Cut from the same cloth as El Gran Bar Danzon (see DRINK) and Bar Uriarte (see EAT), Rubia y Negra sits beside Maria Vasquez’s boutique store on the first floor of a Recoleta block, a two-minute walk from the Caesar Park, Four Seasons and Hyatt hotels.

Really a microbrewery, but disguised as a sleek cocktail lounge, it is ideal for drinks at 10pm or even a quiet dinner during the week. It’s situated in a smart Recoleta neighbourhood where many of the regulars head out of the city during the weekend, so Wednesday or Thursday nights are best for the Rubia y Negra experience, when high-society youths come out to play.

While the casks of ale, brewed on site, hang over the bar, the truth is that the beer’s just so-so and is more novelty than anything else – you’re better off going straight for the wine or cocktails. Beer aside, this was the venue for the author’s most successful date during research, mostly because it was, for once, followed by a second.