Mexico Guide
Northern Jalisco and Michoacán
Nightlife
1 Antigues del Carmen Jacobo Galvez 45-B, at Juárez 
33/3658-2266 Decent restaurant that spills out onto a shaded plaza where dancers of all ages (though mostly older couples) come to twirl elegantly to the strains of recorded Latin music until around 1am – danzon on Sat, bossa nova on Sun. No cover charge, but food and drink prices have an entertainment component built in. Alternatively, you can just hang out under the trees and listen for free.
2 El Baron upstairs at Corona 181 Traditional restaurant-bar with Latin music. There are usually live performances Wed– Sun. Opening time: Daily 7pm–5am
3 Casa Bariachi Vallarta 2221 Loud and colourful restaurant-bar decorated with giant piñatas and full of mariachi bands. Opening time: Closed Sun
4 El Duende del Sacromonte Pedro Moreno 1388, at the corner of Robles Gil Lively bar worth visiting on Fri nights for its rumba and flamenco dancing.
5 Hotel Francés Maestranza 35 Piano-bar-style establishment in the courtyard of one of the centre's grander hotels. Come in the early evening (before 8pm) for happy-hour drinks typically accompanied by mariachi or piano-based trios.
6 La Maestranza Maestranza 179 Fairly straightforward drinking bar made all the more appealing by walls completely plastered with bullfight promo posters (plus a few bull's heads above the bar). DJs at weekends and moderately priced drinks.
7 La Moresca López Cotilla 1835, at De Cervantes Savedra. Lively late-closing restaurant and bar that makes a good spot for a bottle of house wine and a bruschetta.
8 El Mutualismo Madero 553 On Thurs and Sat nights this cavernous venue (normally a cantina) gets taken over by a Cuban band and everyone hits the dancefloor. Ceiling fans and wide-open windows give a suitably Cuban dancehall feel. Fri sometimes sees rock bands play. Price: M$10 cover
9 La Presciliana Sanchez 407 Dark and chilled-out gay bar (straights welcome) with casual drinking to Latin dance beats. A good place to kick the night off – then follow the crowds.
10 El Teu Lloc López Cotilla 570 The emphasis here is on drinking, but they also do very good pizza (M$50–65) and stuffed baguettes (M$45–50). There's a different house band every night, mostly acoustic, Latin, jazz and world music. Bands start around 9pm; things usually close down by midnight, so it's a good place to begin your night out.