Cantina El Portón Verde

Behind a tall green door on Bolívar, El Portón Verde is the kind of cantina that downtown Mexico City was built on: a long wooden bar, waiters in white jackets, a domino game in the corner and a ceiling fan that has turned for decades.

The deal is simple. Order a drink and a botana arrives with it, free. The first round might bring a cup of shrimp broth, the next chicharrón in green sauce, then tostadas, then a small plate of rice with a fried egg. Stay for four rounds and you have had lunch. On Fridays the kitchen braises a pork shank and a trio plays boleros between the tables.

Tequila and mezcal are poured generously, the beer is very cold and the waiters remember regulars by name. It closes at 11 on weekdays and keeps going until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.