Ensenada's bar scene centres on Avenida Ruiz, a single block that has more cantinas per square metre than anywhere else in Baja. Hussong's Cantina anchors one end, and the street fills up on weekend nights with a mix of Mexicans and cross-border visitors from San Diego and Los Angeles. The atmosphere is genuine rather than manufactured — these are working bars that have been here for decades, not theme parks.
The city also has good cafes for morning coffee, particularly around the town centre near the cathedral.