A city guide to Guadalajara

Patán Ale House (IG @patanalehouse)

Twenty-four taps, rotating daily, pulling from the best of Mexico's craft breweries. Featuring a rooftop terrace that routinely floods when the storms roll in, and staff who are more than happy to walk you through the merry mayhem. Music leans ‘90s alternative. Bring a dog, and an appetite – those jalapeño mac-and-cheese pretzels won't eat themselves.

De La O (IG @delao_gdl)

Billed as a cantina, but runs more like a tiki bar. The local knowledge though is that this is also a deep-cut craft beer stop, with a bottle list that reads like a full-day itinerary for fans of Mexican beer and mezcal. Like the bar’s name, its cocktails pay homage to Genovevo de la O, the Mexican revolutionary.

La Panga del Impostor (IG @lapangaimpostor)

Started in a garage in 2013, this is the local seafood place everyone will be nudging you toward. Baja-via-Jalisco, clam birria with shrimp, pressed chicharrón tacos with octopus, tuna tostadas drowned in black habanero. Featuring a literal fishing boat as the bar, and ice cream topped with Lucky Charms. Silly, but in the best ways.

I Latina (IG @ilatinarest)

This converted warehouse has been doing Asian-Mediterranean-Mexican fusion since 1999, long before ‘fusion’ had earned the eye-roll treatment. Expect dining-gloves pinned up as wall art, and your bill presented in a tiny market bag. Order the tamarindo dorado, the Thai mahi-mahi, and whatever is chalked up on the specials board that night. Thursdays come with live music.

Alcalde (IG @restalcalde)

Paco Ruano trained at Mugaritz, El Celler de Can Roca, and Noma, then came home and lobbed all that technique at Jalisco, wrangling corn, chilli, and whatever the market run throws up (tellingly, the restaurant was named after the market where Paco shopped as a kid). The jericalla alone will break you. Book ahead to avoid crushing disappointment.