3 Best Bars in Coyoacán, Mexico City

Stop by this restaurant-bar set in dramatic former 16th-century convent for drinks on the cloistered central patio. It's especially lovely around dusk and a great option for a pre-dinner drink, whether you opt to stay and dine here or wander elsewhere. There's live music some evenings, too.

Students and hip intellectuals of all ages pack "the Raven's Son," thanks to an interesting mix of rock, jazz, and other live music performances as well as intriguing art shows on the walls. Set on the northwest corner of Jardín Centenario, it's also a nice spot to enjoy a beer or a light bite to eat on the patio. It stages occasional theater shows, too.

Juan Hernández opened Salón Tenampa in 1925, and was the first to introduce mariachi, originally a folk music of his home state of Jalisco, to Plaza Garibaldi. Now Plaza Garibaldi is the place to hear (and hire) not only mariachis, but also groups playing regional music styles from around Mexico. Spend the night under Salón Tenampa's historic brick arches sipping on tequila and hiring the mariachis by the song (prepare, if you can, to sing along). Plaza Garibaldi and the surrounding streets can be dodgy at night so it's wise to take a car here and back.