Café Tortoni
Posted by terryg
Snacks or meals in a traditional setting. The locals frequent it as well as tourists. Cheap and friendly. There's also tango shows in the evenings.

Avenida de Mayo 857
www.cafetortoni.com.ar
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Tango in San Telmo
Posted by LEESIMPSON
Every Sunday evening the residents of the cobbled streets of San Telmo indulge themselves in their favourite pastime, the tango. Don't pay for an expensive tango show, simply observe from a bustling cafe these locals doing what they do best well into the early hours of Monday morning.

San Telmo is easily reached from Buenos Aires's main Avenue, Avenida de Mayo, walking for approximately 15 minutes along La Defensa.
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La Catedral
Posted by motos
A place to go and dance tango or just to look at people dancing 'for real'. Unlike most of other tango places, that do shows 'for export', it is rough and ready (in a barely-converted warehouse) and full of young people. Lessons also available, including some for same sex couples.

La Catedral
Sarmiento 4006. Tel 15 5325-1630. Buses: 168-92-151-160-36 Subte A estación Castro Barros y Subte B estación Medrano.
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Bar Sur
Posted by elysmelys
Beautiful little tango bar in the San Telmo district. The place is so small that you can really appreciate the performers' skill. You do get roped in with singing and even dancing, but it's done with such good humour that it's really not that painful.

The bar is featured in Wong Kar-Wai's film Happy Together.

Estados Unidos 299
San Telmo
Buenos Aires
www.bar-sur.com.ar/
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Cafe Ideal
Posted by ludovic

The Tortoni has become Tango's equivalent of the Hard Rock Cafe selling T-shirts and nonsense, with even waxworks of Borges and Gardel sipping coffees!

Infinitely more authentic, with just as much architectural style, is the Cafe Ideal in Suipacha (half a block from Corrientes). Even if you've got two left feet and never thought of having a tango lesson ... pinch your nose and go to one of the lunchtime beginners classes in English. They're a hoot ... and very cheap.

Cafe Ideal
Suipacha, just up from Corientes.
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Plaza Dorrego
Posted by brogie
Old-fashioned buzzy bar on the edge of the square where at weekends you can watch tango and browse the flea market. Speedy service from the ageing waiters... grab a table outside if you can, order a chop and watch the comings and goings in the square.

Plaza Dorrego, San Telmo
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Lessons at the Tango Academy
Posted by SoniaNetJet
Every weekday evening from about six o'clock, there are cheap lessons for all abilities, you can just turn up and try your hand/feet.There will always be people more rubbish than you. If you stick it out for a few lessons, ladies, you will eventually be allowed to do the kick which, when done well, is a very sexy move that makes you feel like a proper dancer. If done badly, it leaves your partner with limited chances of fathering a child.

Tango Academy
Avenida de Mayo - near Cafe Tortoni
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La Biela
Posted by UkiGoni
The quintessential people-watching spot of Buenos Aires in the upscale Recoleta area. A little noisy, but its still worth it to mingle with the "beautiful people" in a city renowned for beautiful women and handsome men. Pick an outside table underneath the sprawling branches of the ancient rubber tree and let the "simpatico" waiters in their green waistcoats serve up delicious coffee. This is US actor Robert Duvall's favourite hangout when he flies to dance the tango in Buenos Aires.

Quintana, 596; Tel: 4804 0449