Speakeasy Tour in Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is a beautiful, bustling city. With so many incredible restaurants, cafes, bars, and parks to explore, it's easy to feel overwhelmed with what to do on a night out. We spent a month in this gorgeous city and didn't even venture out to other parts of Argentine because there is simply so much to do (and eat and drink) here.

Pro tip: If you're looking for a hip neighborhood with many options for everything mentioned above, I recommend finding a hotel or Airbnb in Palermo. This is where our speakeasy tour will take place.

So, if you're looking for a unique way to spend a night out on the town in BA, I've got just the plan for you. We'll start at a small local fave bar and work our way to some speakeasies while stopping for a quick, cheap bite.

Side note: We started our night on the early side, around 7 pm, which I know sounds pretty standard for getting drinks on a Friday night in the U.S. However, Argentina operates a little closer to Spain when it comes to mealtimes (9 pm–10 pm) and club hours (12 am–4 am). Because we went out before most of the crowds, we had no problem getting tables at the spots I'm about to mention. If you prefer to live like an Argentinian and start your night later, I'd recommend getting reservations at most of these places.

All right, let's go.

Also, apologies in advance for the low-quality photos. As you can imagine, most of these places were dimly lit, but I tried my best. :)

1. Tres Monos

This small but vibey bar is the perfect spot to start a night out. They had an excellent small bites menu that we decided not to partake in because we had a late lunch. But, we were eying the plates of our neighbors, and they looked so yummy. I got a sweet, tangy whiskey drink to start the night, and Brett got a beer.

Tres Monos, Guatemala 4899, C1425 CABA, Argentina

2. Victoria Brown Bar

Tucked inside an unassuming metal garage storefront with a mural outside lies the Victoria Brown Bar. You'll know you're at the right place because a hostess will be standing at a podium at the back of the room. We walked up, asked for a table for two, and she guided us behind a door and through these massive curtains to unveil the dimly lit, classy interior of our first speakeasy of the night. It felt like we were transported back in time. The design gave industrial Alice in Wonderland, and we were here for it. The tasting menu was elevated here, and so were the prices, so we decided to stick to drinks: two espresso martinis and the check.

Victoria Brown Bar, Costa Rica 4827, C1414 CABA, Argentina

3. The Burger Joint

Ok, this is neither a speakeasy nor a bar but should be a stop on your list for a quick, cheap bite if you're like us and don't want to pay for a fancy meal (or don't have the forethought to book a reservation at a nice restaurant). This place has about eight different kinds of burgers, and they have a combo deal for a burger, fries, and a beer for about $5. Just what we needed, and honestly, one of the best burgers I've had since leaving the U.S.

The Burger Joint, Jorge Luis Borges 1766, C1414 CABA, Argentina

If you want a nicer, more authentic meal, I'd recommend getting reservations at Don Julio as far in advance. This place was recommended to me by a friend (s/o Facundo!), it is right around the corner from Victoria Brown Bar, and when we passed it, people were flooding the corner with wine glasses in hand... Not sure if they give you wine while you wait or what... But it looked like the spot.

4. Frank's Bar

All right, next up, we have probably the coolest speakeasy I've been to (and I haven't been to that many, so take this with a grain of salt). To get into Frank's, you technically need a password. When I looked online, it said they give out the password on their Facebook page every day. However, when I went to their page, they hadn't posted anything that day. But we went anyway.

We found this place only from the large man sitting outside. He asked us for the password, and when we said: "No sé." He reluctantly ushered us in through a fake wall door, through an indoor patio area with a car, motorcycles, and people smoking cigarettes, then pointed to a phone booth at the back of the room. "Numero cinco," he said to us as he walked away. We walked up to the phone booth; I picked up the phone, dialed the number five, and heard a loud buzzing noise. I pushed on the back wall of the phone booth, and we were again transported into another world.

The most vibey tropical house remixes were playing, and couples were sitting in velvet thrones, all facing the bar like a show to watch the bartenders mix the drinks. I got the Pulp Fiction, and Brett got an Old Fashioned.

Frank's Bar, Arévalo 1445, C1414 CABA, Argentina

5. Uptown Bar

This bar was an experience! It's entirely underground, and you have to walk down these stairs into what looks exactly like a New York subway station. You even walk into a subway car and wait for the doors to open on the other side to welcome you into the bar area. Since we got here around midnight, we had to stay in a long line outside, but luckily, we made a few European friends and chatted with them to pass the time. It was also packed inside the bar, so we only stayed for a few drinks—still an awesome experience.

Uptown Bar, Arévalo 2030, C1414CQP CABA, Argentina