We’ve just come back from Buenos Aires and thought we’d share our love of the tango capital milongas. If you’ve never been to Buenos Aires, take heart, a tango trip can happen sooner than you think!

 

Why is La Viruta on our milonga tour map?

La Viruta is located in the hype neighbourhood of Palermo and is surrounded by trendy, posh cafes and restaurants – not that they will be open at the time you’ll hit la Viruta, but it might be a good idea to go back to that part of town on a lazy sunny afternoon to enjoy! It is operated by Cecilia Troncoso, Luis Solanas and Horacio Godoy, a unique character in the world of tango.

La Viruta is an essential part of your milonga touring and exploring because it is so different from all other milongas. It is much more relaxed. It plays a mix of music – rock’n’roll, salsa… and therefore drives a real mix of people onto the dancefloor, in terms of age and dancing ability. La Viruta claims you’ll walk in but dance out, and it’s not an empty claim…

La Viruta is also free, on weekdays after 1.00am and on weekends after 3.00am which explains the ecclectic crowd – locals go to la Viruta after loading up on tandas and cortinas first in their local milonga and to enjoy a free “after”. Breakfasts at la Viruta (served normally only on weekends) are fabulous – great coffee and very tasty, freshly made media-lunas.

 

The story of la Viruta

La Viruta opened in 1994 in the Armenian Cultural Center. Since then, it’s been offering tango, salsa, rock’n’rock classes and established itself strongly on the milonga map for its friendly, slightly bohemian, no-fuss atmosphere.

Argentine tango London | Horacio Godoy spacer_small

One of the big appeal of La Viruta is Horacio Godoy, a unique character with an in-depth knowledge of tango, tango music, tango history and quirky sense of humour. His classes, when he’s in Buenos Aires, are highly recommended.

 

A few tips if you’re planning to go to La Viruta

  • No need to dress up, you’ll stand out as a tourist.
  • La Viruta is dimly lit and it’s hard to navigate so cabeceo is a bit more difficult than in other milongas. You might want to go accompanied.
  • If you don’t want to dance salsa, rock etc and would rather mingle with locals than with tourists, you might want to hit la Viruta once it’s free (1.00 on weekdays and 3.00 on weekends)
  • La Viruta attracts professionals who come and unwind after a class or a performance on Wednesday and Sunday nights, so these are the best nights to go if you want to see great dancing.

 

Contact

Armenia 1366, Buenos Aires
(5411) 4774-6357
4779-0030

Photos: www.lavirutatango.com and http://www.horaciogodoy.com/