Querétaro, located in central Mexico, is not always at the top of mind for places to visit in this gorgeous country. That said, there are more than enough sunny patios, dusty cantinas and interesting restaurants to dig into. Many of the bar hops that we have published here require some amount of determination and fortitude to finish in a night. For Querétaro, we suggest taking it easy.
1/ El Centro. Like many Mexican cities, el Centro is where you will want to start your tour. There are many cafes and restaurants (particularly around Monumento a la Corregidora) that open as early as 8am and stay open until midnight. Pick one, order a beer and a bandera (that’s tequila, lime juice and sangrita) and watch as the sun sets and the city’s energy changes from daytime errands to evening leisure. Mexican craft beer has improved immensely in the last 3 years, so don’t feel like you are stuck with Tecate or Modelo. Both Wika and Calavera have several bottled beers available, keep an eye out for them.
2/ Maria y su Bici (Calle 5 de Mayo 91, Centro). A few blocks from the square at the centre of town is Maria Y Su Bici. This bar/restaurant serves traditional Mexican food in a light hearted, open and airy room. Their mezcal selection is fantastic. There are daily specials and a server walks around the restaurant, stopping at each table, sampling mezcales of the day, like a sommelier. He will have 5 or 6 in his basket and will leave your choice bottle on the table for you. You pour for yourself until someone else wants that same bottle. He marks the bottle for how much you drank and charges accordingly. Mezcal is WAY less expensive in Querétaro than Mexico City or any resort town. You will want to eat here, taste the authentic dishes that Maria and her team specialize in (yes, Maria is a real person). They also have an adjoining shop where you can buy chapulines and other items featured on the menu. (We love this place, can you tell?)
3/ Dodo Café (Venustiano Carranza 50, Centro). After dinner, head up the street and around the corner to Dodo Café. This 25 seat cocktail bar is one of the finest in the country. Playful twists on classics and some original creations that rely heavily on Brandy and Tequila are made and served with the precision and care you would expect in any world cocktail capital. Have two and be sure to say “Buenas Noches” to bartender Omar.
4/ Gracias a Dios (Andador Libertad 51, Centro) If you are feeling up to it after a lazy day of drinking and wandering around this historically significant town, head to Gracias a Dios. You may recognize the name as it is a bottled mezcal brand that has been showing up outside of Mexico recently. This bar is affiliated directly with that brand. They have several varietals of mezcal available (for a primer look here at what Owen Walker wrote for us). If you like what you taste, you can buy a bottle to bring home with you. Heads up though, this bar has the opposite atmosphere of Café Dodo and Maria Y Su Bici. Gracias A Dios is an open roof, cement floor, smoking indoors cantina. It has it’s own set of charms.
Querétaro is a beautiful and safe city to visit in Mexico. Both taxis and Uber are plentiful in Querétaro so getting back to your hotel should be a breeze.
Do you have any bars in Querétaro to add to our list? Comment below.
Note: As with all Bar Hops, we are not encouraging getting inebriated. This is a list of great cocktail bars that we suggest visiting while in Querétaro. We want you to have fun and play safe. Check out How to Do a Good Bar Hop for some hot tips.
