This casual and intimate Palermo venue is run by two lovely musician brothers who often play a bit themselves before the night really gets started. Behind the closed, unmarked door is a rowdy vibe filled with locals genuinely appreciating the music. Guests will usually find themselves trying to sing or at least clap along, because crowd participation is actively encouraged here.

This is the first bar in Buenos Aires to be completely dedicated to Criollo culture, and it’s quickly gained some serious street cred among lovers of traditional folkloric guitar music. Even the celebrated gaucho Dario Gallardo shows up here when he’s in town. Well off the tourist track (for now, at least), it’s a cozy, hacienda-style space with wooden ceiling beams and whitewashed walls. The stage is small, but that only adds to the intimate ambience. Wash down empanadas with a bottle of Malbec and uninhibitedly sing, dance, and get emotional with the passionate locals. Folkloric dance classes are offered on Mondays between 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Occupying the ruins of a mansion in San Telmo that dates back to 1895, this famous nightclub offers a Cabaret style peña as well as tango and rock shows. The venue holds 400 people seated and another 1,000 standing. It’s the place to go when you’d choose an exhilarating night of dancing over a quiet evening listening to acoustic guitar.

Located in the classic, not-so-touristy neighbourhood of Almagro, Hasta Trilce services a sophisticated, up-market crowd that appreciates the tapas-style food, pizzas, and decent cocktail list as much as they do the dinner theatre. More for dining than for dancing, serious acts can still be seen here, as this venue has the support of the National Theater Institute.

This huge, modern space with an elevated stage can take credit for getting a younger crowd to embrace traditional folklore, because it feels more like a rocking nightclub than anything else. Located in Villa Crespo, the atmosphere here is the closest in the city that tourists will come to the peña music of Jujuy.

Los Cardones is a typical folklore venue, also known as a peña. At Los Cardones, musicians and dancers come together to bring a little bit of Salta, a province in the northwest region of Argentina, to Buenos Aires. With its wine, empanadas, and other homestyle foods from Salta, Los Cardones attracts folklore fans as well as groups of young people out on the town in Palermo Soho looking for a warm environment with familiar dances to close out the night.