La Catedral is certainly not your typical milonga. Located on the second floor of a big, grungy warehouse, the vibe is more alternative than traditional. An enormous red heart hangs from the rafters. The dance floor is surrounded by beat-up old sofas. Kitschy art decorates the walls. There’s even a cat that cuts through the dance floor and will help itself to your food should you leave it on the table while you dance.

I went to La Catedral with my girlfriend on a Tuesday night a few weeks ago. That night the instructor was teaching milonga rather than tango. I was surprised how many beginners were taking the class. It was busy.

After the class the DJ played a ton of milonga. In fact, I had never heard so much milonga played back to back. We must have waited an hour before we heard tango. Good sound system, by the way.

The crowd here is definitely younger. Perhaps twenties to fourties. And the dress is casual. Jeans are the norm. In keeping with the alternative flavor of the place, I wasn’t surprised to see several same-sex couples dancing together.

On this particular night, the milonga attracted few experienced tango dancers. The crowd was made up mostly of beginners and intermediates there to have a good time, plus a number of people who came simply to sit around, have a drink and a bite to eat and check out the place. 

Special mention must be given to the dance floor at La Catedral. It’s an absolute disaster and not even close to level. I’d say it resembles the side of a hundred-year-old barn. Some might say this is part of La Catedral’s charm. In any case, you might want to wear running shoes (zapatillas) instead of dress shoes or heels.

Some people really love this place. I think it would be a great setting for dancing to electronic tango. However, on this night, the music was mostly Golden Age.

La Catedral is located at Sarmiento 4006. Here’s a link to their website.

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