Iconic places in Mexico City / Sanborn's bar
Ah, the Sanborn’s bar! That oasis of endless coffee refills, grilled molletes, or how about their triangular club sandwich that was once the epicenter of “chilanga sophistication”? Do you remember those times when going to Sanborn’s was synonymous with status and good taste? Honestly, I don’t—I’m not that old, but I’ve been told.
By: Youyi
Photos courtesy of: Sanborn’s social media
I remember the afternoons at Sanborns in Los Azulejos, packed with people, its high ceilings, colorful stained glass, and a touch of faded glamour. The ladies with their parrot-like hairdos, gossiping over their meals, devouring anyone who hadn't shown up. And the waitresses, don’t even get me started—matriarchs with their demeanor shaped by the task of serving hundreds of people each day.
In the bar, the atmosphere was even more decadent. With that dim lighting reminiscent of alcohol prohibition in 1920s Chicago. In the shadows, in secrecy, with the allure of a forbidden soap opera secret from Canal de las Estrellas. Because in the '80s and '90s, the man in the wrinkled suit would take his lover, who would leave the napkin stained with her reddish lipstick. And even now, though the unfaithful take advantage of happy hour with spicy peanuts to increase their thirst (for other people's kisses).
It seemed that the Sanborn’s bar was never a place of true fun. It was more of a setting for hiding, for feeling down, for confessing to the skinny waiters in wrinkled red jackets. And the music! Sad and artificial keyboard tunes, out-of-tune and depressed singers. José José songs to sink even deeper into misery. The drinks, I remember, were famous for being expensive and poorly served, but in a Mexico City that has become one of the most expensive in the world, a revitalizing movement for Sanborn’s has emerged through TikToks and Instagram reels.
Despite everything, the Sanborn’s bar had its charm. It was a place where one could feel part of something, even if it was just an illusion. A refuge for the nostalgic, for those longing for a past that will never return. Because lovers are for a while, for a season, for the occasion, then thrown away, each one tidies up in the bathroom and off we go, never to return.
Today, the Sanborn’s bar is still there, retaining that air of decadence and nostalgia that makes it so special.
Next time you pass by a Sanborn’s, don’t hesitate to enter the bar, hopefully during happy hour. Who knows, you might encounter a ghost from the past, or perhaps just laugh at the irony of being in a place once considered the pinnacle of sophistication. And if you look closely, you’ll see the wrinkled suit, the current lover, and love, like the drinks, at 2-for-1.
What time is happy hour at Sanborn’s bar?
It varies by location, but as if from the '80s, call the store and ask: here, a landline is still picked up to attend to customers.
