Buenos Aires Entertainment

  1. 36 Billares

    Founded in 1894, this wonderful old cafe-bar was where the Argentine Billiards Association was born in 1926. While the billiards action happens downstairs there's an atmospheric salon out back where old blokes sit around playing cards. What we most love about the place though is their nightly tango show, which verges on the burlesque. You can enjoy the show with just a drink or a whole meal.

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  2. Asia de Cuba

    Fuel up on a plate of house sushi (which will also clear you of Asia's cover charge) before hitting the packed dance floor; the mix of eclectic dance music, sweaty bodies and scantily clad female show dancers have a way of keeping you cheering and dancing until the sun comes up. Best on Thursdays.

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  3. Bach Bar

    This popular lesbian club now sees a mixed crowd of gay, bi, trans, and even straight, coming through its doors, especially for the raucous live drag shows on weekends.

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  4. Bahrein

    On Tuesdays, this popular downtown spot offers up the best drum & bass in town, but weekends rock just as hard. Multi-floors, chill-out spaces and eclectic decor add to the vibe. The beats get faster as the night wears on.

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  5. Bar Sur

    For a very intimate tango show, Bar Sur is the place. There are only a dozen tables in the dimly lit room and the dancers do a good job of not knocking over your drink with their high leg kicks - the appreciative crowd comes here to see dancing free of the usual 'tourist show' feel.

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  7. Basement Club

    The Basement Club, beneath expat institution the Shamrock Bar, pulls in the punters - a mix of expats, locals and travelers - for its house music and cheap drinks.

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  8. Big One

    Gorgeous Palacio Alsino, in an elegant old wrought-iron building, is currently one of BA's hottest clubs and the biggest night is Friday, for, you guessed it - the Big One! When there's a name DJ on it seems like the whole of BA has descended on this enormous venue. If it all gets a bit much for you there's sofas on the balcony upstairs. Fridays sees an equally huge gay night called Alsino.

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  9. Buller Pub & Brewery

    Beer connoisseurs will welcome the sight of the stainless-steel tanks above the bar immediately making it clear what the priority is here: tasty microbrewed beer. We highly recommend the delicious Honey Beer (8.5%) and the refreshing India Pale Ale (6%): ideal on a hot day.

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  10. Bulnes Class

    One of BA's most popular gay bars at the moment, BA attracts a mixed but mostly gay crowd for its chilled-out atmosphere and stylish, minimalist bar. It's an ideal spot to drop in to after dinner but before hitting a club.

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  11. Café Tortoni

    While tourists tend to outnumber locals at this historic cafe (the oldest in the country) this elegant landmark still has a special place in the hearts of older porteños nostalgic for the good old tango days. Tango shows are held in a separate salon most nights at and .

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  13. Centro Cultural Torquato Tasso

    Serious tango musicians, both established and up-and-coming, perform at this excellent local venue. This is also one of the better venues for taking tango classes and participating in milonga (social dancing) that follows (free on Sunday).

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  14. Clásica y Moderna

    This eclectic multi-espacio is a cafe, bar, eatery, art space, bookstore and music venue in one. It sees an arty, intellectual crowd lining up on live music nights (usually jazz) and packing the place for poetry readings.

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  15. Club del Vino

    This elegant spot, reminiscent of a small winery, is prettily lit up with fairy lights from the outside. Inside there's a good restaurant, a pleasant fountain courtyard, an intimate theater that seats about 100, and a tiny so-called 'wine museum.' Live jazz combos (along with tango, folk, blues and even flamenco) regularly play here.

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  16. Confitería Ideal

    While you can have coffee and cake in the grand old cafe downstairs, most people come for the tango lessons and milongas (social dances) in the atmospheric dance hall upstairs.

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  17. Contramano

    Still packing them in after 20 years, this Recoleta landmark was one of BA's first gay clubs and while some say it's not as good as it once was, it has a loyal (older) crowd of gay guys (no women) here to cruise.

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  19. Dadá

    This tiny bohemian bar with red painted walls adorned with art has some of the friendliest service in BA, along with cheap beers and decent bistro food. Attracting students, intellectuals, artists, and expats, you're just as likely to see book-readers at the bar as you are travelers at the window tables. It's the kind of place you can settle in at for hours.

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  20. Deep Blue

    This futuristic tavern is blue alright, from the glowing bar top to the corrugated-tin walls to the mood lighting that even gives fake tan a blue cast. It could have been in Bladerunner - if not for the pool tables, the big-screen TV and the darn good snack menu that keep you anchored in the present.

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  21. El Balcón

    This lively bar overlooking Plaza Dorrego hosts live music (anything from pub rock to folk music) and tango shows. While you can walk in off the street most nights, book a table for Sunday evenings when it gets packed with the market crowd.

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  22. El Beso

    This traditional old tango salon brings in some 2000 tangueros (traditional tango dancers) every week for its fun milongas (social dancing) and daily classes. It has a wonderfully authentic atmosphere about it in comparison to many that feel as if they've been created for tourists.

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  23. El Británico

    A popular local favorite, with an evocative old wooden interior, this is the perfect place to drop in any time of day or night, whether it's for a café cortado (small espresso with milk) in the morning, a beer on a sunny afternoon when they open the big glass windows, or for a cosy glass of red late at night.

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  25. El Diamante

    Skip the restaurant bit at this eclectic South American 'resto-bar' and do as the locals do: head straight upstairs to the kitsch lounge and terrace where the kooky Mexican-inspired decor will have you ordering margaritas and swaying to the bossa nova in no time.

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  26. El Federal

    Operating since 1864, El Federal is our favorite San Telmo bar. It's partly to do with the atmospheric old wooden interior, with its long wooden bar, lowered floor, decorative arch and antique cash register; but mostly it's the buzzy vibe when its cozy rooms fill with locals. Order a bottle of red and a big wooden breadboard of picadas (the Argentine version of antipasto) and settle in for the night.

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  27. El Hipopótamo

    Across the road from the Británico, this old wooden bar oozes just as much charm, with its antique signs on the wall, glass cabinets lined with bottles of wine, and jars of preserved pickles and peppers on the counter. Popular with the old-timers who dress up and head here for afternoon tea, it's just as good for a beer.

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  28. El Living

    While we'd be showing our age if we admitted we remembered El Living when it first opened, some ten years later the place is still going strong. The fact that it can appeal to all ages and it has 'grown' with its customers is part of its charm. The stylish but homey decor - lots of big armchairs to sink back in - an intimate dance floor, and eclectic mix of fun music, from Latin pop to 80s, only adds to its appeal.

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  29. El Querandí

    El Querandí's elegant restaurant is completely blackened for their nightly tango shows. These are stylish, slick, sexy, and professional. And very popular - bookings are essential.

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