Parker & Lenox: the speakeasy with live music and craft cocktails

In a bustling metropolis as big and lively as Mexico City, there seems to be an infinite amount of nightlife venues to choose from: clubs, bars, cantinas, and speakeasies — a 1920s concept that’s become a fascination with millennials.

Speakeasies were clandestine bars that emerged during the Prohibition era in the United States. It was in these hidden, cool-cat establishments where jazz music flooded the air and craft cocktails were further developed to hide the taste of illicit alcohol. Today, speakeasies, or rather the bars inspired by them, are the new places to see and be seen while sipping away on your favorite combination of liquors.

One of the best-known speakeasies in Mexico City is Parker & Lenox. In order to get in, you must first pass through an American-style diner until you get to a lonely door. If you feel like you’re not in the right place, you most certainly are. Opening the small, out-of-place doors, you’ll walk seconds through a dark corridor until a dimly lit room with an elegant bar and red-curtain stage meets your eyes.

More nights than not you will be able to sit down and listen to a live set of jazz and/or blues. The entrance is often free, but sometimes there can be a cover of 100 or 150 pesos — a small price to pay for a night of sweet melodies. To get a good table, arrive fairly early, around 9pm, and make yourself comfortable. Order a classic cocktail or artisanal beer while looking over their menu: choices such as chili hot dogs, fried chicken, milk shakes, and French fries will have your taste buds savoring.

This spot is the favorite of many and is ideal for any type of night out. It can be a place for pre-drinking before hitting the clubs or just a spot to get together with friends for some good laughs and even better music.

UPCOMING EVENTS 

Friday, Oct. 26: Vinyl Selector en Lenox Bar Brendan Flannery / 9pm / No cover 

                                 Temporadas P&L presentan Mariana Terroba Gypsy Project / Jazz manouche / 10:30pm / 150 pesos

Saturday, Oct. 27: Ram Sextet / Swing / 10:30pm / 150 pesos

Tuesday, October 30: Closed for a private event

Wednesday, October 31: Tribute to Quentin Tarantino by The Hateful Four / R&R, blues, and R&B / 10pm / 150 pesos

Thursday, November 1: Casa de Agua / Jazz rock / 10pm / 100 pesos

Friday, November 2: Temporadas P&L presentan Kaiju / Jazz / 10:30pm / 150 pesos

Saturday, November 3: Dannah Garay / Jazz / 10:30pm / 150 pesos

Tuesday, November 6: Emilio Reyna Trío / Jazz / 9:15pm / No cover

For reservations call 01 55 7893 3140
Milán 14, Colonia Juárez

*** 

Other articles that might interest you: 
Terraza Cha Cha Chá: social cuisine and revolutionary views
A Saturday in San Ángel & Coyoacán: Where to Eat, Drink, and Explore
Under the Volcano: the hidden Mexico City bookstore