Nightlife · Buenos Aires · Argentina
Buenos Aires nightlife
Where the evenings happen in Buenos Aires, from early drinks to late nights.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Eugenio Hansen, OFS, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Buenos Aires keeps famously late hours: dinner at 10pm, bars at midnight and clubs that don't fill until after 2am. Alongside cocktail bars and clubs, tango milongas and live-music halls run most nights of the week. The main areas are Palermo Soho and Hollywood, San Telmo, Almagro and Abasto and Avenida Corrientes.
Key facts
- Nightlife areas
- 4
- Stay near the action
- Palermo Soho
- Local drink
- Mate
Where to go out
Palermo Soho and Hollywood
Cocktail bars, wine bars and speakeasies, many behind unmarked doors, plus the busy bars around Plaza Serrano.
San Telmo
Historic bars, tango halls and live music around Plaza Dorrego and Calle Defensa.
Almagro and Abasto
Neighbourhood milongas, the Ciudad Cultural Konex and the Abasto area where Carlos Gardel grew up.
Avenida Corrientes
The city's theatre strip, with plays, musicals, comedy and late-opening pizzerias around the Obelisco.
Nightlife tips
- Pre-dinner drinks start around 8–9pm and clubs fill after 2am, so pace your evening.
- Many bars run happy hours in the early evening, when locals are still at work.
- Use radio taxis or ride-hailing to get home late; buses run all night but are slow.
Evening sights
Architecture · San Nicolás
Teatro Colón
If your dates allow, see a performance rather than only touring; upper-tier seats still give the full experience of the hall.
- Time needed
- 1 hour for a tour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
- After dark
.jpg){kind=link}
Landmark · Recoleta
Floralis Genérica
Walk here from Recoleta Cemetery and continue along the avenue to MALBA.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Photo spot
- Art
- After dark
.jpg){kind=link}
Waterfront · Puerto Madero
Puerto Madero and Puente de la Mujer
Walk the docks at dusk, then cross to the Costanera Sur promenade for a choripán from a street cart.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Couples
- After dark
- Kids
Experience · Palermo and Almagro
An evening at a milonga
Take the beginners' class before the dance, and learn the cabeceo: invitations are made with eye contact and a nod, not by walking up to people.
- Time needed
- An evening
- Cost
- Low cost
- After dark
- Couples
- Off the beaten path
.jpg){kind=link}
Landmark · San Nicolás
Obelisco and Avenida 9 de Julio
Photograph it from the central reservation of 9 de Julio, then walk along Corrientes for pizza at one of the old pizzerias.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- After dark
- Photo spot
What to drink
- Mate — Dried yerba mate leaves steeped in hot (not boiling) water in a gourd and sipped through a metal straw (bombilla). It is shared in a circle, refilled by one person, the cebador, and passed around.
- Malbec and fernet con coca — Mendoza Malbec is the default red with steak, while fernet, a bitter Italian herbal liqueur, is mixed with cola to make the country's favourite bar drink.
Evenings through the year
Sunset and the overnight low decide how long the outdoor part of a night lasts. January has the warmest evenings, with lows around 20°C (68°F).
| Month | Sunset (15th) | Overnight low | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | About 20:09 | 20°C (68°F) | 8 |
| April | About 18:30 | 14°C (57°F) | 8 |
| July | About 18:01 | 8°C (46°F) | 6 |
| October | About 19:07 | 13°C (55°F) | 9 |
Getting home late
- Metro — You need a rechargeable SUBE card, sold at kiosks and Subte stations, for the Subte, buses and suburban trains.
- Bus — Tell the driver your destination before tapping your SUBE card, as fares on many lines vary by distance.
- Walking — San Telmo, Recoleta and Palermo are best explored on foot, but the distances between them are long — Plaza de Mayo to Palermo Soho is about 7 km.
- Taxi — Black-and-yellow taxis are metered and plentiful; radio taxis or app-booked cars are a sensible choice late at night.
- Ride-hailing — Uber, Cabify and DiDi operate across the city and are widely used by locals and visitors.
Late-night bites
- Empanadas — Empanada shops and pizzerias everywhere, sold by the unit or the dozen for takeaway.
- Choripán — Street carts along the Costanera Sur promenade near Puerto Madero, and as a starter at any parrilla.
Staying safe at night
Pickpocketing and bag or phone snatching, sometimes by thieves on motorbikes, are the main risks, especially on the Subte, around Florida street, in San Telmo and at La Boca. A common trick involves a stranger 'helping' after someone spills mustard or another liquid on you; walk away and keep hold of your bag.
- Emergency number
- 911 police, 107 ambulance (SAME)
Where to stay for nightlife
$$$ · Best for first-timers, shopping, food lovers, couples and nightlife
Palermo Soho
The southern half of Palermo Viejo, nicknamed Palermo Soho, is the main base for visitors who want restaurants and shops on the doorstep: designer boutiques along Honduras, El Salvador and Gurruchaga, cafés and bars around Plaza Serrano (officially Plazoleta Cortázar), and low-rise houses converted into boutique hotels. The Palermo parks and Subte Line D are a short walk away.
- Good
- Excellent restaurants, cafés and shops; Walkable, tree-lined streets; Lively in the evenings
- Watch out
- A Subte or taxi ride from the historic centre; Noisy around Plaza Serrano at weekends
- Nearby
- Plaza Serrano, Bosques de Palermo, Museo Evita, Palermo Hollywood
Questions travellers ask
+Where is the best nightlife in Buenos Aires?
Palermo Soho and Hollywood, San Telmo and Almagro and Abasto. Cocktail bars, wine bars and speakeasies, many behind unmarked doors, plus the busy bars around Plaza Serrano.
+Which area of Buenos Aires is best for nightlife?
Palermo Soho: Boutiques, cafés and leafy cobbled streets around Plaza Serrano.