Señor Tango

Every visitor to Buenos Aires wants to see tango, and the tango show is the easiest way to see it danced at the highest level. Señor Tango is one of the largest and best-known of the city's dinner-show venues, a converted building in the old industrial barrio of Barracas, south of San Telmo, transformed into a theatre with tiers of tables facing a big stage. It was created by the tango singer Fernando Soler, who still performs in the show, and it is unashamedly a production: around forty professional dancers, singers and live musicians, lavish costumes, lighting and staging, telling the story of tango from its origins in the port and the tenements of the late nineteenth century, through the golden age of the orchestras in the 1940s, to the virtuoso stage tango of today. The choreography mixes sensual close-embrace duets with athletic, acrobatic numbers that no social dancer would attempt, and the evening also includes Argentine folk music and dance from the provinces, with boleadoras and malambo, the rapid foot-stamping dance of the gauchos. The orquesta típica, built around the bandoneón, the button accordion that gives tango its melancholy voice, plays live throughout. It is big, slick and geared to visitors, and purists dismiss such shows as tango for export, but the dancing is genuinely spectacular, the music is excellent and, for a first night in the city, it is a thrilling introduction that makes a later visit to a real milonga much more meaningful. Packages include show-only tickets or dinner plus show, with a set three-course menu built around Argentine beef and wine, and optional transfers from hotels in the centre.

How the evening works: dinner guests arrive first, usually in the early evening, and eat before the show; show-only guests arrive later for the performance itself. With dinner and transfers, expect the whole evening to take about four hours. The set menu typically includes a starter, a main course with a choice that includes steak, and dessert, with wine and soft drinks included in the package. Food at large dinner shows is good rather than memorable, so if eating well matters more to you than convenience, book show-only and have a late dinner at a parrilla afterwards, as locals would. Seating is at long shared tables unless you book a VIP or premium option, and seats closer to the stage cost more. Dress is smart casual. Prices on Tiqets start at around sixty to seventy dollars for the show, rising with dinner and premium seating.

Choosing between shows: Buenos Aires has many tango shows, from intimate cafés to big theatres. Señor Tango is at the large, spectacular end, which suits first-timers and groups; more intimate options include the historic Café de los Angelitos and smaller venues in San Telmo, while the Faena Hotel's Rojo Tango is the most luxurious. Whichever you choose, book a day or two ahead, check whether hotel pickup covers your area, and confirm what drinks are included. Photography rules vary, and flash is generally not allowed during the performance.

After the show, see the other side of tango. A milonga is a social dance where locals of all ages dance to recorded music, following codes of invitation and etiquette that have barely changed in a century, and you can watch for the price of a drink. Beginner-friendly milongas such as La Catedral in Almagro and La Viruta in Palermo offer classes earlier in the evening, and the outdoor Glorieta in Barrancas de Belgrano is free to watch at weekends. Together, a show and a milonga give you the full picture: tango as spectacle and tango as a way of life.