Cantina Crawl: Salón Tenampa

On a recent visit to Plaza Garibaldi, a popular destination for live mariachi music in the capital, I decided to check out Salón Tenampa, a well-known restaurant, bar and nightclub on the northern end of the plaza.  The atmosphere inside Salón Tenampa differs from that out in the plaza and it’s definitely worth a visit.  Grab a seat at the bar or in one of the tall wooden booths, order a few drinks from waiters in suits, listen to the mariachi bands, or better yet sing along, and take in the colorful scenery.

The bar at Salón Tenampa, Plaza Garibaldi, Mexico City

Salón Tenampa was founded in 1925 by Juan Hernandez Ibarra originally from Cocula, Jalisco. The name Tenampa, meaning Place of Walls, originates from the Nahuatl language.

The interior of Salón Tenampa is covered in large murals depicting some of the country’s best musicians and most memorable historic events.  The cantina employs its own elaborately dressed mariachi bands who spend the evening going table to table performing songs and entertaining customers.

The bar at Salón Tenampa offers a large selection of tequilas along with the usual Mexican beers.  The restaurant serves a variety of Mexican specialties including Molcajete con Arrachera, Chamorro Adobado and Cabrito Norteño as well as shared portions of quesadillas, sopas, tostadas, tacos and guacamole for snacking.

Despite Salón Tenampa’s popularity, prices are reasonable and generally reflect what you might expect to pay at a cantina in the historic center of Mexico City.  Hiring a mariachi band inside Salón Tenampa costs MX$80 ($6.40) per song, twice the going rate of a song out in the plaza.

You can stop in to Salón Tenampa for food and drinks anytime after 1pm but things don’t really get going until later in the evening, usually around 10pm, and continue into the early morning hours.  Salón Tenampa (map) is located on the north side of Plaza Garibaldi in the historic center of Mexico City.  Plaza Garibaldi is easily reached on foot from locations throughout the city’s historic center.  The closest Metro stations are Garibaldi (map) and Bellas Artes (map).

Photo Credit: Laura Nazimiec