A taste of Ireland: pubs sprout in Mexico City as nightlife takes on international flavor in open economy.

Young ladies sip from pint glasses overflowing with thick black Guinness beer as a singer croons "The Irish Rover" accompanied by violins and Celtic percussion.

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It looks, smells and sounds like downtown Dublin on a Saturday night. But it's Mexico City, in one of the several Irish pubs with names like Celtics and Dubliners that have sprung up in the last two years.

A new generation of Mexicans has grown up with the economic openness of the Nafta-era and developed international tastes, craving exotic zests like stout beer and Italian wine. And an innovative group of entrepreneurs--including many foreigners--have built some colorful places where these flavors can be savored.

"Tequila and mariachis are great. But it's nice to try something different," said Lorena Martinez, a 25-year-old graphic designer, as she sipped a Jameson's whisky in Mexico City's Saint Patrick's pub.

IN THE HOOD OF THE TRENDY

Nowhere does this new face of Mexico show itself as brazenly as in the trendy Condesa neighborhood.

Built around an old racing track, some four miles from the capital's central square, the Condesa has become a booming center of restaurants, nightclubs and fashionable clothing shops.

Here, a new wave of European-style bars and pubs have emerged that are redefining Mexico City nightlife.

Several of the Condesa's haunts have an Irish touch, decorated with green four-leafed clovers and leprechauns. Others follow the style of Italian wine bars with raised chairs and tall cocktail glasses. In one night spot, the T-Gallery, customers even relax on sofas and listen to piano music in the fashion of a Parisian parlor.

"Five years ago there were only cantinas and restaurants. And they had a closed vibe," said Umair Khan, a London native who works as a bar and club promoter in Mexico City. "There was a huge gap in the market."

The Condesa's bars contrast markedly with Mexico's traditional drinking venues.

Many of the capital's cantinas are windowless rooms where men can knock back tequila or pulque, a creamy Aztec drink, while listening to melancholy ranchera ballads. Meanwhile, the new bars have wide-open windows, colorful decor and--most importantly to many customers--a young, mixed crowd.

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"The pubs allow people to mingle," Khan said. "When people see the green Irish emblems they think of a friendly, sociable image."

EYE CANDY WITH BEER

Customers are also attracted to the Condesa's bars by the waitresses. Mexican cantinas are traditionally staffed by unionized working men. When females are employed, it is often as escorts wearing revealing outfits--a trade looked down upon by many women.

But in the Condesa's nightspots, the drinks are served by college kids and attractive young females.

"Mexicans used to say that a woman's place is in the home, not in a bar," said Elka Morgado, 28, who has worked in several of the new venues. "Barmaids were seen as loose women you could take advantage of. But that is changing now."

Although she only earns some 300 pesos a night, Morgado said she likes working in the Condesa for the party atmosphere and social life.

FREE TRADE, AFFORDABLE STOUT

For others, the main attraction is the variety of beverages that the pubs offer.

"Guinness is a phenomenon here. It's a totally new concept," said Alfonso Ramirez, manager of St. Patrick's Pub. "And people love the range of whiskies we have."

The emergence of pubs has been made possible by Mexico's new economic openness, said Ramirez.

In the last two decades, the nation has changed dramatically from having a heavily protected economy to one of the most open markets in the world. Mexico now has free trade agreements with 32 countries that represent 60% of the world's gross domestic product.

"Ten years ago, you wouldn't have been able to sell Guinness here because the import taxes would have been too high," Ramirez said. "But now we can serve it at a good price."

However, some drinkers still complain that the Condesa's bars are too expensive.

A bottle of Guinness in St. Patrick's costs 66 pesos. Meanwhile, in some of the capital's grungier cantinas, Mexican beer like Sol or Corona can cost as little as a 10 pesos a bottle.

Tina Hacking, the British owner of the bohemian T-Gallery, said most of her customers are young professionals.

"We wanted to create a space where people could meet and have good conversations together," Hacking said, while lounging on an armchair with a glass of claret. "Here people can feel comfortable, the music is not too loud and they can enjoy a nice ale."

SOME THINGS STILL SACRED

But while the Condesa's night owls enjoy drinking foreign wine and beer, most still favor eating traditional Mexican food when the pubs shut. Virtually all the late-night diners in the area specialize in one type of food: tacos.

"Forget about pizzas or hotdogs," said Oscar Zarate, a 30-year-old engineer, as he poured chili sauce onto a plate of alambre in the early hours of a Sunday morning. "You can't beat the taste of tacos after you've had a few pints of Guinness."

Ioan Grillo is a correspondent in Mexico for the Houston Chronicle.

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Photos by Margaret Myers