Bygone places / Cabaret Ciro’s, a glamorous nightclub frequented by the world’s elite
Located inside the luxurious Hotel Reforma, it gained fame as the place where, it is said, Agustín Lara and María Félix fell in love.
By Alejandro Pohlenz
Rumor has it that at Cabaret Ciro’s in 1943, María Félix (1914–2002) and Agustín Lara (1897–1970), two superstars of Mexican and global culture, met and instantly fell for each other. They married two years later. He was 14 years her senior. Lara’s iconic song “María Bonita” had already been composed when the Golden Slim first laid eyes on Félix in Acapulco. It is said that Lara was possessive, which clashed with the Diva’s free spirit. They reportedly had fierce arguments—and some gossip even claims there were gunshots. They divorced in ’47.
The Hotel Reforma
Cabaret Ciro’s was located inside the “Hotel Reforma,” inaugurated in 1936, with 250 luxury rooms and all the amenities of a contemporary five-star hotel. Ciro’s also functioned as a restaurant and bar open 24/7 (although the menu was in French—curious, right? How would anyone order huevos rancheros?).
In addition to Diego Rivera murals, Ciro’s boasted a massive crystal chandelier suspended in the center of the room… “(The chandelier) resembled those that adorn the Palace of Versailles.” The bar was long and mirrored; the walls were painted in bold reds and greens, making it a truly lavish venue.
The Famous Guests
The celebrity parade at Ciro’s included trombonist Tony Dorsey and renowned American composer Cole Porter, famous for Broadway musicals like Something About You. Rumor has it that Walt Disney, Frank Sinatra, Arturo de Córdoba, and Agustín Barrios Gómez also visited this magnificent nightclub, where performers like Toña la Negra and the group Tampico sang.
Sources indicate that Ciro’s thrived during the 1940s and ’50s. Later, the 1985 earthquake damaged the Hotel Reforma structure, leaving it abandoned ever since. A real shame.
Address: Reforma 45, Cuauhtémoc, Mexico City.
Permanently closed.
