What this section covers. Going out in a city where the evening starts late and the geography matters more than the venue.
Where the night is. The Roma and Condesa for bars, small venues and restaurants that turn into bars — the densest, most walkable circuit. The Zona Rosa, on Amberes and Niza, for the most concentrated LGBT nightlife in the country, since El Nueve opened here in 1974. Polanco for expensive and polished. The historic centre for the century-old cantinas and the rooftop terraces that look over the colonial roofs. And Coyoacán for cantinas rather than clubs.
The institutions. Cantinas, several of which have been open more than a hundred years, where the botana comes with the drink. Pulquerías, serving fermented maguey sap, drunk here long before anything the Spanish brought. Plaza Garibaldi, where mariachis have gathered since the 1920s and are hired by the song — agree the price first. And lucha libre at the Arena México on Friday nights, which is cheap, loud and the best value evening in the city.
Practical timings. Dinner starts at 21:00; clubs fill after midnight; the taquerías that close the night run until three or four in the morning. The Metro shuts around midnight, so plan the way home: use an app taxi rather than hailing in the street.
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