San Telmo, a typical corner in Buenos Aires, has the purest characteristics of the ancient city, not found in any other place.
Going for a walk around its streets, you will notice that the ancient houses have survived the passing of time. Then, you’ll get to the soul of the area, the corner of Balcarce and Independencia, internationally renowned as the the most traditional tango house, the first one and the one that has better preserved the true identity of Tango over the years: El Viejo Almacén.
The building was built in that corner in the late 18th Century, more precisely in 1769, during the height of the Viceroyalty of Río de la Plata, and during the first years, it was used as a warehouse.
By the end of the century, the city grew with the arrival of immigrants from all over the world, who blended with our “criollos”, and it is from that mixture that tango is born in these suburbs.
In the year 1969, Edmundo Rivero turned it into a “Temple of Tango”, and from that moment onwards, El Viejo Almacén became the can’t-miss stage for the leading exponents of Buenos Aires’ tango.
Great Tango performers visited the place: Aníbal Troilo, Osvaldo Pugliese, Roberto Goyeneche, among many others. They shared their talent, and were appreciated and applauded by countless personalities such as King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía from Spain, presidents of different countries from the world.
In 1982, the Honourable Deliberating Council of the City of Buenos Aires, declared El Viejo Almacén a Site Of Cultural Interest City Ordinance n. 50399 reflects the cultural importance of the house.
Nowadays, we have managed to maintain its authentic atmosphere, as well as the architectural details that allow the place to keep the charm of past days and the traditionalism of the day it was founded.
It has a Dinner & Show proposal, with a menu of international cuisine a la carte and an extensive wine cellar with the best national wines. Then, any audience is delighted with an excellent sample of tango made up of prestigious dancers, the famous Quintet of El Viejo Almacén and two renowned national singers who play some of the traditional songs in the history of tango.