In a corner of Barracas there is a remarkable bar in Buenos Aires with more than a century of history. In addition to being a classic bodegón, with mosaic floors and wooden tables, it is the constant backdrop for movies and series. Its intact air of the past and that impeccable porteño touch make it the bar of choice even for Hollywood productions. Do you know which one it is?
Bar El Progreso: A bar with history and a lot of cinema
Since its opening in 1911, the bar El Progreso has remained faithful to its essence, from its menu to every corner of its walls. If you love to eat at the best bodegones in Buenos Aires, Bar El Progreso is one of them. Like any good bodegón, in its menu you will find typical dishes such as milanesas, tortilla de papas and empanadas. But if you look up from the menu and look around, you will surely recognize some of its corners from movies, advertisements or series. Do you know them?
The movies that were filmed in El Progreso
We tell you which are the productions that chose El Progreso bar as a film set to see if you know them:
👉”El lado oscuro del corazón” (1992): Eliseo Subiela’s film, starring Darío Grandinetti, which is a national classic found in El Progreso an ideal space for its poetic and melancholic aesthetics.
👉”Operation Final” (2018): This Hollywood production stars Ben Kingsley and Oscar Isaac. The film chronicles the capture of Nazi hierarch Adolf Eichmann. In the film, a key scene was shot in the bar.
👉”The Cracks of Jara” (2018): Based on the novel by Claudia Piñeiro, this Argentine film also had scenes in El Progreso, taking advantage of its nostalgic atmosphere.
👉”Roma” (2004): Adolfo Aristarain’s film used the bar to set scenes recreating 1960s Buenos Aires.
In addition to cinema, many Argentine TV series took advantage of the perfect setting of El Progreso in Barracas:
👉”El lobista” (2018): This series filmed some scenes in the bar, to give a most porteño feel to the story.
👉”La fragilidad de los cuerpos” (2017): The series stars Eva De Dominici and Germán Palacios and also had scenes shot in this historic bodegón.
An icon of Buenos Aires that is still in force.
In addition to being a meeting point for neighbors in Barracas, El Progreso is a reference point for cinema in Buenos Aires. If you ever pass by Barracas and enter this bar, take a good look around: you may be sitting at the same table where a Hollywood scene was once filmed.
Bar El Progreso 📍Montes de Oca Ave. 1702