El Ayer

Strategically installed in the pedestrian and nocturnal heart of the Roma Norte neighborhood, this venue consolidates itself through its thematic proposal as the city’s exclusive refuge for retro pop music in Spanish and nostalgia shared in a group. The interior design of the main floor presents an unmistakable and calculated vintage aesthetic, supported by walls decorated by recovered antique wooden furniture and its characteristic neon light arch that frames the piano area. 

The sound programming focuses on the great cult anthems of heartbreak, romantic pop ballads, and dance hits of the iconic groups of the eighties and nineties. The selector sequences recognizable and high emotional impact tracks that immediately incite uninterrupted collective singing from the chairs, uniting strangers occupying adjacent tables in the famous choral refrains of artists like Juan Gabriel, Yuri, Emmanuel, or Luis Miguel, all this projected at a high volume in the room through powerful ceiling speakers that dominate conversation without completely drowning out the unison voices of the euphoric public. 

The general atmosphere that permeates the interior of the room is completely cathartic and sentimental. The thematic offer of past music and memorized childhood songs summons a broad and diverse audience, bringing together everyone from organized groups of friends, office workers getting off late on Friday, or birthday celebrations, to solo people attending the main bar to vent by singing sad ballads of heartbreak without needing to submit to social formalities or face technical complexes or aesthetic judgments of singing technique. The high-volume interaction between tables flows quickly onto the floor dance area as the night progresses, and according to this feeling of freedom of emotional expression, the dress code is extremely casual, practical, and of a modern and comfortable urban aesthetic, free of pressures about footwear or brand fashion that complicates a prolonged stay and movement between chairs or aisles. 

From the main bar towards the tables, they continuously supply trays full of cold beers in glass bottles, classic long drinks prepared with spirits of popular or traditional commercial profile, and massive rounds of tequila glasses and sweet liquor shots, perfect for fast-toasting group celebrations. The format of the beverage menu rejects the time-consuming techniques of botanical mixology or modern cocktails, ensuring that the mechanics of dispatching drinks at the counter support and never delay the continuous rhythm demanded by the choruses of retro tracks, the central piano, or the DJs. 

Demand is high, since the massive shared nostalgia of the regular and loyal attendees normally keeps this characteristic and sought-after bohemian place at its maximum capacity. 

Location: Avenida Álvaro Obregón 293, Colonia Roma Norte. 

Hours: Thursday to Saturday from 20:00 to 03:00 hrs. 

How to get there: The Sevilla station (Metro Line 1 connecting with Avenida Chapultepec) and the Álvaro Obregón station (belonging to the system and Metrobús Line 1 on Avenida Insurgentes) are located a short and accessible walking distance in a direct and easy direction on the original layout of the wide tree-lined median of Avenida Obregón and its intersections.