Asha Bar — Restaurant in Mexico City

I visited Asha Bar in Victoria 9, Copilco el Bajo, Coyoacán, 04340 Ciudad de México, CDMX with my friends to enjoy dinner, music, and drinks. From the outside, you wouldn’t guess how fascinating and well-structured the restaurant-bar is inside. There’s a proper entrance with lights, security checks, a bar counter, DJ sets, and seating arrangements for both groups and families. The ambiance is impressive. The food menu is decent, and the beverages are on the pricier side ($$$ per peg, $$$$ per bottle). If you’re with a group, it can be a great spot to hang out and celebrate.

However, we had an unforgettable and deeply disappointing experience during our visit. We were a group of six foreigners (from the US, LATAM, and Asia) accompanied by two local Mexican friends. Initially, we were enjoying our celebration with drinks and dancing. Later in the evening, after midnight, more people arrived, most of whom seemed to be local Mexicans. It appeared that some of them drank elsewhere before coming to Asha Bar for the music and dancing.

Unfortunately, a group seated near our table started behaving inappropriately toward us. At first, they were staring and talking amongst themselves, which we dismissed, thinking it was harmless or alcohol-induced. However, out of nowhere, a girl from that group walked over and sprayed something directly at us. It turned out to be pepper spray. We were shocked and confused while she laughed and yelled. Due to the music and flashing lights, the security staff didn’t notice what had happened right away.

Our Mexican friends immediately reported the incident to security, but by then, the girl and her group were laughing and continuing to dance in front of us as if nothing had happened. The security staff only gave them a warning and moved them to another table, but this did nothing to address the humiliation and discomfort we felt. As a group of six (three women and three men) from other countries, we felt entirely disrespected and targeted, which seemed like clear discrimination.

This experience left us feeling uncomfortable and excluded, overshadowing the rest of the evening. Asha Bar must address such incidents more seriously in the future. Allowing someone to bring pepper spray into the bar and failing to take decisive action against this behavior is unacceptable. I hope Asha Bar invests in proper sensitivity training for its staff to handle such situations more effectively. It’s crucial to create an environment that values and respects all customers equally, regardless of where...

Overall the experience was great. Fantastic lighting and a wide blend of genres for the music. Many displays for music videos, smoke machine, and more.

The night started with a retro dance vibe in dim blue lighting and became more chaotic with strobe lights and heavier electronic mixes as the night progressed.

The only food we tried was the cheese plate, but it was well worth it.

My only complaint is their alcohol selection is quite slim, and not much variety if you're seeking a specific Mezcal /...

DJ's suck early on. The band was awesome. Their mic of English and Spanish and mashups was on point. Koktel was their name with a violinist special guest. After the band the music was better for a while. Good mixes. Then the last hour of the night went old school Spanish. Overall the band saved it. For the distance...