Entertainment in Buenos Aires
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A
Notorious
This intimate jazz venue attracts all ages – devoted locals and curious travelers alike – with nightly gigs of serious jazz and world music. Book ahead and visit the record shop before settling in for a show.
reviewed
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B
Café Tortoni
While tourists tend to outnumber locals at this landmark cafe (the oldest in the country), it still has a special place in the hearts of older porteños nostalgic for the good old days. Tango shows are held in a separate salon most nights at 9:30pm and 11pm.
reviewed
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C
Bar 6
A stylish neighborhood classic, Bar 6 is open all day – you can drop by for eggs and coffee in the morning or show up at night to lounge on a red velvet couch with a bellini or a beer. The contemporary design, soaring ceilings and foxy crowd make up for the indifferent service.
reviewed
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D
Boca Tango
What makes Boca Tango unique is the preshow theatrics. A minirepresentation of La Boca’s colorful conventillos (old tenements) has been set up outside the main theater, and performers act out the barrio’s history while interacting with guests. Dinner is set up at a nearby casual dining room in antique surroundings, while the main act takes place on an intimate stage. Unlike at some other shows, children are welcome here. Transport is included, which is fortunate since La Boca isn’t the safest neighborhood.
reviewed
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E
Señor Tango
The most outrageous of them all, Señor Tango is the closest you’ll get to a Las Vegas show in Buenos Aires. With dozens of performers, live horses, two tiers of balconies and over 1500 seats, this granddaddy of tango shows is – for good or bad – an unforgettable experience. As long as you take it for what it is (that is, not authentic tango) you’ll be fine, and can join with Sting, Salma Hayek, Ivana Trump and Hillary and Bill Clinton in saying that you’ve spent an evening here.
reviewed
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F
La Peña del Colorado
This lively spot – which many porteños swear is the best peña (folk music venue) in the city – puts on live folklórica shows. After the musical set, the performers pass around guitars and country-style instruments so the happy-go-lucky crowd can get in on the singing and strumming action. Diners can order a set menu ($50) or from the a la carte menu.
reviewed
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G
London City
This swank and classy cafe has been serving java addicts for over 50 years, and claims to have been the spot where Julio Cortázar wrote his first novel. Your hardest work here, however, will most likely be choosing which luscious pastry to consume with your freshly brewed coffee.
reviewed
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H
Van Koning
When the barrio’s generically stylish bars leave you longing for something more, head to this Dutch-style pub. Rustic dark-wood booths, candlelight and frosty pints of Otro Mundo (a local microbrew), draw a lighthearted crowd.
reviewed
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La Puerto Rico
Cafe-hoppers with a sweet tooth shouldn’t miss the freshly ground coffee and homemade chocolate at the charming La Puerto Rico. Dating to 1887, the place features huge picture windows, pretty woodwork and a long zinc bar.
reviewed
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Esquina Osvaldo Pugliese
Also called Recuerdo Café, this casual venue has a small stage in more modest surroundings, with just a few performers doing the fancy footwork. Shows Friday and Saturday.
reviewed
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La Bomba de Tiempo
For one of BA’s biggest and most unique parties, check out La Bomba de Tiempo; it’s at 7pm every Monday at Ciudad Cultural Konex.
reviewed
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L
Sala Leopoldo Lugones
In Teatro General San Martín. Often show retrospectives, documentaries, foreign film cycles and art-house movies.
reviewed
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M
El Cubo
A hip small Abasto space, it hosts gutsy theater pieces and offbeat performances such as queer musicals.
reviewed
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0800-Vino
The bustling barrios of Abasto and Once, while a little dodgy at night, are part of the ‘real’ Buenos Aires that’s largely unaffected by the tourist trade. Walk west from Congreso along Av Corrientes, or take a quick taxi or Subte ride, to reach this cultural melting pot and commercial district crammed with colorful fabric shops and family-run Jewish and Peruvian eateries. The neighborhood’s centerpiece is the historic Mercado de Abasto, previously a massive fresh produce market and now a beautifully restored structure that houses the shopping mall called simply El Abasto. Nearby, on a gentrified street off Av Anchorena is the former home of tango legend Carlos…
reviewed
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Centro Region Leonesa
The venue is off the beaten path, but true tango enthusiasts shouldn’t forgo a trip to El Niño Bien, one of the city’s most atmospheric milongas. Held on Thursday nights at the Centro Region Leonesa, the event sees porteño couples embracing and twirling dramatically around a spectacular wooden dance floor as strains of Carlos Gardel’s ‘Mi Noche Triste’ (My Sad Night) crackle through the antique sound system. El Niño Bien is charmingly local – in other words, not designed for tourists – so if you’re just going to observe the scene, don’t blind the dancers with your camera flash. Just grab a table for two and play it cool with a bottle of Cabernet. Consider booking…
reviewed
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Jet
Dedicated clubbers know BA is firmly positioned on the global clubbing map and will want to hit the clubs along the river on Costanera Norte, a 10-minute taxi ride from Palermo. Most clubs only open on Fridays and Saturdays from around 1am, don’t get going until 3am, and don’t close until 9am, so take your sunglasses. The best are Pachá, BA’s oldest and best superclub boasting big-name DJs and a riverside terrace; Rouge, big on Friday nights for progressive house with lounges on a waterfront terrace; Jet, playing more mainstream sounds; and Caix, which starts to heat up around 9am Sunday morning! During summer most clubs move to the coast or to fashionable Punta…
reviewed
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Q
Pachá
Dedicated clubbers know BA is firmly positioned on the global clubbing map and will want to hit the clubs along the river on Costanera Norte, a 10-minute taxi ride from Palermo. Most clubs only open on Fridays and Saturdays from around 1am, don’t get going until 3am, and don’t close until 9am, so take your sunglasses. The best are Pachá, BA’s oldest and best superclub boasting big-name DJs and a riverside terrace; Rouge, big on Friday nights for progressive house with lounges on a waterfront terrace; Jet, playing more mainstream sounds; and Caix, which starts to heat up around 9am Sunday morning! During summer most clubs move to the coast or to fashionable Punta…
reviewed
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Rouge
Dedicated clubbers know BA is firmly positioned on the global clubbing map and will want to hit the clubs along the river on Costanera Norte, a 10-minute taxi ride from Palermo. Most clubs only open on Fridays and Saturdays from around 1am, don’t get going until 3am, and don’t close until 9am, so take your sunglasses. The best are Pachá, BA’s oldest and best superclub boasting big-name DJs and a riverside terrace; Rouge, big on Friday nights for progressive house with lounges on a waterfront terrace; Jet, playing more mainstream sounds; and Caix, which starts to heat up around 9am Sunday morning! During summer most clubs move to the coast or to fashionable Punta…
reviewed
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Vinoteca Borbore
So how to know which wines to try? They say there’s a perfect Argentine wine for every occasion and a good vinoteca (wine boutique) will help you find it. There are over 150 dedicated wine shops in Buenos Aires, and this number is growing fast. You’ll find plenty all over Palermo, Recoleta and San Telmo; in the center there’s the Winery, with many branches throughout BA. If you are willing to travel to the outskirts of the capital, however, you can find an excellent specialist in Vinoteca Borbore, which stocks over 1500 labels.
reviewed
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R
Club Atlético Fernández Fierro
One of the most popular of the 'new' tango acts is the 12-musician cooperative Orquesta Típica Fernández Fierro, with their charismatic singer Walter Chino Laborde, a dedicated following at home and abroad, a documentary made about them by Argentine-born Brooklyn-based director Nicolas Entel and several fantastic albums with new arrangements of traditional tangos and some original songs. When they’re not on tour, you can catch them live at a weekly Wednesday milonga (tango dance hall) at Club Atlético Fernández Fierro in Abasto, as well as at other venues.
reviewed
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Tango Rojo
This sexy performance is the tango show to top all others – especially with its hefty price tag. Offering only 120 seats, the Faena’s El Cabaret room is swathed in blood-red curtains and gilded furniture. The show itself loosely follows the history of tango, starting from its cabaret roots to the modern fusions of Ástor Piazzolla. The orchestra is first-rate, there are plenty of period costumes and even a brief (shock!) nudity scene. The drinks are exceptional, but the food can be surprisingly bland.
reviewed
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T
Alsina
Second only to Amerika as the capital’s biggest gay magnet, Alsina’s popular queer nights are Friday and Sunday (when a tea dance starts at 11pm to end the weekend). DJs crank up the house with dance, hip-hop and techno riffs, but on Saturday night – known as the ‘Big One’ – electronica entertains the mostly straight crowd. All nights are blessed with three floors of open balconies, chandeliers and thick drapes – along with plenty of pretty people.
reviewed
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U
Klub Killer
Stray off the beaten tourist-drinking path and land yourself at Klub Killer, a slightly upscale bar located in an old house with antique-looking couches and retro touches. The atmosphere is bathed in sexy red lighting, and good international rock fills the air. It’s a great place to hang and order some reasonably priced cocktails, but you might have trouble finding it; following the recent BA trend of ‘closed-door’ venues, there’s no sign outside. Just ring the bell to be let in.
reviewed
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V
Mint
Mint is one of the larger and trendier clubs in BA, still very fashionable and attracting the beautiful people after all these years. Big-name DJs spin a good mix of hip-hop, electronica and trance beats that keep the 20-something crowds riled up – but beats can be loungey as well. An awesome riverside patio is great for kicking back and letting the sweat cool from your brow after sweating it up on the dance floor. Friday nights are best, but don’t get here earlier than 2am.
reviewed
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W
Caix
Dedicated clubbers know BA is firmly positioned on the global clubbing map and will want to hit the clubs along the river on Costanera Norte, a 10-minute taxi ride from Palermo. Most clubs only open on Fridays and Saturdays from around 1am, don’t get going until 3am, and don’t close until 9am, so take your sunglasses! strong>Caix starts to heat up around 9am Sunday morning! During summer most clubs move to the coast or to fashionable Punta del Este, Uruguay.
reviewed