Beer lovers from punks to suits make a beeline for this boisterous, no-frills bar that's been hoisting up the cold ones since 1928. Amiable staff serve up tarros (mugs) of light or dark cerveza de barril (draft beer) and bottles of almost every known Mexican beer.

The country's first cantina proudly displays its license (No 1), dating from 1855. Inside the building that once housed the hemisphere's first university, it's within shouting distance of the Palacio Nacional. Since then, every Mexican president except Vicente Fox has stopped in for a trago. The botanas (drinking snacks) here are particularly fine.

Tucked away on a quiet backstreet, this casual hangout is the closest you can get to riding the metro at rush hour, with a college crowd jamming three narrow rooms. Purchase beer tickets, then make your way over to the cactus-trimmed bar. The soundtrack ranges from classic rock to Café Tacuba; don't be surprised if the crowd spontaneously bursts into chorus.