The 6 BEST Speakeasy Bars in Mexico City (2024)

Juarez neighborhood is where to come for speakeasy bars in Mexico City. The area is also known for Zona Rosa, the home of LGBT nightlife and karaoke bars. This is a busy, booming part of the capital, especially at weekends.

The various speakeasies are hidden in less touristic parts of Juarez. Although there are hundreds of bars in Mexico City, the ones below are my favorites. I love the intriguing, secretive themes and trying to find the concealed entrances.

I notice some bars mentioned in other blogs, like Jules Basement, Poe, and the Backroom, are now closed. This guide is up-to-date as of 2024.

Hanky Panky was the first Mexico City speakeasy I visited and remains one of my favorites. Many people agree including the judges of North America’s best bars who voted it number 20 in 2023.

Wondering how to get into Hanky Panky? Well, sorry, but I’m not going to tell you! But I will say that you exit through a fake drinks fridge. So, if you can find that, you’re hot on the trail!

Although the entrance is hidden, the bar doesn’t have a speakeasy theme inside (you sit at the bar in huge comfy chairs while the bartenders create cocktails in front of you). Still, it’s a vibe with a neon ‘hanky panky sign’, low lighting, and cool light fittings.

When you arrive, you’re given a drinks menu that looks like a passport featuring beverages named after countries. I tried the gin-based Gulrot cocktail and the tequila-based God Save the Queen. My only complaint was that the cocktails don’t correspond with the countries (what does tequila have to do with England?).

Next time, I’m keen to try the Oaxaca-themed Guelaguetza with mezcal, red pepper liquor, and mole syrup.

Reservation needed? Yes, you should book on OpenTable well in advance. Expect to wait an hour without one even on a weeknight. 

Prices: Around 250 pesos per cocktail.

This is my favorite speakeasy because it feels like one inside AND out. Ambience-wise, Handshake is dark and moody… You can really imagine you’re hiding away underground during the prohibition era!

It’s not just me who’s a fan; it was voted the #1 best bar in North America in 2024!

My friend and I noticed that most of the cocktails were clear before guessing this was part of the speakeasy theme to look like water.

We tried the following cocktails:

Xaman is the least hidden of the speakeasy bars in Mexico City because the bouncer on the door makes it obvious, but it’s a fantastic cocktail bar thanks to its underground location and creative drinks.

The theme is shamanism with a menu inspired by the power of plants and respect for nature. Most drinks are topped with flowers. 

Don’t expect a marg: all the cocktails are house concoctions with indigenous names and unusual ingredients like watermelon, lavender, and prickly pear, and strong Mexican spirits ensuring they’re not too sweet.

The interior is secretive, rustic, and very dark: my friend and I were trying to read the menu by candlelight before the waiter pointed out we could use the torch on our phones. How did we forget it was the modern day?

Prices: Cocktails for 200-250 pesos.

Reservation needed: making one on OpenTable is a good idea, but we managed to bag a table for 3 on a Friday night without.

Parker and Lenox, Juarez

Another speakeasy bar (unsurprisingly in Juarez) is Parker and Lenox known for their jazz nights.

Unlike some of the speakeasy bars in Mexico City, this is clearly a bar from the outside. However, not everyone knows about the hidden concert room in the back. Ask the staff to guide you there.

Many of the jazz nights are ticketed but there are occasional free ones when you only need to buy a drink.

I needed five minutes reading the huge cocktail menu to decide, eventually settling on the Rock Lobster with tequila, watermelon, and chili. Expect house cocktails with tequila, rum, whisky, gin, and coffee-infused concoctions.

Reservation needed? It’s recommended to secure a good seat for concerts. See the website for events and reservations.

Prices: Beers start from 100 pesos and wine and cocktails from 200 pesos.

Brooklyn Rippers, Juarez

Brooklyn Rippers is a hidden gem also in the Juarez neighborhood. I found it by accident when my friend and I walked past and paused to look at the food menu (it’s also a pizza restaurant) and the waiter told us about the speakeasy in the back.

You need to arrive at the restaurant and ask for the bar. Someone will radio the speakeasy to escort you behind the pizza oven and down a corridor. After punching in a code, they’ll let you into the cozy bar with exposed brick walls, comfy sofas, and a well-stocked bar.

With a mix of classics and house concoctions, the drinks aren’t quite as experimental and unusual as other Mexico City speakeasies like Handshake and Hanky Panky. But since they do classics like margs, this is a good spot if you’re not an adventurous drinker.

House drinks include the passionfruit mojito and coffee smoke with mezcal and coffee liqueur. I loved the Frida with tequila and watermelon.

Reservation needed? No.

Prices: around 200 pesos per cocktail.

Zinco Jazz Club, Centro

What’s this, a speakeasy NOT in Juarez? Zinco is a fantastic, low-lit jazz club hidden down a side street in Centro Historico. I’d wanted to go for ages and finally visited for an Amy Winehouse tribute night.

As well as wine, mezcal, and house cocktails (try the coconut carajillo), there’s a food menu of entradas, salads, tapas, mains, and desserts. The cheese board looks unreal!

Expect jazz, blues, and tribute nights. The Amy Winehouse night is a regular event, usually on Wednesdays. See the Zinco website for what’s on.

I recommend calling Uber from the venue because walking around Centro at night isn’t the smartest option.

Reservation needed? Yes. Find their email on the website.

Prices: 200+ pesos a drink. The ticketed events start from 250 pesos.