1 El Farol
808 Canyon Road
505-983-9912
Dancing isn’t for everyone, but if it were up to the folks at El Farol, everyone would be up on the dance floor busting a move. Six nights a week, the 174-year-old bar hosts live music—that’s every night except Monday, when Victor Alvarez from the popular Cuban band Savor spins salsa beats.

General manager Jeff Dixon attributes El Farol’s popularity to the availability of different genres every night, so whether you want funk, blues or salsa, there is an evening at El Farol just for you. But what makes the historic space so special? Dixon says of El Farol, “It’s dark—you’ve got the dark wood, we turn down the lights, the dance floor is small and very intimate. I think it’s less inhibitive for folks to get up there and dance.”

While Dixon does note that El Farol has some of the best people-watching in town, patrons should be ready for the compulsive nature of getting your groove on: “Once one couple is up, boom! Everybody’s up there,” Dixon says.

2 The Pub & Grill at Santa Fe Brewing Company, 37 Fire Place, 505-424-9637

3 Fusion, 135 W. Palace Ave., 505-955-0400