Buenos Aires is one of my very favorite cities in the world. I think I’ve documented my love affair for this city in the past, but everytime I’ve been there … I come away thinking …

Why don’t I live here … ???

Of course, that’s a completely over-romanticized notion, since Toronto is a pretty awesome city in it’s own right. That being said, Buenos Aires is truly the “Paris of Latin America”. This is a city that never stops going. It’s where you can be completely buttoned down while drinking a phenomenal bottle of Mendoza Malbec and mowing down half of cow that was purely grass fed with no hormones. AND …if you’re so inclined, heading over to a beach bar, having a few excellently made mojitos and watching the sunrise … all for less than $100.

I know what you Trinis are saying … well in Trinidad, you can fete all night, break away on some sexy somebody and then go out for doubles and burgers after! I’ll tell you, that it’s not the same thing … especially since you can’t walk anywhere in Trinidad! In Trinidad, we also couldn’t have a bar like Floreria Atlantico.

Speakeasies are a throwback to a different time where Alcohol was prohibited and were “so called because of the practice of speaking quietly about such a place in public, or when inside it, so as not to alert the police or neighbors. In Buenos Aires, a lovely speakeasy opened in 2013 named “Floreria Atlantico”.

I’ll start with a bit of perspective … I’m a drinker and I’ve been to many, many bars and drinking establishments across the planet, but I’ve never seen a speakeasy frontages with a floral shop and had to access cocktail bar via a chic designer-style florist/record/wine shop that sells its wares until 2am ….

through a freezer door!!!!

Even with the hardcore props to the freezer door and looking like a #worldtravelboss doing this, I also thought that it got bonus points for picking up some flowers, in case you drank too much … where else would get a last minute gift to appease your nearest and dearest back home but at your local speakeasy. *Apologies … my pictures from here … were on a BB10 … which is terrible”

You can find the bar at the rear of the shop. It’s a long, narrow room filled with diners and drinkers of all ages and cultures – it’s like a party where everyone is welcome and no one wants to leave. I definitely loved the feel of the bar … it was a place to see and be seen … but in that relaxed, not desperate for attention way.

While I was looking through the menu … each page on the menu featured drinks and alcohols that were very specific to countries. I can’t remember the last time I saw the following alcohols on a menu

• Grappa and Cynar
• Sherry and brandy
• Calvados, Absinthe and St. Germain Elderflower liqueur
• Postoles Gin, Earl Grey tea and Navy Grog.

In one night across three bars in Buenos Aires … I found that they truly respect the art of bartending and they respect proper alcohol and drinking. It’s an excellent way to go out, when you know that your bartender is a chemical artist.

Here’s the funny thing … it was only after I left the place and I googled it … that I found out that has been voted as one of the world’s top 50 bars… In fact, some have said it’s the best bar in South America. Personally, I would love to open up one of these in Trinidad … along with my Flair Martini Bar, but it would just be to dangerous to operate properly.

As for the crowd was mixed: generally wealthy clientele were made up of twenty-somethings on dates, thirty-somethings at after-work drinks, something-somethings and ‘ladies who lunch’. The atmosphere is lively and chatty, but you can still hear yourself talk as the well-chosen playlist murmurs in the background. This beacon of understated sophistication and design would sit well in Barcelona, Barbados or even in Maraval – it is a place that knows what it’s doing, but it is not at all complacent. If you’re in BsAs … you should go! #Boom!

Address: Arroyo 872, Buenos Aires, Argentina. (5411) 4313 6093.
Website: http://www.facebook.com/floreriaatlantico.
Open: Mon-Sat 10am-3am.