Bars where you
might sit around and chat
are relatively thin on the
ground in Mexico City,
that function more often
filled by restaurants.
There are a few, but most
of these concentrate on
music or bill themselves
as
antros , a
relatively modern creation
somewhere in between a bar
and club where you can sit
and talk (just about) or
dance if the Latin pop
hits get you going. As
elsewhere in the country,
cantinas
and
pulquerías are
very much a male preserve,
but here at least things
are beginning to change.
Despite the signs above
the doors banning
mujeres
, there'll often be a few
women inside braving the
back-slapping camaraderie.
Even so, it's safer for
unaccompanied women to
stick to hotel bars.
Live music
venues are dotted all over
town offering anything
from combos churning out
romantic ballads to
alternative rock bands at
the cutting edge of the
Mexican scene. Cuban music
is particularly
fashionable at the moment,
and with Cuba just a short
flight away, Mexico City
provides a local but
international proving
ground for the island's
talent. Elsewhere you'll
find trova , often
played by an acoustic
guitarist flexing his
songwriting skills, and
leavened with reliable
standards known to all
(tourists excepted).
Club -oriented
nightlife starts late,
with live acts often
hitting the stage after
11pm and few places really
getting going before
midnight. Entry can be
expensive, ranging up to
US$20 for men (women often
get in for much less or
free), though this is
likely to include bar
libre , where your
drinks are free for at
least part of the evening.
If you stray far from your
hotel and stay out after
the Metro has wound up for
the night, be sure to get
the bar or club to order a
sitio cab for you;
flagging down a cab late
at night is not generally
considered safe,
especially if you are lost
and drunk.
