Sports on TV, Singles at the Bar

The ground floor has ample bar space and is one of the most reliable spots in the city to catch an American sports game, as well as international rugby and soccer. (The over-30 crowd looking to watch their favorite team in a slightly less rowdy environment may want to consider the nearby Casabar though.)

El Alamo’s re-modeled smoking section upstairs has expanded table seating and an infinitely more attractive environment. Both the upstairs and downstairs bars serve up cheap pitchers of lager and a menu of American fare (wings, Philly cheese-steaks and even nachos).

Despite its excessively ‘Yankee’ vibe, the majority of the customers at El Alamo are Argentine, particularly younger locals who come to practice English with foreigners (and consider it a bonus if their conversation partners are of the opposite sex).

During play-off season expect game days to fill up the bar with English-speaking students and ex-pats. The best night for young singles on the hunt is Thursday — the continued ‘free beer for girls’ policy seems to aid the fellows in achieving a high success rate. A nominal cover charge starts after 10 p.m., but is redeemable at face value for food and drinks.

—by Daniel McGrath

Shoeless Joe’s El Alamo-$$
Uruguay 1175/77
Recoleta
Tel: 4813-7324

• Hours: Mon-Sun, 2pm-4am

Soccer games in Buenos Aires —

WA-football-bombenera-josé porras — photo: José Porras

If trying to sort out which soccer match to go see in Buenos Aires, it obviously depends on scheduling and the length of your stay. Assuming you had all options available to you, and you’re a neutral supporter, the games could be prioritized in this order:

1. Boca-River: The ‘Superclasico’ of Argentine football, and a unique experience that is worth blowing your budget on. An event you’ll never forget even if you’re not a football fan, and if you are, it’s something akin to Nirvana. It’s preferable to see it at the home stadium, the Bombonera in La Boca.

* Editor’s Note: In June 2011, River was relegated to the ‘B’ division, and for a while the Superclasico was defunct. The downgrade was temporary however and now River is back in the ‘A’ division.

2. Argentina-Brazil: You may not find the same level of fanatical fans as at a club game, but when two of South American football’s oldest and fiercest rivals go head to head with squads bursting to the brim with superstar talent, footballing history is made every time.

3. Any Boca game at the Bombonera: Although Boca and River rival each other for the highest number of supporters in Argentina, Boca’s ‘chocolate box’ home stadium is unique in world football. Comparatively small, with steep stands full of rabid supporters in one of the most colorful neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, the atmosphere at big matches is pure shock and awe.

4. Other matches: If none of the above games are available to you during your stay, there are plenty of alternatives that are sure to leave you satisfied. Argentine football is full of colorful local rivalries and historical grudge matches. Any match played by the national team is a momentous event.

River fans are just as fanatical as their Boca rivals. Although their stadium is slightly less intimate, it’s the biggest in the country and more than worth a visit. And don’t disregard a trip to any of the match ups during a regular weekend of fixtures or intra-continental affairs against clubs from elsewhere in South America.

—by Dan Colasimone