Buenos Aires hardly ever sleeps. While some pubs open as early as 6pm, serious clubbing doesn't start before 2am, and frequently goes on until 6, 7am, or later. On Sundays, you can also find some after hours. This page starts with an overview of the most popular entertainment areas in central Buenos Aires, and then I'll describe what I found worthwhile doing on what day of the week. Be warned that this is mainly about electronic music, which is on the rise in Argentina just now. For Salsa, Rock, or even Tango, you ought to look elsewhere. (Somebody please send me links !). Alas, the economic crisis has taken its toll also on the night life: on "slow" nights, like Mondays, Wednesdays, and - surprisingly - also Sundays, it can now be a challenge to find bars with a good crowd, let alone dance clubs. To overcompensate for this, popular places get awfully crowded (in the "you have to push people around before you can tilt your glass to have a sip, and cautiously waggling your toes is all the dancing you'll do" kind of sense) on Friday, Saturday, and increasingly also Thursday nights. One year after the devaluation, new places are starting to pop up, and old places are re-inventing themselves, so there is hope to see the Buenos Aires night life restored to its previous glamour soon. Namen sind Schall und Rauch, so many places feature a different name and sometimes also a different style every night. Fancy ones have several names in parallel. So better remember locations, for taxi drivers usually don't keep up with the latest Great Renaming. For up to the minute information on the electronic scene, check out buenosaliens, inSEXted, and Clubber.com.ar. Areas The streets around the Recoleta cemetery are a traditional entertainment area. Nowadays, it has lost some of its appeal, and has become a bit more of a tourist zone. Nevertheless, there are enough restaurants, bars, and clubs that there should be something for any taste. Arcos del ferrocarril (from Libertador y Infanta Isabel to Av. Sarmiento y Casares) is one of the hot spots of Buenos Aires. About a dozen bars and clubs are tucked underneath a long railway embankment. The main evenings are Thursdays to Saturdays, but occasionally, there's also something going on on Wednesdays or Sundays. Costanera Norte (Av. Costanera Rafael Obligado, from J. Salguero to Pampa) is another stretch with lots of restaurants, bars, and dance clubs, some of the restaurants turning into discos at 2 o'clock. Palermo Vijeo (around Plaza J. Cortazar) is a more recently developed entertainment area with a bit of a neighborhood ambiance. Again, lots of restaurants, bars/cafes, and a few dance clubs. There are also some very interesting clubs and bars scattered over the area called "Palermo Hollywood", west of Plaza Cortazar, reaching into Colegiales and Belgrano. Weekly schedule I've ordered the places by the weekdays when I found them most interesting. This doesn't necessarily mean that they're boring or even closed on all other days (but they might be, so better check first ... or make a taxi driver happy). Also, places that are open most of the week get multiple entries. Monday Sorry, Mondays seem to be quite dead. The Shamrock (Rodriguez Peña and Arenales) is probably open, at least I can't remember that I've ever found it closed. It's an Irish pub that also attracts many tourists and expats, with a dance floor called the "Shamrock Basement" downstairs. (The basement is only open on the busier nights. See the Thurday entry, below.) Another possibility may be the french-themed La Cigale bar (25 de Mayo y Viamonte), but better check. Features pretty good trip hop. (See also the Tuesday and Saturday entries.) Last but not least, the Jobs (see below) is also open on Mondays, although a far cry from the beehive it turns into on Tuesdays. Tuesday Jobs (Arenales y Agüero) is a big billiard bar with a little dance floor suspended between the two main floors. Tuesday nights are "dos por uno" (admission and two beers for 5 Pesos) and attract a large young and predominantly female crowd. Towards 2 am, the dance floor opens to top 10 hits. (Also at 2 o'clock, there's a queue that goes all around the block. So better get there earlier.) They've recently converted part of the upper level into another dance floor, giving it a bit more of a "bar" ambiance. While apparently open very day in the week, they only use a smaller area downstairs and without dance floor on "slow" nights. Last visit: 1-JUL-2003 La Cigale (25 de Mayo y Viamonte) is hugely popular on Tuesday nights. Features one of the largest bars in town and good cocktails. Unfortunately, it's a sad victim of its own success, and nowadays you may find yourself treated to an hour-long wait outside in a disorderly and increasingly aggressive crowd, while it's actually quite boring inside. Last visit: 7-MAR-2006 (Tel. 4312-8275, early 2005) +160's (at Bahrain, Lavalle y 25 de Mayo) trademark is accelerated drum and bass. For those not into speeds in excess of 160 beats per minute, the DJs put on more soothing sounds for the first few hours. The place is popular, but mercifully much more accessible than "La Cigale". Note: this used to be at the El Dorado, at Hipolito Yrigoyen y Bernardo de Irigoyen, but had to move after the city government implemented their security theatre in 2005. Last visit: 25-APR-2006 Wednesday Wednesdays choices are limited, and some of the places that are open lack the casual yet intense ambiance of the normal Buenos Aires nightlife. But read on ... Well-hidden Warhols (aka Full Bar) on Rivadavia 878 (near Suipacha) is not as polished as the other choices, has pretty good music, and the darkest dance floor I've ever seen, but it's not very known yet, so there are hardly any people. Last visit: 6-AUG-2003 Asia de Cuba in Puerto Madero, near the Hilton, only hosts private parties on Wednesdays, despite persistent rumors to the contrary. Club Caix in the Costa Salguero complex is the star that lights the porteño Wednesday nights. It's a classy club (sunken dancefloor, lush couches, a bed, toilet attendant - you name it, it's there) that starts late, with excellent music, and just the right amount of people. Just beware that, at times, it may be hopelessly overloaded with men. Update: haven't heard much about it recently. If someone knows if it's still open on Wednesday nights, please let me know. Last visit: 27-AUG-2003 Prestigious Mint (Punta Carrasco, see also the Friday entry, below) opens early on Wednesday nights for its "after office" evenings. Unfortunately, people seem to bring not only their business suits, but also most of the frustrations from their work day, which makes for a fairly unpleasant atmosphere. Not recommended. Last visit: 27-AUG-2003 Thursday Barfly (Libertador y Infanta Isabel) is the place to go for great techno on Thursday nights. There's a second dance floor with a bar featuring a more traditional mix of rock, pop, reggae, blues, etc. If your taxi driver doesn't know where Av. Infanta Isabel is, ask for Bullrich or Dorrego. Last visit: 4-DEC-2003 Club 69 (also known as Niceto Club, Niceto Vega y Humboldt) is one of the hottest spots in town. They have two stage shows in the main room, one hip hop themed, and the other inspired by traditional cabaret. The former chill out room, with its pleasantly accessible bar also features hip hop these days. It may get fairly crowded, have long lines, and, worst of all, it now closes meticulously at 6 (in exchange for that, they now open before 2, supposedly as early as midnight). It has also earned perhaps too much fame among tourists, who make up most of the crowd. Nevertheless, on a good night, it's still an excellent choice. Saturdays sometimes feature magic, which is more oriented towards hardcore electronica, with the exception of the last Saturday in each month, when they also have a "Club 69". Last visit: 27-MAY-2006 (Tel. 4779-9396, 26-MAR-2005) Early birds may also like the Carnal Bar just across the street from Club 69. Nice interior design, laid back and frequently jazzy music, and you can also have dinner there. On a dry night (for visitors from places with more patronizing cultures: I mean the weather ...), their upstairs area may also be of interest. Last visit: 18-MAR-2006 Three blocks from the Club 69, at Humboldt and Honduras, little known MaXXXimo bar sometimes has some of the greatest electronic music you can hear in a bar in town, yet unexplicable, recently they treat their clientele more often to mainstream pop. Last visit: 18-MAR-2006 The Shamrock Basement (in the Shamrock pub, Rodriguez Peña and Arenales) has a good line-up of DJs, and usually quite decent music. Unfortunately, it's mainly visited by with people who prefer pissing the night away over dancing. So the dance floor is more like a parking lot. For those looking for the garderobe: it's on the right side of the bar. (It was closed for quite a while, but has opened again around August 2005.) Last visit: 8-OCT-2005 Jah Bar (Cabrera, between Godoy Cruz and the railroad tracks) isn't the most spacious place, but compensates for this with a massive lineup of DJs. Since the place is relatively new, it hasn't been discovered by the masses yet. Opens Thursday to Saturday. Last visit: 10-MAR-2005 Friday/Saturday The Roxy (Av. Sarmiento y Casares) gets a very young crowd hopping with rock, pop, salsa, dance, techno, and whatever else the DJs can get their hands on. And yes, this really gets the kids going (and the occasional old bat as well). Two dance floors, five bars. Lines can at times be annoyingly long (expect 30-45 minutes), but hey, it's worth the wait. Friday and Saturday, and may also open on Thursdays. Occasionally has live bands. Last visit: 2002 or early 2003 Arkos (Av. Sarmiento y Casares) was formerly called The Place and El Manolo and used to be a pretty wild place, with mainly latin-themed music (Salsa and the like), but it seems the word has gotten around, and it then was always far too crowded - and not necessarily with the nicest people in town (it even made it to the news when a guy was thrown out and beaten to a bloody pulp). Apparently, this lowered its popularity somewhat, and when going there after many years on the night of May 1st 2006, it was only half full. Last visit: 30-APR-2006 Pacha/Clubland (Costanera y Pampa) starts slowly with a bit of dance and techno for a quite young (and sometimes quite drunk) crowd on Fridays, ... and turns into exquisite techno hell on Saturdays. Awesome, but can get hideously crowded on Saturdays, and queues build up quickly after 2 am. Once the place for techno in town, it now mainly attracts a chic crowd from the northern suburbs who appreciate easy access by car. Last visit: 13-AUG-2005 El Living (Marcelo T. de Alvear y Parana) starts as a restaurant and turns disco-bar later at night. People are mainly in their late twenties and beyond. The music style ranges from alternative to disco, dance, and house. Friday and Saturday, and also opens Thursdays. A recent addition are evil psychodelic strobe lights. Last visit: 7-FEB-2004 Animal (Av. Sarmiento y Casares) used to be called Animal Instinct and, briefly, Fabriclub and bwat. Many names, same concept: dance music in an upscale club environment. Mercifully, they seem to have changed the light show that used to include eye-piercing photon torpedoes. The place heats up slowly after around 2:30 am, and may in fact only open at that time. Typical age is in the 25-30 years range. Last visit: 13-AUG-2005 New York City aka LaCity aka Apollo beat (Alvarez Thomas y Forest), a bit off the beaten track in Belgrano, this hidden jewel is a huge disco where a stylish young crowd gets down to dance tracks. The interior design is fantastic. You'll particularly love it if you liked the movie "Planet of the Apes". Fridays feature very interesting electronic music (once they even played a rare "Eisbär" techno mix), but start late - even at 3 a.m., the place is only half full, and any self-respecting clubbers don't make their appearance before 4 or 5. Update: the NYC is a bit the flying dutchman of the Buenos Aires nightlife: everybody has heard of it, but it doesn't quite exist in our reality. So if planning to go there, include a backup choice in your plans, in case you find it closed/abandoned. Update: seems to open now regularly on Saturdays. Last visit: 14-MAR-2003 Mint is carefully hidden away at the far end of Punta Carrasco. The people there are typically in their late twenties or early thirties. Slightly upscale, at least as far as prices are concerned, and not too crowded before 3 o'clock. The male vs. female ratio rapidly shifts towards the former as the night wears on. Last visit: 17-JUN-2005 Elegant Kika (Honduras y Godoy Cruz) club/lounge has one tiny dance floor for mainstream dance and a larger one for electronic music (mainly house). The bar in the middle of the electronica room is a nice touch. Also attracts a fairly large gay clientele. Last visit: 15-OCT-2004 (Note: seems to be closed for good. I'm keeping the entry for a while, since people may occasionally still talk about it.) Rumi (Av. Figueroa Alcorta y La Pampa) caters to the glamorous, which may explain some oddities in the way lines in front of the entrance are handled. It opens Wednesday to Saturday. The music varies through the evening, so if in search of electronica, you may have to wait a drink or two's time for the hip hop to pass. Wednesdays, it hosts the Batonga!, which has relocated from Cañitas. Last visit: 8-JUN-2005 (Tel. 4782-1398, 7-MAY-2005) Le Click (Av. Rivadavia y Riobamba) opened in March 2006 and seems to be Kika reborn. This bright new star in the Buenos Aires night sky has two dance floors, one with pop music, which has yet to be discovered by the masses, and the main dance floor with electronic music, featuring about every second week the divine Romina Cohn. Be warned that the building shields cellular phones rather well. Last visit: 28-APR-2006 Saturday only Big One (Adolfo Alsina y Tacuari) is, well, rather spacious. Has been closed in May, after a major (and, unsurprisingly, quite successful) drug raid, but is open again - supposedly with very tight security. Last visit: 13-DEC-2003 (Note: open again, but will supposedly move soon.) On Saturday nights, La Cigale (25 de Mayo y Viamonte) tries to attract the pre-dance clientèle, although it doesn't really get going until about half past one, so your choice is either to linger, or to get to the disco before everybody else starts lining up. Last visit: 23-AUG-2003 Elegant Opera Bay (Puerto Madero, Cecilia Grierson; formerly known as El Divino) has recently re-opened, with fairly boring disco on the main floor, but good electronic music in a separate small club area. On the opening day, the organization was the worst mess I've seen in my whole life, and many of the people were quite on the stuffy side. Nevertheless, quite late in the evening, the club part got really good. First visit: 6-SEP-2003 (will check out again in a while) Unremarkable Club Araoz (Araoz y Guemes) used to be a "latin music" place, but recently, it switched to electronic music. They rotate DJs a lot, so they still seem to be trying to define their style. The place is spacious and has plenty of bars, but I found it a little boring, and also a bit rough. Last visit: 29-APR-2005 Museum (Perú between Mexico and Venezuela) is another "neighbourhood" kind of discotheque, and has a main dancefloor with ... well, let's call it popular music (latin rock, pop, and later a bit of mainstream electronic), and a small upstairs dance floor with electronic music. Beware the evil stroboscope, which even burns through regular sunglasses. First visit: 6-MAY-2005 Bahrain (Lavalle y 25 de Mayo) is also an interesting choice on Saturdays (see the +160 entry for Tuesdays), with quite popular mainstream music upstairs, and various styles of usually rather good electronic music downstairs. Be warned that Saturdays, they implement a rather peculiar admission scheme: either, you register ahead of time by adding your name to an online ``invited'' list (e.g., at buenosaliens), or lie convincingly about having done so, and are then treated to an endless queue, but admitted under otherwise reasonable conditions, or enter without all the list bureaucracy, get a much shorter queue, but then have to pay ARS 60 admission for every 1-3 people in your group, which includes a bottle of champagne which you can then try to trade at the bar for something more useful. Apparently, the people who implemented this bizarre procedure felt they owe their club's name at least some oriental reference, and thus have adopted the standards of transparent commerce you'd expect on a bazaar. Last visit: 25-FEB-2006 Sunday I currently don't know any good spot to go to for dancing late on Sundays. La Diosa used to be open, but that has changed. Somewhat surprisingly, there is a pub with pretty good relaxed music (sometimes trip hop and electronic jazz, sometimes more mainstream) right in the midst of the Recoleta tourist trap (and priced accordingly - of course, "expensive" in Argentina still means "dirt cheap" by the standards of almost any other place), on Vincente Lopez between Uriburu and Azcuenaga, a bit west of La Pagana. Last visit: 21-SEP-2003 On Sundays, buenosaliens has a good listing of current events that start a bit earlier in the evening. Holidays Most of the major Friday and Saturday places open also on nights before public holidays. E.g. the Big One and the Mint are even pleasantly uncrowded on such occasions.