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    HandShake

    4.4 (166 reviews)
    PriceyBars

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    HANDSHAKE ATMOSPHERE

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    Sandwich beef
    Poonam M.

    It's supposed to number 1 rated in the world for a speakeasy. Dont know why there was nothing special about it , have gone to way better decorative ones. The drinks were small with a huge piece of ice in it hardly any liquor in it. Food was ok of the one bite I took of a sandwich. They give you a half filled bowl of nuts , they say there's grasshoppers in the mix but didn't see even one in there. Not worth it !

    Krystal L.

    Honestly, I totally understand the hype! You definitely need to make a reservation because it gets booked up QUICK. Reservations open 2 weeks in advance so make it as soon as they open! I didn't realize this, but Handshake is in the lobby of a hotel. Check-in was smooth. There was a hostess that greeted us at the hotel entrance and we were escorted inside to our table. The ambiance was very dark and moody to resemble how it felt during the prohibition era. We had 2 servers and both were so fun and playful! On to the drinks. They were delish! I ordered the Thai-inspired drink and my friend ordered the olive oil martini. Both were great and totally inspired me to make more savory cocktails! Now something to note...they serve you a bowl of trailmix when you sit down. There are roasted grasshoppers in this trailmix! It was certainly a shocker, so just be aware of that as you're munching. Great conversation starter for sure, haha! You get 90 minutes before you're booted from your table which I felt was plenty of time to enjoy. There was a little mix up with our bill, but it was resolved quickly. I'd say this spot is worth checking out while in CDMX! I can see why it was voted the world's best bar in 2024!

    Banana Split
    Allie G.

    Handshake Speakeasy is worth the hype! I managed to snag a Friday night reservation in the basement room. The interior was dimly lit and moody, and the staff would yell a welcome every time patrons entered the space. They also did the same once people started leaving. For my first drink, I chose the Mexi-Thai. Handshake is known for their clarified cocktails and I was shocked by how complex the flavors were in this clear beverage. It was almost savory with makrut lime coconut, tomato, and basil oil. For my second drink, I chose the Banana Split. This one was much sweeter with rum, banana, and a blend of sherries. It came topped with a chocolate lego filled with banana ganache, which was insanely decadent and tasty. Our reservation was limited to 90 minutes, which was enough time for me. Overall, loved this spot!

    Vina R.

    This bar is the 2nd top bar in the world for a reason. The bar is small, dark, but cozy somehow LOL. We showed up during the week and got lucky that they took us in without a reservation. We had to wait a little, but it worked out. When we walked in all the bartenders greeted us as well as some of the guests. As it was very dim inside I had issues reading the menu. I ordered the drink with lychee (can't remember the name) and the pina colada. I can't pick a favorite between the both of these, but both were good in their own way. The lychee was sweet, but refreshing while the pina colada was a "clarified" but still tasted like a normal Pina colada. What I mean by clarified is that all the drinks are more clear looking. I guess that has to do with the bartenders being more innovative molecular mixology. They provide light snacks and have a 90 min limit. We didn't have to worry about the 90 min as we should up an hour before closing. Since it was my bday our server hooked it up with "shots", but turned out to be champagne lol. Highly recommend visiting this bar of in Mexico City, but plan in advance and make reservations.

    Mini espresso martini
    Maddi W.

    What an incredibly experience! If you can, I would absolutely snag a reservation to HandShake when you are in CDMX. Walk-ins are also possible but the wait can be quite long. We luckily had a reservation and were seated right away. I will save the surprise of what happens when you first walk-in (and leave) but we were warmly treated. My favorite drink was the Pina Colada and the Orange Blossom. The drinks are delicious, and the bartends are just WOW! You can see why this bar is rated one of the best bars in North America! Handshake is also stunning!

    Mexi-Thai, not well balanced at all.. actually hard to enjoy
    Lisa E.

    The least pleasant experience, bar, cocktails that I've ever had. I am usually a 2-4 cocktail gal and I could not get out of here quick enough. The entire process, from lining up in a hotel lobby, to being led down dingy steps to sitting on a tiny toad stool..there are so many fabulous cocktail bars in CDMX, do not be upset if you could not snag a reservation here, you are doing your self a favor. A speakeasy should be smartly disguised and fun to figure out, not a painted black basement. Should be called Hype-shake

    Kenneth H.

    Memories! A show! The drinks, well #1 for a reason! Service really good, but We thought and two other customers thought the yelling from entire when coming in and departing, well cheesy - sorry. Not Disney..... For a speakeasy, and a world class one... Your service, quality and the ambiance should "speak" for itself .... Than having to scream when arriving and departing. Also, they had some special guest.... Not sure the capacity, but they took the one on one experience away from the other guest. They served speciality (new working on) drinks off the menu to them and spent time explaining the drinks. 33 years in the hospitality industry... Myself. Operations, regional and corporate.... And other customers felt the same. Again, the service and quality, off the charts! And a MUST stop. You have to make reservations way way a head of time.

    Fig Martini
    Jake B.

    This was, far and away, the best bar I've ever been to. It's hidden by the hotel entrance, and is an adventure in itself finding the spot. We got extremely lucky and managed walk in with a party of 4, split up into two tables of 2. The drinks were amazing; my favorites were the cookies and cream and the salt and pepper. But all of the drinks I tried across the four of us were the best versions of those drinks I've ever had. The service and staff executed everything perfectly. Can't overstate how great this place is!

    Marta B.

    One of the best cocktails in my life. I had the pina colada and it was excellent. It's hard to get recreation and is quite pricey for cocktails but would recommend it if you are in CDMX

    Kirstie C.

    Best cocktails I have ever had. The details, the music, the thoughtfulness of everything in this bar is beyond words. It's hard to get a reservation but it's entirely worth it

    Ashley J.

    I made a reservation here right as they opened 2 weeks in advance. When we got there, we had to wait in line to be let in for about 10 minutes, so make sure to arrive early. The speakeasy itself is shockingly small, so not many people can dine at the same time. Service was extremely fast and great, and everyone we spoke to spoke English. The drinks were good. My favorite was the banana split, which came with a banana chocolate shaped like a Lego. This was a really cool experience, and I would come again.

    Cocktails
    Anne C.

    Definitely worthy of being the top bar in the world - the ambience, the service, the skills of the mixologists and the types of drinks they had! We loved the peanut butter and jelly which was so unique and loved that all the drinks were so nuanced. We couldn't resist and got 3 cocktails each and loved them all. They were all so unique and never too strong or too flavorful and just perfect. Highly recommend the PB&J!

    peanut butter and jelly
    Gary Y.

    Super friendly staff and fantastic drinks at Handshake. A lot of creative cocktails on the menu to try out - I really liked the peanut butter and jelly (which did taste like a P&J sandwich in a good way). Seating time limit was 90 minutes which is plenty of time to have a couple drinks. Highly recommend on making a reservation 2 weeks out (when they are released) to avoid a long wait for the walk ins.

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    Jules Basement - Barra Jules Basement

    Jules Basement

    3.9(69 reviews)
    0.3 kmPolanco
    $$$

    Not easy to find, but a lot of fun when you do!…read more One of my favorites spots, among many, in the heart of Polanco.

    Jules bar is advertised as a hidden speakeasy in Polanco that is located underneath a taqueria. The…read morebar is tourist friendly and cocktails are reasonably priced. Come early as there is usually a line before entering the bar. Atmosphere: to enter into the bar, you have to go downstairs through a refrigerator. In contrast to the bright colors of the taqueria upstairs, Jules was adorned with leathered walls, studded ceilings, and skeletons as table centerpieces. While trendy, it did come off as a little cheesy. Nonetheless, decor did reflect the vibe it was going for. There was limited seating, so if you have a large party would recommend going there early if you have a big party. Later in the night, there is a DJ who plays techno/dance music tends to draw in large crowds of people. Brings in a mixed crowd. Service: Service at the beginning of the night was good, although servers were less attentive as the night got later and more people were entering the bar. Cocktails: The bar offers a good variety of drinks and cocktails--which I can see why people would want to go back to Jules again. My group of friends and I tried about 8 different cocktails and the only one I enjoyed was the Low Key. The Low Key is comparable to a whiskey soul with mezcal garnished with tamarind candy. I did not care much for the other drinks, as some of them were overly sugary.

    Photos
    Jules Basement
    Jules Basement - Jules Basement

    Jules Basement

    Jules Basement - Live jazz @ Jules Basement

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    Live jazz @ Jules Basement

    Tlecan - Inside

    Tlecan

    4.4(59 reviews)
    3.8 kmRoma Norte
    $$

    Overall, liked my experience here. Came here with a friend on a weekend night and it was packed,…read morebut we didn't have to wait more than 5-10 minutes to get "seated". I say seated with parenthesis because most people end up standing here but we got lucky that a couple was leaving as we were right next to them after being asked our drink orders. It's kind of a weird system that they have and I think the staff didn't realize we didn't have our drink orders taken yet and asked the people behind us for theirs which was slightly annoying. It was a bit chaotic so I can see why it happened, but I do think they need a slightly better system. Anyways, the drinks were excellent and I love that they gave us a little small snack that included crickets (which I hadn't tried before yet). The vibes in here are really nice too. I love the dim lighting and the almost rock/clay atmosphere. The bathroom area is smaller than I was expecting but it was ok. I'd definitely return!

    This ranks among the top ten bars in North America and as a group of 6, we probably waited for 25…read moreminutes to get in. There are no seats, this is a standing bar except a few uncomfortable bar stools. Drinks were good, but I expected more. I got the colada and it was good, not too sweet. Almost clarified colada. Everything was very spirit forward which few of our friends really liked. This felt like a one time visit for me in CDMX

    Photos
    Tlecan - Bar area quite packed

    Bar area quite packed

    Tlecan - Ocelóyotl (mezcal based)

    Ocelóyotl (mezcal based)

    Tlecan - Bar area

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    Bar area

    HandShake - bars - Updated August 2026

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