Telenovela Locations / El Patio, first-class cabaret since 1938
El Patio: an exclusive nightclub illuminated by great stars such as Angélica María, José José, Juan Gabriel, Emanuel, Edith Piaf, and many more.
By Alejandro Pohlenz
Although at Food Police we had already dedicated an article to the exclusive nightclub El Patio, we hadn’t mentioned it in the context of telenovelas and TV series.
El Patio, located in the Cuauhtémoc neighborhood, lived for 56 years before meeting its end in a fire, followed by a collapse that completely destroyed it in 2024.
The cabaret was expensive, had a strict dress code, and exuded glamour. It was visited by legends such as María Félix, Agustín Lara, Walt Disney, Orson Welles, Gary Cooper, and a dazzling constellation of other showbiz superstars.
Performers like Angélica María (seen in the photo), Lola Beltrán, Juan Gabriel, and the unforgettable José José —for whom it was a favorite stage— all graced El Patio’s spotlight.
The Telenovela Soñadoras
The telenovela Soñadoras (1998–1999), written by me, had 174 episodes and a massive audience. Yet its true significance wasn’t just its popularity—it sparked a dramatic increase in calls to Mexico’s Youth Integration Center, which works to address drug addiction among young people.
Some scenes I labeled in the scripts simply as “club location” were actually filmed at El Patio.
Food Police presents a scene from episode 13, where Lucía (a shy, awkward young woman) is asked to dance by a handsome stranger. At the club, her inseparable friends—Laisha Wilkins, Angélica Vale, and Aracely Arámbula—also enjoy the night.
Interestingly, in 2017 El Patio was recreated for the TV series José José, Príncipe de la Canción. It streamed on Netflix from 2018 to 2021, though I honestly don’t remember it—it probably came and went without much fanfare.
What Happened to El Patio?
Although it closed in 1994, a devastating fire later erased this unforgettable nightclub forever—a place that once served as the stage for countless telenovelas and TV shows.
Address: Atenas 9, Juárez, Cuauhtémoc, 06600, Mexico City
Collapsed in: 2024
