Buenos Aires drinks late, eats later, and treats bars as the social architecture of the city. Florería Atlántico exports the city's bartending tradition to the global stage; Frank's invented the modern speakeasy in Latin America. The 10 below cover Palermo, Recoleta and Retiro — the three neighbourhoods where porteños drink seriously.
Part of our 50 Best Bars in the World listThis article is one chapter in our larger global guide. See the full pillar with every featured city.
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The 10 best bars in Buenos Aires
01 · Buenos Aires
Retiro
$$
Florist front · Speakeasy below
Renato 'Tato' Giovannoni's flower-shop-fronted bar. Argentine immigration history as menu structure. Long-running World's 50 Best fixture.
Order: Negroni Balestrini (their riff)
02 · Buenos Aires
Villa Crespo
$$
Speakeasy · Reservations
Through an unmarked door at Thames 878. The original of the modern BA speakeasy template. Reservations only.
Order: Their seasonal menu signature
03 · Buenos Aires
San Telmo
$$
Vermouth specialist
San Telmo vermouth bar. Argentine vermouth focus, classic cocktails done with quiet precision.
Order: A vermouth flight
04 · Buenos Aires
Retiro
$$
Basement · Lounge
Hidden Retiro basement lounge. Long bar, knowledgeable bartenders, reservation-friendly. Quieter than Florería Atlántico.
Order: A clarified milk punch
05 · Buenos Aires
San Telmo
$
Pub · Late-night
San Telmo British-American pub. The only place in BA where you can actually get a serious pint. Late-night food.
Order: A pint of Argentine craft IPA + a burger
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06 · Buenos Aires
Recoleta
$$$
Wine bar + cocktails
Recoleta hybrid wine bar and cocktail bar. Long bar, Argentine wine list, polished cocktail program.
Order: A glass of Malbec + a Negroni
07 · Buenos Aires
Recoleta
$$
Mansion · Garden
Inside a beautifully restored Recoleta mansion. Garden seating, multiple drinking rooms across the floors.
Order: A vermouth in the garden
08 · Buenos Aires
San Telmo
$
1864 · Wood-and-tile
Operating since 1864. Original San Telmo café-bar. Wood and tile interior, vermouth at the bar, the most porteño room in BA.
Order: A Cynar with soda
09 · Buenos Aires
Recoleta
$$
Café · 1850s · Cemetery side
Recoleta café-bar facing the cemetery. Borges and Bioy Casares wrote here. Vermouth at the outdoor terrace, good coffee inside.
Order: A vermouth + the Recoleta crowd-watching
10 · Buenos Aires
Palermo
$$
Phone-booth password · Speakeasy
You enter a phone booth, dial the right number, the wall opens. The first BA speakeasy. Old-school theatre.
Order: A French 75
More BA bars by categoryCocktail, hidden gem, wine bar — the full Buenos Aires index.
See the full list
How to drink in Buenos Aires properly
Bars don't open early in BA; most peak between 1 and 3 AM. Pair a milonga (tango bar) with a serious cocktail room — that's the porteño way. Florería Atlántico, Frank's and 878 are the three you must do. The wine bars (Aldo's, La Cava de los Galpones) reward separate evenings — Argentine wine deserves the focus.
