Best Bars in Latin America

1. Anaconda Wine and Tapa Bar in Saratoga Hotel, Havana, Cuba

Be sure to order a Cuban cocktail, typically a mojito, from the wide selection on offer at this sassy bar. The Anaconda bar is within the Saratoga Hotel, open to all. It is seductively decorated with a dark wood counter, vibrant tropical plants and illuminated columns harking back to the colonial era. It is a lavish spot to wind down at the end of a busy day, where you can sink into leather sofas, sip your cocktail and sample some tapas (light bites) before dinner.

Jim Ashworth, Group Tours Manager

2. Las Terrazas Bar, in Hotel Casa Pueblo, Punta del Este, Uruguay

In my view, anything that takes place in Punta del Este oozes cool, none more so than Casa Pueblo which houses the renowned Las Terrazas bar. Located on peninsula Punta Ballena 13km west of Punta del Este, it took the Uruguayan painter and sculptor Carlos Páez Vilaró 36 years to complete this white adobe complex, which is universally considered as a living sculpture. The unique location of the bar offers uninterupted views of the sea, and in the late afternoon you can enjoy an amazing sunset whilst sipping on a well-chilled cocktail. Such a picturesque setting guarantees a good time.

Joaquin Dedomenici, Travel Consultant.

(Image credit Casa Pueblo Hotel)

3. Bar The Clinic, Santiago, Chile

Bar The Clinic in Santiago is named after the satirical magazine which launched after Pinochet’s arrest in London in 1998 – named after the London Clinic, the bar is hugely popular and due to its quirks – for example, the food and drink options in the menu all mock political figures and in particular the right wing leaders. It’s a leftie (left-wind) place yet pretty cool. There are two of these bars; one in the bohemian quarter of Lastarria and the other in Plaza Ñuñoa – a brilliant part of town where you don’t find many tourists. In short, it’s a political bar but with a sense of humour.

Mary Anne Nelson, Travel Consultant

(Image credit Bar The Clinic)

4. Franks Bar, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Frank’s Bar a key contributor to the secret bar phenomenon which has struck Buenos Aires, a concept which harks back to the prohibition era and the idea of the ‘Speakeasy’. The allure is in the secrecy of the entrance; you have to pass the doorman, and then as you enter into a smaller room there is a telephone booth, you have to enter a secret code into the phone dial pad which will open the door. The bar is classy; it is lavishly decorated with busy wallpaper, sparkling chandeliers and leather bar stools. The cocktail menu has a wide array of unusual yet delicious tasting cocktails – all in all a very cool experience.

Abigail St Quinton, Marketing Executive

(Image credit Frank’s Bar)

5. Shackleton Bar, in Hotel José Nogueira, Punta Arenas, Chile

The Shackleton bar, named after the honourable voyage taken back in 1916 by expeditionary Sir Ernest Shackelton. This bar is open to all, even those not staying at the hotel, where you can go and enjoy a pint of Baguales (Patagonian beer). On offer are a wide selection of cocktails, snacks menu, sarnies and a full cellar. It boasts the most impressive history in the city.

Joaquin Dedomenici, Travel Consultant.

(Image credit Shakleton Bar)