A Night of Buenos Aires Tango – Stunning Photography

Buenos Aires Tango, a set on Flickr.

A Tango night photographed by world-renown Frenchman photographer Christian Senat when he was in Buenos Aires visiting Gateway to South America – Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires Tango & Milonga Guide

Six Great Tango Shows in Buenos Aires

There are many, many tango shows in Buenos Aires. The format is usually a dinner show with a variety of dancers and musicians performing over a period of somewhere between 1.5 and 3 hours. Some are located in venues that have been tango salons for decades, while some inhabit newer facilities.

Unfortunately, perhaps because they are put on for solely for tourists, most tango shows seem to be more concerned with extracting the maximum possible amount of money from the audience rather providing a great experience. But then that’s tourism the world over, and there are definitely still some good ones (like the five listed below).

Keep in mind that tango is both a dance and a style of music, so a tango show is rarely 100% dancing: expect some musical numbers without dancing to accompany them.

1. Bar Sur
The tango show at Bar Sur in San Telmo is on the ‘not so touristy’ end of the spectrum…but it is still undoubtedly aimed squarely at tourists, as you can tell from the rather pricey cover charge and similarly expensive drinks. The food is also only average. On the other hand, the show offered at Bar Sur is very good, and as there are only nine tables in the place it has a nice intimate feel.

2. La Ventana Tango Show

Like many tango shows the food at La Ventana is barely average (in fact you might want to skip the dinner), but the excellent show makes up for it. The performers include solo couples, groups of couples, two different orchestras and a gaucho dancer, among others. The show is presented in nice surroundings in a grand old building in San Telmo.

3. Complejo Tango
This dinner tango show starts with a basic tango lesson, which is a nice touch if you haven’t had any experience with dancing tango before and want to try it. The food is fine as long as you stick to the basics (steak and pasta), all the tables offer a good view of the stage. The show is small and basic but entertaining, with a live band, singers and three couples dancing.

4. El Viejo Almacen

El Viejo Almacen (‘the old grocery store’) has been a San Telmo tango hall since 1969. Be warned that perhaps even more so than others it’s more of a ‘mixed talent’ show – there are quite a few musical numbers without any dancing. Also, the food is both bad and expensive. On the upside the performances are excellent and the venue is historic and nicely intimate.

5. Tango Porteño

This is a larger, grander, more Broadway-style show. It combines a live band with a multi-media show about the history of tango and some good dancing. The choreography, lighting and production values are generally much better than at the smaller shows.

6. Tango Rojo

Located inside the exclusive and impressive Hotel Faena, Rojo Tango is a fascinating show that conquers all the senses, combining sounds, aromas, colours, movement and flavours. This is definitely one of the best of the Broadway type shows in the city.

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