One of the best parts of moving to a new city is deciding upon your favorite new bar, the place you plan on haunting with a disturbingly constant presence. Buenos Aires has assisted newcomers on this all-important quest by honoring 60 bars and cafés with the distinction of Bar Notable.
On one of our first days in Buenos Aires, we approached the dour neo-classical building on the northwest corner of the Plaza de Mayo without having any idea what it could be. My best guess was a courthouse, with those massive stone columns that evoke the Parthenon, and I was surprised to discover a cathedral behind the facade.
We've been eating out a lot since we arrived, mainly at places which have come highly recommended by guidebooks or locals. Great parrillas, Peruvian cuisine, famous pizzerias. But that doesn't mean we're skipping the less well-known places entirely! This past week, after a long day of exploring the city, we sat down inside Pedro Telmo, on the western side of the San Telmo Market.
The US might have the White House, but Argentina has the Pink House. The Casa Rosada at the eastern extreme of the Plaza de Mayo is the seat of the country's government, where the President and her staff work.
No type of restaurant is more characteristic of Buenos Aires than the parrilla. Just around our neighborhood, there are at least six hundred thousand parrillas.
If your schedule allows it, spend a whole day without any plans wandering around the streets of Buenos Aires.
For such a congested tourism hub, La Boca has a few wonderful places to escape the throngs. The surprisingly fun Wax Museum is one, and the excellent modern art museum Fundación Proa is another.
With its brightly painted houses and open air art, the southern immigrant neighborhood of La Boca is both enchanting and irritating. How much you enjoy yourself depends on when you go, and how allergic you are to kitsch.
There are a number of Peruvian restaurants in Buenos Aires, but the one which came most frequently recommended to us was Status, near the Plaza Congresos.
Buenos Aires is Buenos Aires, and comparing it to other cities is probably a mistake. Still, it's hard to avoid. Many people have observed that BA is like a combination of New York and Paris, but I recognize other cities as well!
