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Preparing for a night out in Buenos Aires has an element of marathon training to it. Rest up with a siesta, fortify yourself with some protein, and drink plenty of fluids before, during, and after. That’s right, the key to porteño nightlife is longevity—after all, an early night means hailing a cab at 6 am.
The scene here rivals that of any capital city, so you’ll find something to suit every taste. Trendy cocktail bars, secret speakeasies, classic tango haunts, artsy watering holes, and packed dance floors await. To make the most of them, try following the locals’ lead.
Painting Buenos Aires red means looking sharp, going with the flow as you bar-hop, and not challenging your new B.A. buddies to raucous drinking games. Porteños adore going out with their friends, but it’s not uncommon to see a large group sharing a liter bottle of beer and swigging from the same glass. Latino lightweights? Not at all. This is just how Argentines roll—and once a night gets really rocking, they'll move onto their favorite tipple, Fernet y Cola.
Hours are relaxed, but there are general guidelines. The smartest bars kick off an evening with happy hours that begin around 8 pm and often stretch way beyond 60 minutes; downtown drinking establishments start even earlier to lure workers to part with hard-earned pesos, spawning the "after-office" across the city, which is now a nightlife fixture almost any day of the week. Theater performances begin around 9 pm and the last movie begins after midnight. By that point, lines to get into popular bars have started forming, but clubs aren’t buzzing until 4 am. If in doubt, turn up later than you consider reasonable when you’re meeting a local (30 minutes after the appointed time is the norm). The subte (subway) closes between 10 and 11 pm, depending on the line and day. Monday through Saturday it reopens at 5 am; on Sunday, however, trains don’t start running again until 8 am. So taking a cab to and from home is a good idea—it’s also quicker than waiting for a colectivo bus very late at night.
A florist and wine store combined with a whole lot of bar, this hip basement watering hole is a fixture of the Buenos Aires cocktail scene, and now features regularly 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.
BA’s original speakeasy has spawned a spate of followers over the past few years, but it remains a classic for cocktail lovers: 878 has an extensive drinks list, many made with its own line of spirits, armchairs to sink into, plus a supercool clientele. Be sure to stick your head around the more private back bar.
Opened in 1928, this traditional corner bar opposite Parque Lezama is an iconic spot. Day and night it's full of characters who engage in passionate discussions or simply watch the world unfold through the oversized windows. Imbued with nostalgia, Bar Británico has a cinematic appeal—which may explain why it has appeared in movies like The Motorcycle Diaries and Francis Ford Coppola's Tetro.
One of the growing number of wine bars in the city, Bar du Marché is getting it exactly right. This cute French-inspired spot has an ample wine selection and some delicious picadas for sharing.
A well-curated line-up of live music, film screenings, fun parties, and interactive theater ensures this huge converted factory is one of the best cultural centers in the city. The outdoor space morphs into an inner-city beach complete with hammocks in summer; the winter months see DJs and bands hash it out indoors. The Konex is also home to percussion band La Bomba de Tiempo, which plays every Monday evening.
Decadence meets southeast Asia at this award-winning cocktail bar helmed by Buenos Aires’ mixology queen Inés de los Santos. Enjoy one of her signature Umami Martinis streetside, in a cozy booth or at the bar itself (made from egg shells). Watching the cool team slinging drinks makes for the best seats in the house. The food menu is equally tempting; try the lacquered pork bao. Still thirsty? Snap up one of Ines' ready-to-drink cocktails from the boutique for the walk home. Book a table at Arriba, the upstairs bar, to try the tasting menu paired with cocktails.
The team behind award-winning cocktail bar Tres Monos also opened La Uat, a small and hidden dance floor whose street face is Cacho Rotisería canteen. Push through the curtain to unveil DJs playing a range of music from 80s to hip hop, regaetón, and pop latino, while a hipster crowd pulls moves with fluorescent cocktails in hand. For more space, head upstairs to the terrace bar. La Uat’s late hours attracts the young gastronomic crowd, keen to wind down; plus it's right in the thick of Palermo Soho.
Champions of low-intervention wines and those made by small producers, Naranjo has captured the attention of Buenos Aires’ young wine lovers. While 180 labels sourced from all over the country are always available, in a bid to demystify wine, there’s just one single crystal glass for all grapes and styles. Drinkers keen to try something new take a seat under the orange tree after which it was named, and stay for delicious gluten-free, often vegan, small plates to share.
No expense has been spared at the polo-themed Pony Line, a cool watering hole in the Four Seasons hotel. Creative cocktails, its own line of craft beer, luxury bar snacks, and great tunes have made this a go-to spot for sassy ladies, suave gentlemen, and model types.
Themed around Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Verne Club runs a tight ship thanks to it's top-notch mixologists. This old-school cocktail bar serves innovative offerings that are often inspired by the eponymous author’s characters, including a Phileas Fogg Martini.
Cobweb-covered bottles line the walls of this tiny venue, with maybe the most authentic tango music in town. It's known by all as "El Boliche de Roberto" after its owner, who presides from behind the heavy wooden bar. When the singing gets going at 2 or 3 am, it's usually so packed there's no room to breathe, but the guitar-and-voice duos manage gritty, emotional versions of tango classics all the same.
This immense gay disco has two floors of high-energy action and shows. Friday and Saturday are fun and frivolous verging on hectic; there's often a one-fee, all-you-can-drink entry. Amerika remains the city's gay club to check out—and be checked out in.
Technically in the otherwise business-oriented barrio of Once (pronounced On-say), adjacent to Almagro, Angels sits just behind the magnificent Palacio de Aguas Corrientes building in easy reach of Recoleta and Centro. It has several dance floors that play electronica, pop, and Latin music. Expect strippers, transvesties, and plenty of gay fun.
Founded in the city of Mar del Plata in 1999, this is now a successful national brewer making dozens of brews. The spacious bar attracts a cosmopolitan group of drinkers who keep it packed from after-office until the wee hours. Service is friendly and efficient, the music is feel-good, and the bar snacks are tasty. In San Telmo? Check out the outpost inside the Mercado de San Telmo.
Once a bohemian haunt, this bar went international after serving as a major location for Wong Kar-Wai's cult indie film Happy Together. The move to the mainstream has led to glitzier dancing, as well as increasingly bad food and indifferent service. Still, the worn checkered floor and Old World bar make a charming backdrop.
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.
Two brothers with a passion for craft beer lead this pub, which has become a refreshing alternative to the expat haunt Gibraltar. Ramiro Rodríguez, who also mans the bar, makes all the brews on-site; some have even picked up excellence awards in South America.
Rousing live orchestras keep even nondancers entertained at the nontraditional milongas that are this club's hallmark. La Orquesta Típica el Afronte provides the music for Maldita Milonga ( www.instagram.com/malditamilonga), while Tango Queer ( www.instagram.com/tangoqueerba) draws both gay and straight dancers looking to escape the confines of more conservative dance floors. There's also a different turn with Latin American music; on weekends doors open at midnight.
Catering to hip young things, Caracas has the great selection of rum-based cocktails and the kind of funky vibe you would expect from a Venezuelan night spot. Sample Caribbean bar snacks while sipping on a mojito, listen to the DJ’s super-smooth sounds, check out the on-site art exhibits, and take advantage of one of the largest terraces in Palermo.
Opposite Niceto, Carnal and its buzzing terrace are immensely popular during the warmer months and remain busy all night long. The name is completely apt; as the rock blasts and the cocktails flow, many customers aren't shy about getting to know each other a bit better—especially behind the curtained-off sections.
A sports bar rather incongruously housed in a beautiful French mansion, Casa Bar lures in year-abroad students keen for an NFL or European soccer fix, plus an older foreign crew eager to get some spicy chicken wing action. If balls aren't your bag, perch at the bar for a drink well made with imported liquor.
Classic trios and quartets share the stage with young musicians performing hip tango and folk sets here. There are also milongas on weekends.
A serious party crowd is found at Club Aráoz. Bump and grind it at Thursday's block-rocking hip-hop night; Friday and Saturday see DJs spinning rock and electronic dance music for a relatively laid-back bunch of Buenos Aires youth.
The creative force behind this laidback venue is the eponymous Orquesta Típica Fernández Fierro—a scruffy young tango collective known for its rock-like take on the 2/4 beat. You can usually catch the orquesta at least one night a week; edgy musicians and the occasional classic quartet perform other nights.
This party palace moved to a new space in 2024 and the beautiful, tightly clothed youth continue packing out the dance floors. This is a great spot to catch local techno and EDM DJs, though there are also big nights with international artists.
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.
Beautiful people—in faded fitted jeans, hipster sneakers, and leather jackets—frequent this hangout post-dinner and pre-club. Browse the great cocktail list at Congo’s lengthy bar, or head for the large back patio: either way, you’ll easily be able to convince new friends to stick around for another drink or three.
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