Dating in Argentina: a practical guide for Australians

Dating in Argentina may mean resetting your dinner clock. In Buenos Aires, dinner is often around 10 pm and drinks around midnight, well after an early Aussie dinner. A cheek kiss is a common greeting, not a clue to how the date is going. Ask what works for the person you’re meeting.

What time should you suggest meeting?

Buenos Aires local habits put dinner around 10 pm and drinks around midnight. You can still meet earlier. If you want an earlier dinner, a coffee or a walk in daylight, propose it plainly. Agree on a time that suits you both; nobody needs to win the dinner-clock debate.

Settle the day, time and public meeting place before travelling across town. If either of you wants an earlier finish or a different venue, agree on the change directly.

Does a cheek kiss mean a date is going well?

A cheek kiss is a greeting even among colleagues and people meeting for the first time, as both Buenos Aires visitor guidance and Argentina’s guide to local customs explain. Treat it as a greeting. A wave or a hello is fine if you’re unsure. Let the other person’s comfort guide you, and ask before a more intimate kiss.

The same distinction applies to conversational warmth. Sharing mate (a yerba infusion passed around in its drinking vessel) or talking for a long time can be part of a social visit. Sharing mate is a social custom, not a declaration of interest. If you’d like to meet again, ask directly and give the other person room to answer.

How should you use WhatsApp after meeting?

WhatsApp is one way to agree on a place and time if both of you want to use it. Ask before moving off whichever channel you first used; exchanging a phone number is a separate decision from agreeing to a date. You can send a clear message such as '¿Te va bien el jueves a las ocho?' ('Does Thursday at eight work for you?'), then name the meeting point once you have both agreed. Use a message that suits your conversation.

If a chat stops or either person says no, leave it there. A response time, seen message or emoji tells you little about someone’s intentions. For language that actually helps you communicate in person, see Argentine slang for Aussies; use ordinary, respectful Spanish rather than testing a rough expression on someone you have just met.

What does meeting someone's family mean?

An invitation to a meal with relatives or friends can be taken at face value: you have been invited to a social occasion. Asado (grilled food and the gathering around it) is a social tradition. Your date can tell you what the invitation means to them. Ask who will be there, whether to bring anything and when people expect to eat. Ask about the occasion instead of assuming it signals a commitment.

If you have only just arrived, ways to meet Australians in Buenos Aires can also help you build a circle independent of a new relationship. Friendships make it easier to enjoy the city on your own terms and give you someone local to contact if a plan changes.

How do you stay safe on a first date?

Meet in a public place you can reach and leave independently. Tell a trusted person where you plan to be; keep control of your own transport, phone and drink. You’d do the same at home. If you feel uncomfortable, leave. You owe no explanation. For city-specific precautions and official alerts, see safety in Argentina for Australians.

For an immediate emergency in Argentina, call 911. Argentina's Línea 144 offers free, round-the-clock support, assistance and advice to people experiencing violence; call 911 for an immediate emergency. If a conversation moves to pressure for money, access to your accounts or sharing documents, stop the exchange. Keep your private information to yourself.

If you want to know whether someone’s keen, ask them. A custom won’t answer for them.