Self-service (fast food) is available but table-service is usual. Bars have table- and/or counter-service. There are laws relating to minors and licensing on civic holidays. Every region of Mexico has its own dishes. International cuisine is available at most hotels in the larger cities, and at most restaurants. Imported spirits are expensive; local spirits probably give better value for money. The best buys are rum and gin. European aperitifs are produced in Mexico and are of excellent quality; and, of course, Mexico is a producer of good beer; both the dark beers and the light beers are worth sampling. All the big supermarkets sell spirits, beer and wine.
Things to know: The legal drinking age is 18.
National specialities:
• Turkey mole, a sauce containing a score of ingredients, including several sorts of chilli, tomatoes, peanuts, chocolate, almonds, onions and garlic.
• Guacamole incorporates avocados, red peppers, onions and tomatoes.
• Tortillas (pancakes made with maize).
• Enchiladas and tacos (maize pancakes served with pork, chicken, vegetables or cheese and chilli). • There is a wide variety of exotic fruits such as papayas, mangoes, guavas, zapotes (brown fruit resembling an avocado), pineapples and tunas (juicy prickly pears, fruit of the cactus).
National drinks:
• Tequila (made from maguey, a variety of cactus).
• Hidalgo, Domecq and Derrasola are good Mexican white wines.
• Los Reyes and Calafia are excellent red wines.
• Mexico’s coffee liqueur, kahlúa, is world-famous.
Tipping: Service charges are rarely added to hotel, restaurant or bar bills and many of the staff depend on tips for their livelihood. 15 per cent is expected and 20 per cent if the service has been very good.

The Mexican nightlife is very vibrant and exciting and features a large variety of top-name entertainers, international shows, jazz groups, rock groups, traditional Mexican music and dancing, Spanish flamenco dancers and gypsy violinists. With a range of settings from panoramic restaurants to intimate bars, Mexico City offers excellent music and assorted cuisine, with some of the best bars and restaurants located in hotels. The main nightspots are on Avenida Insurgentes, the longest avenue in the capital. For a more cosy atmosphere with nice coffee shops and restaurants, visit the Condesa district. Acapulco is known as 'the city that never sleeps' with bars and discos lining the streets. Worth seeing is the impressive light show, with accompanying sound show at the archaeological site of Teotihuacán. The history and mythology of this ancient civilisation are recreated through a gorgeous display of coloured lights, poetic dialogue and music. The season runs from October to May.

Good buys include silverware, ceramics and locally made pottery, woven wool blankets (sarapes), brightly coloured scarves in wool or silk (rebozos), richly embroidered charro hats, straw work, blown glass, embossed leather, hard- and semi-precious stones, gold and silver jewellery, finely pleated men’s shirts in cotton voile (guayaberas), white dresses embroidered with multi-coloured flowers (huipiles), which are sold in the markets, and hammocks. The best shopping is in Mexico City, Acapulco, Campeche, Cuernavaca, Guadalajara, Mérida, Oaxaca, San Miguel de Allende and Taxco. Shopping hours: Mon-Sun 1000/1100-2000/2200 (big towns and cities); Mon-Fri 0900-1400/1600 (rest of the country). Check locally for details.