Buenos Aires has more than steak, tango and wine to offer tourists
It is easy to fall for the charms of South America's most exciting city
highrise buildings sit side by side, layers of history and culture are as dense as dulce de leche ice cream. Meanwhile, a new wave of sophisticated restaurants, galleries, boutique hotels and bars has made Buenos Aires more vibrant than ever.
FRIDAY
Out of Buenos Aires’s 47 barrios (areas), Recoleta is the most elegant and makes a perfect starting off point. Stroll through streets of ornate old buildings and then wander through the narrow pathways of Cementerio de la Recoleta, where the elaborate statue-adorned tombs of the city’s most notable inhabitants (such as Eva Perón) are just as photogenic. Get some empanadas from El Sanjuanino – widely touted as the city’s best purveyor of Argentina’s famous savoury pastries - before hailing a taxi to Palermo Soho.
SATURDAY
Visit the birthplace of tango in La Boca, the port where the city’s first Italian immigrants arrived, which has colourful houses stacked like Lego blocks. Have lunch at one of the many cafés before heading off in the afternoon with a guide from Buenos Aires Street Art (buenosairesstreetart.com) for a street art walking tour.
tenderloin with chimichurri sauce and charcoal-grilled potato and seared tuna in almond gazpacho. For an after-dinner nightcap, choose between the garden or marbled bar at Milión (milion.com.ar), a restored 100-year-old French mansion, or walk behind the “secret” entrances at a hidden speakeasy bar, such as Floreria Atlantico (floreriaatlantico.com.ar).
Image: Sarah Duff
SUNDAY
Night-owl porteños (as Buenos Aires’ stylish inhabitants are known) do late brunches and one of their favourite spots is Café Crespin (cafecrespin.com.ar) for French toast and hot cakes in the up-and-coming Villa Crespo
neighbourhood. Across town to the east are the romantically crumbling old buildings of San Telmo, where there’s an antiques and art market every Sunday on the cobbled streets around the Plaza Dorrego.
WHERE TO STAY
The boutique Fierro Hotel (fierrohotel.com), located on a quiet street in the heart of Palermo Hollywood, offers spacious minimalist rooms, a rooftop pool and excellent breakfasts.