Although I wouldn’t go out of my way to dine at the San Ángel Inn, the patio of the restaurant is one of the loveliest places to have a drink in the world – at least in the parts of the world I have visited. It is located in an ex-hacienda from the late 18th century, and when the weather is warm, sitting there among the hummingbirds and bougainvillea is enchanting.
People who drink margaritas swear by the San Angel Inn’s version of them. (I try to avoid them because sweet drinks are deceptive – they go to my head before I notice.)
I like martinis but tend to be impossibly picky about them. The San Ángel Inn is the only bar in Mexico City where I will drink one. Or two. (The city is crowded with trendy joints that make chocolate, vanilla and strawberry martinis. That these drinks are called “martinis” at all strikes me as sacrilege.)
Aside from knowing how to mix them, the best thing about the martinis here is their presentation – in miniature silver pitchers within miniature silver ice buckets. This is not just an aesthetic consideration. The ice assures that they are freezing cold, and temperature is the most important thing about a martini. The potato chips served alongside are made at the restaurant. Drinking doesn't get much better than this.