Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
276
MENDOZA AFTER DARK
Mendoza nightlife is substantially mor e subdued than B uenos Air es or Cór doba after
hours, but a fair selection of bars and nightclubs will capture the attention of night owls.
Thursday through Sunday are the biggest nights, when people get star ted around mid-
night. It's not San Telmo, but there are also some great spots to take in tango. On week-
end ev enings, locals gather at P laza P ellegrini for a totally authentic, natural tango
dancing session, which is not to be missed. Also check out the
milonga
shows at
Teatro
Las Sillas,
San Juan 1436 (
&
261/429-7742
). There are a few tango bars in Mendoza,
three of which are
Café Soul,
San Juan 456 (
&
261/425-7489
),
C'Gastón,
Lavalle 35
(
&
261/423-0986
), and
Abril Café,
Las Heras 346 (
&
261/420-4224
).
Start the night at a local wine bar such as the
Vines of Mendoza
(see earlier in this
chapter) or at a cafe such as
Kato Café,
Emilio Civit 556 (
&
261/425-7000
). The Park
Hyatt Mendoza's
Bar Uv as,
Chile 1124 (
&
261/441-1234
), begins a bit earlier and
offers a complete selection of Mendocine wines, a long list of cocktails, and live jazz and
bossa nova groups playing most nights.
The city's best bars line Aristides Villanueva street in the center of town. Try
Lupulo,
A. Villanueva 471 (
&
261/15-454-0960
[cell]), for micr obrewed beers;
Por A cá,
A.
Villanueva 557 (no phone), for pizza and micr obrewed beers; or
El Abasto,
A. Villan-
ueva 308 (
&
261/483-4232
), for good old r ock 'n' roll. Most of the serious nightclubs
and discos are 10km (6
1
/
4
miles) out of town along Ruta Panamericana near Chacras de
Coria.
Cacano,
on Aguinaga 1120 (
&
261/496-2018
), is a classic.
La C ubana,
on
Panamericano Highway (no phone), is another top disco in this ar ea. Locals flock to
La
Reserva,
Riv adavia 32 (
&
261/420-3531
), on w eekend nights for the drag sho w at
midnight. The
Blah Blah Bar,
Paseo Peatonal Alameda, Escalada 2301 Maipú (
&
261/
429-7253
), is gr eat for a late-night drink if y ou're not heading out to the discos. H ip
nightclubs do swap places quickly as the hot spot of the moment, and many hae unpub-
lished phone numbers. Also, most don't get going until after 1am.
For you gamblers, the
Regency Casino
at the Park Hyatt, Chile 1124 (
&
261/441-
1234
), is substantially better than the Casino P rovincial, offering blackjack, r oulette,
poker, and slots. Table bets are $1 to $50 (70p-£34).
10
2
TOURING THE WINERIES
Traditional and rapidly modernizing in the same br eath, M endoza's wineries hav e
embraced tourism over the past few years. Many now have English-speaking guides and
extensive barrel tastings, and hav e begun to charge for visits. They are generally easily
accessible along wine r oads, known locally as
Los Caminos del Vino.
These roads are as
enticing as the wine itself, weaving and winding through tunnels of trees to vast dry val-
leys dominated b y breathtaking views of the sno wcapped Andes. S ome roads climb as
high as 1,524m (4,999 ft.) in the H igh Z one surr ounding the M endoza Riv er, while
others lead to lo wer-level vineyards in the south. M endoza's wine region is divided into
four zones: the H igh Zone, Mendoza South, Uco Valley, and M endoza East. We cover
the first thr ee: Mendoza East is mostly large industrial vineyar ds that make Argentine
“table wine” (low in both quality and price) and ar en't set up for tourists. To the south,
San Rafael is a some what distant and off-the-beaten track four th area covered here (see
“San Rafael,” later in this chapter). B e sure to pick up the essential collection of maps,
“Caminos del Vino.” At $8 (£5.40), they're the best investment you'll make in Mendoza.
