Bogota Nightlife: Gringo Tuesdays at La Villa – A guaranteed way to discover Colombian culture from the inside.
It´s a sleepy Tuesday night in Bogotá and a crowd is gathered outside La Villa in the party hub Zona Rosa. They´ve come for Gringo Tuesdays; the weekly event that has the whole town talking.
As I stride over to the crowd and up the staircase, the sound of a hundred voices buzzing like a beehive grows louder. I reach the top and glance around the big open air space, decorated with plants and statues and filled with groups of people in animated conversation. There´s a DJ perched up on the side of the room opposite the bar, rolling out some relaxed but catchy background beats.
I instantly feel the good energy of the space and start over to the far end, past the guy baking pizza´s, to where a lady behind a second little makeshift bar is uncapping Heineken bottles, fresh from the ice bucket. She tells me it´s two-for-one until 10 o´clock and my friend pats me on the back and smiles with approval. Just then two Colombian women and a man wander over to us and introduce themselves.
Approaching its first birthday in March, Gringo Tuesdays is unique in Bogotá. From 6 to 10pm people go there to practice languages, both informally and by way of facilitated conversation groups. The casual setting and cheap drinks creates a remarkably friendly and approachable atmosphere, dissolving nerves and getting the linguistic juices flowing.
When the clock strikes 10, after everybody has made friends and learned a few things, a bell sounds from behind the bar signaling that it´s time
for a free shot and a change of tempo. The lights are turned down, the pace of the music is cranked up, the tables and chairs are pushed back and the party hits the roof.
The DJ´s at La Villa are world class, playing predominantly a mix of indie and cutting edge electro, meaning that no gringo salsa is required. Once the happy hour is over, you can sample Sierra del Tigre on tap, easily Colombia´s best artisan beer. The bar also has a spacious rooftop terrace for those who want to save the dancing for later. The bouncer out the front assured us that Gringo Tuesdays goes off every week without fail until 3am, when all bars in Zona Rosa are forced to shut their doors for the night.
Gringo Tuesdays takes place every Tuesday from 6 to 3 at La Villa in Zona Rosa, Cra 14a No. 83 – 56. Happy hour and free entrance lasts until 10. You can check out their Facebook page here.
If you like our blog, don´t forget to´like´ us on facebook and follow us on twitter.Curious about tours to Colombia? Browse through our suggested itineraries or get in touch with one of our travel advisors.
Muchas gracias!
