Going out and grabbing a drink at a bar in Playa Del Carmen is just about on everyone’s list of activities to do when vacationing here. It can be hard to decide where to go and what is good, so we compiled a list of Playa Del Carmen bars. Read through and see what might fit what you are looking for. We will continue to add bars to this list for Playa Del Carmen and keep it updated.
General information for Bars in Playa Del Carmen
- Quality of drinks range from bottom shelf alcohol and weak tourist drinks or top shelf well-made cocktails. In general, you will get much better drinks going out in Playa then at all-inclusive hotels.
- Generally drinking on 5th Avenue will be more for the same drink. Cocktails usually fall in the range of 80-150 pesos. That is still a good value compared to many places in the world.
- Alcoholic drinks can be expensive for locals based on wages, so beer is very popular at 40-60 pesos each. It is good there is a wide selection of beers here and perhaps some you have not tried.
- Most bars are open un 2:00am. If you want to stay out longer you will have to go to a club. Most people start at bars and move to clubs around 1:00am or 2:00am
- Most of the bars are on 10th Street, 12th Street and 5th Avenue.
- Tipping at a bar is less than other countries. At some simple bars, tipping is only done when you order a few drinks. Usually, no tip is given when having a beer.
- Don’t be afraid of any ice because ALL bars use purified water.
- Have fun and be safe. Playa is a safe place, but people can take advantage of drunk people anywhere. Read our safety in Playa Del Carmen article for more information.
*See map below for all the locations.
Bars on 12th Street in Playa Del Carmen
Abolengo Bar is an open-air bar on the corner of 12th Street and 1st Avenue. It is a new take on the old-style Mexican cantina bar. It is medium loud and a great corner to people watch and be watched. They do serve some light food, if you can get a table. If you come before 10:00pm it is fairly quiet. The later in the night it gets, the louder and wilder it gets.
Beach Bars in Playa Del Carmen
Zenzi Bar is on the beach by 10th Street. Some nights there is live music and salsa dancing. They do serve food, but we prefer this as just a place to get a drink.
Senor Frogs is one of the places that is so tacky but has become so Mexican at the same time. There is always fun music and lighthearted staff to make it a fun time. They are open 10:00am-2:00am daily so you can come during the day to the beach and this bar. Bar food is served here but it is typical bar food and tourist priced. Senor Frogs is by the Cozumel Ferry Pier.
Bars with live music in Playa Del Carmen
If you want some good music to go with your drinks, there are some good places for you. Most of the bars are on or near 5th Avenue and a few on the beach. Here is our guide to live music bars in Playa Del Carmen.
Sports Bars in Playa Del Carmen
Want to watch some sports, chill have a drink and maybe even make some sports bets? Here are some good options for you.
Taco City is on 5th Avenue between 12th Street and 14th Street. This place has some of the best TV’s and if you want a game, this might be the best place to see it. Open until 1:00am daily.
Los Tabernacos is a lively bar with a Canadian flair. Fun atmosphere off 5th Avenue on 10th Street between 10th Avenue and 15th Avenue. Closed Mondays Open Tuesday-Sunday 4:30pm-2:00am.
Bars on 5th Avenue or just off 5th Avenue in Playa Del Carmen
El Tigre Bar is a Mexican style cantina bar in upscale hotel. Here you can try mezcals, tequilas and other Mexican spirits. This is a quieter bar albeit with Mexican Bandamax music. The bar is new and upscale. This bar is on 10th Avenue between 2nd Street and 4th Street.
Dirty Martini Lounge is a favorite for local expats and martini lovers. Here you get quality drinks and good prices. It is worth going a little off 5th Avenue for this bar. You can find the Dirty Martini Lounge on 1st Avenue between 10th and 12th Streets. This bar closed a while back, but is back!
Las Helodias is on 28th Street going down to Mamitas Beach. This stop makes for a good daytime bar on your way or coming back from the beach. They have fun liter drinks here that are unique.
Beer Bars in Playa Del Carmen
Club De Cerveza is the best place to get a wide selection of Mexican craft beers. With other 60 different craft beers from around the world, you can drink your way to a happy place. They also have a higher end range of “bar food” here and you can eat as well as drink here. Club De Cerveza is right on 5th Avenue between 34th and 38th Street.
Cerveceria Chapultepec is a trendy spot to get some beers. There are two locations in Playa. Here you can have a good beer and get a feel for what Mexico offers in chic bar style.
Manne’s Biergarten is German beer bar on 4th Street between 10th Avenue and 15th Avenue. It is popular with some expats and just beer lovers.
Maps guide to all the bars in Playa Del Carmen
Bar tour in Playa Del Carmen
Are you looking for that epic night out in Playa Del Carmen but not sure where to go? You can join in a group and get all your drinks included and easy access to the best bars in town. This tour will take you to three of the best bars. You get unlimited drinks and entrances. To check this tour out click the link here for more information. 
We also recommend you see our article on nightlife in Playa Del Carmen and what clubs are good to go to.
Now that you know where the good bars are check out our article on some great drinks in Playa Del Carmen. Some of these are at restaurants and some at bars.
If you are looking for Gay and Lesbian bars you can check out our guide here. Playa is very mixed so everywhere is friendly but in the guide, you can find some more specific spots to check out.
What is your favorite bar in Playa Del Carmen and why? We want to hear from you. Let us know in the comments below.
About The Author
Hands down…Bad Boys. You are like family here. Everyone is super friendly. Mostly ex-pats. Great music with Creizy Toy and Luis and the Holy Smokes. Dance in the sand!
Awesome article. I’m coming to Playa this week and your site has really helped me.
Hello Sebastian. We hope you have some great nights out in Playa Del Carmen. There are some great bars and about something for everyone. Enjoy! We are glad to be of help to you.
Karen’s on 5th Ave. Has live music afternoons and evenings everyday. It’s Andes/ South American music and pop and rock civers played with andes instruments. It’s a great place for feel good music. It’s too bad that these live music posts and blogs never mention this restaurant. I guess folk music isn’t taken seriously….
Hello Jill
We take all music seriously. Thanks for mentioning this place. We want to include all live music in Playa Del Carmen. We just have never heard the music there and if there is a mariachi band or someone playing we just assumed it was someone passing by going from restaurant to restaurant. Thanks for the tip. We will go by there.
I love your guides and use your site more than any other for planning my trip in and around Playa Del Carmen. I had a question. I have a group of 5 in our 30s and we want to go to three bars in one night. What bars would you suggest? we want something not crazy but do want some quality drinks or it can be beer, just not watered down drinks for tourist. Thanks
Hello. We are gad to give you a couple of suggestions. If we knew even more about you we could recommend a totally perfect night for you. Based on the details you gave us we would suggest starting at Catch on the Thompson roof. Have one drink here and enjoy the view. You will get cool cocktails or you can have a beer. Then go to Caguameria. This is a bar/restaurant and here have some Mexican beers or a cocktail with mezcal. Then for a wild ending go to Dolores Yucabar on 12th Street. Have a beer here and enjoy the eclectic group of people that goes here and enjoy the energy of 12th Street.
One alternative bar with good drinks is Dirty Martini. It might not fit you guys but you can check it out. We hope you have sun and let us know if you have any other questions.
This is a great overview to bars in Playa del Carmen. We wish some of the older beach bars were still open but they seem to be all going away.
We found Dolares Yucabar on your site and checked it out. Supercool underground bar, except it is on the second floor and not really underground. Cool spot. We would not of found it unless we saw it on your bar guide.
Thanks John. We are always trying to find the cool bars and local finds to tell our readers. We are glad you had a good time.
You really make it easy to go out for a drink in Playa! So many bars to choose from! It looks like we are going to have a good time!
I travel to Playa at least 3 times a year and let me tell you, that you did a great job!!! Hands down to you. My question to you is… I’ll be there on NYE with my partner; is there a bar I can make a table reservation for that night?
Hello Frank
One bar/club is Coco Bongo. Tables with bottle service are expensive here but you are able to reserve them. This is a place if you like a younger party scene. We have been here for New Years and it is not as exciting as being out on the street. They just played a video on the screen of fireworks and I think did the New York New York number. All of the bars on 12th Street will be pack. We often do not hear of them doing table service on those nights because more people walk around and come and go. All of the restaurant along 5th will do something for New Years but this is better for a dinner and then going out. The Thompson does a good New Years on the rooftop, Hyatt is also know for doing something along with firework. One of the issues in Playa is the marketing, most places have not started to advertise yet and will do so about three weeks before. So we should be getting more details soon on what is being offered and then you can choose what fits you the best. We hope to do an article on options soon. But for now those are some ideas for you. We hope you have a great trip down and fun time here!
Hello. I love your guides. This bar of Playa Del Carmen is perfect for us because we like seeing what different places open around town. We come each year and are always surprised at what has closed and gone. You do a good job keeping up with things there.
I’m loving these guides. Get info on Playa Del Carmen. thanks
There are a lot of bars in Playa del Carmen to choose from but you help narrow it down. Many have bad quality drinks. I hate that tourist have weak drinks but the prices have gotten much lower with the exchange rate.
Thanks for your guides, they are super helpful and you guys much know Playa del Carmen pretty well to write so much about it and maybe you did a lot of drinking for thins bar guide. lol
It’s perfect time to leave a note about your site. We wanted to thank you for your guides and information. We really enjoyed our time in Playa Del Carmen.
Looking for a bar with and older ex-pat crowd. Hot spot used to be Bad Boys but now closes. Where are The Nasty Bastards playing?
Wah Wah is still a popular place or you can check out Moms bar on 30th. It is smaller but has an older crowd there. On Tuesdays you can check out Dirty Martini. There is 2×1 and there is more of a crowd over 35 there.
Can you recommend a bar in Playa del Carmen for a bachelorette party. We want a place that is not too loud or small. We have about 15 people and want to go out for drinks and kind of have a private space. Thanks.
Hello Doreen
Many bars are on the small size so it is good you asked us for a recommendation. Caguameria can hold a group and they can have a space off to the side for you. You should call in advance or stop by to set it up for the best service. Dirty Martini is a good option on 1st Avenue, Abolengo can be fun if you go on the early side, later in the night they get crowded. That will give you a few options. We hope you have a great time out in Playa.
Where is the best place to go for salsa dancing in Playa
The easiest is Salasanera on 12th Street between 5th Avenue and 10th Avenue. You can also check out the more local place Raices on Juarez Avenue in the Ejido, that is the other side of the Highway.
Loving the guide, it’s very informative. Just a couple of questions if you don’t mind. We are going out to dreams tulum for a wedding in July and wanted to throw the groom a stag do. First one being transport to and from tulum and playa del carmen. Secondly do you recommend paying for a bar crawl or going it alone?
Thanks, Terry.
Hello Terry
That is exciting you are coming to Playa. For transportation here is a local charter service that we have used and like. https://everythingplayadelcarmen.com/charter-transportation-playa-del-carmen/
For the bar crawl I think it depends on your age and size of group. If you are a large group and want to have someone organize it so it does not turn into a fiasco, the bar crawl can be a fun way to see bars, have a reserved section and fast entrance. If you have not traveled a lot and are one or two people, it can be fun to join a group and meet new friends on a round of bars in Playa. If you might want a little more sophisticated bars, you might want to plan on scoping some out and doing it yourself. For example, Dirty Martini is a cool bar and more laid back. Caguameria is also a good place for drinks that is more Mexican feeling. If you have beer lovers you can also make it to Carmen Beer Company. If you need further advice or have a group that wants to go to one bar, We have all the contact of them and can easily set up a night for you to enjoy.
Hi coming to playa for a divorce party for a friend where would you recommend we go for a good time and single people?
Hello and happy divorce!
What ages are the people? Do you want a club, bar or place of entertainment? These will effect what we say is the best options for you.
Late 20s early 30s. Both bar and maybe a place of entertainment. Thank you for your quick responses.
Ok, thanks for the updates on what you are looking for. Kixchen on 5th Avenue can be a place to hear bands and have drinks but it often is crowded, so if you have a larger group you might have to come early or ask them to reserve a spot for you. Caguameria on 20th Street and 1st Avenue can be a good place to have drinks and still be able to have a conversation. They also serve good food. Some nights (usually Fridays) they have a dj or live music upstairs. So you can have a choice of quieter area or music front and center. These two places will have better quality drinks then the clubs on 12th. The clubs have sugary weak drinks. If you want a high-end place, you can check out Catch on the top of Thompson hotel on 12th. They do not have entertainment but the view is very good.
Thank you for the info went to a couple of the bars recommended had a great time. We also went to a strip bar called tapanko what a blast didn’t get back to the hotel till 6am.
Everyone was friendly and the staff was upfront with everything $. The girls were anywhere from decent to a 10. Our group was all Americans and did not Spanish too well but the club was very accommodating never felt unsafe at all. Definitely will be going back on are next trip!!!!!!
So glad to hear it all worked out well. People can always be apprehensive about a new place but people are very welcoming here. Hope to see you soon.
Thanks for your wonderful website. Went to Gonzalez beer yesterday. Seems to be gone. An empty bar was on the second floor of the mall, but everything was gone and empty. Do you know if they moved?
Thank you Joe for letting us know. This must of just happened recently. We will check it out. They also closed in one of the malls. For now, if you want to have good beer, check out Carmen Beer Co. And Club de Cerveza.
Hi!
No way Dolores has closed ?! Do you have any bar to recommend with the same vibe?? I’m coming back to Playa in 2 weeks 🙂
Absolutely love your website with all the good recommendations.
Thank you!
Yes, Dolores has closed. We have heard they are going to redevelop that whole block. There are less bars now open in Playa Del Carmen. Something with the same vibe? You can try one of the smaller bars on 10th. It is not the same but you can give it a shot. There is Don Mezcal and a new one Mia.
Hey! Me and a mate (two females aged 30) are hitting to playa on Friday. I was worder if you could suggest some bars we could go to. We’re not looking to party hard just to enjoy the night
Hello Caress
Here are some ideas for you. Start with a drink at Catch Restaurant, the roof has a great view, have one drink and then progressively work your way north. If we knew what you were drinking that would be helpful but will assume you drink any liquor. Next go to Caguameria on 1st Ave and 20th. Have some drinks maybe mezcal cocktails and perhaps a snack. Then make your way to Live Aqua roof. This hotel has a bar on the roof. It is on 1st Ave and between 30th and 32. You can ask at the desk if there is any special events. Then if you have any party left in you, you can go to the Cuban bar Bodeguita Del Medio on 5th Avenue and 34th. Have a mojito and dance the night away. We hope you have a fun time. Let us know how it goes.
Thanks very nice site. I see a lot of bars in Playa Del Carmen have closed. Are there new ones coming?
Hello Maura
Yes there have been some clubs and bars closed. Some are getting renovated and some new small bars have opened. Probably in the next year we will have some new bigger clubs opening here. We will keep you posted.
Hola! I am having my bachelorette party here in PDC. My girls are mid 30’s, very chill and some gay so I was hoping to go on more of a photo hunt than party til you drop. I read over your awesome ideas above and plan on starting at Catch for a rooftop picture and definitely getting a pic next to the big plastic cow at Vaquitas. Please let me know any other ideas you might have for places to take memorable pictures with my lifelong friends.
Hello!
That sounds like a fun idea. Here are some places you might want to go. A great place for photos is the 3D museum. They will even take your photos for you. It might be a little expensive for the group but you have tons of cool photo ops! https://everythingplayadelcarmen.com/3d-museum-playa-del-carmen/
Here is also an article we have about places on 5th Avenue where you can take iconic photos. This might just be perfect for you. https://everythingplayadelcarmen.com/the-best-places-to-take-photos-on-playa-del-carmens-5th-avenue/
Great information I’ve screen shot it and will use it when there in October
Great tips on bars. We went to 10th street and had sun there.
Hi, coming down for a bachelor party next weekend. What bars are a must for a group of 30 year old guys?
Hello
Mandala is a good place for louder music and is in the heart of the club street (12th St.) 10th Street is also a good place stroll to some of the smaller bars. If you want something more upscale you might go to the bar at the Thompson Hotel rooftop on 12th at their Catch Restaurant. Another rooftop to check out is at the Carmen Hotel. https://everythingplayadelcarmen.com/deck-5-carmen-hotel/ So you have options!
Hola! Where would be the best bars for something more low-key with better drinks for the late 30’s-early 40’s crowd? (Kind of like a local type or “dive bar”). We will be in Playa for the first time in late March 2018 and a lot of what we are finding appears to be more 20-something, “spring breaker tourist” oriented.
The Dirty Martini is a local bar with good drinks. If you like Gin the Nau Restaurant has good drinks (and food). It is not much of a bar but you can visit there. There is also the rooftop bar at the Thompson at Catch Restaurant. The bar is good and a view that is great. you could also try Axiote Restaurant on 34th St. It is not so much a bar but they have a nice selection of Mexico spirits.
Hi. We are staying at occidental at xcaret from 4th Aug. Do you know of any beach bars along the coast there?
No, there is nothing close. If you want to go out to a bar you will need to take a taxi into Playa Del Carmen.
Looking for a good bar to watch NCAA football on Saturday’s. Suggestions?
The small bar on 5th between 12th and 14th has a lot of Tvs or if you are on the south end of town there is Senior Dans by the Cozumel Ferry Pier.
Fantastic guides! Thanks for all the links and stuff to read before our trip to Playa! Cannot wait.
Very good article! We will be linking to
this particularly great article on our site. Keep up the great writing.
Love all your guides! I am a senior female solo traveler first time visitor who will be there Oct 6-8. Not into the young party science. Just looking for a place with great margaritas and music to just chill. Any recommendation
Hello Vivian
Thank you so much for reading the website. Zenzi is a nice beach bar that is not a party scene and has many older locals. Alive is a smaller bar and Bar Ranita is a local bar that gets a mix of older people and divers.
Hello – I will be in Playa next week for a bachelorette for a group of 8 girls (age range 28 – 31). What are some good options for casual bar hopping on Friday, and a more upscale night of bar hopping on Saturday? (We already know about the clubs — Coco Bongo, Palazzo etc., so would like to know more about the bar scene). Thank you!!
Some of the rooftop bars are a little more your scene possibly. The Thompson rooftop is one option. They have rooms to rent by the pool that can be fun and semi private. Carmen Hotel is youthful and Fives Downtown Hotel roof is a good option also. Check out their facebook pages for what events might be there when you want to go. There is a good Cuban bar/restaurant on 5th at 38th that can be fun if you want mojitos and Cuban music. These are some options for you.
Hi, my husband and I are looking for some entertainment during the day..live music or similar. Can u suggest somewhere.
During the daytime that is hard to find because most people are relaxing at the beach. There is a restaurant on 5th near 2nd Street called Karens that has some live performances, but more toward dinner times. It is also a very touristy restaurant. Fah has live music but most everything starts after 5pm. Kixchen has live music but this also starts around 8pm.
Great collection of fun places to check out! Any of the old-school Yucatecan cantinas around, with free botanas and thirsty locals? Thanks!
Since Playa is so new, there are no really old traditional places. These can be found in Merida or Valladolid. There is one famous one int he center of Valladolid and many in Merida.