~ The last minute search for a place to go out in Buenos Aires can be much like putting 25 cents into a gumball machine: You know something delicious is bound to come out, and although you have a prefered flavor in mind, its really the gamble and anticipation that leads you to the game in the first place. But Mente Argentina is here to help you learn how to play those gumball odds, rig the machine so that you’re chances of getting the cherry flavor you’re looking for is a little higher. No matter the day of the week, no matter the barrio you find yourself in, BsAs has something going on, and you’re job is to find what and where that is! Like most study abroad students know, going out is half of the experience in a noctural city like Buenos Aires. So we want to remind all those study abroaders that the possibilities are infinite – midnight movies, 4 am theater performances in parks, bands and dancing, poetry slams, and parades – these are some of the activities that go on every single day and night here. The night life is more than just going out; it is a cultural experience, rich with opportunities, excitement, and an important way of understanding how travlers and porteños alike live, no matter what form that nightlife takes on.

No matter what day your internship meets, when you have spanish classes, what time your cooking or photography course takes place, there are always students, Mente-ers and non, who are ready to discover something new about the nightlife of Buenos Aires. This is one of the most beautiful things about studying abroad in Buenos Aires. We’ve gotten lots of requests for bar and club suggestions, thus here we are filling that void! Now, every study abroad student finds their favorite digs in Buenos Aires, but some fellow subjetivity has always helped us in our searches for a good night. We at Mente Argentina have decided to impart our abounding Baires wisdom, crosslisted and categorized according to any and everyone’s potential need. Read on readers! ~

Some Favorites: Mentionable Bars

• Milión - Paraná 1048. A classier option for any night of the week, Milión has great lighting, delicious drinks, beautiful people, and a continually upbeat energy. Check out the garden in back, like Narnia after dark!
• Le Bar – Tucumán 422. In the middle of the financial district, Le Bar is tucked around a corner full of live music and hip outfits. Three floors up is a beautiful terrace where rogue acoustic guitar players can often be spotted in the graffiti doused ambiance. Great for discovering the local music scene! Not to be missed.
• Van Koning: Baez 325, in Las Cañitas. Finally! One of the great beer bars in Buenos Aires, get ready to try several foreign brews and others that are distant cousins of the national quilmes family. Local and imported drinks, plus, and most importantly, the dark woods and the antique feel makes the bar look like the inside of a boat. All aboard.
• El Federal: Carlos Calvo 599. Classic San Telmo bar with porteño drinks, porteño foods, porteño style, and porteño people-watching. For a happy hour break or a mid-day snack, El Federal is casual and comfortable, making for easy drinking and dining.
• Bar Seis: Armenia 1676. Palermo Soho is chalk full of bars, so walking around any time of the day will always lead you to some great classy bars. Bar Seis is one of those finds, mixing the warehouse feel with a comfortable classy interior. It specializes in whiskey and whiskey cocktails. The low lighting, comfortable couches, and art make it all cohesive for a casual evening with friends.
• Gibraltar: Perú 895. Pool tables in the back, curries and asian based foods, and cheap beer by the pint, Gibraltar brings in loads of people all night. The backyard patio is perfect during the summertime and it’s friendly bartenders and patrons fill the place with laughter and conversation all times of year.
• Jah Bar: Thames 1335. Reggae vibes, drinks, great terrace and on certain days there’s not a foreigner in sight. The music can get pretty loud so sometimes conversation can come to an impasse, but it’s a primo people-watching sight which makes up for any potential silence!
• Carnal: Niceto Vega 5511. Right on the edge of palermo hollywood and across the street from Niceto Club, Carnal is a great place to park and have some pre-outting drink, but it somehow always seems to turn into a whole night affair. A fine mix of all types of people and some creative drink specials, but most importantly, the upstairs terrace is beautiful and always bumpin with people. If you get there early you can have dinner and stay for drinks, thus claiming yourself a table before it gets too crowded.
• Espacio Dada: Borges 1655. A market during the day time, this warehouse bar caught my attention only because it would be chalk full of people in the US or europe, but here, depite the chic concrete walls, the art, and the disassemble-able feel to it stays pretty low key. Most surpringly, its right off the Plaza Serrano circle where most bars come to breed similiarity, but Dada offers a great little whaa? to your everyday yeah. Lots of shows that you can look up on their blog.
• Acabar: Honduras 5733. Cool casual bar with cheap drinks, tons of bizarre games, and some classic bar food. Acabar is great to come to with a ton of friends, and a surefire way to make others. Get ready to hear lots of porteños playing local drinking games, and get even more ready to get roped into them!
• Cilantro: Tomás de Anchorena 1122. Thrown in because it’s this authors home base, Cilantro is a great little space, and implicitly an israeli bar. Their happy hour deals are great and on wednesdays they have a “Funky Miercoles” with major discounts on creative cocktails. Nice international food options. Also, implicit parties and shows start all the time, and you will definately make friends with all the staff!

How bizzare: bars with a twist of ¿?, shaken not stirred

• El Living: Marcelo T Alvear 1540.Total burn-out feel to it, El Living is the place to go when you’re looking to leave the night muttering “what just happened?”. Cheap drinks, couches and tables, and an entire wall plastered with a variety of TVs, high-def, black and white, portables and projectors playing live shows of “classic rock” and classic rock’s distant cousin. Stored unsuspectingly in a house in lower Recoleta, the place weaves around and seems to never end, but great for exploring!
• La Puerta Roja: Chacbuco 733. Great classic dive-esk bar in San Telmo, lots of people, conversations, and drinks being passed around. Pool tables in the back room, great bartenders, lots of conversation with strangers, and a lively crowd. La Puerta Roja seems to be the start and finish to everyone’s night.
• Kim y Novak: Guemes y Godoy Cruz. Another unlikely dive bar found in palermo, the place is chalk full of quirk and makes for a great counter-cheto night. Known to be gay friendly, particularly because it’s located in what used to be the red-light district of Buenos Aires. Tons of things to look at on the walls and people to chat with, Kim y Novak puts a great spin on the normal dive bar. Despite the grunge feel, drink prices are still in the palermo range, but as the night gets later the downstairs opens into an intimate dance space so feel free to get there late and stay later.
• Frank’s Bar: Arévalo 1445. Now, i’ve never been, but this hush hush speakeasy inspired bar is invite only, so ask around until you find a friend of a friend of a sibling’s friend who once went. Located in upper Palermo Hollywood, the place is known, but getting inside is the difficult part. According to the blog Inside Buenos Aires you need to “dial a password into a faux-telephone booth which opens the secret door”. Once in, the clandestine atmosphere, in-house sex shop, high class drinks and international DJs will make it so you’ll really believe its prohibition all over again!

Clubs and discounts by day of the week:

Monday nights in Buenos Aires

• La Bomba del Tiempo: Centro Cultural Konex, Sarmiento 3131. A live percussion show full of surprises that is sure to get you dancing! La bomba is not to be missed, and even if you’ve been once with Mente’s free cultural excursions, every monday proves to be different with this group. Check out our blog post on la Bomba for more details.
• UNI club: Guardia Vieja 3360. After La Bomba there are several afterparties such as the one at UNI club and other spots close by, so mondays are kept exciting in the Abasto barrio.
• Club Severino: Hipólito Yrigoyen 851. Every monday Club Severino has their popular party for those who want to start the week off right. A mix of rock, pop, hip hop, kumbia and more! Get in free until 1:30by putting yourself and your friends on the list!
• La Cigale: 25 de Mayo 597. Every monday, La Cigale hosts live local music in their event “Los lunes están de moda”. Hidden in the financial district, La Cigale is originally a french bar that is popular with the alternative and grunge scene in Buenos Aires. The place is energizing and hip inside, and a good option to seeing other sides of the music scene in Buenos Aires.

Tuesday nights in Buenos Aires

• Hype: Kika Club, Honduras 5339. Tuesday nights are packed with party goers in this popular Palermo boliche. Take a nice stroll from the bar-packed scene in Plaza Serrano where many foreigners get a pre-club drink or two, and then hit up club Hype. Get in free until 2:00 am by emailing your guestlist to CLUBKIKA@HOTMAIL.COM, or check out their other discounts on the Kika Club facebook page
• +160: Bahrein, Lavalle 345. One of this author’s personal favorites, Bahrein on tuesdays is an incredible scene: the music, the place, the people, all invade your senses and insure an incredible night. The music that they call Drum n Bass seems more like a mix with Drum n Bass, Techno, and Dubstep. Get in free until 2:00 am by emails your guestlist to YO_DJR@HOTMAIL.COM and tell themat the door that you’re on the “lista de dulce julieta”, or check out their other discounts on the Bahrein Free Passes facebook page. Careful, because the line can get pretty huge, so if you want to get in for free make sure you get there with some time! Maybe check out Le Bar around the corner on Tucumán 422 for some drinks and live music before checkin out the club
• Jobs Bar: Arenales 2932. Jobs bar is a great place to get together with friends, grab a few drinks, and play some games. Known for its pool, darts, ping pong, jenga, and other great outdated boardgames, it’s also popular because of the  Tuesday night drink specials: 3 beers for 15 pesos. Jobs is perfect for a casual night out.

Wednesday nights in Buenos Aires

• Club Zizek: Niceto Club, Niceto Vega 5510. Niceto Club is known for its parties in Buenos Aires. Wedsneday nights, Niceto club is host to Zizek Club, which serves as a showcase  for new, upcoming, and particularly under music that is breakin into the more professional scene playing all over the city. Checking out their websites (zzkrecords.com and whatsupbuenosaires.com)  is great to get information and discounts by emailing their organizers and putting your name on the list!
• Terrazas del Este: Avenida Costanera Norte y Sarmiento.  This club is continually praised for it’s scene and music on saturday nights, and now its also known for its wednesday after-office party, bringin the funk back to hump day. Full of all different types of music split into separate rooms, thrown onto the terrace, The after-office starts early (around 7 pm) for dinner and drinks, and then goes late into the night. The facebook page fills you in on upcoming events, and by emailing GusReyTerrazas@hotmail.com with your guestlist, girls get in free and guys get a discount until 2:30!
• Asia de Cuba:  Pierina Dealessi 750. A higher end club in Puerto Madero, lines get going early in the night (around 1:00 am), and it seems that everyone knows someone which gets you a free entrance. The place is higher end, and is a restaurant before it turns into a club. Great bar with really nice drink options, but the prices can be higher. check out promotions and discounts on their facebook page .

Thursday nights in Buenos Aires

• Club Lost: Club Araoz, Araoz 2424. Club Araoz gets jam packed on thursdays with their hip hop night, that brings in all types of people. Plenty of foreigners and the hip-hop-ers of Buenos Aires get together and rock out to impressive mashups of oldschool hip hop, top 40s, classics, underground music, and reggaeton. The crowd stays here very late, and this is one of those places where it seems everyone is having a great time. It may be the music, the drinks, but either way, you cant fight the beat. Their facebook page also offers promotions and free entrances if you do a little scavenging on their wall. Make sure to keep an eye out for promoters’ names you can drop at the door.
• Club 69: Niceto Club, Niceto Vega 5510. Like we said earlier, Niceto Club is known for its weekly parties. Thursday nights may very well be one of their biggest and best in Buenos Aires. Niceto Club turns into Club 69, a semi-gay club, most of the draw because of their popular transvestite show they have. The double level dance club is a mix of all kinds of music, mostly connected through techno mashups, but everyone lets loose when theyre here. Niceto club offers all kinds of discounts every day on their website linked above and on their facebook as well

Friday nights in Buenos Aires

• Roxy Disco: Arcos del Sol, Avenida Casares 4000. Roxy is a nice alternative to throw into the mix. For those who are lookin to jam out to some rock and roll, Roxy is the place to be. Fridays and Saturdays get started at 1:30 , but reaching late into the night, many locals flood to this Rock n Roll haven. It has the benefit of being mostly for porteños, and hardly any tourists. But be ready to dance and put talking on a hold, the music blasts relentlessly, the scene is much more casual and promises a great time that will add to your typical club experience here. Sign up for free passes and discounts here, usually free for ladies and discounted entrance for men until 1:30.
• The Basement Club: Shamrock Bar, Rodríguez Peña 1220. Shamrock is a casual Irish pub that offers a relaxed scene and draws in a really friendly crowd that you will surely meet, chat with, buy rounds with, and enjoy getting to know! But downstairs, especially Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, the basement turns into an intimate club with cheap drinks,  live DJs, good tunes, and, most importantly, a disco ball. You could spend all night there, from the pre-drink, to the club, and the afterclub wind-down; i know i have.
• Voodoo Motel:  Dorrego 1735. A great mix of all types of tunes, electronic, house, hip-hop, reggaeton, sometimes punk and rock, and many live performances. The place is new and a great place to check out. Free events found on their facebook page and if you sign up for their list, plus entrance is usually free until 2:00 am. Great for trying out something new!

Saturday nights in Buenos Aires

• Terrazas del Este: Avenida Costanera Norte y Sarmiento. One of the favored clubs in the Costanera section of the city, Terrazas del Este is always a good time on saturday nights. The place is enormous and spread across several different rooms, each playing a different genre of music, plus the outside terrace and gazebo make it an incredible club during the summer! Like all the clubs on the Costanera strip (and there are many a club over there), the only way to get there is via Taxi, and getting back can cost you if you catch a cab straight from the club, so if you’re willing to wait longer across the street you can get a better price on your way back. The facebook page fills you in on upcoming events, and by emailing GusReyTerrazas@hotmail.com with your guestlist, girls get in free and guys get a discount until 2:30!
• Pácha: Avenida Costanera R. Obligado. Pácha is actually a chain, known from its famous location in Ibiza Spain. Everyone who has been says it’s a must see, but it can be a little more pretentious than other options. Pácha does, however, bring in a lively crowd and some great international DJs, is home to a number of bars, and is a great view with its patio and location right on the river. It opens at 1:30 on Saturdays. Look for promoters on their facebook page, and check out the website for new events coming up!
• Crobar: Avenida Libertador 3883. Right off the palermo park, Crobar is a classic popular place. It doesnt offer much more than it promises, but what it does promise is good dance music and lots of people swaying to the tune of a Saturday, and you’re sure to stay out until the early morning. Send your guestlist to inforcrobar@yahoo.com.ar and see what kind of discounts you get for the night and check out new happenings on their facebook.
• Fugees 99: Bolivar 1190. A san telmo after-club club, Fugees has similar jams as Lost, hip hop and rap, breakdancing, cheap drinks, but whats more important is its much more underground, and that brings an implicity VIP feel to your night. Girls are free before 1 am, but word is it doesnt really get started until much later, cerca 4:00 am. Get ready for a long night out.

Sunday nights in Buenos Aires

• Amerika: Gascón 1040. One of the biggest gay clubs in Buenos Aires, it is popular among all people and is very “straight friendly” aka its full of all types and sexual orientations.  GREAT techno music on both dance floors that gets your feet and body moving! Thursdays and Sundays its a 50 pesos entrance that includes an open bar (4 of them to be exact) until 4 or 5 am which is very worth the price, and fridays and saturdays it hikes up to 80 pesos, so sunday is a favored choice. It opens at midnights but you’re sure to dance right into monday morning.
• Bar One: Aldolfo Alsina 940. Now i’ve never been but the blog Gringo in Buenos Aires recommends this for your sundays. House music, 4 story big screen projecting images that are sure to trip you out and go nicely with the strobe lights, this is the place to counteract the low-key feel that Sundays have claimed to be.

Useful Sites: Great sites to guide you to exactly what you’re looking for, all day, every day

Pick Up The Fork: A favorite Baires Blog of mine, this post has GREAT bar and happy hour suggestions!

Gringo in Buenos Aires: another good expat Baires Blog, good suggestions for day/nighttime niches.

Nile Guide: not to common late night suggestions

Vuenos Airez: daily activities, promos, always up to date

Página 12 – suplemento NO: mostly live music, great for finding local bands!

Whats Up Buenos Aires: parties and live music

Festivales de Buenos Aires – Ciudad de Buenos Aires: free government activities and festivals

Rachel Sherman