Guide to Cantinas in Mexico City / La Peninsular, the Oldest Operating Cantina in Mexico.
It boasts of being the oldest cantina in the Historic Center of Mexico City.
By Anna Lagos / Photos mediateca
It obtained registration number two in 1872 and was renovated in 2013 by its current owner, engineer Armando Martínez.
El Nivel had the first position, having license number 1, also obtained in 1872, but it closed in 2008. This cantina is famous for having been the setting for films like El Callejón de los Milagros and for being the favorite of Lucha Villa, who surely sang "Me llaman La Tequilera" here more than once.
The concept of the cantina arrived in Mexico in 1847 as a consequence of the war with the United States over the territory of Texas. The official chronicler of the capital in the 1960s, Salvador Novo, assures that by the mid-19th century there were already 11 official cantinas in Mexico. La Peninsular is located in the neighborhood of Antigua Merced, on Roldán Street, from the time when it was part of the Mexicaltzingo ditch and extended into the Royal Ditch, which flowed to the west and served for the transportation of people and goods to the markets of El Parián and El Volador, says its commemorative plaque.
For one hundred ten years, the clientele of this and other cantinas was exclusively male until 1982 when the Mexico City Government published a decree that repealed the prohibition for women to enter these places. Despite the removal of this ban, in the mid-eighties, some establishments still relegated women to an annexed space, without serving them in the main area.
La Peninsular was built in a building that is nearly 500 years old today. Victim of an artificial restoration, only the bare walls and the old glories remain from the original; no menu, music, atmosphere, or cantina snacks survived. In addition to serving traditional snacks such as soups, broths, and meats in spicy sauces, tostadas or quesadillas, there are also à la carte dishes prepared by a chef. On weekends, there is live orchestra music.
What we don't like as much
Over the years, this cantina has lost some of its historical emblematic aura, but while it may not be a favorite of the editorial staff, it is a fundamental antique object in the history of cantinas in Mexico.
- Address: Alhóndiga 26-Local 4, Historic Center of Mexico City, Centro, Cuauhtémoc, 06000 Mexico City, CDMX
- Phone: +525555224089
- Hours: Monday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Closed on Sundays.
- Ideal for: Saying you've been to the oldest cantina in the Historic Center.
- Type of cuisine: Mexican
- Payment: Cash and cards
- Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
- Parking: No
- Beer price: $55
- Reservations: No
- Nearby public transport: Metro Zócalo
- Pet friendly: No
- Suitable for children: Yes
