18 Best Bars in Oaxaca, Mexico

It's about as big as a bread box, but somehow this bar manages to accommodate performers—from lone poets or guitarists to jazz trios or multigenerational son jarocho groups. The crowd, a mix of locals and tourists, is attentive and enthusiastic.

Lokal is a trendy bar on a side street in the city center offering an open bar area where customers can try a variety of artisanal beers and engage in lively conversation with the barmen and the owner, Ruben. Upstairs is a large terrace where you can sip a cocktail as the sun goes down. Good-quality food and mezcal are also available to whet your appetite. The regular live-music sets at Lokal make it a lively and popular nightspot.

Owned and run by musicians, Atemoztli Foro resto-bar overlooks Zicatela Beach from an airy second-floor dance floor in the heart of the Zicatela strip. Each night offers a different musical theme: take your pick from reggae, rock, blues, Mexicana, salsa, or Latin rock performed by the talented house band fronted by Vicente "El Diablo."

In the northern village of San Felipe del Agua, one of the most affluent areas of the city, this dance–show bar attracts a predominantly young clientele looking for a fun night. La Musique has an impressive bar and a good dance floor, and it often hosts live music and shows.

Bar Fly is the place to party to the hottest techno, house, electronic, and dance music mixes by local and visiting DJs. Popular on theme nights and open until almost dawn, it's upstairs from Hosteria Banana's restaurant.

It's a superhip spot that screens art flicks, hosts concerts and plays, and brings in the occasional DJ for late-night dancing. The roof terrace restaurant offers simple but filling food, and is a good spot to stop in for a bite early in the evening. The music ranges from folk to jazz to hip-hop. There's no cover on Wednesday and Thursday, but on weekends it goes as high as MX$100.

You can dance to live salsa music every night at the most popular club in town.

Set under a dramatic dome and filled with masks and artwork, Casa Babylon is a magical blend of book exchange, coffee shop, and nightclub. While you nurse your beer, you can challenge friends to a game of Scrabble or Monopoly. Evenings see live music and theme nights. It's next to Hotel Arco Iris across from Playa Zicatela.

Bring a flashlight to read the menu at this dimly lighted café. A mostly young, mostly local crowd sips amusingly titled drinks (try the Dr. Pepe—beer, tequila, amaretto, and coffee liqueur), eats the good quality bar food, and chills out to the latest indie-rock sensations. Although the red walls adorned with crosses and gargoyles suggest a Goth crowd, it attracts more young professionals than creatures of the night.

La Condesa has two locations, the larger and better of which is in the center of the city. Housed in a wonderful colonial building, it caters specifically to a younger crowd with loud music, space to dance, and a good range of cocktails and beers.

One of the most personable and funky bars in the area is also the oldest. Overlooking the town square, La Crema serves well-mixed cocktails such as the donaji, a mix of mezcal and orange juice rimmed with sal de gusano (chili-worm salt). A mix of canned tunes provides the beat: rock, lounge music, ranchera, and other Mexican music. A wood-fired pizza oven keeps energy levels high. There's dancing after 10 pm.

La Farola has been serving drinks to locals since 1916—and some of the patrons, it seems, might have been there when the joint opened up.

La Papaya is an enormous venue open to the stars. Patrons eat, drink, and dance while bikini-clad dancers entertain.

One of the city's most venerable watering holes offers salsa, merengue, and cumbia dancing on its terrace nightly beginning at 10 as well as light snacks and appetizers.

This is one of the smallest bars in Oaxaca, but being able to be so cozy with the barman and the other customers makes the mezcal sipping all the more enjoyable. Step away from the bustle of Santo Domingo, and lose yourself in a world of quiet conversation, acoustic music, and wonderful mezcal.

In the heart of Oaxaca, this bar has not changed for the last 50 years. The owner, El Chato, has seen successive governments come and go (one of his favorite things to talk about) while his bar has continued with its steady service of cocktails and beers, fried potatoes, and fish empanadas. While neither trendy nor classy, the Salon de la Fama offers a glimpse into one what life used to be like in Oaxaca. The silent service given by El Chato and his wife allow the conversation to flow. Although he must have heard millions of stories, El Chato isn’t one for spilling the beans, so he will let you do the talking.

Live blues, easy listening, and classic rock music on Saturday nights draw an older set to this rustic beach bar on the sand overlooking the waves at Playa Marinero. You can order barbecue ribs from the open-air grill, but the main draw is dancing barefoot under the stars.

Txalaparta is one of the bigger alternative bars featuring live music most nights, great cocktails, and a roof terrace among its many twisting and turning spaces. The vibe changes each evening, so be sure to check out what is going on. Every night brings in a large crowd, but Friday and Saturday are when the party really starts.