Humberto Primo 1462 (between San Jose & Saenz Pena), San Telmo

La Milonga de los Consagrados - Useful information

Saturday afternoons 4.30pm-10.30pm; Entrance fee of 10 pesos; Reservations: 15-5892-2056.

Reservations are really necessary unless you attend alone, and then they can squeeze you in someplace. Usually this tango salon is full (more than 300 people) by 8.00pm.

La Milonga de los Consagrados is organized by Enrique “Gordo” Rosich, and although it is officially in the barrio of Constitucion, it would probably be referred to as San Telmo by most (official barrio borders are largely ignored in Buenos Aires).

Same venues, different milongas…

As I pointed out in my overview on Tango in Buenos Aires, even if a milonga is in the same salon as another, each milonga will still have its own character depending on the day of the week, the organizer, the crowd, and if it’s in the afternoon or at night.

Los Consagrados is in the same salon as the famous Nino Bien of Thursday nights (in the wonderful Centro Region Leonesa), but it is a totally different experience. And to my mind, the best afternoon milonga of the week. The fact that it’s held on Saturday afternoons, the traditional “difficult” day for singles, makes it even more of a plus…

A perfect tango salon

For one thing, the salon is perfect: large wooden dance floor, high high ceilings with a skylight, a bar, red velvet curtains at each end, a balcony for smokers. It is old and elegant at the same time, with the faded ambiance that foreigners especially love about Buenos Aires.

This is not a tourist milonga by any stretch of the imagination, despite the fact that several tourists do find their way there. The majority of the dancers are locals and regulars - sitting at the same tables week after week.

The atmosphere is friendly and open (although the strict tango codigos do apply). Men sit on one side, women on the other, couples and mixed groups at either end. It is necessary to cabecear to get a dance. There is very little of the snobbishness and elitism that permeates milongas such as El Beso and Maipu 444 (to be reviewed shortly). There are also very few of the “bottom feeder” types, who come to prey on foreigners, such as can be found in La Ideal. The level of dancing is fairly high.

Well, almost perfect…

Because Pato (Patricia), a tall beautiful dark haired waitress, has recently taken over the bar, you must now be more careful with your orders! Every week I have to send back my glass of champagne because either 1) it tastes foul; 2) it’s not champagne, but Sidra; 3) it’s flat, or leftover from the week before. Pato also refuses to bring the traditional potato chips to accompany your cocktail orders, and serves peanuts - for which you must pay 3 pesos, even if your order of a bottle of expensive champagne or a large bottle of beer! [I’ve learned to bring my own bag of papas fritas these days ;)]

Unlike many milongas (Chique, for example), tandas of other rhythms are always played during the afternoon: a tanda of tropical (merengue and cumbia), rock ‘n roll (Dixieland to Elvis) and folklore (La Chacarera). The DJ is capable, but tends to be a little unoriginal and repetitive.

Finally, for added excitement, each week there is a sorteo, an entrance ticket prize draw, for a bottle of champagne or a snack plate. Best of luck!

Cherie’s Tango Services

If you are interested in trying out Los Consagrados, or indeed another milonga in Buenos Aires, you will be fine going along by yourself, even as a novice, and you will likely be warmly welcomed. However, we understand that some people are a little apprehensive about their first visit to a milonga, which is why Cherie and her partner Ruben offer to accompany you there and make your tango experience in Buenos Aires a fun and authentic one…

If you are interested in this, or want to find out more about their other tango services and tours, you can contact Ruben & Cherie on the following details:

• Email: BsAsMilonga@aol.com
• Telephone: 4932-5027 (from within Buenos Aires)
• Blog: Tango Cherie