18 Best Nightlife in Buenos Aires, Argentina

A flower shop and wine store combined with a whole lot of bar, this hip basement watering hole opened in 2013, and quickly becoming a fixture on Retiro's growing scene before rising to regular features on the World's 50 Best Bars list. The cocktail menu draws inspiration from Argentina’s immigrant history (the Italians, Spaniards, English, and French have all played their part). Join the cool crowd and kick back with a Vinedo Italiano Spritz created by bartender and owner Tato Giovannoni.

This sheik—er, chic and stylish—party palace is located in a former bank, and the Funky Room is where beautiful, tightly clothed youth groove to pop, rock, and funk, while the basement Excess Room has electronic beats and dizzying wall visuals. For a more sophisticated dinner-before-dancing vibe, head upstairs to the Yellow Room. This is a great spot to catch local DJs, though there are also big nights with international artists.

A new kid in Retiro, BASA comes from great stock given that its owners founded the legendary Gran Bar Danzon. Look down and be drawn in by the bright bottles of spirits. Try a Moscow Mule (ginger beer, made in-house, gives it an appropriate kick), or ask Ludovico, the London-trained head barman, for suggestions.

Lurking beneath Aldo's Vinoteca Restorán, this new musical hot spot is led by sommelier and owner Aldo Graziani. A huge jazz fan, he makes sure that the offbeats are well paired with fine wine and tasty bar food.

Also fondly known by its previous name, Palacio Alsina, this enormous downtown club meets all the prerequisites for an excellent night out—especially when world-famous DJs make a guest appearance. Pop tunes attract a mixed-age gay and lesbian crowd on Friday and Sunday; Saturday delivers hard electronica for the dance mad.

This happening spot enjoys cult status in both the straight and gay communities. Upstairs is a diverse art gallery big on young locals; downstairs, underground house and techno drives one of the city's darkest dance floors, while DJs with huge followings are frequently on rotation.

Soaring columns, tarnished mirrors, and ancient chandeliers are part of Confitería Ideal's crumbling Old World glamour, along with a rather pungent musty smell. The former homewares store that reinvented itself as a tearoom now hosts milongas organized by different groups in its first-floor dance hall every day of the week. Some are held during the afternoon and evening, others late at night.

This was a pioneering gay disco when it opened in 1984, but—like its clientele—Contramano has grown up. Today it operates more as a small, laid-back bar with an older, male-only clientele. Occasionally there's live music and male strippers.

Cozy and colorful, Dadá has a short but sweet list of classic cocktails and an ideal bar to perch at while sipping. With its owners doubling as bar staff, Dadá sees an eclectic mix of locals and visitors popping in for dinner, a drink, or both. Grab a booth at the back for extra privacy.

The standard of dancing is usually high at this club, which belongs to La Academia del Tango Milonguero, one of the city's best tango schools. Beginners should consult the online schedule for classes.

It took a couple of expats to realize the gap in the market for early-evening gay bars. Their creation, Flux, is a smart, friendly, and sociable basement club that gets going for happy hour at 7 pm and keeps on until after midnight with decent pop music and an ample cocktail menu.

Excellent local musicians put on daily performances of tango classics in the downstairs salon of this legendary café, but note that ticket prices can be steeper than average because of the venue's illustrious history. There's jazz sometimes on weekends, too.

Exquisite art deco theaters line Avenida Corrientes, but the rationalist-style Gran Rex—constructed by architect Alberto Prebisch, of the Obelisk fame—is a favorite venue for rock, pop, and jazz musicians. Recent acts that have tested its great acoustics include Coldplay and the legendary Peter Frampton. Tickets are available through Ticketek (wwww.ticketek.com.ar).

This nightclub, which doubles as a live music venue, may be oddly shaped for spot-on acoustics; however, it attracts plenty of underground and international artists. Weekly parties, metal bands, and European electronic combos form the changing lineup.

Take advantage of happy hour until 10 pm at La Cigale's curvaceously seductive first-floor bar, which leads to the street-side balcony and smokers' corner. Another flight of stairs winds up to the stage, ready and waiting for local indie, jazz, and acoustic bands any night of the week. 

A refreshing exception to the sometimes suffocatingly macho world of tango, this is the gay milonga. The main night is Friday, when a cool set of guys and girls, both gay and straight, look to break with the "he leads, she follows" doctrine.

This indoor stadium at the very top of Corrientes Avenue has been hosting boxing events, ice-skating spectaculars, political rallies, plus rock and pop concerts for more than 80 years. Local acts dominate, but international ones—like Simply Red and Lily Allen—also play here. Tickets normally need to be bought well in advance from the box office or from Ticketportal (wwww.ticketportal.com.ar).

This spacious theater and cultural space mainly showcases midlevel local bands, showmen, and comedians, with a few big Argentine names thrown in for good measure. Get tickets at the box office (open Monday–Saturday, from noon to 8) or through Ticketek ( www.ticketek.com.ar).