Cocktail Bars · Buenos Aires
The 10 Best Cocktail Bars in Buenos Aires
barsforKings Editors
Updated 10 May 2026
1,400-word read
Buenos Aires's cocktail scene rewards drinkers who know where to look. The cocktail bars on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip — the central districts all show up — and every price tier from a $5 local pour to a $25 hotel-bar tasting. Each bar earns its spot for a different reason. We have visited every one.
What unites the ten? The bartenders care. The rooms feel right at the time of night they are designed for. The drinks list reads clearly without showing off. We rate classic cocktails and seasonal house creations and the small things that turn a one-and-done visit into a regular's habit: an unhurried welcome, a warm room temperature in winter, a cool one in summer, and a bartender who remembers your name on the second visit.
Use this guide either as a single curated route through Buenos Aires or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten cocktail bars that any serious drinker in Buenos Aires would tell you to put on the list.
The list
01
878 Bar
THE CENTRE · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
Full review →02
Cerveceria Antares
PALERMO · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Cerveceria Antares draws a steady local crowd in Palermo. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Full review →03
Bar Britanico
SAN TELMO · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Bar Britanico draws a steady local crowd in San Telmo. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.
Full review →04
Bar de Cao
PALERMO · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Bar de Cao draws a steady local crowd in Palermo. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.
Full review →05
El Cuartito
RECOLETA · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
El Cuartito draws a steady local crowd in Recoleta. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
Full review →06
Bar del Plaza Hotel
RETIRO · $$$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Bar del Plaza Hotel draws a steady local crowd in Retiro. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Full review →07
El Imperio del Pollo
BELGRANO · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
El Imperio del Pollo draws a steady local crowd in Belgrano. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.
Full review →08
Frank's Bar
PALERMO · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Frank's Bar draws a steady local crowd in Palermo. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.
Full review →09
El Trapiche
PALERMO · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
El Trapiche draws a steady local crowd in Palermo. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
Full review →10
BASA Bar
THE CENTRE · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Full review →By neighbourhood at a glance
Belgrano: El Imperio del Pollo. Centre: 878 Bar, BASA Bar. Palermo: Cerveceria Antares, Bar de Cao, Frank's Bar, El Trapiche. Recoleta: El Cuartito. Retiro: Bar del Plaza Hotel. San Telmo: Bar Britanico. Most of these bars sit walking distance from each other within their districts. Buenos Aires's drinking neighbourhoods are compact — plan two or three bars in a single evening rather than racing across town.
Before you go
Reservations are recommended on Friday and Saturday evenings at any of the higher-priced rooms above. Mid-week before 8pm, walk-ins are usually fine. Tipping in Buenos Aires is appreciated; check our city guide for local norms. Cards are accepted everywhere on this list except where the bar specifies cash only — usually the older heritage rooms. Buenos Aires's last-call laws vary by district; plan your route from the strictest to the most relaxed.
"You'll know which of these ten cocktail bars matches your night within the first sip."
Want more Buenos Aires? Our full Buenos Aires bar guide covers every neighbourhood and every category. For the broader category index, see all cocktail bars worldwide. And if you have a recommendation we missed, tell us — our editors review every reader submission.