The bar that taught CDMX to take cocktails seriously and then proceeded to teach the world. Limantour has occupied a permanent position on the World's 50 Best Bars list because it does something few cocktail temples manage: it makes Mexican ingredients — tamarind, guava, pasilla chile, mezcal — feel inevitable in classic forms rather than novelty additions. The room is long and narrow, the bar runs the full length, and the energy on a Friday night is deafening in the best possible way. The bartenders work with the focused intensity of surgeons and the casual warmth of people who genuinely enjoy what they pour.
Location
Roma Norte, Mexico City
Map
Insider Intel
The seasonal menu rotates but the mezcal-based cocktails are consistently the strongest expressions of what this bar does differently. The Oaxacan Negroni variation — smoky, bitter, with a chile-salt rim — is the gateway. Ask for whatever uses chapulin (grasshopper) salt or hoja santa if available. The non-alcoholic options are taken as seriously as the rest of the menu, which is rarer than it should be.
Tuesday through Thursday from 8pm to 10pm for cocktails without the weekend crush. Friday and Saturday after 9pm the queue starts and the noise level makes conversation a physical effort. Early evening (6-7pm) on weekdays is the quietest window and the bartenders have time to talk you through the menu.
Located on Alvaro Obregon, Roma Norte's main boulevard. The entrance can be missed — look for the signage at street level. No reservations; the queue on weekends can run 30-45 minutes. Cocktails are 200-350 MXN, which is high for CDMX but standard for this level. The bar is loud by design — if you want a conversation, come early. Card and cash accepted. The crowd is a mix of Mexico City professionals, international bar industry people, and visitors who read the lists.