North America's Best Bar Of 2025 Is An Intimate Hideaway With A Fig Martini Worth Booking A Flight For

For two years in a row, Mexico City's Handshake Speakeasy has claimed the top spot on the prestigious list of North America's 50 Best Bars — a not often seen accomplishment for this competitive annual ranking. You'll find this speakeasy-style bar in the basement of the NH Hotel in Colonia Juárez, a swanky 'hood neighboring Condesa, a leafy, walkable enclave with bohemian Miami vibes. Its compact main room, decked out in Prohibition-era embellishments, serves just 32 guests on the main floor. The bar is also home to a Japanese Izakaya. The inventive menu demonstrates the power of agave spirits — tequila, mezcal, and sotol — with authentically Mexican cocktails, but those aren't the only goods worth trying. 

Take, for example, the fig martini, which isn't quite as fruity as it sounds. This classic dry gin cocktail stirs the delicate aromas of bitter almonds and lemon peel with accoutrements of Cinzano and a 48-hour sous-vide fig leaf cordial, the product of local foraging. Bar director Eric van Beek and co-founder Rodrigo Urraca said in an interview with Travel+Leisure that it's the cocktail that "started it all" at Handshake, gracing the menu since its opening day and the one they recommend to newcomers. Your pilgrimage to this celebrated spot may involve passing a TSA checkpoint and boarding a flight, but you can bet your bottom peso that the journey is entirely worth it. 

Handshake Speakeasy has come a long way since it first opened in the luxurious Polanco district in 2018. The venue was revamped and relocated in 2021, creating an in-house cocktail laboratory to rival a scientist's lair, helmed by Dutch mixologist and co-founder Eric van Beek. His inventions include Once Upon a Time in Oaxaca, a clarified mezcal milk punch served beneath flaming steel wool. The Cariño cocktail is van Beek's award-winning creation, a sour that put him on the map internationally by incorporating the honey and spice of Bacardi Reserva Ocho with Greek yogurt, nutmeg, and lemon essence.

Of course, Handshake's allure lies in more than just its drinks. With 90-minute time slots for guests and a door you might actually miss from the street, the bar operates with a degree of exclusivity. And yet, the staff is warm and attentive from the moment you enter. Most cocktails are priced at just $300 MXN, equivalent to around $15 USD at the time of writing. The soundtrack keeps vibes high with pop and hip hop, and the venue is accommodating to both Spanish and English speakers.

If the allure of Handshake Speakeasy isn't enough to convince you to buy a plane ticket, consider that Mexico City is home to an impressive handful of award-winning bars, nine of which were also included in the list of North America's 50 Best Bars in 2025. The city itself is often ranked among the best in the world and is teeming with incredible attractions. As for accommodations, consider a stay at La Valise, located only four blocks south of Handshake Speakeasy. It is among the world's best resorts with open-air hotel rooms, located in a 1920s townhouse that oozes French-inspired luxury. From here, it's an easy Metrobús journey to El Califa de León, the world's only Michelin-starred taco stand.