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Best Nightlife in South America (2026)

Bars, pubs, live music venues, rooftop terraces and clubs for evenings out.

54 places · Updated November 12, 2026

Our top 3 nightlife in South America

  1. Alquímico Cocktail bar, Ciudad AmuralladaA three-floor cocktail bar in a historic house in the walled city, ranked No. 3 in The World's 50 Best Bars 2026 and run on a farm-to-bar philosophy.
  2. Florería Atlántico Speakeasy cocktail bar, RetiroA basement cocktail bar entered through a hidden door in a Retiro flower shop, created in 2013 and a long-standing name on the World's 50 Best Bars list.
  3. Lady Bee Cocktail bar, BarrancoAlonso Palomino and Gabriela León's cocktail bar, now in Barranco, ranked ninth on The World's 50 Best Bars 2026 for its seasonal journeys through Peruvian ingredients.

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1. Alquímico

Cocktail bar$$$Ciudad Amurallada

A three-floor cocktail bar in a historic house in the walled city, ranked No. 3 in The World's 50 Best Bars 2026 and run on a farm-to-bar philosophy.

View details — Alquímico

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3. Lady Bee

Cocktail bar$$$Barranco

Alonso Palomino and Gabriela León's cocktail bar, now in Barranco, ranked ninth on The World's 50 Best Bars 2026 for its seasonal journeys through Peruvian ingredients.

View details — Lady Bee

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4. Museo del Pisco

Pisco bar and tasting room$$Historic Centre

The flagship of a small group of pisco bars, near the Plaza de Armas, offering guided tastings of Peru's grape brandy, pisco sour sessions and inventive cocktails.

View details — Museo del Pisco

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5. Rio Scenarium

Live samba and Brazilian music venue$$Lapa / Centro

A three-floor live music house on Rua do Lavradio that began as an antiques shop in 1999 and now hosts samba, gafieira and choro.

View details — Rio Scenarium

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6. Salón Málaga

Historic tango bar and music hall$$Centro (San Antonio)

A downtown tango bar founded in 1957 by Gustavo Arteaga, famed for its collection of some 7,000 78 rpm records and live orchestras on Saturdays.

View details — Salón Málaga

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7. Siete Negronis

Cocktail bar$$$Bellavista

A cocktail bar devoted to the Negroni, listed on The World's 50 Best Bars extended list three years running, now at Terrazas San Cristóbal in Bellavista.

View details — Siete Negronis

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8. Tan Tan

Cocktail bar and noodle bar$$$Pinheiros

A Pinheiros noodle bar turned cocktail bar, founded in 2015 by Thiago Bañares and the highest-ranked Brazilian entry on The World's 50 Best Bars list.

View details — Tan Tan

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9. Theatron

LGBTQ+ mega-club$$Chapinero

A vast Chapinero nightclub of about 8,000 square metres with 17 themed rooms, the anchor of Bogotá's LGBTQ+ nightlife and open from Thursday to Saturday.

View details — Theatron

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10. Bar Brahma

Historic bar with live music$$Centro / República

A downtown bar founded in 1948 at the corner of Avenida Ipiranga and Avenida São João, immortalised in Caetano Veloso's song Sampa and known for live Brazilian music.

View details — Bar Brahma

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14. El Barón

Classic cocktail bar and café$$$Ciudad Amurallada

A classic cocktail bar and café on the Plaza San Pedro Claver, listed among The World's 50 Best Bars 51-100 and selected by 50 Best Discovery.

View details — El Barón

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16. Mamba Negra

Rooftop cocktail bar and restaurant$$$El Poblado

A rooftop cocktail bar in El Poblado founded by bartender Juan David Zapata, ranked 22nd in The World's 50 Best Bars 2026, with city views and Afro-Spanish-Caribbean food.

View details — Mamba Negra

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18. Tres Monos

Cocktail bar$$$Palermo

A playful Palermo cocktail bar opened in 2019 by Florería Atlántico alumni, ranked among the world's best bars and making its own spirits and wines.

View details — Tres Monos

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19. Adega Pérola

Traditional Portuguese-style bar$$Copacabana

A Copacabana bar founded by Portuguese brothers in 1957, famous for draught beer and around 70 petiscos sold by the kilo.

View details — Adega Pérola

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20. Café Havana

Live salsa bar$$Getsemaní

Getsemaní's best-known salsa bar since 2006, with live bands most nights, a packed dance floor and a Cuban-inspired setting on the corner of Calle de la Media Luna.

View details — Café Havana