A Guide to Buenos Aires

A guide to exploring one of the greatest cities in the world

Dear Friend,

This is my epic guide to Buenos Aires, a city that inspired me to live and love again. On my first day in Buenos Aires a friend told me something I’ll always remember:

“All of the buildings are so different here. So many different heights; some are short, tall, some are new while others are poor and falling apart, some are European and some look like Mexican shanty towns,” He continued, “And to me, that represents the people here.”

I lived in Buenos Aires from January until May of 2010 and planned to go back every year again and again. Unfortunately, I haven’t been back since. Life has a funny way of getting in its own way.

Below, you’ll find plenty of great suggestions but remember: the joys of discovering a city on your own are not to be underestimated. If you are an avid Foursquare user like I am then you are in luck! Foursquare helped me find some great spots in BA. (Here’s my Foursquare guide to Buenos Aires.) Also, BA has free WiFi nearly everywhere so make sure to turn off your data roaming and tap into that. Or just turn off your mobile and tap into the rhythm of the city.

Chill with the porteños, read Borges in the park, try to tango, visit Mendoza’s vineyards, climb Iguazú Falls, go to Argentina’s lake district, swim in Uruguay’s beaches (and avoid Mar del Plata), visit Chile proper (Vina Del Mar!) and Chile improper (Pucon); eat steak, empanadas, nom provaletta (fried provolone), eat anything with dulce de leche in it, sip mate (anyone will share), skip the marijuana, drink loads of Malbec, Torrontes (delicious white wine!) and definitely try a pisco sour (technically a Peruvian drink, don’t ya know).

What’s Up Buenos Aires is a great source of party and culture information. Sort of like the Thrillist of Buenos Aires but not as cool. And Buenos Aliens is a one stop event guide to electronic / dance events and parties. Also, read this New York Times article.

Getting There

• Fly American Airlines out of JFK direct into EZE. A good price is below $1,200.
• There are also direct flights from Houston (Continental), Atlanta (Delta), Washington, DC (United), Chicago (United), Dallas (American) and Miami (Aerolineas Argentinas and American).
• EZE is located 30 minutes outside of the city. There are many taxis waiting outside. The cost to go to Buenos Aires was about 300 pesos.

Safety

Argentina rarely has any violent crime. The most common criminals are pick pockets. Watch out for those sappy looking kids, they are just distracting you. This kind of crime is likely to happen out on busy streets like Calle Florida, touristy spots like Plaza Serrano (this is actually a great place to just tell a cab to drop you off in, you’ll be in the heart of Palermo Soho, from there just walk in any direction for shopping, great bars and good eats, but try to stay off the main plaza) or even on the subway (don’t take the subway, cabs are dirt cheap, ubiquitous and brilliant to talk to and practice your Spanish in “Vamos a…!”+ just show them the address on a piece of paper and when you want to get out say A qui! Gracias!).

Where to stay

• Palermo SoHo is like SoHo + Williamsburg combined. It’s so cute! Palermo Hollywood is a bit farther out from Recoleta but just as awesome. Recoleta is really safe and pretty with a couple cool clubs. It’s like the West Village + the Upper West Side combined and San Telmo, which is the super cool, artsy district, is kind of like Williamsburg and Bushwick combined. It’s also the oldest part of the city. N.B. San Telmo, while hip, is somewhat removed from the Palermos and not as convenient if you will do most of your partying in Palermo area.
• Las Canitas is really cool and has a street with sophisticated bars and great restaurants. There’s less going on here than Palermo in general but you can find some amazing (but pricier) apartments.
• Totally rent an apartment on Craigslist.
• If you need a broker here are two I used. Coincidentally, both have the same name and are quite pretty! Magali Slobinsky magali@bairesinn.com + Magali Polak magali@rentinba.com

Or if you are into hotels…

• Alvear Palace Hotel is pure luxury. Expensive, grand and beautiful.
• Faena Hotel & Universe is the trendiest hotel and hangout in BA’s elite.
• Hotel Bobo is a trendy boutique hotel in Palermo.
• Malabia House is the same idea as Hotel Bobo.

Where to eat

• Casa Felix: you must make reservations a week in advance!)
• La Cabrera on Cabrera 5099 in Palermo: There are two- one is Cabrera Norte which is the same food, a bigger place and across the street, definitely go there, I was the mayor for a while!) is an amazing parrilla that comes with tons of interesting sides to eat. Don’t over order. Portions can be shared. You can’t make a res so just show up whenever. They also give you champagne while you wait for your table!
• Guido’s Bar — awesome italian/argentine locals cozy small restaurant. Covered in cool argentine-film-soccer memorabilia. You show up, and they start serving you a wide range of great courses — no need to order. The taglietelle with truffle is unreal!
• To : Japanese and French with awesome crazy sushi and fine foie gras, and probably the best service in BA!
• Olsen: Go for brunch on Sunday! It’s quite amazing and very hip with gorgeous Scandinavian design. Also, an extremely good-looking waitstaff.
• Oui Oui : Another incredible brunch spot in Palermo Hollywood. Very trendy neighborhood now.
• Farinelli’s: (best wifi lunch spot ever) Really amazing cute design aesthetic youd mistake for trendy cafe in west village. marina, the owner is young smart beautiful and has the best taste in music.
• Fabrica del Taco: Tacos by a real live Mexican. yum. Amazing fresh frozen margaritas.
• Osaka is amazing Peruvian stroke Japanese food.
• M Buenos Aires is another amazing Peruvian-Japanese spot in San Telmo.
• Juana M — well priced super chic power lunch spot in Recolleta near 9th of July Avenue. The waitresses and waiters are super friendly good looking students.

Where to go

• Futbol (as sent to me by my guy friend)
• There are five big soccer clubs in Buenos Aires: River Plate, Boca Juniors, San Lorenzo, Racing and Independiente. The most convenient stadium to get to from Palermo/Recoleta is the “Monumental” at River Plate. Boca is more convenient from San Telmo.
• Most games occur on Sundays in the afternoon. There are also some games on Wednesdays. When planning your trip, you will be unable to find a game tiime, which can be very frustrating. Instead, they wait until the week before the game to announce the game time as they schedule the most important game of the week at 4:30 on Sunday afternoon.
• There are two different types of seats you can get at soccer stadiums in Argentina: “el popular” or “la platea.” For females and anyone that doesn’t know what they are getting themselves into, I suggest “la platea.” Basically, in this section you will have a seat and your own personal space. If you’re adventurous and ready for an unforgettable experience, I’d suggest going to “el popular” which is situated behind the goal and is where the hard core fans are. These fans will stand and sing all game long. The day after spending an afternoon being jockeyed around “el popular” my upper back was often sore due to the amount of pushing I needed to do to keep myself from hitting other fans. It’s purely the best fan experience in the world!

Museums

• There are a lot of museums in Buenos Aires. To put it into New York terms, I went to their version of the MET and their version of MoMA. They are called the Museo de Bellas Artes and the MALBA, respectively. If you’re into art, they are both worth visiting, especially since you can do both in the same morning (they are right near one another).
• DR: I also loved the Museo Nacional De Arte Decorativo (http://www.mnad.org/) an old amazing colonial mansion with a really elegant cute courtyard cafe that has THE BEST croque madame sandwiches. Eat there!
• Gallery wise… my friend Igancio Liprandi runs a really cool gallery here. If you feel like going to an opening check his website.

Tourist sites to see

• Plaza de Mayo
• The Plaza de Mayo is the center of government life in Buenos Aires. It is home to the Casa Rosada (the “Pink House” — although it is not the actual home of the President, it is where the executive branch is located), the Economic Ministry, the Central Bank and the National Cathedral. It is also where many different types of peaceful protests occur. I highly recommend walking to the Plaza de Mayo and boarding the “Subte A” (the A line subway). It is the oldest line in the city. Take it from Plaza de Mayo (it ends there, so you don’t have to worry about the direction you’re going) and then get off at Congreso. This will leave you at Argentina’s Congress building. Then you can walk back east to the Plaza de Mayo on the Avenida de Mayo. The Avenida de Mayo has great architecture and is especially nice when there are leaves on the trees.
• La Boca
• La Boca is known for two things: the birthplace of tango and its world renown futbol team, Boca Juniors. As you will see, it is right on the water and was the first stop for Italian immigrants unboarding the ships. It was a tough neighborhood then and remains so today. If you venture off the street for tourists called “El Caminito” (which has houses painted in traditional bright, vibrant colors), you will soon find yourself in a very working class neighborhood. La Boca is not a place to go at night, but it is perfectly ok during the day. If you’re into futbol, you can combine your trip to El Caminito with a tour at La Bombanera. They have a great museum and you’ll even get to go on the field. There’s a tour offered in English.
• Recoleta Cemetary
• The typical tourist visit to the cemetery is to walk in, find Evita’s mausoleum and leave. But you should definitely walk around the rest of the place, ck it out here: http://www.recoletacemetery.com/
• the Centro de Cultural Center is right next door and they often have cool exhibits here
• Puerto Madero
• Located just north of La Boca is the relatively new, tony neighborhood of Puerto Madero. Formerly full of decrepit warehouses, it’s now one of the most expensive neighborhoods and full of 5 star restaurants. It is also a ten minute walk from the Plaza de Mayo. There is also supposedly a trolley that runs up and down the docks, but I’ve never taken it.

Shopping

• Palmero Soho has AWESOME SHOPPING. Walk up and down Honduras and if you go into a couple of shops, you’ll find a shopping map in one of them that will help you navigate around the rest of the hood. Go get an iced coffee at Marks Coffee/Deli (delicious food too!!!). My favorite brand for cool new york downtown clothes is “Ay Not Dead” — DR http://www.aynotdead.com.ar/home-en.htm

Nightlife:

Don’t bother going anywhere until after midnight… and prepare to enjoy the sunrise. :)

Quilnes beer=our Bud Light

Clubs

• Jet — I loved dancing here the most. Get there before 2 and get a table. Best night is Thursday, followed by Saturday. Knowing someone strongly encouraged
• Pacha — its insanely huge, check online for good DJs
• Club Niceto check out “ZIZEK” NIGHT! It’s the best djs/party in BA. (this is the record label I hung w/ while I was in BA).
• Isabela’s (more like a lounge): a posh-dancey-lounge with cocktail mafia like drinks that NYC’s Death & Co. would drool over. Order the fruity cocktail, I think it’s called the Isabela,… there are berries in it, it’s DELICIOUS. also the bathroom is ridiculous here.
• If you are with a large group and want an easier chance of getting in try Crobar (yes, Crobar), Roxy, or Tequila
• Kika on Tuesday nights is still a huge party with the expat and student population. really fun wild time and good dance music.

Bars

• Sadly this placed has since closed (Bar Kim y Novak: alternative and very interesting (hello cokehead trannies!). Drink Fernet and Coke (Fernet is the liquor they all drink there… it’s as popular as Jameson is here. Corner of Guemes and Godoy Cruz in Palermo Soho. I used to DJ here and highly recommend it. Dance party starts around 2am and goes till 8am!! — DR)
• Le bar. amazing architecture and modern cool design. sunken tables and great cocktails (Tucumán 422 — In microcentro) (http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/guides/central-and-south-america/argentina/buenos-aires/67230/le-bar/restaurant-detail.html)
• La Cigale -cool bar with good drinks (mojitos especially). Has a sort of rasta vibe in a hip way. Calle 25 de Mayo 722 on corner of Viamonte in Microcentro
• Milion -an old mansion turned into a bar. Fancy drinks and rather expensive, but a favorite amongst Argentines and tourists alike. Parana 1048 on corner of Santa Fe in Barrio Norte

Also be sure to check out the bars:

-around Plaza Serrano in Palermo Soho to grab beers do cheesy drunk dancing. They’re pretty popular for most Argentines and expat students alike, and have outdoor seating, opening up to the plaza (just watch out for grubby kids).

-in San Telmo. There are some traditional places that are very typically Argentine and maintain the ambiance and aesthetic.

Trips Outside of Buenos Aires

• Le Tigre: Take a train ride for like 2$ one hour north of BA. Mad chill. Hire a boat. Eat on the canal.
• Punta del Este: Like the Hamptons of Buenos Aires
• Um… so there’s this zoo… ask me more in e-mail if you’re interested bc I have to dig up directions. But if you’re feeling like riding elephants and playing with baby tigers, this is the zoo for you. (2 hour bus ride)

Mendoza

How to get there: There are daily flights from the domestic airport in Buenos Aires (Jorge Newberry). The flight is about an hour and a half. I would suggest taking LAN. Aerolineas Argentinas also flies there but they are generally known to be more unreliable, although Aerolineas Argentinas is now government owned and is now supposedly more reliable.

Where to eat

• La Marchigiana, Don Mario.
• Wineries
• Familia Zuccardi
• They have a first class restaurant on the site and you get a tour of the winery with one of their fantastic guides (they speak good English). Zuccardi isn’t a traditional Mendoza winery in that it wasn’t started in the late 19th century by Italian or Spanish immigrants. It was started in the 70s by an engineer, so their motto is to always be innovating with new grape varietals and blends.
• Zuccardi is only a 20 minute taxi ride from the city of Mendoza. You can hire a car for the day (through your hotel concierge) which can take you to other wineries (he will wait for you) or you can take a taxi and Zuccardi will call a taxi for you at the end of your stay.
• La Rural
• La Rural is the closest winery to the city of Mendoza that has a vineyard (there are a lot of wineries in the city of Mendoza, but they ship the grapes in from around the province). La Rural is a typical winery (started by Italian immigrants), but it is different in that it has the biggest winery museum in Latin America.
• When choosing other wineries, I highly recommend you reference this guide from the Vines of Mendoza.
• Adventure sports
• About an hour and a half from the city of Mendoza you can do all the adventure sports you can think of in the town of Potrerillos.
• Argentina Rafting. You can go rafting, kayaking (if you know how), horseback riding, mountain bike riding, zip lining and some other things. If you’re into these sports, this is a must do. The scenery is also beautiful.
• You can get to Potrerillos using the Argentina Rafting van or if you’re feeling adventurous/cheap, you can hike out to the bus terminal and take a bus. If you go that route, you need to ask someone where Argentina Rafting is once you get off the bus. But the people there are super friendly, and actually one guy drove me to the site one time.

Patagonia

• The Lake District
• Bariloche is surprisingly very well known outside of Argentina. It is often referenced to as a “picturesque Swiss village”. The scenery around it is very nice, but the city is now quite touristy. It’s become an Argentine tradition for graduating high school seniors to visit Bariloche as a class. For many of these teenagers, this is the first time free from their parents. Suffice to say, don’t go to Bariloche if you don’t want to be surrounded with hyper 17 year olds.
• If you want to smoke pot drive 45 min to El Bolson. If you want to drive through a bunch of windy mountains for another cute mountain town check out San Martin de los Andes (this is also on the way to Chile.)

Iguazú

• Iguazu outclasses Niagara in every way. It’s a lot bigger, yes, but really the best part about it is how the waterfalls are in the middle of a national park. They have done a great job of preserving the incredible subtropical landscape. The forest surrounding the waterfalls has an impressive array of wildlife including jaguars!
• I would highly recommend taking the boat that goes down into the falls. A LOT of fun.

Sin amor y sin vino la vida es nada. No dudes en beber y gozar del amor.

Omar Khayyam