I’ve been living in Mexico City for over 6 years and I have found that the best Mexico City Gay Bars are not where you think they are. Like in all cities, the boundries of the gayborhoods are constantly being redrawn.
My Top 4 Recommendations for the Best Gay Mexico City Gay Bars
I don’t know if you guys have noticed the same thing, but the gayborhoods in many cities are not as cool as they used to be.
In fact, the coolest bars in every city I have lived in haven always been located outside of the gayborhood. Mexico City is no Exception.
However, in a city this size, there will always be a crowd lining up for every bar even if it’s not the coolest in town. So how do you decide what to do?
In this post I will list the coolest new concepts in town. Most of these are event type parties that only take place one night a week. Here you can go out and be inspired by the coolness of the Mexico City gay scene.
I’ll also list some other concepts that have a big following so you can follow along and see what all the fuss is about.
1. Estereo Club
Open on Friday Night’s only. DM Estereo’s Instagram account to get on the guest list and save a little on the cover.
The cover here is relatively expensive for Mexico but far less than what you’re probably used to paying. Expect to pay between $200-$250 MX.
This is a dance club. Friday nights draw a younger crowd. They open at 11. You can pregame in any of the below bars/clubs in Zona Rosa starting around 8.
Estereo club was featured in a recent article about a night out in Mexico City.
2. Sic Club
Same venue as Estereo Club, but Sic Club takes place Saturday nights. It is more of a dance club vibe than a gay club vibe. The crowd is in their thirties.
They open at 11. You can pregame in any of the below bars/clubs in Zona Rosa starting around 8.
3. Wooow Club
Wooow Club has a newer vibe and a newer energy. I highly recommend this club as a pregame to the two listed above, or as a final (late night) destination.
4. Travesura – Lesbian, Queer, Gender Queer, LGBTQ+, Non-Binary hub of Mexico City
I lived down the street from Travesura for 4 years, the majority of my 6 years in Mexico City. It is outside of all the gayborhoods but people make the trip and it has become a destination in and of itself.
Check their Instagram for the Hours because this place is always changing, but for the most part they are open from Happy Hour to Late night.
It starts out as a happy hour place. Their food is cheap and delicious. My favorite is their tuna tostadas. If you’re gay, and you were thinking of going to Contramar for their famous Tuna tostadas, skip it, and go here for a real CDMX experience and not a tourist trap with a long wait.
This is a must for people who like a queer, progressive, LGBTQ+, non-binary scene. Lesbian Owned but attended by the entire alphabet.
Travesura is often where people go before going to underground parties later in the night.
Not part of any gayborhood, Travesura is a short walk from Barrio San Juan and a shot Uber ride from anywhere in CDMX.
Travesura is also famous for being a marisquería (seafood restaurant). I recommend having an early dinner here. If you’ve finished one of our walking tours, had a nap, and are hungry, Uber here for excellent happy hour food and a one of a kind Mexico City Scene.
Where is the Gay Area in Mexico City?
Mexico City has 2 Gay Areas. Both are filled with Mexico City’s best gay bars and gay clubs. Both are located within walking distance of Tracey Parker’s ideal neighborhood for hotels for gay travelers.
The three clubs mentioned above are marked on this map, but they are located outside these two gay areas in Mexico City. Below you will find a thorough listing of the best gay bars and clubs in each of the gay areas.
Zona Rosa – Mexico City’s Most Famous Gayborhood
For those that don’t know already, the gayborhood in Mexico City is named Zona Rosa. It is located beside Avenida Paseo de Reforma, a picturesque French style thoroughfare lined with tall office buildings and dotted with landmark monuments at every intersection.
Zona Rosa lies in between the Angel Del Independencia and El Ahuehuete (formerly La Palma). This article will focus on three side streets, off of Reforma where all the bars in Zona Rosa are located: Calle de Niza (which corresponds with El Ahuehuete), Calle Florencia (which corresponds with The Angel De La Independencia), And calle Amberes (which lies in between El Angel and El Ahuehuete).
***Note about Calle Genova. ******
I’ll also mention a quick FYI about calle Génova, which is also a major destination for bars but it contains purely straight bars. The difference is obvious but I wanted to put out this FYI just to prevent any confusion.
Is Zona Rosa Safe?
Yes, Zona Rosa is safe if you follow some simple guidelines:
- Always Take Uber or Didi or ride sharing apps, do not use taxis.
- Keep your wallet in your front pocket while you’re on a crowded dance floor or on the street.
- If somebody approaches you or calls out to you offering to sell you something, say “Gracias” and ignore them. Walk away.
Mexico, as a country, has a very aggressive street vendor culture. It is worse in the beach towns. It is not as bad in Mexico City because Mexico City is not a tourist town. You’ll be tempted to ‘respect the local culture,’ and that’s a wonderful instinct. But the street vendors like to take advantage of this instinct. They’ll try to be your friend only to pressure you to buy something you don’t want. At any point in time you can say “Gracias,” and walk away.
Zona Rosa and The Caberettito
A little piece of background to the nightlife in Zona Rosa is the concept of The Caberettito. These are cabaret clubs that focus mainly on drag, and other talents. The target audience is very young gay men between 17 and 21.
These places are where most gay men in Mexico City begin to explore what it is to be gay. There is less focus on hooking up and more on being gay.
Many older gay men include these cabarettitos as a stop in an evening of bar hopping, but not usually as a place to stay the entire night. The three cabarettitos in Zona Rosa are:
I find these clubs a great place to begin your night. They usually open early, around 8 or 9 in the evening. Yes they cater to a younger crowd, but the gay community in Mexico City is not as segregated by age as that of the United States.
These places are a must if you’re interested in seeing a key piece of gay culture. You won’t be the oldest one there, don’t worry. This is just one stop on the itinerary of a varied and diverse night.
Calle de Niza (Niza Street in English)
This street used to be the new frontier of the Zona Rosa area and now it is where the most popular and crowded bars are located.
Rico – The most popular new gay bar in Mexico City
Club rico is the most popular bar in Zona Rosa. It opened in 2019 and has been the place to be ever since.
For this reason the lines can get long and with so many other options I often decide it’s not worth it. If you’re looking for a crowd, this is the place, but there are others where the crowd is less dense.
Blow Bar
Blow Bar is a sleek and new space that draws a big crowd but it not packed tight. I give my number 1 recommendation to this bar. They have male strippers all through the night and drag shows in the early morning.
Fusion
Cabarettito open Wed-Sat 6PM-3AM
Calle Ambares
Calle Ambares is the original main strip of gay life in Zona Rosa. While the creative new concepts are popping up on other streets, a few classic clubs stilll remain on Amberes.
Kinky
This is a three level club with Kareoke and a crowd of men mostly in their 30’s and 40’s. There is karaoke on one of the levels, music and dancing on the others.
Dallas
I write all about this place in long form on my newsletter. If you’re enjoying this article, I think you’ll love the substack.
Dallas is a brand new sex club in the heart of Zona Rosa.
Ambares19
Erotica is perhaps the location on Amblers with the biggest street presence. It is a giant pink sex shop lit up very brightly. The first floor is a retail sex shop with overpriced sex toys, upstairs is a very large maze with a constant flow of men. The third floor is a dark room, bar, and balcony with a great view of the mexico city skyline and all the action of Calle Amberes.
Punto y Aparte
Another Caberetitto concept at the end of Amberes.
Calle Florencia
Calle Florencia is the southern border of the Zona rosa neighborhood.
El Taller – Classic Gay Bar in Mexico City with an Interesting New Concept on Sunday Nights
This bar is one of the oldest gay bars in Mexico City. It has changed locations all over the neighborhood and it is currently located on Calle Florencia. It has a dark room in the back and it has a dive bar vibe.
One thing to mention is that they are currently offering a live sex show on Sunday nights at 1030. Mexico City has a very active amateur porn community on twitter. Many of the most famous ‘sextwitteros’ are selected to perform sex live at El Taller on Sunday nights. It is a new concept that combines the gay world of social media with a old school brick and mortar club. It has been a great success.
Cabarettito Neon
Located immediately Next door to El Taller (this place is not currently on Google Maps)
Another cabarettito on calle Florencia.
Republica Del Cuba – Mexico City’s First Gayborhood Reinvents Itself
Calle Republica del Cuba is on the northern end of Mexico City’s Historic Center. Like most everything involving Mexico’s Historic center, this neighborhood is kind of odd.
It is pretty barren during the day and comes to life in a big way Thursday – Saturday nights. Here you will find many late night dance clubs, as well as some emerging coffee houses and restaurants that cater to the gay community.
This article talks about the history of this gayborhood and I absolutely love it.
Tracey Parker’s Stand Out Recommendations in This Neighborhood
The bars/clubs on this street have a certain vibe in common, which I will describe very soon. But first I want to mention 3 new concepts that really stand out which I think really deserve a visit during your trip here.
Hot Room
This is a really popular new bar that opened up on the Republica del Cuba gay area. It is a bear bar and it attracts a younger crowd.
Hot Room is very involved in the community and often hosts events for local community organizations during the week.
Like the rest of the Republica del Cuba scene, this bar is open Thursday through Saturday from 8PM till 3AM.
Donceles88
This is a community space with a community Bazar on the first floor. Upstairs in an event space with some of the most innovative and unique themed events in the queer community.
There is a big fixation on recreating the 90’s rave scene, but it’s much more than that.
Totally unorganized, different event companies doing different things every night. There is no easy way to present this space in a travel blog, which is why none of the bigger travel blogs even know about this space.
However, it’s not that hard to google Donceles88 and find out what’s going on. Highly Recommended!
LXLOCX La Loca
LXLOCX is where the old meets the new. It has a cutting edge underground vibe and a classic Cabaret show. The locals love this place and the line out the door is proof of that.
It is said to have the best drag lineup in all of Mexico.
Legendary Classics
Mexico City has a specific style when it comes to its traditional gay clubs. Mexico City has had a gay nightlife for decades and it is a city that values tradition over innovation. While I like to present the most innovative concepts first, the following clubs are Mexico City Landmarks.
La Purisima – One of the Classic gay bars in Mexico City
This is the most iconic gay club in all of Mexico City. Like all the clubs in this gay area, it is only open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6PM to 2AM.
Yes in Mexico City the gay clubs open early. While you’re unlikely to find a crowd at 6:00 when they open, they usually fill up by 8:00PM.
Many of the partiers have to finish up before midnight when the last metro trains leave the station. Those that stay beyond metro time hang out at the after hours clubs.
Thursday nights are crowded but not packed. Friday and Saturday nights there is a long line that wraps around the street. This is a fun dance club that plays dance music and regional Mexican music.
El Salón Marrakech
This was one of the first gay clubs I ever went to in Mexico City. A local brought me here.
If he hadn’t I never would have found it because I would have only gone to Zona Rosa. We arrived at 8PM on a Friday night and the place was absolutely packed. I was really surprised. It stays open until 2AM. This is a dance club with electronic and pop music.
Soberbia
This club greets you as soon as you arrive on Republica del Cuba. It is rather new to the scene. It showed up right before the pandemic at the end of 2019 and became popular very quickly. This is a dance club and gay bar in Mexico City.
Divina & Teatro Garibaldi
This club is one of a kind. It is an old theater that has been renovated many times. The costume shows are really incredible. It has a dark room and rooftop terrace too! It is open Thursday Friday and Saturday from 6PM to 3AM.
Salsa Dancing and Ritmos Latinos
For those who want to dance salsa and other latin dance forms there are many gay options. This is a scene in itself and many Mexican Gay men go to these clubs exclusively.
It is an older crowd but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t many young men here too.
El Oeste
This is a cowboy themed gay bar and dance club where you can find line dancing and many forms of Mexican dancing such as salsa, bachata, and more.
Bar El Tahur
This dive bar is a favorite of so many locals. It is two floors of tables with salsa dancing on the first floor. There is a very laid back vibe here and it is a very comfortable place to have some beers with a small or large group of friends.
After Parties
Secrets Disco Bar and Discoteque 69 – After Hours Mexico City Gay Bars
Since the goal of this website project is to present the lesser known underground local side of Mexico City I wanted to mention two after hours bars in the Republica del Cuba gayborhood whose clientele is uniquely Mexican.
Secrets and Discoteque 69 are known as ‘afters’ or after hours clubs in English. They are open until 8:00AM. They are a favorite spot for groups of gay amigos to spend time after the main clubs close down but before the Metro starts running to bring them back to their homes.
Mexico City is home to 20 million people. Most of these people live far from the city center in the outer areas. While the outer suburbs in The United States are usually affluent and well, suburban, the American definition of suburban does not apply in Mexico.
The outer areas of Mexico City are known as barrios or periféricos. These areas have a very unique culture and it is actually documented extremely beautifully by one of my favorite photographers FerShow. Follow this link to a page documenting his photography.
The gay men in these groups range from very feminine to very masculine, they speak with their own accent, and they usually travel together. They enjoy spending time in these after hours clubs dancing salsa and drinking beers out of a full carton of beers which is delivered to their table all at once.
People usually come to these clubs with friends they already have so it’s not the best place to meet others. But if you happen to meet a group of locals while you’re out in this neighborhood I highly recommend you propose to them that they heads over to Secrets for an ‘after.’ It’s an experience uniquely Mexican that surely become a fond memory.
Algo Tranqui Club
This club gets busy around 2AM and features drag queens all night as well as go go dancers and a dark room.
It is open Friday Saturday and Sundays.
A great option if you’re evening is not ready to end.
Other Community Businesses
As mentioned earlier, Calle Republica Del Cuba is mostly a zone for dance clubs. It isn’t a traditional gayborhood with a diverse array of gay businesses. But a few are beginning to open, so let’s watch and support them and see what happens.
Cafe Raval
This is a brand new cafe that opened up on this street and I really like the diversity it brings to the predominately dance club based businesses on this street.
The cafe serves coffee only with very few food options. The walls are decorated with photography that tell the story of the LGBT rights movement. It opens at 8AM in the morning and closes at 9PM in the evening.
During the day it is one of the only businesses open, although post COVID, this street is becoming diversified into more of a complete gayborhood as opposed to a zone of clubs that is only open on the weekends. I really look forward to seeing more of these types of businesses open on this street.
Foro Apoco No
This place is not a bar but rather a performing arts space that showcases local theater and dance groups. It is a wonderful place to connect with Mexico City’s bursting creative scene.
Other Popular Bars Outside the Gay Areas
Tom’s Leather Bar – Best Late Night Gay Bar Option for Tuesday Night
Located in the hip Condessa neighborhood, this bar is an old classic that recently has become known as a great spot to go to meet Foreign Men.
Open 9PM – 4AM and closed on Monday’s.
What makes this bar memorable is that there are always strippers, as well as the best dark room in Mexico City.
If you’re too timid to strip down to your underwear and attend a gay sex party, this is a great spot to cruise other men after hours.
Admission is between $100-$200MX and includes 8 free beer vouchers. The vouchers can be gifted to other guys if you’re interested in buying drinks for others.
Where is the gay area in Mexico City
There are 2 Gay Areas in Mexico City.
1. Zona Rosa is the most well known gay neighborhood.
2. Republica del Cuba is a major thoroughfare of gay nightlife that really gets hopping around 6PM Friday and Saturday Nights. There is also a pretty decent scene Thursday night as well. Outside of these hours you may not even be able to tell the difference.
What are the top gay places in Mexico?
Mexico City is by far and away the top gay destination in Mexico. Tracey Parker Travel covers the progressive and dynamic gay community that is having a big moment.
Is Zona Rosa Safe?
Yes. Zona Rosa is a very safe neighborhood in Mexico City where you can stay out late into the night without having to worry about anybody praying on you.
How Big is Zona Rosa?
Zona Rosa is a large neighborhood in Mexico City. It is located between Avenida Insurgentes, Paseo del Reforma, and Avenida Chapultepec. The gay area of Zona Rosa is a sub section of this larger neighborhood and it is located in between Calle Niza and Calle Florence.
Where is the Mexico City Red Light District?
Click here to read about gay cruising in Mexico City and where it takes place.
Does Mexico City have a Gay Scene?
Yes! Mexico City is one of the most underrated gay scenes in the world. A thriving sex positive community exists with communities and parties galore!