Buenos Aires
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.
THE CENTRE · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
PALERMO · $$ · 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.
SAN TELMO · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Bar Britanico draws a steady local crowd in San Telmo. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.
PALERMO · $$ · 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.
RECOLETA · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
El Cuartito draws a steady local crowd in Recoleta. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
RETIRO · $$$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Bar del Plaza Hotel draws a steady local crowd in Retiro. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
BELGRANO · $$ · 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.
PALERMO · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Frank's Bar draws a steady local crowd in Palermo. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.
PALERMO · $$$ · 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.
THE CENTRE · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
$$ · Open evenings
A Palermo Hollywood spot that serves ice cream and coffee by day and turns into a signature cocktail bar at night. The creative serves and playful presentation pull a young crowd. Palermo Hollywood
$$$ · Open Tue–Sat
A cocktail room inside Hotel Casa Lucia on Arroyo in Recoleta, led by award winning bartender Martin Suaya. Author drinks nod to Argentine cultural icons across a warm, design forward space. Recoleta
$$$ · Open daily
The Four Seasons bar in Recoleta, named one of the world's top 10 hotel bars by Food and Wine in 2025. Polo themed cocktails and some of the city's best burgers fill a Belle Epoque mansion. Recoleta
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.
. 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.
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.
Looking beyond Buenos Aires? See our guide to the best cocktail bars worldwide, or compare cocktail bars city by city. Or find cocktail bars near you.