A real tango show

Last night we went to a dinner and tango show at Esquina Carlos Gardel in Buenos Aires. I've seen lots of tango—and even learned it some years ago—and this is fourth tango show I have seen in Buenos Aires. This one was clearly the best. Best, because it is faithful to the real tango, the dancers are marvelous, and the music (according to my wife) was thrilling. If you like the sort of dancing on "Dancing with the Stars," then don't see this show, because it goes to the heart of what tango really is, rather than dramatic and unrealistic choreography. Tango is an art form, and the most sensual of all dances by far.

On top of that, the theater is beautiful, the show is really well done, and it's located in the Abasto district where Gardel first turned tango into a global sensation. The show was preceded by a fascinating movie—with subtitles—that covers the history of tango. Moreover, the food was delicious; I had a huge bife de chorizo that must have weighed over a pound, and it was cooked to perfection (which, for Argentines, is appropriately called "a punto").

Food, wine, show, and transportation from your hotel to the theater and back was only $125 per person ($500 pesos). Argentina isn't as cheap as it has been in the past, but by the standards of other major cities this was a bargain.