Confiteria Ideal??

emilyr

Registered
Joined
Sep 22, 2009
Messages
217
Likes
92
My family is coming into town (finally!), and I was hoping to take them to all the magical historical corners of the city that I love! I already got some great tips from the good folks on here.

One place I used to always take visitors was to the milongas upstairs at Confiteria La Ideal. I'm not a tanguera by any means, but I was captivated by the charm of the place. I think its run down sadness and old glory and the people who dance on is a lovely metaphor for the whole damn economy here. I loved that it seemed to be full of couples of all ages and abilities dancing. It was a place to get a glass of wine and maybe dance, maybe not, but not be in the way of the people who came to dance.

But I went looking to see which night they had events and I called. I was told they only have milongas from 3pm-maybe 20 or 22, downstairs only. Who the hell goes to a milonga in the middle of the day? I imagine it is no longer the same charming late night scene.

Tanguero expats, is this really true? Are there no longer evening milongas at Ideal? :(
 
"Who the hell goes to a milonga in the middle of the day?" Retirees, tourists, students, freelancers, the idle and the chronically unemployed. Why, who did you think would be there?
 
jaja! That's my point exactly. I am so down with the retirees and freelancers and the chronically unemployed! I loved going to the Ideal because there were dozens of Argentine jubilados dancing better than I could ever DREAM to! Plus, I've always complained that there are no options for people like me who like to sleep at night. I know that there have always been tourists at Ideal, but my fear was that exclusively day milongas may mean it has turned into an exclusively Tortoni kind of a place. I guess that is what I am asking, do folks actually go to dance or is it only full of gawkers, like me?
 
Jubilados and retirees are the same people. In fact, more of the older ones go out at 5p.m. than at midnight. My jubilado milonguero esposo is on his way there right now.
 
@florence, this makes me so happy that the milonga is still in full swing! I always worry that a place like this could go the way of the Richmond, too much prime real estate in microcentro for two few paying customers. It's a really special place. The first time I went to a milonga there, it was one of the most magical nights of my life. My suegro said it was a highlight of his trips into Capital as a young boy in the mid 1940s because his parents would take the boys for cookies and ice cream.
 
The Milongas that are still running at Ideal are now ALL DOWNSTAIRS. It is very sad. The current owner doesn't give a crap about them or it seems the building and everything has gone downhill, If you want to take your people there I'd suggest Friday late afternoon or Sunday around 6. I believe there is still a milonga there Saturday nights but I'm not sure about that one. And remember there is NO AC!
I was a habitué of the Sunday milonga until it had to move downstairs, started losing a lot of people for that reason, and then even more because of the heat. I have many nice memories of it even just two years ago.
Oh they are pretty used to tourists watching and I think the tourists are told how to behave because they usually stayed low key. Report back if you go!
 
There is an online guide to the milongas that is updated regularly and lists each milonga held at Confiteria Ideal. www.hoy-milonga.com

Alicia mentioned Friday afternoon at Ideal run by Diego Alvaro and Zoriada his wife. My friend Jean from Santa FE, NM attends regularly when in BA. I want to warn you about being overcharged for the entrada. It is 50 pesos, enough since there is no air-conditioning or ventilation.

Friends from Wales went there on previous visits. Then they went in December 2014 and were charged 80 pesos each. I told them they were overcharged and asked Jean how much she paid -- 50. They wrote the organizers to ask why and were given a story that it was Confiteria Ideal that charged them 80 pesos, not the organizers. That isn't true. Organizers rent the place and collect the entrada. Needless to say, they never went again. There are many milongas with air-conditioning, lower entradas and better level of dancing.

If you're not going to dance, then go to Ideal early afternoon for tea when you won't be charged 80 pesos to sit at a table. Actually, tea at Confiteria Las Violetas would be more memorable.
 
Back
Top