Bar, Theme entertainment in South America
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Vinacuré
A piece of SoHo seems to have broken off and floated all the way to the hills south of Medellín. This outrageously imaginative place looks like a Frida Kahlo painting on acid, with choreography by the Cirque de Soleil. Give yourself over to the experience as you are greeted by honking geese, served by sexually ambiguous waitrons, and wowed by the circuslike live shows. It is a long and expensive cab ride (about around US$8) but worth every penny.
reviewed
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Transilvânia & Alcatraz
Up the coast, Transilvânia & Alcatraz are clubs decorated like their namesakes. Each of these enormous venues has separate areas for axé, forró, samba or MPB and electronic music. If the party is up the coast, there are usually round-trip courtesy buses leaving from the trevo do Cabral (traffic circle at the entrance of town).
reviewed
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A
Café Cancun
The young and wealthy head for Aeroclube Plaza Show (Av Otávio Mangabeira, Boca do Rio), an outdoor entertainment complex with a few bars, dance clubs and free live forró nights. Also in Aeroclube, Café Cancun has a Mexican theme to its food and décor, and makes for a fun night of dancing and tequila drinking.
reviewed
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B
La Alternativa
This ‘alternative’ hole-in-the-wall bar is more like a medieval pharmacy than a bar – shelves are stacked with dusty bottles containing uvachado and various homemade natural concoctions based on soaking roots, lianas etc in cane liquor. All the potent Amazonian tonics and brews are for the tasting – but not for the faint-hearted.
reviewed
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C
Guapo Loco
This colorful Mexican restaurant and bar is one of Leblon’s livelier spots for the under-30 crowd. Things get rowdier as the night progresses, helped along no doubt by the wide variety of tequilas on hand. Guapo Loco also serves decent quesadillas, tacos and fajitas if hunger strikes after working the tiny dance floor.
reviewed
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D
Pirata Bar
Long-standing Pirata is famous for its 'segunda-feira mais louca do planeta' (craziest Monday on the planet). The pirate ship-themed spot stages hours of live forró and other Brazilian rhythms for the packed crowd to dance through the night. The surrounding bars also get very lively.
reviewed
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E
Clube do Vaqueiro
For more of a sertão (backlands of the Northeast) experience, try this enormous, cowboy-themed forró club where five different bands play on Saturday nights. It's popular with students. The Vaqueiro is out on the city's southeast outskirts, and best reached by taxi.
reviewed
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Avenida Monseñor Rivero
North of the plaza between the first and second anillos, Avenida Monseñor Rivero is, according to the locals, 'the Equipetrol for the older generations', with fewer discos but more see-and-be-seen cafés and trendy late-night restaurants with sidewalk seating.
reviewed
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F
Leon de Baviera
Run by an expat German named Stefan, this is one of the city’s few true watering holes. The intimate space fills quickly with locals swilling back 3L tubes of European and local brews. The waitresses are dressed in their St Pauli Girl’s best.
reviewed
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G
Samoa
The self-proclaimed 'Island of Happy People' takes up the top level of a mock jungle hut, where groups of 20-somethings share mega cocktails through multiple straws while surf videos play continuously beneath the glare of Polynesian gods.
reviewed
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H
Forum Rock Cafe
It’s a gutsy Latin dance club with a thing for bamboo and waterfalls, and is currently the place to be seen on weekend nights. In the same building, Zero Bar & Pool is a busy nightspot with pool tables and spacious booths.
reviewed
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I
Bar Balcão
With good wine, excellent light meals and a simple but elegant design built around a cleverly serpentine bar, this Jardins delight is especially popular with well-heeled designers and artists.
reviewed
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J
Kamikaze
Copiapó’s most popular pub-club has a grisly WWII theme with a plane nose-diving into the roof. It has live music and serves bar snacks, fajitas and pizza to keep energy levels up.
reviewed
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K
Saint Christopher Resto-Bar
This boat-shaped restaurant, complete with nautical theme, serves food during the day but becomes more of a drinking spot at night. Note the rusty hulking shipwreck just offshore.
reviewed
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L
El Trole
The interior is designed like one of Valpo's famous trolley cars - this is well worth a ride. There's a relaxed buzz to the place, which is evident from the watery front windows.
reviewed
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M
Museodeltequila
The raucous MuseodelTequila serves excellent Mexican food, but is more proud of showing off (and pouring from) the 1585 bottles of tequila that grace its walls.
reviewed
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La Troica
Next door to La Quinta, La Troica also has food and a variety of live music, including Afro-Peruvian and Latin, in addition to more traditional folklórica sounds.
reviewed
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Jack Rock
Jack Rock boasts a rock-’n’-roll theme and the best pub atmosphere in town. It plays classic rock during the week and salsa, merengue and reggaetón on weekends.
reviewed
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N
Farren’s Irish Pub
Tucked behind the cathedral, this touristy Irish-themed watering hole is the place to go for deliciously cheap happy-hour pints and sports on satellite TV.
reviewed
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O
Pirata Bar
Popular, pirate-themed club playing American and English beats.
Note that bars charge a cover price (more for men!) and can be crowded at weekends.
reviewed
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P
Mai Kai
This Polynesian-themed bar features live pop, rock or axé (Bahian pop music). The crowd can be young, especially on axé nights.
reviewed
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Bar do Nelson
With its shanty clubhouse feel, Bar do Nelson is the most famous reggae spot in town and is good for live music and dancing on Saturday nights.
reviewed
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Q
All Black
For your dose of Guinness, fish, chips and Irish good cheer check out Sampa's best approximation of a Dublin pub, with live music most nights.
reviewed
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R
HBH Brewery
Beer buffs and students rave about this laid-back microbrewery. As well as its own stout and lager, it stocks near a hundred bottled brews.
reviewed
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S
Bar do Porto
This old standby hosts live reggae on Friday night, when the street out front becomes a party and reggae fans pack the inside.
reviewed
