Top 5 Secret Bars of Buenos Aires

No neon signs will be in front of these bars. Secret codes in telephone booths, black unmarked doors- here are the top 5 secret bars in Buenos Aires.

Nighttime is when Buenos Aires comes alive, and things keep rocking until the sun comes up. Even though Porteños and travelers alike enjoy going out into the night to see and be seen, some of the coolest bars in the city are hidden to the casual passerby and open only to those who know the password or which door to knock on. Our top 5 “puertas cerradas,” or closed-door bars, are unmarked, without so much as a sign or an inviting doorway. But if you know where to knock or ring, you can pass into some of the best places to party and get your drink on in Buenos Aires.

1. La Ferona Social Club
A secret bar in the heart of Palermo, Ferona feels like a cross between a house party and a hip bar in New York City. Ring the bell on the corner of Juan B Justo and Paraguay, and someone will open the door to a steep staircase that takes you to a chill first floor where people go to escape the music upstairs and talk. One flight up, you enter the party. A DJ spins most nights in the living room, projecting music outside to the wraparound terrace. Drinks are served up by sweaty bartenders in the actual kitchen of this apartment, with bottles and mixings laid out on the bar in front you. Fun almost any night of the week, Ferona is a nice mix of expats and natives, and it’s hard not to run into someone you know. Fair warning, the bar can sometimes get so packed it’s hard to get a drink Thursday through weekends.
General Location: Paraguay y Juan B Justo

2. Frank´s Bar
With password in hand, pass through a huge black metal door at Arevalo 1445 in Palermo Hollywood, dial the code into the faux telephone booth, and a door swings open into a classic, swanky, chandeliered speakeasy. Suspendered bartenders serve strong drinks, models lounge on plush red couches and people mingle with a mix of funk and soul music playing in the background. Frank’s transports you into a different world where everyone around you seems beautiful and time flies. DJs spin on weekends and the bar rocks until the early morning hours. Patrons venturing toward the exit stop at the sex shop (rumored to be the best in BA) to pick up toys and lingerie to take home.
*If you do not have the password there is a doorman that may or may not help. Show up dressed smart and plead your case.

General Location: Arevalo between Niceto Vega and Cabrera

3. Puerta Uno
On a dirty street in Barrio Chino (Belgrano) Puerta Uno does not look like an ideal nightly destination from the outside. But once you knock on the door and make your way inside, you quickly forget what´s outside and indulge in the tasty food and wide variety of drink options. Hang out on the comfy chairs and couches on the patio or make your way into the crowded, colorful bar area. On weekends, Puerta Uno gets crowded and sponsors hosting parties with drink specials are common. Ladies, be prepared for a line to the tiny bathroom.
General Location: Juramento between Arribeños and Montañeses

4. Squat House
More dance party than strictly bar, Squat House is a new, list-only party in Palermo Soho hosted in a huge beautiful old house on Godoy Cruz. Squat House festivities are quickly becoming the new thing to do in Buenos Aires, with parties thrown most weekends by various promoters and organizers. You enter the once-abandoned property in the garden where, depending on the night, performers juggle fire sticks or do other random stunts. DJs spin in the huge high-ceilinged empty living room that doubles as a dance floor and photographers roam looking for unassuming partygoers. A staircase at the back of the room leads upstairs to empty rooms and a terrace where you can escape the music and peer down into the garden below. Bartenders serve up concoctions in the huge bar downstairs. Get there early to avoid the entrance fee and check out Facebook for updates on parties.
General Location: Honduras and Godoy Cruz

5. 878
One of the first unmarked bars on the Buenos Aires scene, 878 isn´t as “secret” as it used to be, but an oldie is still a goodie. Located in up-and-coming Villa Crespo, 878 is marked only by a large doorman waiting outside a wooden door. Boasting a legendary variety of whiskeys in the towering backlit bar, 878 has exposed brick walls that lend to the renovation-feel. Stylish but chill, it´s a great place to go for a drink with friends at the beginning or end of the night.
General Location: Thames between Loyola and Aguirre located conveniently at Thames 878. Who would have guessed?