101 Best Bars in Buenos Aires, Argentina

A San Telmo institution, this cabaret-style club is one of Buenos Aires’ most popular venues, so grab a table and enjoy an intimate performance for 900. La Trastienda is the place to catch electrotango or new tango groups, although it takes pains to promote other genres as well. Check out national pop and rock legends, as well as local rock, reggae, and funk.

As if the drinks team behind award-winning cocktail bar 3 Monos didn’t have enough on their plate, they 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, while a hipster crowd pulls moves 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. 

Milongas Wednesday through Sunday make this the place for a very long weekend. Classes at different levels precede them. The vibe on the floor is friendly and rather chaotic, and dancing standards are low, so it's a good place for beginners to get in some practice. DJs mix tango with rock, salsa, and cumbia.

Get down with the hipsters who spill out onto the San Telmo sidewalk rain or shine when Las del BarCo gets too full. Pull up a love seat and grab a pint, or check out the ever-changing art exhibitions. Fun and frivolous, this hot spot has already attracted a dedicated following—and not just for its extended happy hour.

Attracting electronic music lovers keen on catching big names from out of town, Liv has slowly captured the market that the larger Crobar can’t muster. A more relaxed club than some of its Palermo counterparts, Liv also caters to those who want the full VIP booth-and-Champagne treatment.

Porteños love sports—and sports, for them, means fútbol (soccer). Although Argentine teams also excel at basketball, rugby, and especially polo, it's fútbol that evokes the most passion, with fans attending even the smallest scrimmages; most games play on wall-mounted TVs in regular cafés and restaurants. But perhaps it's the ubiquity of soccer that means there aren't the really atmospheric screenings in bars that many visitors hope to find: to get the real buzz, you have to go to the stadium. Your second-best option is definitely Locos x El Futbol. Just try to count the number of TVs here, and you'll realize the extent of the locals' love for the beautiful game—the x stands for por, which makes this place "crazy for soccer." Key games require a reservation, but otherwise just turn up for big screens and bigger servings of pizza, fries, and beer.

Named after the tall cactus plants that typify northwest Argentina, Los Cardones is the place to go for a beer around a big table with strangers you'll get to know by the end of the night. Spontaneous dancing at this peña folklorica isn't unheard of; to prepare, ask ahead about their folk-dancing classes.

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).

You'll recognize M by its one-letter name writ large in ivy near the entrance. Once inside, pull up a red velvet stool at the ground floor bar for an impeccable cocktail, or reserve your place at the cava downstairs for a wine-tasting session. Don't forget to peek at the tunnel which former president Juan Perón used to escape from Government House. M also houses Samsung Studio, San Telmo's latest tiny yet trendy live music venue, round the back.

Local businesspeople looking to impress international clients invariably choose this showy concept restaurant. A night here may break the bank, but you get varied, highly professional performances sometimes starring Argentine celebrities. Prices vary depending on how close you are to the stage.

The cool expat kids have taken Magdalena's Party under their wing and rightly so, given that it has all the bases covered: decent cocktail list, weekend brunch offerings, mood lighting... Join the movers and shakers who start their nights here by pulling up a bar stool or a comfy armchair, or follow the party out onto the street.

A buzzing space that takes music seriously, Makena focuses on funk, soul, and R&B; it also hosts live jams several nights per week. Check out the Afromama night, guaranteed to get you moving then grooving.

The unashamedly theatrical show at this tango-concept hotel dances you through the history of tango. It's a fascinating look at how the dance evolved, and the hotel's art nouveau architecture is pretty fantastic, too.

This small and understated boteco (Brazilian-style pub) on busy Plaza Armenia is a good place to stop in for an after-dinner caipirinha; it stays open until around 3 am. The music is always upbeat and irresistible, and the atmosphere friendly and welcoming; if you have a weakness for things Brazilian, you'll be happy here.

One of the city's most stunning bars is spread across three floors of a perfectly restored French-style mansion. A cool vibe and cooler drinks (try the frozen basil daiquiri) keep this place packed on weekends. When the back garden fills on balmy summer nights, squeeze onto the marble steps with the beautiful people.

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).

A barely marked door and a narrow passageway open into a world far removed from the flashy bars and restaurants surrounding this music venue. The eclectic programming includes a wide range of folk, tango, jazz, classical, and improvised music as well as some politically charged theatrical performances. Grab the sofa if you can, for maximum comfort.

A jazz bar, restaurant, and record shop rolled into one, Notorious often hosts top musicians. You can also listen to the club's extensive music collection on the CD players at each table.

A private members' club and bolt hole unexpectedly located in the middle of Palermo Soho, the lush Oasis Clubhouse now opens its doors to non-members (subject to guest list approval). Relax around the outdoor swimming pool with a well-prepared cocktail, or lounge in the living space–you'll feel like a VIP regardless.

Clocking up plenty of years on the electro scene, this multilevel, riverside behemoth pulls in big names and bigger crowds. Total sensory overload is the name of the game. In summer, watch the sun ease its way up over the river from one of the best vantage points in the city.

At the aptly named Pain et Vin, a husband-and-wife team bake the bread daily while expertly advising on fermented grape choices. Sip a glass, join a group tasting, or buy a bottle from the boutique winery to take home.

Located slap bang in the middle of Palermo Soho, this place promises a good mix of locals and students. The dark ground-floor bar plays rock and serves stiff drinks (happy hour runs from 9 pm to 1 am). Upstairs in the disco, dance-friendly music is pumped into the psychedelic setting: wear white to be especially eye-catching under the neon lights.

One block from Chinatown, this speakeasy with an Asian touch personifies modern glamour. Grab a spot at the bar for a piece of the main action or detour to the back-room dance floor, where some of the best DJs in town will get you moving.

One of the very few cigar bars in Buenos Aires, Puro Bistró also has a killer cocktail list. Relax in a comfy armchair and enjoy the relative peace and quiet while gazing out onto the busy street beyond. It's a haven for drinkers and smokers in the heart of Palermo.

This Cuban restaurant-bar may get a little wild on weekends but never out of hand: the bouncers look like NFL players. It's a popular spot for birthday parties and great mojitos. After the nightly live dance show, DJs crank up the Cuban rhythms; you're likely to learn some sexy new moves.

Part Moroccan boudoir with an impressive brass instrument collection, part cutesy patio with white wrought-iron garden furniture, the kitschy Rey de Copas is an interesting addition to Palermo's drinking scene. Some concoctions come served in metal yerba maté gourds.

Its impossibly cool atmosphere makes Río Café an obvious favorite with hipsters. Pick a front table to watch the world bustle through to the back patio, or simply pitch up outside. Wednesdays are rocking thanks to great cocktails and DJs whipping up ’80s mash-ups for a crowd that’s ready to party.

Five-star food, musicians, choreography, and glamour: you wouldn't expect anything less from the Faena Hotel + Universe. Crimson velvet and gold trim line everything from the walls to the menu at El Cabaret, and tables often hold celebs both local and global. The implausibly good-looking troupe puts on a tango-through-the-ages show, which includes jazz-tango, semi-naked numbers, and even the tango version of Roxanne from Moulin Rouge. It's worth the splurge.

It doesn't get much glitzier—or much tackier. Performed daily, the unashamedly tourist-oriented shows are so eager to cash in on stereotypes that they even include a number from Evita (shock, horror). Still, you can't fault the fishnetted dancers on their footwork. Rather less glam is its location south of San Telmo, in the Barracas neighborhood, which can be sketchy: take a taxi here and back.

From the outside, the signs asking patrons–a mix of expats and fun-loving porteños–to leave quietly are the only hint that this isn't the demure bar it appears to be. The generous drinks promotions (ladies drink free until midnight on Friday) add substantial rowdiness, and it turns into a raucous party zone on weekends. A sports bar at heart, El Alamo also hosts bikini competitions—just so you know.