Salsa music, expert dancers, plenty of partners, flashy lights and awesome vibe, and teacher Mike to show you the ropes every Wednesday for just $7!! Find Brazil's at the west end of Chestnut, just before the highway. Ample street parking nearby but watch out for cobblestones which will shake loose any hardware on your car that had a doubt. Up the stairs and $7 door for Wednesday lessons. So much fun! Most importantly, don't close your thumbs on your partner. Keep it loose and light. Long garment rack with hangars for your heavy coat. It gets hot in here, so keep it layered. Nearby bar on the other side of the room keeps your spirits up. Water and paper towels station in the corner keeps you hydrated and not dripping sweat. Massive woofer boxes at the corners keep it thumping and energy high. You can't help but smile and enjoy! See you Wednesday!! read more

Brasil's Nightclub - Salsa dancing lessons ($7) wed nights!! - Dance Clubs Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

My understanding is that this is one of Philly's Latin dance hotspots. I've only been once, so I won't judge it too harshly, but I was pretty disappointed. Problematically for a dance club, the floor (at least upstairs, where the dancing was on this night) isn't level at all, sloping somewhat toward the street. Also, the bouncer was a little aggressive. In terms of the dancing itself, the level was quite low and there was a 2:1 leader-to-follower ratio (but again, that might not be the norm). I didn't stay long. read more

I used to come here quite frequently when I was in my 20s, both to eat and to dance on the weekends. In reading recent reviews, it's good to hear that for the most part, the place hasn't changed. Bravo. I'll be back at some point ! read more

I remember Brasil's being so much fun! If you are a dancer, you will love it! Leave your inhibitions at the door. Good mix of upbeat latin music. Great place for salsa dancers. read more

Step 1: Wear comfortable shoes. Step 2: Get a Melon ball at the bar for $4. Step 3: Fake it, til you make it. I am so glad I have held off in writing my review for Brasils! Just went by to visit after a long hiatus from the Latin dancing and I was really impressed. Just be warned, the downstairs is ALWAYS empty! I don't know why they just don't make the WHOLE place a Latin club, especially considering that the downstairs area is so spacious. Anyways, there is a $10 cover for guys, $5 for ladies, if you want to get your money's worth come for the 9 pm salsa class too. My hubby and I like to enjoy the drink specials at the bar instead. The great thing about Brasil's is that is is a real dancing place. So unlike Cuba Libre up the block that attracts every tourist and drunk white guy within 15 miles, this place attracts a crowd that WANTS to dance. That's not to scare away any beginners, but it is to say that you will always get asked to dance and guys are respectful, and not stepping all over your toes! The mix is mostly salsa, bachata and merengue, so less of the reggaeton (because there's not dancing to grinding your crotch on someone). If you get here before 11, drink specials are pretty good at the bar, they pour a good drink regardless. This is a no frills dance floor that will make you work up a sweat! I love it because if you are with a group of people that don't really like dancing all night, you can bar hop easily to a ton of other places without a cover. read more

Brasil's Nightclub - Drink specials are awesome! Love the melon ball. - Dance Clubs Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Great staff, great ventilation. Small but spacious. Highly recommend the lesson before, makes sense less awkward plus the instructor is really good. Friendly but informative. Went with work friends and had a blast. Few minor criticisms. The sign is hard to see as it's blocked by the sign for "Room". Could use barstools so you can sit when dancing for a while. Other than that great place. read more

Great instructor and wonderful atmosphere! Must buy 2 drinks with card, which is standard. It's a great time!

Went here on a Saturday for their 9:30 salsa lesson. The guy who instructs it is very good and breaks down the dance into very basic steps that are practiced a bunch before adding on another step. Don't expect to have one on one time with your date as the lesson involves rotating partners every 30 seconds. This as weird as it sounds was a great way to learn dance as it lets you practice your own moves and learn from each of your partners before coming back to your original date. Drinks were average. They had a Melon ball drink special that was absolutely terrible: melon liquor, vodka and pineapple... couldn't drink that so stuck to gin and soda for $8 a drink. They have $3 Coronas, which seems like a decent deal for people who drink beer read more

Brasil's Nightclub - Dance Clubs Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

When Brasil's is hot, it's amazing. Other nights... ehhhh. Just know what nights have events going on. I never really look into that because I'm not deep into the Salsa or Bachata scene in Philly, but I'd say one out of every three times I've been here on like, a Thursday, it'd go down like this: "Is it warming up up there?" I ask the bouncer. "Yeah, it's good." So I pay my $10 and there will be like, 20 dudes standing against the walls upstairs with no one to dance with. Live band and performance nights seem to be the best nights to go. Like I said, just look out for when the events are happening, because that's when Brasil's is at its best. read more

I've been itching to find a new salsa place and when my friend suggested Old City as a hangout when he came back from Maine for the holidays, I knew we had to make a trip to Brasil's! I always always leery about going because I'd always heard that the really good dancers go there, but decided to bite the bullet because on Friday and Saturday night's they have a dance lesson before the salsa party! We got there about 9:15, the lesson started about 9:30 and ran for a full hour. The teacher was super patient since pretty much everyone there was a novice. We started with the basic step, then they taught us how to turn and get back into rhythm. Guys outnumbered the girls so we rotated partners so everyone got to dance with everyone. After an hour lesson, they opened the dance floor to everyone and it quickly filled (but not uncomfortably so). Around 12:30, some students from the dance instructor's school took the floor; 3 guys and a girl and they were amazng! Every twist and turn, the girl switched partners! On a side note, the myth that only the best dancers go to Brasil's is false; I think people mistake the students for regular patrons! Drinks were average for Old City ($7 for my cranberry/vodka) and had a decent amount of alcohol (unlike some places where you can't even taste it!). I could definitely be convinced to make this my new go-to place for salsa dancing! read more

$5 for 1 hour of salsa dance lessons and a night of dancing with drink specials! Definitely the place if you have no idea how to dance but if you're already a dancer this place will bore you to death. Con: small - the place looks like one long hallway. read more

Good Latin music on top floor, good hip hop music downstairs. However, in the 45 min that we checked on the bottom floor it went from a group of 5 people to no people on the dance floor, super bummed about that. There's a decent amount of good dancers upstairs, and the crowd got bigger as the night progressed so definitely go there if you want to dance Latin music. Decent cover at $10 which is more economical than the $20 clubs back in Boston. read more

Brasil's Nightclub - Well presented bar - Dance Clubs Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Their rule for credit cards is terrible. $20 minimum. I had spent $100, tabbed out, paid my CC check. Then I wanted tap water and they said that they only sell bottle water and that it's $3. I tried to use my CC to buy a bottle of water and they said no bc I would need to spend ANOTHER $20. *INSERT EXPLETIVES* The dancing and the music were great though. read more

So because my husband is a dancing machine and routinely wipes the floor with me, I decided to take him to Brasil's for Salsa dancing. We arrived a little before the Salsa Lesson started so we grabbed a few non alcoholic drinks from the bar and waited. Once the instructor arrived and we had a room full of people, the lesson began. All I can say, is THIS IS A WORKOUT! My flipping shins and thighs were burning so bad by the time this was over. In my defense, I'm a couch potato who moves once a decade. I had a BLAST. The instructor was really nice, and she made sure that all of us rotated partners. So I got a chance to dance (POORLY) with every guy there and vice versa. If I was single, I suppose a room full of drunk men would be a plus. There were all kinds of people here. Latin, Black, White, Young and Old! My only complaint is that some of the men seemed to be really good dancers, regulars at the club and were clearly put off by my two left feet. I tried to apologize in advance before the music began, but once or twice I actually had a guy "lecture" me on the proper steps. (No, No don't go left! It's right! Turn on three! It's not that hard really!) Maybe they were put off by seeing a black woman with absolutely no rhythm. I get it. In the end, I had an awesome time, and I saw my husband (as usual) dancing up a storm with all the ladies in the room. If i wasn't too busy trying to keep up, I'd have been jealous! read more

Sexy, Hot, SALSA! When I am in the mood to cut a rug, this is it! The hottest nights are Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. With a $5 cover charge you get a super fun salsa lesson. Salsa lessons start at around 9:30ish and last for about an hour. When the class is all done, you get to practice your moves and dance the night away until 2am! The DJ plays mainly salsa but he also plays other Latin tunes like bachata and merengue. The club itself is pretty small and gets packed so come early if you want to snag a seat at the bar. Also, prepare to sweat! This place gets HOT! I really love the crowd here. There is a mix of all ages (21 and up) and nationalities. You also have your beginner dancers as well as the pros. I promise you will have a fun time. I always do! read more

Brasil's is both a restaurant and a night club, but a Philly-based colleague of mine (who, like most locals, knew nothing about their menu) described it mainly as one of the city's best scenes for Latin dance. He was right. Taking his advice, I arrived early (9:30 pm) on a Friday night to warm-up before the arrival of the post-dinner crowds. Already, there were dozens of pairs lined up on the dance floor, carefully trying to follow the lead of a dull, lifeless, barely audible woman. [I have a preference for fiery, passionate, whip-cracking Latin dance instructors. She seemed more like an exhausted grad student from Penn, working the night shift.] The large, second-level dance floor seems comfortably spacious at first, but it evenutally reaches maximum capacity at 11:00 pm, when you have to wait your turn to shake your groove thing. Even when full, however, the space is great for people watching. The roughly equal male/female ratio is ideal for singles looking for an excuse (i.e., dancing) to approach perfect strangers. I got a kick out of watching a bunch of not entirely unattractive, gold-chain wearing guys from Jersey try to pick up some prissy Swarthmore girls. Once patrons secure a spot on the dance floor (or its outskirts), very few of them seem to leave. I went to get a drink down at the first floor bar, and--after 10 minutes of trying to make my way back upstairs--found my spot taken by a gawking, suburban couple. I walked to find another hangout somewhere along the sidelines, but was soon tapped on the shoulder by a flirty bystander, who smiled and kindly asked for a dance. Without hesitation, I obliged. read more

Low Priced Cover? Check! Dance Instruction? Check! Hot Latin Men? Check! Great Mix of Music? Check! Good enough for me. Brasil's is the upstairs portion of a venue named "Encore" on the banner. The cover is $5 and includes a 45 minute dance instruction that started at 9:30 when I went. I believe our instructor's name was Danny and he was pretty good. He was able to get a class of about 20-30 people all on the right foot with the basics. Good personality but there's only so much you're going to learn in a class that size. After the class ends the DJ turns down the lights and turns up the music for a nice mix of Salsa, Merenge, and Bachata. The men are all eager to dance with you and very forgiving when you goof up. Out of the couple of hours I was there I probably only sat out two songs the entire night. People kept grabbing me to dance and trust me I'm not that good! It's a very casual spot that has a comfy bar atmosphere to it. Some people wear dresses or skirts, some don't. Many wear jeans or nice slicks and a top. Don't overdress! Looking forward to learning more advanced moves and coming back to show them off here. read more

UGH I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVED COMING HERE SO MUCH. I can't explain how fun it was to go dance to great music with fun people who like dancing too, not to mention how great of dancers some people were. Don't come here thinking you need to know how to salsa because they teach you the basic steps! But you can also watch some of the professionals too. The front door situation is a little weird and the lady told us we had to coat check our jackets because it was mandatory it was kind of bizarre. We just ignored her. There is an upstairs and a downstairs. The salsa club is upstairs and there is a hip hop hookah bar downstairs. The salsa club was packed! But not too overwhelming, we were there around 10:30pm. They had great bar service and some cool drink specials. I can't wait to come back here for a date night and another girls night out. I heard they have dance classes and Friday/Saturday night specials. I will probably be raving about this place for a while. (P.s they have coconut tequila. It's really good) read more

I can only comment on the Saturday night salsa b/c that's what I went to. The cover is $5 for ladies before 11 PM, I believe, and $10 for the gents - sorry, guys. It's always more expensive for the men although someone correctly pointed out that there was definitely a disproportionate number of ladies compared to men during the lesson. Even the bartender at Brasil's was waved over to join the lesson since there was a definite scarcity of men. Per him, that happens quite frequently (shortage of men). At any rate, no partner needed to come since everyone is randomly paired with a partner of the opposite sex (despite the aforementioned number of women outnumbering men, so all the ladies will be sans partner at some point during the lesson). Not to worry, the instructor has everyone change partners about every 30 seconds so you're never with the same person too long. (That's a bit of a minus if you came with a partner - you get separated from him for most of the lesson.) The lesson is from 9-10:30 PM, so that's a decent amount of time to get a few simple steps and routines down. The particular instructor the night I came - missed his name, as I came in late - was pretty entertaining, and the time passed quickly. He teaches you basic moves sans music first then adds music later on. Once the lesson's over and the dancing starts at 10:30, it's nice if you brought a partner, otherwise it's sort of like back to high school looking for a partner since you can't really salsa on your own. They also played bachata music but that wasn't taught at all during the lesson so I really didn't know what I was supposed to be doing with my feet during the bachata songs. Overall, fun place to bring yourself +/- a partner and/or with a group. Also, coat check available downstairs for a mere $1. Love that! Wouldn't have minded if there were paper towels or a hand dryer or something in the restroom but you won't be hanging out there too long anyway. read more

I recently took 8 girls here for a bachelorette party. My cousin isn't the club type, so I knew a night on the town would require a unique element and a touch of class. Having never been to Brasil's, and knowing how some spots in Olde City can be (totally cheesy or total meat markets), I was a little nervous. The dance lesson sounded fun, we reserved seating with bottle service (to keep us separated from the general population in case the crowd was unsavory), and then we hoped for the best. Let me tell you... This was AMAZING! It was SO much fun! The dance lesson was great! From novice to Ricco Sauve, the guys in the lesson were gracious and welcoming. The teacher was adorable and so much fun. He made everyone feel comfortable. At the end of the lesson, he announced my cousin was the Bachelorette and instructed the gentlemen to keep her on the dancefloor all night. By the end of the night, we were practically begging for mercy! The men in the club had us all dancing all night. No one tried any cheap moves or to "cop a feel." They were gentlemen all the way. Even when we had trouble getting the steps (as few to none of us ever salsa danced), they were patient and helpful. We were spinning and dipping with the best of them! And the club? It was clean, well kept, and the service was good. Our contact, Sheldon, made us feel welcome and made sure we had what we needed. He worked with me on what we were ordering (as the girls couldn't make up their minds till the last possible second). The reserved seating area was nicely situated with comfy couches and a table. The only thing I could say that was slightly uncomfortable is the tremendous heat in there. Even with huge fans, the place gets steamy... But seriously... It is Latin Dancing!! What else could you expect? Between the moves, the vibes, and those sexy Latin men... Of course it is going to be hot in there. And that's the way we like it: HOT, HOT, HOT!!! read more

To be honest, I have never really enjoyed myself at Brasil's unless I show up with someone I know. It could be that it gets crowded there on Wednesdays and alot of people end up crashing or stepping on you. Without that annoyance, I think I'd have a better time. Many of the beginner dancers show up early in the night, but the more advanced dancers tend to come around 11 pm when the "working" crowd seem to leave. That's when the dnace floor clears up and it becomes easier to dance. I haven't been there in a while, but from what someone else has told me, the place isn't the same as I remember it. I will be visiting Brasil's again the Friday after Thanksgiving and will let you know how it goes. I give it two thumbs up for the cheap cover. Last time I went it was $5. Arren Salsa Dancing Addict http://www.salsa-dancing-addict.com read more

I had a college project to do with them. People are friendly and super nice. But it's more like a Latin dance club. Really not my things.

So don't be confused this place is called Encore now. We had a blast and classes usually start around 9:30 to !0:30pm, then the floor is open to dancing. The downstairs is where the regular music club is and they play good music. The dance floor is small but it works. I would say it's about an even amount of guys and girls in the place with the unseasonal dancer that is aiming for the Jersey Shore cast. It was a good night and really good if you're a cute female. Yay for you lightweights out there, they give you lemon, lime or orange slices with your shots, if you need it! read more

5 stars for dance lessons on Fridays. I don't stay long after the lesson because I'm not the best dancer. I keep planning to start going here weekly. I think I'll make it tomorrow. read more

Now I want to take classes to learn how to Salsa! The people are fun, the music is Spicy, the Jalepno's are jumping:)). I arrived late for the class but will be back at 9:15 pm Saturday night. read more

Brasil's Nightclub - I absolutely loved the energy and how I felt at ease here. So recommend this place. Top notch fun:) - Dance Clubs Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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There is a great Salsa master there. HE IS SIMPLY AWESOME. My friends and I were actually worried at first, cuz we wanted to go to a proper place to dance, and we hadnt been there before. The place turned out actually very nice. read more

I've been here 2 times so far once on Friday and once on Saturday. -Lessons are great for beginners. -Drink prices are awesome. $3 Coronas but also $3 waters which is partly why this place is getting 3 stars. -Mandatory coat check $1 -Very packed probably due to the low drink prices and low cover charge, but dance floor isn't usually to packed as not as many people are dancing -Music is too loud -DJ is a small problem maybe? The 2 nights I've been here, he's played pretty much the same song. You're guaranteed to hear Romeo's Tuyo 2 times and Sobredosis but for some reason he doesn't play Heroe Favorito nor Imitadora. Some of the Bachata songs are too slow and he doesn't speed them up and people just don't dance to slow bachata (nor DR bachata). He'll always remind everyone to stop putting drinks on speakers which I agree with, so people, stop it! Or he'll play Yo Tambien's 30second intro twice to torture you to make point! -Other than Salsa/Bachata, the DJ will play Despacito at least once, 1 cumbia, 1 cha cha, and then 2-3 reggaetons Even though I'm giving this place 3 stars, I'd probably still come back because it's pretty small/intimate and drinks are cheap :) But I'll probably bring ear plugs next time read more

Love their dancing nights! So interested in learning Salsa Let's go everyone! Let's get our dance on

Just finished up with getting salsa lessons with my wife and we had a great time! If you're looking to have some fun and learn with friendly people this is the spot. read more

I have two left feet, but on Saturday nights from 9pm till 10:30 -- I am salsa dancing! Brasil's has found the most gifted beginner salsa instructors and salsa never was so easy! So, if you want to learn a few basic salsa steps, Brasil's is the place! For a low entrance fee ($5 for women, $10 men) you will have hours of fun. If you see me there with my girlfriends ... come on over and say Hi! read more

Mike Andino is such an enthusiastic and encouraging teacher. He makes learning fun, and he is passionate about this. It rubs off on you. Try to find the lessons at Brasil's when Mike is teaching. read more

I used to like to come to this place. They have lessons that are fun to take and they have enough room to actually dance. The reasons for only 3 stars... The music has gotten odd. Living with a Colombian, I am constantly listening to salsa, bachata, etc. etc.. all day long. I get to Brazils and they play the same songs (good), but then the mix it with music that is just hard to dance to or no one has ever heard. The DJ seems to miss the fact that when he does, that 50% of the people dancing stop and stand along the edges of the wall. I know the DJ has been there a long time, but he needs to remember the music should be for the people dancing, not what flight of fancy he maybe on that day. I would definitely recommend for people who want to get a free lesson. For singles who want to dance with others (a lot of singles there). For others... you may want to hit Cuba Libre for the better music/DJ. read more

One of the beat decisions I've ever made was showing up here 8 years ago and learning salsa. Taken many dates here and am able to walk and chew gum on the dance floor because of Mike! Mande and Glenn make great drinks, and the people who go are always fun to be around! read more

Learned salsa dancing here! Food: not sure Drinks: alright, nothing crazy, nothing bad Atmosphere/Service: can't be better (albeit the floor isn't that large) read more

I had high expectations about this place because all the good reviews. But I was disappointed. first I'm going to tell you the good part; the area outside is nice, there is a parking lot right in front of the place. The classes on Friday started on time and it was fun at the beginning. You do the steps in group. The BAD part is when they separate men and women and start the couples part, they tell you that you must rotate partners to learn from each other and I was with my husband, I was NOT OK with the rotation so we had to sit down for the second part of the class to not disrupt the flow of the others in the circle. Finally this is an OK ugly place for singles, you'll have fun and get to know a lot of people. Oh and for open mind people is a good place I guess. I think they should have say, the couples that don't want to rotate come this side and the couples that want to rotate this side or whatever... This Brazilian way of thinking doesn't match my Mexican way of thinking. Hahha... I would not go back. I gave two stars instead of one because I had fun without finishing the salsa class and the atmosphere was good. So there you have as honest as I can be. read more

Snow storm still about 30 people Down Stairs and 2nd floor seems to have all the action.... seems every 2nd wed is the time to go. Friendly and pretty bar tenders . Bar mgr was very good and attentive. This place is for serious salsa learners read more

This is a great place to go dancing in the city and get a good workout! You don't need to know how to dance the instructors are great and very funny. There are plenty of beginners so you don't feel silly and the men are usually gentleman and will show you how to dance so don't be afraid Ladies. Also you can get into the club on the first floor if you want to dance to hip hop music although it doesn't get crowded until much later. read more

The $20 minimum is outrageous and there is no clear signage about it. They made me go to the atm and pay a $2 surcharge and then made me wait another 10 minutes for the bar tender to come back. Sorry but this is poor way to treat customers who pay a $10 cover just to get in. read more

Great place to learn basic salsa lessons! Lessons from 9:30-10:30. You don't need a partner for lessons. Dance floor opens up after the lesson finish. Drinks are average price. read more

Fun latin dance club . Check out wedn. and sat. nights for the best dancers. Cheap $10 cover and sometimes they have good live bands (for holidays and events). read more