Tío Pepe

A step through Tío Pepe’s swinging saloon doors is a walk back in time indeed, to a classic cantina (dating to the 19th century) that, while skewing divey, harbors no ill will toward thirsty people of all stripes. Some regulars prefer to just stare into beer mugs, but you’ll also see mixed groups of colleagues from nearby offices popping in for attitude adjustments. Leave the haute mixology for another venue; but do take in the long, elaborate bar and whimsical beer-barrel light fixtures—something you just don’t get much anymore. Note that unlike many traditional cantinas, you’ll find zero food here, so BYO peanuts or potato chips if you’re feeling peckish.

Located off an intersection in the Centro Historico so busy and frenetic that you may not be able to find the doorway for all the distractions of street vendors and Chinatown decorations, Tio Pepe is certainly worth those few moments of feeling lost. Once you locate the doorway and walk through the swinging doors, you’ll find the ease of a place that’s been providing a clubby refuge for drinkers and business people and anyone looking to escape the street since it opened in 1890. Those swinging doors—the kind that cowboys and card-sharks walk through in westerns—along with chandeliers adorned with beer barrel-shaped lights, and waiters in black pants and ties, and a stained glass Hennessy sign over the carved wood bar, are all signs that signify Tio Pepe’s important status in the neighborhood. Though cantinas used to only serve men—and the mostly older male clientele and a stern placard by the door may convince you that’s still the truth—that is one thing that has changed over the years. Women may be the minority in this old joint, but they’re welcome here. Drinkers should not limit themselves to a beer or a shot, no matter how much the atmosphere tells you that is the appropriate order: The cocktail list is solid and the bartenders clearly know the ropes. Cantina Tio Pepe is highly recommended for a distinctive taste of Mexico not easily replicated.