Steph C.
Yelp
Jules Basement is a beautiful speakeasy underneath a taquería in Polanco. It's legitimately hard to find--we did a full loop around the block in the rain before figuring out where it was hiding--which is unusual for speakeasies I've been to in the U.S. The bar is super decked out, with snazzy modern flourishes and a black and white color scheme. The walls are upholstered with seamed leather, the ceilings studded with grayscale pyramids like little geometric stalactites. There are big white skull sculptures under the glass tables.
We went on a Saturday night around nine and were able to walk in and get a table without hassle, as long as we were willing to share once the bar got busier. It filled up over the next few hours, and we did end up sitting with a couple of strangers for a while--a very nice couple from New York. There didn't seem to be many Mexicans in this bar. We mostly heard people speaking English with American accents--there were probably more people from L.A. than from Mexico City. Jules Basement, with its cheap craft cocktails and cool Polanco speakeasy setting, seemed to be made for American hipster tourists. Enclosed in this trendy space, we might as well have been in the West Village, or downtown L.A., except that the drinks were all like $8 to $10 U.S. dollars.
Service was excellent. We just sat and ordered and drank--never had to go to the bar or even try particularly hard to grab a server's attention. My only complaint is that it was too dark to read the menu without using our bright-ass phone lights, but that was trivial enough. We ended up staying for four rounds.
These were our sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth drinks of the day, and I'm going to blame the alcohol and the Spanish language menus for my inability to remember the exact eight cocktails we ordered. I do know we stuck with the signature cocktails (Jules' Basement has a huge menu, with pages of Prohibition Era and classic cocktails in addition to the fifteen or so signature options, plus of course, the all-encompassing "Mixologist Choice"). My best guess: we got the A La Altura Del Corazón, the Lipstick Kahlo, the Rojo Bikino, the Roy Olmstead, the November Night, the Camilo XXI, the Terracotta Earth, the Elegante Del Caribe. I won't even get into all the ingredients, but every cocktail was delicious, interesting and well made. I remember one of the drinks with apple (either the A La Altura Del Corazón or the Elegante Del Caribe) being one of the best sweet cocktails I'd had in recent memory. I also loved one that was super vinegary (perhaps the Roy Olmstead?). The four or five stirred on-the-rocks cocktails were smooth and boozy and beautifully made, with deft balanced mixtures of alcohol and things like cinnamon and chili and genmaicha bitters.
We had a great time at Jules' Basement and would recommend it if you're looking to have some stellar craft cocktails. It's a cool place, and if you're a tourist, chances are good that it's within walking distance of your hotel. The hardest part may just be finding your way in. Best of luck, and happy drinking.