Jules Basement

"First impression? Enter through a sliding refrigerator door and head down the steps to this incredibly low-lit speakeasy and cocktail bar in the back of an unassuming restaurant. So long as you have a reservation, entrance should be easy. Cool. So who’s there? Trendy young things and cocktail enthusiasts. How are the drinks? Cocktails are serious business here—either order one from the menu or tell the bartenders what you like and leave it to them. Worth ordering something to eat, too? There are a few bar snacks, mainly involving cold meats and cheeses. There is a taco restaurant upstairs, though, if you get really peckish. Did the staff do you right? The staff is a little detached and aloof, but the drinks are well-mixed.They certainly know what they're doing, but friendliness can be hit and miss. It's cool to be aloof, right? Wrap it up: what are we coming here for? Take a date. The low-lighting and sumptuous cocktails set a romantic scene." - Susannah Rigg

"Inspired by the trend for speakeasy bars in NYC, Jules Basement jumped on the bandwagon and brought the concept to Mexico in 2012. And like its NYC predecessors, there are rules here: You must make a reservation in advance, you must enter through an industrial refrigerator door at the back of a taqueria, and once inside the striking, leather-clad, subterranean bar there are no Jägermeisters, bad beers, or Red Bull-based drinks allowed. All of this makes for a pretty civilized evening enjoying both classic cocktails like Manhattans and Martinis and some pretty amazing riffs on these, like the mezcal laced Campari cocktail. Tuesdays are the best night to make a reservation as there's always live jazz."

"Mexico City is no stranger to theatrical speakeasies and our favorite is Jules Basement. This reservation-required bar is, in fact, in a basement, but one that can only be accessed through the door of a refrigerator in the back of a neighboring taco shop. Once you take a seat at the bar and start drinking the cocktails, you’ll realize the effort was worth it. The drinks, while not any less dramatic than the entrance, are easily among the most unique you’ll find in the city. Plus, if a mezcal cocktail served inside an iridescent skull with hickory smoke billowing from the top doesn’t sound like something you want to get involved with, you’re either lying to yourself or not the person we want to go on vacation with." - Brant Cox

"Enter through a sliding refrigerator door and head down the steps to this incredibly low-lit speakeasy and cocktail bar in the back of an unassuming restaurant. So long as you have a reservation, entrance should be easy. Cocktails are serious business here—either order one from the menu or tell the bartenders what you like and leave it to them." - Scarlett Lindeman