The last minute search for a place to go out in Buenos Aires can be like putting a quarter into a gumball machine: you know something delicious is bound to come out, and although you have a preferred flavor in mind, it’s 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, and to rig the machine so that your chances of getting the shiny red one are a little higher. No matter the day of the week or the barrio you find yourself in, Buenos Aires has something going on, and your job is to find what and where! Like most study abroad students in Buenos Aires know, going out is an important part of the experience in any nocturnal city. We want to remind all those study abroaders that the possibilities are infinite – midnight movies, 4am theater performances in the park, 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 partying – it is a cultural experience, rich with opportunities, excitement and an important way of understanding how travelers and porteños alike live.

No matter what day your internship in Buenos Aires meets, what time your cooking lessons or photography courses takes place or when exactly you have Spanish courses in Buenos Aires, there are always students, Mente-ers and non, who are ready to discover the city’s nightlife. This is one of the most wonderful things about studying abroad in Buenos Aires. We get lots of questions about bars and clubs, so here we aim to fill that void! Every study abroad student finds their favorite digs in Buenos Aires, but some recommendations always help in the search for a good night. We at Mente Argentina have decided to impart our abounding “Baires” wisdom, cross-listed and categorized according to any and everyone’s potential need. Read on!

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 – it’s 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. One of the great beer bars in Buenos Aires. Try several foreign brews and others that are distant cousins of the national Quilmes family. Local and imported drinks, and most importantly, the dark woods and the antique feel makes the bar look like the inside of a boat. All aboard! Happy hour from 7-10PM (2×1!)
• El Federal: Carlos Calvo 599. Classic San Telmo bar with porteño drinks, porteño foods, porteño style and people-watching. For a happy hour break or a midday snack, El Federal is casual, cute and comfortable, making for easy drinking and dining.
• Gibraltar: Perú 895. Pool tables in the back, curries and asian-inspired foods, and cheap beer by the pint, Gibraltar brings in loads of people all night. The backyard patio is perfect during the summertime and its friendly bartenders and patrons fill the place with laughter and conversation all year round.
• Jah Bar: Thames 1335. Reggae vibes, drinks, great terrace and on certain days not a foreigner in sight. The music can get pretty loud so sometimes conversation can come to an impasse, but it’s a prime 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-outing drinks, but it somehow always turns 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 bumping. 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, this warehouse bar caught my attention only because it would be full of people from the US or Europe, but here, despite the chic concrete walls, the art, and the disassemble-able feel, it stays pretty low key. Most surpringly, it’s 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 Facebook page.
• El Emergente: Gallo 333. El Emergente is a cultural center and bar located in the lovely neighborhood of Almagro. There’s a stage for live music and theater, a gallery space and a great patio with a ping pong table. It’s open 7 days a week and each day they host a different event or show. From percussion jams to acoustic nights, to reggae and alt techno, to poetry readings and photo exhibitions, you’ll find it all at El Emergente, and always with reasonable to cheap prices.
• Le Troquet de Henry: Guardia Vieja 3460. The beloved Troquet is an Abasto neighborhood classic. You won’t miss it if you walk down Guardia Vieja – it’s the one with lots of outside tables, buena onda and cheap beer. Don’t come if you’re looking for craft beer, but it’s got a variety of typical litro beers and truly delicious empanadas. A great place with a chill vibe to go with friends, where all sorts of neighborhood characters emerge throughout the night.

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. Located unsuspectingly in a house in lower Recoleta, the place weaves around and seems to never end – great for exploring!
• El Banco Rojo: Bolívar 866. The best place to get a burger and beer in San Telmo, lots of people, conversations, loud music and drinks being passed around. There’s a patio out back, good happy hour specials and the food is great (and remarkably cheap). Great bartenders, lots of conversation with strangers, and a lively crowd. El Banco Rojo seems to be the start and finish to everyone’s night.
• 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 cousin 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 it’s prohibition all over again!

Clubs and discounts by day of the week

**Check websites and Facebook pages before going to these events – club schedules change! **

MONDAY NIGHTS

• 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 is a different experience. Check out our blog post on la Bomba for more details.
• UNI Club: Guardia Vieja 3360. After La Bomba there are several parties such as the one at UNI club and other spots close by, so Mondays are always exciting in the Abasto barrio.
• Folk You Mondays: La Dama de Bollini, Pasaje Bollini 2281. Live music every Monday with different Buenos Aires musicians! A great time and a fun way to discover local musicians.
• 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, cumbia and more! Get in free until 1:30AM by 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, and a good option to seeing other sides of the music scene in Buenos Aires.

TUESDAY NIGHTS

• Hype: Kika Club, Honduras 5339. Tuesday nights are packed with partygoers 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. Check out their discounts on the Kika Club facebook page
• La Grande: Santos Dumont 4040. If you missed La Bomba del Tiempo on Monday, you can check out La Grande on Tuesday. La Bomba’s director, Santiago Vazquez, also directs La Grande, and so you’ll find improvisation, percussion and a fun mix of genres and styles each Tuesday.
• 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 board games, it’s also popular because of the Tuesday night drink specials. Jobs is perfect for a casual night out.
• Café San Bernardo: Corrientes 5436.

WEDNESDAY NIGHTS

• Terrazas del Este: Avenida Costanera Norte y Sarmiento.  This club is continually praised for its music on Saturday nights, and now it’s also known for its Wednesday after-office party, bringing the funk back to hump day. Listen to different types of music in separate rooms or on 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 guest list, 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 .
• Liquid Bar: Santa Fe 3651. Wednesdays start early, with doors opening for their After Office party at 7PM. Liquid offers 2×1 drinks until midnight and they don’t charge for admission! It’s a great place to go if you have class or work early in the morning and want to go out earlier at night than the Buenos Aires norm!

THURSDAY NIGHTS

• 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. The double level dance club is a mix of all kinds of music, mostly connected through techno mashups, but everyone lets loose when they’re here. Niceto offers all kinds of discounts every day on their website linked above as well as on their facebook.
• Rose Bar: Honduras 5445. Starting at 7:30 PM, Rose Bar’s After Office party on Thursday is kickin’. Rose Bar is a more upscale warehouse style club, where you’ll find a great atmosphere, great music and talented bartenders. Happy Hour until 9 – check their Facebook page for discounts and lists.
• MOD Lost Hip Hop Culture Club: Balcarce 563. A San Telmo club, on Thursdays starting at midnight MOD offers a hip hop and dancehall party, with cheap drinks, but whats more important is its much more underground, and that brings an implicitly VIP feel to your night.

FRIDAY NIGHTS

• Cocoliche: Rivadavia 878. For those who are looking for a techno fix, Cocoliche is the (almost legendary) place to be. Fridays and Saturdays get started at 1:30, but until much later in the night locals flood in. It has the perk 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. Check their Facebook to get on lists for discounts and free entry!
• 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.
• Bahrein, Lavalle 345. One of my personal favorites, Bahrein is an incredible scene: the music, the place, the people – all invade your senses and ensure an incredible night. The music that they call drum & bass seems more like a mix of drum & bass, techno, and dubstep. You can usually get in free until 2:00am by signing up for the guestlist on their website. Careful, because the line can get pretty huge, so if you want to get in for free make sure you get there earlier than 2! Maybe check out Le Bar around the corner on Tucumán 422 for some drinks and live music before heading over to the club.

SATURDAY NIGHTS

• 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 clubs on the Costanera strip (and there are many over there), the only way to get there is by 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 how to get on the list for discounts!
• Crobar: Avenida Libertador 3883. Right off the Palermo park, Crobar is a classic popular place. It doesn’t 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 guest list to inforcrobar@yahoo.com.ar and see what kind of discounts you get for the night. Check out upcoming events on their facebook.
• Fiesta Plop!: Av. Federico Lacroze 3455. A fun, colorful (LGBT), retro, costume party with a different theme every week! Popular music from the last two decades will make you dance the night away until 5-6 am! Sometimes features leading artists. Tickets are available online or at the door. 

SUNDAY NIGHTS

• Amerika: Gascón 1040. One of the biggest LGBT clubs in Buenos Aires, it is popular among all sexual orientations. GREAT techno music on both dance floors that gets your feet and body moving! Thursdays and Sundays the discounted entrance includes an open bar (4 of them to be exact) until 4-5am which is very worth the price, and Fridays and Saturdays it hikes up to 80 pesos, so Sunday is a preferred choice. It opens at midnight but you’re sure to dance right into Monday morning.
• Makena Afromama Jams: Fitz Roy 1519. On Sundays, Makena Club turns into a haven for live funk, soul and hip hop music. This show has been going for 10 years and is popular among locals and foreigners alike.
• BA Comedy Lab: See page for address. For stand-up comedy in English, this is your spot! Literally, it’s the only (and best) English comedy club in Buenos Aires. It features comics from all over the world, including some who also have made appearances on Comedy Central and Netflix.

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 – it has GREAT food, bar and happy hour suggestions!
• Buenos Aliens: guide to Buenos Aires electronic music scene and parties
• Gringo in Buenos Aires: another good expat blog, good suggestions for day/nighttime niches.
• Nile Guide: not too 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 @ Mente Argentina