Expensive and not cost effective. The worse wines in Argentina, the musicians are great, the dancers also great, but I felt robbed with the fee per person, plus at the end, they charged us for the Whiskey, which was not included, and no one told us about it.
So, my conclusions: Good tango, bad service, with aweful wines. Indeed an abuse for tourists. Never going back and never recommending to anyone
After the conference, we ate dinner here at the Gala Tango. I chose beef cheek which was very good! It was soft almost like a lengua estofado! So far I enjoyed this dinner very much because it was coupled with a good appetizer of meat empanada and a dessert of crepe with dulce de leche and cappuccino. My friend had a roast pork which he claimed to be very good also. Best of all was the show! It was indeed a mix of culture dance - tango, songs ( Dry cry for me Argentina in Spanish) and music like El Condor Pasa!
Their version was excellent accompanied by a ukelele with 10 strings (charango). The gaucho did a good drum and play with the boleadoras
Overall a very nice evening!
This evening, my friend and I decided to dive into the world of Argentine tango, opting for the Gala Tango show in Buenos Aires at $120 per person, drinks included. The exterior of the building, reminiscent of something between a luxurious hotel and a legendary historical restaurant, raised our expectations. However, as soon as we crossed the threshold, it became clear that the facade was deceptive.
The first thing that caught our eye was the steep staircase, trying hard to appear luxurious. The stage, adorned with musicians in white suits and a white piano, promised an unforgettable spectacle. Yet, the audience gathered here was purely touristy, without any dress code, resembling a gathering of random people from all corners of the world, with a majority from China. It was impossible to find among the spectators anyone who truly appreciated tango.
The stage lighting, seemingly intended as a dramatic element, only highlighted the absurd wigs of the singer and underscored the overall clumsiness of the production. The singer’s performance, especially her failed attempt to entertain the audience with a satirical dance, provoked laughter, but not in the intended way. The male vocal performance also left the impression of a parody of art.
The dance numbers, performed by three couples, would have been more fitting for a village festival than a serious tango show. The abrupt transition to a guitar solo, resembling flamenco, only added to the questions – we came for tango, not this. The atmosphere turned into a farce when a child, wailing throughout the program, appeared in the hall, and a couple, for some reason, devoured steaks during the performance, although dinner was supposed to end before the show started.
The evening’s climax came when we were almost threateningly offered to leave tips for the staff and artists, after which we left the hall, not hiding our disappointment. This evening at Gala Tango left us feeling trapped in a tourist gimmick, far from the true art of tango. Clearly, the place has the potential to become iconic, but without quality artistic management and respect for the genre, it’s merely a waste of time and money.