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Buenos Aires, Argentina > Buenos Aires restaurants > Esquina Homero Manzi Esquina Homero ManziAv. San Juan 3601 (@ Boedo); Tel. +(011.54.11) 4957-8488
While most guide books will have you believe that San Telmo is the most historic and classic place to see a Tango show, ask a local tango purists and chances are they will direct tango-seekers to the opposite end of the city to a little known café-restaurant called Esquina Homero Manzi. It's in an realatively unknown barrio called Boedo and is actually located at the corner of San Juan and Boedo. Homero Manzi himself was a Buenos Aires legend of Tango, and the place is fittingly decorated with traditional wood paneling and furniture. The aim is to restore the ambience of the 1920s tango scene when he and other poets and musicians of that time would frequent the café. Homero himself immortalized the café in his Tango ballad entilled "Sur". During the day the café is a nice place to sip a coffee or have some lunch at very reasonable prices. Meals range from about $10 to $30AR. The cafe is typically patronized by locals of all types; from businessmen and couples, to the ever-present 'old men' porteños. The high ceilings and huge windows give it plenty of natural light and space to breathe, which, coupled with the elegant décor, makes for a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. At eight o'clock however, Esquina Homero Manzi changes, showing its second face; the tables are rearranged and the decorations adjusted for the evenings Tango show. The show has an all-inclusive cost of $180AR whcih inludes dinner being served at 9pm and the show and drinks at 10pm. There are late night shows also starting at 00:30am on Fridays and Saturdays. The restaurant is widely acclaimed as producing a top notch show as a standard, and on top of this, the restaurant is as popular with Argentines as with foreign tourists which gives it an added authenticity often lacking at some other Tango shows. It is advisable to ring ahead particularly at weekends. —Esquina Homero Manzi review by Paul Smithson
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