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Buenos Aires, Argentina > Buenos Aires restaurants > Instinto InstintoGascon 1791 (@ Soler); Tel. +(011.54.11) 4833.5833
As far as reggae bars go Instinto hasn’t exactly gone overboard on the decor. The theme is reflected in a funky black, yellow and green sign, bright yellow walls and a series of black and white photographs of Rastafarians above the bar. That’s it. Otherwise this could just as well be The Isle of Man as Jamaica. The tables and straight-backed chairs are standard-issue coffee shop furniture except for one solitary pair of sofas. For a reggae place that means a critical lack of soft, deep seating to sink back into and just chill. The wall facing the street outside is all floor to ceiling windows, which doesn’t really help give the space much of a laid back atmosphere either. But what’s lacking in authenticity and effort on the decoration front is made up for by the enthusiasm of the guests. Reggae is huge in Buenos Aires and most weekends Instinto draws a good crowd. Things get sweaty and smoky as everybody sings along to Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Scratch and the rest of their Rasta heroes. On Fridays and Saturdays the party rarely ends before four in the morning. Behind the bar there’s no Red Stripe, but Quilmes, Heineken and Corona served at $8AR per large bottle of the domestic stuff and about the same for a small bottle of the imports. For those who want to stay with the island theme there’s also Tia Maria, and a small selection of rums, as well as, ‘Old Smuggler,’ which, despite the Caribbean sounding name, turns out to be a domestic Argentinean whiskey. The food menu includes pizzas, empanadas, milanesas and hamburgers. Prices range from $6AR for a burger to $28AR for the special Instinto pizza. But this is a bar, not a restaurant, and judging by the tired looking media lunas displayed on the counter it’d take a virulent case of the munchies to enjoy the cooking much. Instinto is located in the heart of Palermo. The busy nightlife around Plaza Serrano is only a few blocks away and Avenida Santa Fe is also within walking distance. —Instinto review by Johan Jensen
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