My Buenos Aires Guide

Where to eat, shop, explore, etc!

Hola! Without a major time zone change from the easy coast (just two hours), incredible food and streets that look like Paris, I think you should add Buenos Aires to your travel list. I planned this trip with Lonely Planet and it includes a full week in Patagonia, which you should also go to, but for now I am reporting on the incredible city of Buenos Aires. If you simply want to check out my itinerary, you can click here. For the rest of my Buenos Aires curious friends, read on for where to eat, shop, wear and some general vibe tips:

Obsessed with the Paris feel of BA…

…but then you turn the corner to COLOR!

What a city! I hate that I always need to compare cities and places to each other to give myself a sense of where I am but, I do. BA has neighborhoods that look like Paris (Recoleta), Puerto Madero feels like the South Street Seaport in NYC and Palermo will remind you a bit of Soho. And then you have some place like La Boca whose vibrant colors and nods to Buenos Aires’ historical roots give you a true sense of place. We went during their summer season, which is exactly like being in any city in the summer, not my favorite, but with the right equipment, it was doable, of course. The purpose of traveling with Lonely Planet (which I have found through my trips to Morocco and Tanzania) is that instead of feeling like a stranger in a strange land, you are meeting with guides that you have already met via zoom and who have helped plan your trip. You have WhatsApp access to a full team of people with boots on the ground so you never feel alone. Here are some of my favorite recommendations:

Where to eat:

Chori: They serve a traditional Argentinian sausage on a roll-not unlike a hotdog, but different, ok? To my fellow vegetarians, skip the veggie version, it is just ok. This was a must go for John.

La Carniceria: Argentina is MEAT FORWARD, but despite the butcher shop like decor of this restaurant, they served an incredible cheese dish and salad. John loved the steak and empanadas. There were a lot of English speaking people there, but the food felt authentic.

Dos Escudos: This charming cafe in Recoleta had local sandwiches and snacks and it was a nice place to just sit and get some local flavor.

Gelato deserves its own section, but I will say that I was shocked at how good the ice cream was here. The amount of Italian immigrants sparked some really delicious (I am not saying better than Italy but I am also not saying that) gelato places and here are some of my favorite ones: Pot Helados, Luccianos, and my personal favorite, Domo Blanco which is located in Patagonia.

El Preferido De Palermo- John said it was the best steak Milanese he has ever had in his life. So.

Steak Milanese

vegetarian dish with cheese YUM

Where to shop:

Go directly from the airport to Arandu. This is an equestrian store at its heart, offering traditional Argentinian clothing. They have handmade belts of all colors in lots of sizes for $100 USD or less. My rain poncho was $100 and even though it was made to keep polo players dry, I have already used it on the streets in NYC and it’s perfect. So just go.

Ayma: This is a luxury spot specializing in “textiles from another time”. They also have unique fragrances and home items. Chic chic chic. Not cheap though!

Guido: We walked by this shoe store and I all but tried to run through the window displaying handmade Argentinian shoes. The prices are about 40% less in store than they are online and I got a pair of mens loafers that I love.

Salon Berlin: If you are traveling with a dude, John got an exceptional beard trim and haircut here.

Tealosophy by Ines Berton: Not only is the cafe and shop super cute, but the tea will make a tea drinker out of anyone. They have specialized drinks too and I loved it.

Belts at Arandu

What (not) to wear:

Not for the first time, I packed a wardrobe for what I thought the vibe of city was based on my imagination and not based on reality. I thought the entire city would be wearing bright colors and fun patterns, but the uniforms I saw were much more similar to the black and white neutrals of NYC. I also (foolishly) did not understand that in BA, designer handbags are not a thing. No one is wearing their Chanel or Hermes bag walking to the market. I saw one designer bag the entire time I was there and I think she was American also. The city is also very spread out so comfortable shoes should be considered. Pack like you are going to Switzerland in the summer.

Also leave your nice jewelry at home, including gold necklaces. I fought this and figured it was the equivalent of being advised to wear a money belt in NYC but truly, no one was wearing jewelry.

Loved this set but definitely made me stand out lol. These are the shoes I bought at Guido

Misc:

Bring cash with you. We were unable to use an ATM during our entire trip. I thought this was a dramatic warning and could not process that my bank would not be able to communicate with the banks in Argentina, but it left us cashless or only able to take cash out at hotels were were staying at.

Download a money converter because this is not an easy conversion. $100USD is equal to $138,426.99 Argentinian pesos. My brain could not compute so I highly suggest an app.

Lonely Planet has truly broadened my horizons when it comes to exploring the world and this trip to Argentina was proof of that. I hadn’t considered going there until they suggested it and I’m so glad they did. I’ll be sharing more about the experience I had in Patagonia in part 2 :) Stay tuned!