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Malas Artes

10 years on Palermo Viejo's Plaza Julio Cortázar—a small plaza that's the epicenter of Buenos Aires nightlife—this artsy bar has perfected the formula for keeping drinkers happy: simple wooden tables, ample exposed brick, affordable drinks, and attentive but informal service. It's pretty straightforward, but it's the perfect tonic for the convivial crowd of loyal locals who sip fernet (a bitter digestif preferred by Porteños) and share endless liter-bottles of local Otro Mundo beer. Even on Monday nights, there's a buzz here, and it's not just from bar-hopping tourists, busy strategizing their Palermo plan of attack.