King Cole Bar Mexico City

If the city has you overwhelmed, whether by its chaos or its abundance of choices, and you want to take refuge in the familiarity of a hotel bar, you can’t do much better than St. Regis’s King Cole Bar. Sit inside at the bar or on one of its loungers and enjoy live music with your drink, or—better yet—head out to the terrace, where you can watch traffic zip by on the city’s main avenue, Paseo de la Reforma. You’ll also be looking out upon the Diana the Huntress fountain, a snapshot-worthy landmark in this city that has no shortage of them. In fact, you can also see the Angel of Independence statue and Chapultepec Castle from here. As for drinks, the must-try is the Sangrita Maria, a blend of mezcal, sangrita, and pasilla chile puree. Every St. Regis bar creates a signature cocktail, and this one is definitely representative of Mexico City. If you’re a smoker, ask to see the bar’s cigar selection.

The King Cole Bar, located in the St. Regis, isn’t just another boring hotel bar. You can choose to drink inside, where a massive painting by Surrealist artist Pablo Weisz Carrington, son of Leonora Carrington—a British artist and novelist who lived in Mexico for most of her life—hangs behind the bar and, many nights, live music entertains guests. Or you can choose to tipple on the terrace, where you can take in views of three main landmarks: the Diana fountain, the La Angel monument, and Chapultepec Castle. It’s particularly enjoyable at sunset. Every St. Regis bar creates a signature Bloody Mary; the one served here has a nice smoky, spicy kick, thanks to its blend of mezcal, sangrita, and pasilla chile puree. The bar is open daily until 2:00 a.m.