Billar Inn

What it is. A pool hall on Avenida Madero, in San Ángel, with tables, a snack bar and a kitchen of its own. It is not a cantina with a table at the back: it is a proper pool hall, built for spending an afternoon playing.

Why pool in Mexico. It is a pastime with its own tradition in the country and a cheap, unhurried way to spend an afternoon: tables are charged by the hour, you play in a group, and booking is unnecessary except at weekends. Here there is also a food menu, so a session can run long.

When to go. Monday to Saturday from 11:00 to 23:30, Sundays 12:00 to 22:00. Weekday afternoons are the best moment to find a free table.

Where it fits in a day out. San Ángel is one of the prettiest neighbourhoods in the south: cobbled streets, colonial houses and the Bazar Sábado on Plaza San Jacinto. This is the stop to sit down after walking it. There is no Metro: Barranca del Muerto, line 7, or the Insurgentes Metrobús plus a short taxi ride.