Buenos Aires is a popular city for expats for good reason. It has a good climate, it’s cheap for what you get, it’s interesting, and it’s in a time zone only a couple of hours different from the eastern states of the USA. The only problem is that about a billion people realized all of that long before you did, and means the entire city is crawling, crawling, with expats.

That’s not always a bad thing. But sometimes you feel like you want a night out where you don’t spend all night talking to people you could just as easily have met back home. Here then, are five great Bar options for the nights when you’re in the mood to meet and drink with some locals.

La Puerta Roja
Chacabuco 733

La Puerta Roja in San Telmo is an utterly no-nonsense drinking establishment. This bar has very reasonable prices (aided and abetted by a four-hour happy ‘hour’ from 6-10pm), a pool table, an interesting selection of drinks (try the Chili Bomb), and simple and filling food. The crowd is a nice mix of locals and expats living in the area.

A word of warning: it’s best to stay away from La Puerta Roja on a Saturday night if you are looking for more of a local scene, as this is when the Buenos Aires Pub Crawl crowd comes through, which tends to have a lot of foreigners.

Bar Guebara
Humberto 1° 463

Various described by the blogosphere as ‘a dive bar’ or ‘a-hole-in-the-wall,’ Bar Guebara has a pleasantly bohemian vibe that draws the indie, Converse-wearing Argentinean set (seriously, is every Porteño issued with a pair of Cons for their quince dulce?) like bears to honey. Beer is sold in pitchers and good old rock ‘n’ roll dominates the tune selection. It fancies itself as a bit of a cultural center as well as a bar/pub – paintings and photography from local artists decorate the walls.

Carnal
Niceto Vega 5511

The key feature of this Palermo bar is its rooftop terrace, which sizzles in summer both with the heat and with large crowds of frisky, style-conscious locals. In nice weather it’s maybe the best place to drink outdoors in the entire city. If you’re new to the city, you’ll be surprised at how friendly and unpretentious even a trendy crowd of Argentinians at a trendy place like this are.

Museum
Perú 535

Museum is a cavernous bar that transforms into a heaving nightclub after 10pm. The building was designed by Gustave Eiffel and is impressive, but you’re unlikely to notice, especially if you go on a Wednesday night, when it becomes full to busting with a well-lubricated after-work crowd. It’s good fun, and full of locals, but be warned that (regardless of your gender) you will get hit on by a frisky Porteño at least once every five minutes. Great if you’re looking for that kind of attention, not so great if you’re already partnered-up.

Word of warning: If you are dead set on being totally free of expats/tourists (is that even possible?), Museum is becoming more and more popular each month with foreigners, especially Wednesday nights.

Salon Pueyrredón
Avenida Sante Fe 4560

Although it could be considered a punk bar, Salon Pueyrredón attracts an eclectic crowd of Porteños who all share a love for live music. Although you are bound to see the occasional dog collar, multiple tattoos, Mohawks and some black leather, Salon Pueyrredón is a major testing ground for local rock bands which makes it a popular bar for all kinds of locals. This doesn´t discredit its notoriety as a punk bar entirely, as drinks are served strong and cheap.

After the live music is done DJ´s spin a great collection of mod, brit pop, new wave and punk tunes.

Do you know of any other great bars/clubs it mingle with locals in Buenos Aires? Leave a comment below and let us know!

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1. Eat like a Porteño: A Great Buenos Aires Restaurant Guide
2. Buenos Aires Boliches: Nightlife in BA
3. 8 Great Places to Visit in Argentina