Cantina Social Club brings Mexico City nightlife to downtown Vancouver's Pinche Taco Shop

Mexico City's cantinas are more than bars—they're neighbourhood gathering places where people linger over drinks and food. Tara Davies and Erick Vazquez, co-owners and co-founders of the Michelin Bib Gourmand-recognised Chupito Cocteleria (which opened in 2021), are bringing that cantina ethos to downtown Vancouver with Cantina Social Club, a new pop-up opening inside Pinche Taco Shop.

From Wednesday to Saturday evenings starting at 6 p.m., the two-level space transforms. By day it serves office workers; after 6 p.m., the light softens, the music shifts to tropicalia, and the menus expand. On opening night, psychedelic cumbia played over the speakers while black-and-white films featuring Mexican comic Tin Tan screened above the bar. Maria Ponce, executive chef for Chupito and the city's three La Taqueria locations (including Pinche), oversees the kitchen on the mezzanine.

"Cantina Social Club gives Maria an opportunity to be more creative with the menu," Davies says. Unlike the taquerias, which centre on a defined menu, Cantina gives Ponce room to experiment with seasonal ingredients. "Not everything has to be a taco or a burrito or fit within those parameters. She has a lot more creative freedom, and we're using it as an experimental space where she can work more closely with local producers and farmers."

The 10-item food menu changes weekly. On opening night, it featured a heirloom tomato salad with Parmesan and sourdough to soak up preserved lemon mayo; a crab croqueta with rich, bright orange chipotle sauce and habanero mayo; Australian wagyu seared and served with three-pepper aguachile, avocado purée, and tostadas; and panna cotta for dessert. On weekends, Ponce scours farmers markets for fresh ingredients.

Davies, named Vancouver Magazine's Bartender of the Year in 2025, created the cocktail menu with Vazquez, bar director at Chupito. El Sergio is a clarified milk punch with coconut, mango, Ancho Reyes, and black peppercorn. The house batanga—a Cuba Libre with tequila instead of rum, served in a Coke bottle—is this week's "La Ronda," a round of four cocktails for sharing at communal tables.

The small wine list focuses on local producers, including a cab franc from Ursa Major and sparkling Chardonnay from natural winery Pamplemousse Jus.

Cantina mixes elements of both traditional cantinas and Mexico City hotspots like Bar Mauro, recently named the No. 2 bar in North America by 50 Best Bars. Davies is planning collaborations with local bartenders and chefs from Mexico City, though nothing is confirmed yet. "We envisioned Cantina running through the summer, but if things go well, there's no hard end date," she says.