Gay Bars Mexico City: Our Top 5 of 2024
Top 5 Gay Bars in Mexico City
While curating our Top 5 Gay Bars list for 2024, we found it fascinating how their diverse locations perfectly showcase the spread of gay life across the city. Our favorite gay bars for this year are located, one in Colonia Roma, another in La Condesa, two in Zona Rosa, and one in Centro Histórico, which brings us to our first key message:
There is not only one gay area in Mexico City anymore
We’ll dive deeper into the different gay areas in Mexico City in a future blog, but it’s worth noting that like other major gay cities such as New York, Berlin, or Barcelona, diversity has spread everywhere. It’s no longer common to find a single “gay strip” like Saint Catherine Street in Montreal, where all LGBTQ+ spots are concentrated along one road.
Ask a local about the gay area in Mexico City, and they might say Zona Rosa, but this hasn’t been the sole truth for years. While Zona Rosa still has many establishments catering to the LGBTQ+ community, the hottest gay nightlife spots have spread out. Don’t make the rookie mistake many first-time visitors do, thinking the gay scene in Mexico City is limited to noisy beer bars on Génova Street.
To save yourself time figuring out where to eat, drink, party, or have fun in the hottest cruising clubs and gay saunas, download the Gay Mexico City guide. It features over 280 specially selected spots, updated monthly by local gays, plus 13 Google Maps with all the places mentioned, so you can plan the perfect tour based on your interests!
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Disclaimer: Gay Bars, Not Gay Clubs in Mexico City
For this blog, we’re focusing solely on Gay Bars, and not including Gay Clubs, as it was impossible to narrow down a Top 5 without making this distinction.
A gay bar, for us, is a place where the main intention isn’t to dance. There might be music or drag performances, but the primary draw is to have a drink and enjoy a good time in a conversational environment.
Now, let’s dig into what qualifies as “the best” for this matter. When we choose a place to take part of any of our contents (the guide, our blog, social media posts, etc.) we don’t get swayed by superficial qualities like exclusivity or high prices without offering a genuine, authentic experience. We love spots that offer an experience true to Mexico City’s diverse, exotic, and contrasting nature. We want visitors to have unforgettable experiences that can only happen here, in a safe and welcoming environment.
If you want to explore more about different areas of Mexico City and what to do in each, check out The Best Areas in Mexico City for First-Time Visitors But let’s not delay any further and get to what you’re here for: the Top Gay Bars in Mexico City for 2024.
Zona Rosa, Mexico City
#5 Xuni Mezcalería
Though the gays in Mexico City weren’t early adopters of mezcal, it has become the city’s trendiest spirit over the past decade, permeating the gay bar scene. Xuni Mezcalería, located on the best street in Zona Rosa, has become a favorite pre-drink spot. Even if we suspect that they didn’t planned to become so popular among the LGBTQ+ community in the beginning, their attention to detail, delicious drinks and drag performances on selected nights, makes this place very attractive for many of us heading out for the night.
Xuni offers mezcal tastings to introduce you to different flavors and varieties. Despite specializing in mezcal, their prices and promotions make getting happily drunk accessible, like their Saturday mezcaleros promo with 3×2 on all mezcals until 10 PM or their permanent deal of 1 oz of mezcal + beer for 100 pesos.
Their exceptional snack menu is worth exploring, and they host events like vinyl nights, jazz nights, drag queen nights, and stand-up comedy.
Xuni Mezcalería earns its spot in our Top Gay Bars in Mexico City for embracing diversity and inclusion, offering a quality space at accessible prices. Walk ins are more than welcome but you can also make a reservation here.
La Condesa, Mexico City
#4 Tom's Leather Bar
We debated whether Tom’s Leather Bar is a gay bar or a gay club, but given its name and value proposition, it made to the list as a bar. Tom’s has been a favorite for over 25 years, remaining relevant with its firm, authentic personality: a night bar for men who enjoy sharing their masculinity. You won’t find drag shows here, but starting at 11 PM, their famous masculine strippers perform every hour in various fetish outfits.
Tom’s is perfect for solo travelers or those looking for a cruising club with good music. Their selection ranges from pop hits to operatic pieces, attracting a more mature crowd. The cover is 350 pesos, with varying beer deals depending on the day, like the popular “Martes de Tom’s” with five beers included.
Tom’s stands out for its strong concept, blending good music with adult entertainment and hosting the city’s most famous dark room.
Zona Rosa, Mexico City
#3 Nicho Bears & Bar
Located right next to Xuni Mezcalería, Nicho Bears & Bar is the classic bear bar that’s a must in any city with a good gay nightlife. This men-only bar welcomes those ready to amp up the party, drink well, and dance to pop hits.
Nicho is likely the loudest on this list, where you can dance all night with burly, hairy men. It features two bars and an excellent cocktail menu specializing in the classics. We recommend trying their Frozen Margarita or Bloody Mary. Nicho earns a spot in our Top 5 Gay Bars 2024 for its timeless appeal in Zona Rosa, excellent music selection, and unique design resembling a bear’s den ready for the mating season.
Centro Histórico, Mexico City
#2 El Tahúr
The next bar on our list is one of Mexico City’s best-kept secrets for gay travelers, offering a completely authentic and heartwarming experience of those living a discreet and low-profile gay life. We’re talking about El Tahúr.
El Tahúr is a traditional cantina in a popular neighborhood, free of pretensions that some might even call it decadent. They sell more than just caguamas (ka-waa-mas) – but these 1.2L glass bottles of beer for around 80 pesos are the most requested drink by almost everyone there.
You’ll find a mix of discrete mature gay men that have made of this place their den, prominent queer artists, and young gay folks who enjoy getting tipsy in this iconic LGBTQ+ spot to the rhythm of the jukebox, the focal point of the place.
The reason we placed El Tahúr at number 2 on our list is that every night we’ve had there has been epic and unforgettable. It’s the relaxed atmosphere, free of pretensions, where you can let your guard down, vibe with the place, and have meaningful conversations, that makes the experience of this truly local gay bar like no other.
El Tahúr is open every day and doesn’t take reservations. We recommend going on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday around 7:00 PM. Cash only.
La Roma, Mexico City
#1 Revuelta Queer House
Revuelta Queer House takes the top spot, offering a sexy, captivating, and eclectic space. Located on Puebla Street in an old mansion, its entrance marked by small LGBTQ+ flags and a staircase invites you to discover a haven for free LGBTQ+ spirit expression.
Revuelta’s incredible terrace bar feels like an exotic Mexican destination, not the heart of Colonia Roma. It’s perfect for connecting with friends, enjoying brunch and Aperol Spritz 2×1 on Sundays, or exploring their mixology and natural wine menu.
Each visit feels different, thanks to their varied weekly events like queer cinema screenings, vinyl & DJ nights, and an art gallery with community-interest exhibitions. Revuelta is a 10/10 spot for its atmosphere, design, drinks, and guaranteed fun. Open Wednesday to Sunday, check their weekly events on Instagram.
We hope our 2024 selection has sparked your interest and that you’ll consider Gay Mexico City for planning your next trip. Remember, by purchasing our guide, you’ll not only support this self-funded project but also gain access to more spots like these, including gay bars, gay clubs, our secret list of underground clubs, and cruising clubs. We guarantee you won’t run out of options to have fun just like we know how to do it.