown noise. Best as a daytime stop on a Centro walk. For drinkers who want the old grand Mexico City still standing.
Full listing & hours →Limantour opened on Alvaro Obregon in 2011 and has been on the World's 50 Best Bars list since 2014, the room that proved CDMX could mix with anyone. Bar manager Jose Luis Leon keeps the menu rooted in the city, led by the Margarita al Pastor with tequila, orange liqueur, taco mix and lime. Grab a stool upstairs and order it first. Best early evening on a weekday. For drinkers who want the modern Mexican classic.
Full listing & hours →