Florería Atlántico

Our Take on Florería Atlántico

Florería Atlántico is the bar that proved Buenos Aires belonged in the global conversation about serious cocktail culture. When it first appeared on the World's 50 Best Bars list, it surprised people outside South America who had not been paying attention. Those who had been knew that something exceptional was happening in the basement of a flower shop on Arroyo in Retiro. Bartender Tato Giovannoni built the programme around a concept: the cultural contribution of European immigrants to the Rio de la Plata region, expressed through flavour, spirit, and story.

The mechanics of the entrance are part of the experience. You walk into a working flower shop, flowers in buckets along the walls, the smell of cut stems and cold water. A member of staff notices you. You descend a narrow staircase. The room below opens into something warm and dark: exposed stone walls, wooden tables, a long bar with a back shelf full of house-made infusions, tinctures, and fermentations. The noise level is a low hum. The room looks exactly as it should.

The menu is organised by immigrant community: Spanish, Italian, German, Jewish, Lebanese, Eastern European. Each section contains cocktails built on the spirits and flavours those communities brought with them. The Fernet section alone justifies a visit. The amaros and bitters that Giovannoni and his team have developed in-house are available to taste on request and are worth requesting. This is one of the 12 best bars in the world. The editors recommend visiting on a Tuesday or Wednesday when it is easier to get a seat at the bar, which is where this experience makes most sense.

Know Before You Go

Florería Atlántico takes reservations and they are necessary for weekends. The bar operates Tuesday through Sunday, with Monday closed. The flower shop closes at 8pm; after that, entry is through the same door but the context shifts. Expect to stay for at least two rounds. The menu is designed to be explored across several drinks, and the staff are excellent at guiding you if you tell them what you like.

Dress smart casual. The crowd skews 30s and 40s, with a mix of Buenos Aires professionals and international visitors who have done their research. For the full picture of Buenos Aires drinking, see our Buenos Aires bar guide and the list of best cocktail bars in Buenos Aires. For context on how Florería compares to the wider South American scene, the closest equivalent is Sub Astor in São Paulo, which shares the same commitment to place-specific ingredient sourcing.