Argentina is well known for its wine, but Buenos Aires has a thriving cocktail culture as well. The popularity of speakeasies here (and around the world) continues unabated, and I enjoy them myself. It’s great fun to be in the know about a “secret” cocktail lair. Not all the options below have hidden doors — some are just poorly signed — but finding them still made me feel like a Buenos Aires insider. In addition to these suggestions, consider the clubby bar in the Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt, clad in wood paneling from a French château, and the fashionable polo-themed bar in the Four Seasons. Neither one is obvious from the street.

Airport Bar

How could a professional traveler resist this one? At the unmarked entrance, we approached what looked like an airline check-in counter. The host gave us “boarding passes” and led us to the elevator up to the bar. Everyone is first class here, which means we received a welcome drink before heading to our table. It was too chilly to sit by the stainless-steel prop plane on the roof terrace, but the chic art deco-style bar-lounge, done in black, white and gray, was an attractive place to have our cocktails, all named after major international airports. We went with the Barajas, an herbaceous gin and tonic made with Spanish ingredients, and the Fiumicino, a Negroni with a pleasing nutty note. While here, don’t pass up the chance to pose for a few photos in the vintage passenger jet cabin. The bar serves food, but we walked over to nearby Mishiguene, a lively restaurant serving international Jewish cuisine.

Airport Bar 
Cabello 3609, Palermo. Tel. (54) 11-2585-0073