I want to check out the nightlife scene in Colonia Del Valle, and need a destination address for my Uber driver. Major Tom pops up on a quick map search and with a great name like that, how can I resist? My expectations are high as I step out of the car onto the curb.
It's pouring in Monterrey on this Saturday night, and I am worried that the rain will keep people home. But the place is packed, probably a clear sign of a trendy destination.
The crowded bar is short and claustrophobically situated next to the numerous tables in the place. Disappointingly, they don't have signature cocktails, just a few standards found everywhere (Margaritas, Palomas, etc.) The drink menu is just the common list of beers and spirits you find in even the lowliest Mexican cantina, with maybe just a few craft beers and such added.
No worry - at least I'm out in Del Valle! I find a table and order a drink. I'm quickly informed by a cocktail waitress (very politely) that the table is reserved and I'm welcome to stay until the party arrives, but then I'll have to find a place at the bar (not gonna happen) or stand. Instead, I finish my drink, pay, and leave to look for better options.
The crowd is definitely affluent and attractive, but like many places of this kind (I hadn't been to Mexico for a long time before this trip but the word to describe it used to be "fresa"), it's focused on the exclusivity of reserved tables, which create social silos that preclude the random interactions which, for me, are what make drinking establishments social and fun.
A real "see-and-be-seen" kind of place. If you're just after a good drink with a more spacious, longer bar, you're better off at Mapache one street over. read more