Thames 878

"The Doors Are Open (Come In For a Drink, or Three) Maybe you've heard of Buenos Aires ' restaurantes a las puertas cerradas (closed-door restaurants) - but a closed-door bar? That's how 878 started out: an unmarked door on a quiet residential street in the Villa Crespo neighborhood, a speakeasy-style atmosphere, perfectly mixed cocktails and no publicity other than word of mouth. Times have changed since the bar's early days. Villa Crespo has bloomed into one of the city's coolest locales for dining and drinking - and so many porteños found out about 878 that keeping the place underground became almost impossible. The important details remain the same, though: the sultry, low-lit ambiance, the classic cocktails, the serious hipster bartenders in old-fashioned vests and ties, a good-looking crowd seated along the bar or at wooden tables. The door is easier to find these days - but the bar's name, 878, denotes the bar's street number, reminding you of a time when the clientele had to try a little harder to get here."