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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Gibraltar
A convivial mix of Argentines, expats and travelers pack this pub most nights for the pints, pool table, English-style curries and good pub grub. If you're looking for a break from tango shows and steakhouses, this is the ticket.
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Glam
One of BA's hottest gay clubs is spread over three floors in a maze of an old mansion. While most rooms see lots of sweaty dancing, the playroom upstairs sees sweaty action of a hotter kind. Saturdays and Sundays are the biggest nights.
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Kandi
This retrotastic cocktail bar, with its fab orange sign, caramel leather seating, round mirrors, and wooden floors, is very cool. It would be enough to just go and ogle the gorgeous space over cocktails. Kandi gets crammed with local hipsters around midnight, so head here a bit before to get a table and avoid the cover charge.
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La Cigale
The fairy lights above the big bar give this popular place a festive atmosphere, while the booths, bar lamps, and French House music, give it a real Parisian flavor. That could also have something to do with the regulars, French expats and Argentines wishing they were in Paris.
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La Coruña
One of several no-nonsense cantinas (traditional bars) on the edge of the Mercado de San Telmo, this one has the most character. While you'll see a few old barflies downing beers here in the morning, late nights see local uni students packing the pavement tables. The classic daily specials on the blackboard are good for soaking up the alcohol.
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La Finca
Pull up a chair at a small wooden table at this modest wine bar focusing on hard-to-get Argentine wines from boutique wineries - the focus is very much on the wine, available by glass or bottle, along with samplings of the week's special. They also do delicious picadas (cheese and meat plates) that perfectly match a great Argentine red.
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Lelé de Troya
One of the most laidback bars around, with eclectic furnishings and brightly-painted walls, and a summer terrace with views of the neighborhood that's ideal for kicking back with a glass of white on a warm day.
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Malas Artes
Long a favorite on the Palermo Viejo scene, this cool boho bar on a corner opposite Plaza Serrano (aka Plaza Cortázar) has loads of atmosphere with its high ceilings, big picture windows, bare brick walls and big art. If it looks crowded downstairs head up to the mezzanine level. While the drinks are already cheap, there's a popular happy 'hour' from - .
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Maluco Beleza
Located in an old mansion, this Brazilian magnet draws in long lines of hip-wigglers. Latin beats and lithe stage dancers stir up excitement, and you can always head upstairs for more intimate spaces. Especially good on Sundays.
