BUENOS AIRES
This list with tips is of course a second choice in case that I can’t be your awesome Buenos Aires guide ;)
Sunday Market
Bar Dorrego
Yaaaay you are going to Buenos Aires! One of the best cities in the world. A lot of people who have visited this city have fallen in love with it, including me. The city has a great atmosphere and culture. It’s where South America meets Europe. The European influences and kitchen are definitely noticeable in this vibrant city. But Buenos Aires has so much more to offer. I fell in love with their culture of dancing tango and folklore, and the importance of family and friends. Their parillas all year around where they devour the best meat and wine. And when I say just meat and wine, I mean just meat and wine, often they can’t even be bothered to eat or order any vegetables or side dishes. Their obsession with mate, and that they seriously take in anywhere they can. You will see people in the bus, in the supermarket and even riding a bike enjoying their beloved drink. I love the black and white tiled floors that you will find anywhere in the city, that you can always find a shop nearby that sells great empanadas, and their amazing lemonades. Oh and not to forget their obsession with milanesas, or ‘schnitzels’ that they eat with cheese and tomatoes on top.
TRANSPORT It’s very easy to use the public transport in Buenos Aires ( once you get used to it). Try to buy a ‘SUBTE’ card when you can. They sell them in a lot of small shops around the city. Usually the shops will have a sign outside saying they sell them. Then you can re-charge them with money and travel easily and cheap ( it was like 30 cents or something when I was living there haha )
El Gran Paraiso
Las Cañitas
In the bus you kind of need a Subte card because you can only buy a ticket with coins on the bus, and in most cases you won’t have a lot of coins because the value of the smallest bills is also very low. You can use this site to check which buses or metro’s to take;
The neighbourhood where I lived, and my favorite area of Buenos Aires! With lots of nice restaurants and bars and also the Hipodromo (where they have horse races) . Horse sports are really big in Argentina, and it is nice to see! Check though which days there are races going on. The bar/restaurant street is called Baez and really worth a visit.
http://mapa.buenosaires.gob.ar/ You can also take taxis of course, since they are quite cheap. When you do, make sure to take a radio taxi, as they are a little safer .
FOOD
MEAT & WINE
Las Cholas; my all-time favourite restaurant in Buenos Aires, good meat, wine and other nice dishes for good prices and it is really cosy. I think I went here on a weekly basis almost ;) . I really recommend the mix of meats and as a starter have one of the empanadas! These are baked in an oven instead of fried and super delicious!
Before coming to Buenos Aires I had no idea that there were so many different cuts of meat, and they are all so different. Probably the most common one and really good piece of meat is Bife de Chorizo, then you have Bife de lomo (tenderloin)which is my favourite cut and entrana, which has bones in it and looks like ribs and which is very tasty as well! Of course Argentina is also famous for its famous wines such as Malbec, so make sure to enjoy this during your stay ;). Besides that don’t forget to try their delicious Lemonades, Empanadas and Mate of course!
http://www.tripadvisor.nl Secret Parilla; this is another favourite restaurants of mine, and I found it by accident when walking by it one evening, and I saw a guy coming out of the restaurant when I was passing by. From the outside you can’t see that it is a restaurant, because they try to stay hidden and they change their name every few months. But the meat and the pasta are really good. Try the Ojo de bife here! It’s still not very well known online luckily!
http://www.empanadasgourmet.com.ar/ I have made a selection of a few of my favorite restaurants in Buenos Aires. There are a lot more great restaurants of course. So if it’s not enough I ll be happy to add to the list haha. I will start with the different neighbourhoods.
http://www.yelp.nl/biz/secret-parrilla-buenos-aires Palermo
Club de la Milanesa; Schnitzels in different sizes and lots of flavours, and actually one of Argentina’s specialties ;) http://www.elclubdelamilanesa.com/ Ceviche; Best ceviche and sushi! For Argentina it is a little bit expensive, but you get discounts (normally, also on a lot of other restaurants) if you book a table online using restorando. You really have to try Ceviche when in Argentina, or South America. Really nice when you feel like having something light after eating all that meat ;)
La Fabrica del Taco; Mexican food and drinks! And really cheap and great quality food and it has a great atmosphere, especially in the evening. Also try the bar across from the street that kind of belongs to this restaurant. Which is also my favourite building in the city haha ;) http://www.lafabricadeltaco.com/ Brunch at Ninina Bakery! Brunching is really popular in Buenos Aires, and this is a really nice place for it! Make sure you walk there, so you really see the area :D.
https://buenos-aires.restorando.com.ar/
http://www.ninina.com/
Palermo
El preferido de Palermo; An old grocery shop turned into a restaurant. Really Argentinian food that is not parilla.
This is the neighbourhood in Buenos Aires that I like the most (together with Las CaĂąitas of course)! Lots of bars, restaurants, shops and just a great atmosphere! Great to walk around in. FOOD Don Julio; MEAT ;), according to some of my friends the BEST meat in town! http://www.parrilladonjulio.com.ar/
http://www.timeout.com/buenos-aires/restaurants/ venue/1%3A24946/el-preferido-de-palermo La Cabrera; Probably one of the most famous meat restaurants in the city, and very popular among locals and tourists. A little bit more expensive compared to the others, but definitely worth a visit for the meat and the experience. You might want to make a reservation here ;) http://www.parrillalacabrera.com.ar/
La Fabrica del Taco
Sarkis; Really great Arabic food!! Very good quality food, large portions and very cheap! Come on time because there is usually a big line of people waiting to get in. Let the waiters suggest some of their specialties and don’t miss the desert! http://www.tripadvisor.es/Restaurant_Review-g312741-d782133-Reviews-Sarkis-Buenos Las Cholas
Bartola; Great place for brunch or just for a drink! In a really cosy place in Palermo, with a great outside area. http://www.bartolaba.com.ar/
Las Cholas
FOOD
http://www.cafetortoni.com.ar/en/
El Desnivel; MEAAAT, this one is also highly recommended for the best parilla in town.
Chan Chan – Cocina Peruana; Great authentic Peruvian food, and very cheap! Must try the mixed ceviche platters! Be a little bit careful in this neighbourhood though. It is fine if you walk there from Cordoba, but don’t take any side streets. http://www.tripadvisor.nl/Restaurant_Review-g312741-d1072148-Reviews-Chan_ChanBuenos_Aires_Capital_Federal_District.html
Downtown
Puerto Madero;
Hotel Pulitzer sky bar; One of the few bars with a view, or roof terrace. There are more hotels, but in a lot of cases it is only for guests. A lot of people have a great roof terrace at their apartment though where they organize a lot of parillas, so getting invited to one is a good idea!
The very nice and modern harbour area of Buenos Aires. Nice to walk around, especially if the weather is nice. There is a nice Mexican restaurant overlooking the Harbour which is called ;
Café Tortoni! One of the oldest cafes of the city, a real must when you are in BsAs! It doesn’t get much more typical that this café with its black and white tiles floors and wooden furniture. The building is really beautiful and so old. And the prices have remained to stay low and the staff is super nice, even when there is a line outside of people waiting to enter the restaurant, they let you sit there in peace even if you don’t want to order a second round. Great on a rainy day. There is also the option of watching great tango shows in their basement, El Obrero
although I believe that it is a little bit overpriced.
Lupita ; Good cocktails and Mexican food ( also in Las Canitas & Palermo) http://www.lupitaweb.com.ar/#1
San Telmo Just walk around this neighbourhood , it has a really nice atmosphere and is one of the oldest part of the city where they dance a lot of Tango. There is a really nice café at Plaza Dorrego, the one on a corner across from Starbucks, it is really typical. It is called Plaza Dorrego Bar, and if it’s cold outside order a submarine ( hot chocolate ;) ).
http://www.tripadvisor.nl/Restaurant_Review-g312741-d1066258-Reviews-El_DesnivelBuenos_Aires_Capital_Federal_District.html
Recoleta Great neighbourhood to be walking around in, with of course the famous cemetery of Eva Peron., RECOLETA CEMETERY. But this area has a lot more to offer among which great parks to relax. When you are visiting the cemetery, there is a really nice restaurant near called; PaniLovely restaurant with great food for both brunch, lunch and dinner! Food that is not just meat ;) and definitely recommended! http://www.pani.com.ar/
La Boca One of the first images I had of Buenos Aires were of this neighbourhood. It’s really poor but has a great atmosphere. It is also pretty dangerous, and you shouldn’t walk outside of the tourist areas. And even then be careful with your belonging ( like always in this city). When I was there with a friend, a scooter that drove by tried to grab her Iphone, but luckily she had a strong grip and they didn’t manage. Nevertheless I love this neighbourhood and its colourful buildings. You can go there by bus and get of near Caminito ( the main tourist street of this neighbourhood). Make sure you get on the right buses though, because there are some that will leave you on the other side of the neighbourhood, where it is not really safe to be alone. I believe that yo can take bus #29 from Plaza de Mayo and #152 from Plaza Italia ( though this might take a while, so it is easier to take a metro to Plaza de Mayo and then change ) El Obrero A real MUST in Buenos Aires. It is so typical and has remained really authentic and the food is amazing. It is not touristic, and usually packed with locals and families, but a lot of celebrities have also visited this restaurant over the years. This can be seen on the hundreds of photos that are hanging on the walls of this place. A local family told me about this restaurant, and I am so happy that I got to know about it. It is in a dangerous place in La Boca though, but you can easily take a taxi there and get out in front of the restaurant. Just get a taxi from Plaza de Mayo and tell the driver that you want to go to El Obrero. La Boca
In most cases they will already know the restaurant. The people working there are really nice and they will make sure to call you a taxi when you are ready to leave. Even though it looks really harmless, don’t walk around the neighbourhood and just take a taxi! El Obrero has so many great food choices that it is difficult to make a choice, but you don’t have to worry because everything that you order will be good anyways. Go go go goooo :D http://www.tripadvisor.nl/Restaurant_El_ObreroEl Gran Paraiso If you are walking around La Boca, don’t sit down at one of the touristy restaurants but continue to this one, it has a great outside parilla where you can choose what you want!
Things to do - Polo; I don’t think it is really the season, but you never know! If it’s happening definitely go check it out. - Horse Racing; just on the Hipodromo of Buenos A - Mataderos market; on Sunday, a really authentic and rural market with a lot of local products, like leather but also really really good homemade wines and liquors, great authentic food, music and dance. Think great empanadas, huge outdoor meat grills, tamale ( meat & corn dish from there). It’s packed with locals who are just enjoying great food & wine and dancing. And yes everybody is doing it! And it is not touristy at all!
- Tigre, a delta area an hour outside of the city. Very nice if you want to relax for a day. You can go there by train, from Las Canitas, or the main station and it will cost like 10 cents or something. Once you are there you can walk around the small town, and have lunch along the water side. Also take a boat that takes you around the delta area. You can take a tour boat or take the taxi boat that the locals take to reach their villas on the water ;) . This option is cheaper and you see the same. - Sunday Market in San Telmo, go to plaza Dorrego and you will see where you can go. Lots of nice souvenirs and leather being sold. But also nice food and street parilla’s. Great meat ;) and if you see guys selling Colombian coffee you should definitely try it! It was so good, and I don’t even like coffee. Also every Sunday there is an abandoned house near to Plaza Dorrego, where the do traditional dancing and have a very nice outside Parilla (BBQ). It is something I really recommend to feel the Argentinian atmosphere. It’s located on the corner of the street Humberto Primo & Balcarce. ( if you come from Plaza Dorrego, and you are coming out of Bar Plaza Dorrego, just turn left and you will cross it - La Bomba del Tiempo! Great music experience on Monday evenings! A percussion band improvises based on the energy of the crowd. It is really cool, and the so is the venue. It looks like some abandoned factory. http://www.labombadetiempo.com/es https://www.facebook.com/LaBombadeTiempo Las Cañitas Hipodromo
- Tango dancing @ La Catedral, probably one of the nicest places to dance tango! You have to try ;)! You can also try to find traditional milongas around the city for the real tango experience. Like Salon Canning or; http://www.sanatabar.com/ - Buenos Aires Botanical Gardens if you want to get away from the hectic city life ;) - Casa Rosada, governmental building which happens to be pink! You can go inside and take a tour for free. It’s quite nice and the location is very central so you will pass it for sure. - Parques de Buenos Aires; If the weather is nice you should definitely pay it a visit. Super relaxed atmosphere with lots of people playing some kind of sport, you can rent skates on most days and have some food in the park. - Day trip to Colonia, Uruguay . A really cute old Portuguese colonial town which can be reached by boat in more or less 1,5 hours. It’s really laid back and relaxing over there.
San Telmo
Bais Argentina & Argentina 4 all
Partiesss
These are student organizations who organize all kind of events or excursions for young people. Mostly for students, but everybody is welcome and I have also met a lot of people that had been living in the city for a long time already, but that just wanted to meet new people. Definitely worth checking out what they are organizing the week of your stay!
If you want to experience the real Buenos Aires experience you should definitely go to one of my favourite clubs while I was there called Rose bar. Lots of locals but also internationals with Latin music ;) I love it haha. There are quite a few good bars/clubs in this street; Honduras , so there is always a lot of people and lots of choice. Other than that just going to the area of Palermo you will find lots of great bars to have a great evening.
https://www.facebook.com/baisinternationalstuden ts?fref=ts https://www.facebook.com/argentina.for.all?fref=ts You can also always try this if you want to have a night with locals; https://www.kitchenparty.org/ This might be a good way to get to know the city as well. It is so big that it might be a bit difficult to orientate yourself in the beginning and walking helps haha http://www.buenosairesfreewalks.com/
https://www.facebook.com/oficialrosebar http://www.kikaclub.com.ar/#firstPage ( I prefer Rose Bar though ) Then you have some good house/dance clubs next to the river like for example Pacha! If you decide to go to Pacha on the weekend, make sure not to wait until the club closes to take a taxi back. because of the location and the fact that everyone needs a taxi back you might end up waiting outside for more than an hour ;) https://www.facebook.com/ pachabuenosaires?fref=ts
Palermo
San Telmo Sunday Market Folklore