Argentina, and Buenos Aires in particular, is famous for its wine, steak, and pasta (because of the many Italian immigrants that settled here at the turn of the 20th century), so we definitely wanted to make sure to sample all of these delights. While we had all three things multiple times during our week in Buenos Aires—pasta is one of my favorite food groups, after all—the night of February 12th was definitely our culinary highlight.

We had dinner at Calden del Soho, an Argentine steakhouse or parrilla in the Palermo neighborhood. Our reservations were at 9 pm, the standard dinnertime in Buenos Aires, so our American stomachs were quite hungry by the time we arrived—leaving us well-prepared for the sumptuous feast we were about to have.

The meal began with a shared bottle of Malbec, grilled chorizo, and warm table bread accompanied with a tapenade and whole roasted garlic cloves. For the main course, Vikram got a perfectly cooked and seasoned steak, and I got gnocchi covered in a decadent four-cheese sauce.

(We also got a plate of grilled veggies because we sometimes try to eat healthfully.)

Then we had flan for dessert, along with two espressos to fuel our energy for the rest of the night. The waiter, who had been providing us with great service all night, also surprised us with complimentary Limoncello.

After dinner, we went to a traditional milonga for some tango, another Argentine staple. Milongas are dance halls where regular porteños (residents of Buenos Aires) go to tango all night long. In Buenos Aires, milongas seem to be just as popular a nightlife option as clubs and bars.

Luckily, we were able to snag one of the few unreserved tables—many milongas have regular patrons that always reserve the same tables (and sometimes, these reservations are unmarked and you just have to know). We never actually danced because we don’t know how to tango, and everyone on the dance floor really knew their stuff. They weren’t professional tango dancers (this was just a regular dance hall, not a fancy tango show), but everyone danced with such grace and precision because they likely all grew up learning how to tango. Tango is really just part of the lifestyle and culture here.

So we spent the night with our drinks on the sidelines, quietly appreciating the tango and tradition around us—including the cabaceo, or act of using silent eye contact to ask people to dance. Men would walk slowly around the tables in search of a potential partner, and upon finding one would give her meaningful eye contact. The women would respond with equally meaningful eye contact, and then stand up and meet the man on the dance floor. (I spent the evening actively avoiding eye contact with everyone.)

Around 2 am, we decided it was time to head home and go to bed—but for the porteños, their night at the milonga was still going strong (and for some, just getting started!).

Travel Notes:

• In case it wasn’t already apparent, we highly recommend doing dinner at Calden del Soho followed by drinks at the nearby milonga called Parakultural Milonga. It’s a convenient five minute walk between the two places, and the Palermo neighborhood is generally safe to walk around at night.
• The cover charge for the milonga was 90 pesos per person (around $6 USD). We also looked into going to a professional tango show, but those tickets were around $100 USD per person, and we ended up enjoying the much more authentic feel of the milonga instead. Drinks at the milonga were also pretty cheap.
• We got a table without a reservation at the milonga, but it was slim pickings. Call ahead for a reservation, or get there around or before 11 pm to get a spot. We also recommend making a reservation for dinner, especially on the weekend.