The Buenos Aires City Guide
I had started feeling some burn out with my job and A was making some big moves to do a complete career upheaval and switch industries, so naturally I figured what better time to go on a big trip! Escape everyday life for a week or so and get a reset for the mind and spirit. We talked about what we would want to explore and landed on some hot weather, delicious food and enveloping ourselves in a different culture. So naturally this lead us to Argentina!
We didn’t know it at the time, but Buenos Aires was our last big international trip before the pandemic hit, and I couldn’t be more grateful that we embraced the spontaneity and went for it!
Neighborhoods to Explore
Recoleta
We found a gorgeous Airbnb and called Recoleta home for our time in Buenos Aires. It has a very European old world vibe and is chock full of wonderful cafes, shopping and culture. It is also the home to the Cementerio de la Recoleta, which was one of the top sites on my list. We really enjoyed going for walks through the gorgeous architecture, stopping along the way to grab a glass of wine at whatever patio we were passing by and enjoying the warm evening breeze.
La Boca
The most colorful neighborhood of the city! The main stretch is a bit touristy with a crowded market and the standard shops selling shot glasses and silly t-shirts. There is also a side street called El Caminito that is home to the iconic colorful buildings and there are usually local painters and other artists selling their wares. I got a gorgeous watercolor of the city while perusing this street! We very much enjoyed our time in La Boca, but do be smart- the neighborhood has a reputation for being a bit shady at night, so stick to the main areas rather than the side streets and just in general keep your wits about you. We didn’t encounter anything out of the usual while here, and I usually think that as long as you pay attention like you would in any big city (especially when you are in a tourist heavy location) you should be just fine.
San Telmo
This is the neighborhood to really fill you up on cobblestone and crumbling historic buildings. It’s instantly charming, offering amazing restaurants, bars, parillas and one of the biggest open air markets I’ve ever explored. We wandered into the neighborhood having followed the nearly ten blocks of the San Telmo Market, and stayed the entire day enjoying ridiculously tender lomo de mostazo for lunch, a bottle of local wine and steaks for dinner, and finally ending the evening watching the locals dance tango at Plaza Dorrego.
Palermo Soho
Palermo Soho is a hip and trendy neighborhood that comes alive at night with the many bars, clubs and dance halls filling its streets. Even though the nightlife is the main draw for Palermo, it is absolutely worth exploring during the day to marvel at the murals and street art lining the buildings and alleyways.
Where to Eat
Sabores Argentinos Recoleta - Argentina is known for their empanadas, and this was the first place we went after we landed, even before stopping at our Airbnb! My family is from Chile, another big empanada culture, and so these savory pastries hold a very dear place in my heart. We ordered practically one of each filling and had a grand ole time splitting them apart and stuffing ourselves full.
La Panera Rosa - Although this cafe is incredibly cute being entirely pink (hence the name!) it’s not just an instagram trap. They back up the super charming atmosphere with really great food, and we ended up coming here for breakfast quite often during our time here. Their mate, a traditional Argentinian drink, is absolutely delicious and I also highly suggest trying a medialuna, which is essentially an extra sweet and gooey croissant!
El Cuartito - I always like to do a little research on my destinations, and this place has quite a reputation. It’s a bustling fútbol bar with team paraphernalia covering almost every square inch of wall space. They are known for their fuggazetta pizza, which consists of cheese and onion only (no sauce!) but don’t let that sway you. The fuggazetta is honestly one of the best pizzas I’ve had in my life, a light and fluffy dough utterly stuffed with cheese and then smothered with charred onions to top it off. We tried ordering a fuggazetta from another restaurant later and it just wasn’t the same, so be sure to make the trip to this place specifically.
Café Cultural Aleph La Boca - I was told we needed to try choripan while in Buenos Aires, so when I found it on the menu here I was sold. The sandwich gets it’s name from the ingredients- a chorizo sausage (chori) on crusty bread (pan) with plenty of chimichurri smothered over it all. We paired it with Quilmes, a very popular Argentinian light beer, and it made for a delicious lunch!
Desnivel - You can’t get the full Argentinian food experience without eating steak, and this is the place to do it! Located in San Telmo this restaurant has that perfect old world atmosphere. We split a bottle of a local San Telmo malbec and had the steak of our dreams. We definitely left this place a little plumper than we arrived, and so very happy.
Bar Plaza Dorrego - We wandered into this restaurant for lunch as we were shopping along the Feria de San Telmo, and I am so glad we did! Their lomo de mostazo is to die for, super tender and full of flavor. Pair it with a fernet and coke and you’ll have yourself the perfect Argentinian lunch.
Floreria Atlántico - This place was so cool! It‘s a hidden speakeasy nestled in the basement of a flower shop. Head in, peruse some bouquets and then ask the shop owner for drinks. They’ll lead you to a large walk-in refrigerator door that when opened actually has stairs leading down into a dim and sultry bar. They make their own gin (my favorite) with mate called Apóstoles and have fantastic cocktails. We stayed for a couple rounds of drinks before heading on to dinner.
La Panera Rosa
El Cuartito
Café Cultural Aleph La Boca
What to Do
Cementerio de la Recoleta
Some people might find it a bit macabre, but I absolutely love going to visit really interesting and beautiful cemeteries when traveling, and this one does not disappoint! It is one of Buenos Aires’s more famous landmarks, and is filled with above ground crypts and winding narrow pathways throughout. It reminded me of the famous cemeteries in New Orleans, but with an even more labyrinthine feel. The architecture is absolutely gorgeous, and you can get a map at the entrance to follow along for some historic and notable sites, such as the resting place of Eva Perón as well as the statue of Liliana Crociati de Szaszak and her dog (whose nose is rubbed through the patina to the shiny bronze below by passersby for good luck).
The cemetery is open daily from 8-6pm and entry is free. You can choose to do a guided tour, however I personally enjoyed getting to wander around with a more solitary and quiet experience. We passed a few tours where there were 25+ people packed into a tiny alleyway all vying to see whichever landmark the guide was talking about.
Plaza De Mayo
This plaza is a centralized main square area that is full of history and politics. The biggest landmark is the Casa Rosada, a fabulously pink governmental palace that is home to the presidential office.
On the opposite side of the square is the Museo Histórico Nacional del Cabildo y la Revolución de Mayo. The museum is free to visit and has a lot of interesting information about Argentinian history and culture. There is also a balcony on the second story that has some of the best views of the entire plaza!
My only suggestion while in the plaza is to not engage too much with anyone coming up to chat with you. I live in a large city with lots of panhandlers and scammers and am used to avoiding these situations, but I will say the guys in this plaza are very smart. A man wearing a uniform similar to the guards outside of the Casa Rosada came up to me asking questions. Seeing his uniform my first thought was that I had done something wrong, but as soon as I acknowledged him he pulled out a book and told me some history about the square. He then very much expected cash as a thank you, and I ended up giving him a few bucks to exit the situation. I would never have stopped to talk to him if he had not been dressed similarly to a guard, so definitely keep that in mind!
Feria de San Telmo
This is a huge antiques and flea market every Sunday from 10am to around 4pm or sundown. The Feria spans 10 blocks, starting in Plaza de Mayo and going south along Calle Defensa to Plaza Dorrego. You can get all sorts of handmade goods, art, antiques, and tchotchkes here, as well as tacky souvenirs.
Plaza Dorrego
At the end of the Feria you’ll find yourself in Plaza Dorrego. If you’re here in the late afternoon or early evening you will be lucky enough to catch locals dancing the tango in what has been voted one of the city’s top Milongas. A Milonga is a tango dancehall, and they are often spontaneously staged in a public space. When we were in Plaza Dorrego there were professional duos dancing the tango for tips, and apparently if you stay long enough it even opens up for anyone to join the dancing.
We had a blast listening to the live band and watching several sets of dancers perform. These pairs really knew how to put on a show, and if you enjoy the performance don’t forget to leave a tip to show your appreciation.
MALBA Museum
The Museum of Latin American Arts of Buenos Aires, or MALBA, has an impressive permanent collection including pieces by several well known artists including Frida Kahlo. Their mission is to awaken interest in Latin American creators from the early 20th century to the present, and to contribute to the understanding of Latin America’s cultural production and artistic diversity. I really enjoyed our time exploring here, and it’s a great way to spend a couple of hours.
The museum is closed on Tuesdays, and open from 12-8pm the rest of the week. They are open an extra hour until 9pm on Wednesdays, and you can also score a discounted admission on Wednesdays.
Favorite Photo Spots
Floralis Genérica
This ‘living’ sculpture is in Plaza de las Naciones Unidas in the Recoleta neighborhood, and it was gifted to the city in 2002 by Argentine architect Eduardo Catalano. The huge flower is made from steel and aluminum and is designed to move its petals depending on the time of day. Each morning the petals open at 8am and close again the following night at sunset with a red light glowing from the center.
El Ateneo Grand Splendid
El Ateneo was first opened in 1919 as a theater and since has been transformed into a bookshop! The architecture and artwork is gorgeous, and National Geographic even awarded it world’s most beautiful bookstore in 2019. It’s easy to get lost among the shelves for a few hours here. Located along Av. Sta. Fe the shop is open every day with the exception of December 25th, January 1st and May 1st.
Palacio Barolo
This building was constructed in 1923 and designed by Luis Barolo based on Dante’s Divine Comedy. The basement and ground floor represent Hell, Purgatory is levels 1-14, and the 15-22nd floors are Heaven. Due to the fact that Palacio Barolo is still a working office building, it can only be visited through a guided tour. The guides will take you on an ascent starting in Hell and rising into Heaven, giving tons of stories and history along the way. The tour lasts about 1.5 hours, and can be scheduled on the main website. We had a ton of fun learning about the history and ended the evening enjoying a cocktail happy hour on the balconies of ‘heaven’ with views of the city that could not be beat!
