A love letter to BA

my guide to Buenos Aires

May 21, 2024

Happy Tuesday!

This newsletter is slightly overdue, but you know when life gets in the way. My last post already discussed art museums and exhibitions I saw in Buenos Aires. In this edition, I want to come back to this unique city that I fell in love with and share a bit more than ‘just’ art. The city has the most bizarre overlap of various European cities ( imagine if Madrid and Paris had a baby). Still, at the same time, the city sometimes feels like New York—tall buildings and wide avenues, but also hipster neighborhoods that feel more like Brooklyn. But also, weirdly, a lot of brutalist architecture!

Recoleta

Recolate was the neighborhood we stayed in. It’s the safest, prettiest, and yes, also the poshest neighborhood. Our hotel was a small boutique hotel called Hub Porteno, where, thanks to the insane inflation in Argentina, you can score a very good deal. Downstairs, there is also an amazing Peruvian restaurant called LIMA. The entire neighborhood is filled with amazing restaurants, shops, and beautiful residential buildings.

Palermo

Palermo is probably the equivalent of Shoreditch in London or Brooklyn/ Williamsburg in New York. It has low, colourful buildings full of street art, cool and hip shops and cafes, and some of the best restaurants in town. It’s also a place where people go out or spend weekends.

Now, here is a little diary of what we saw, ate, and shopped:

Restaurants & Bars

Aramburu | Recoleta - two star michellin restaurant. Recommend to do their menu with wine paring, it’s a true experience.

Fervor | Recoleta - great steak. My husband said it was his favourite. I like to believe the reason was that it was the first restaurant we went to after a 6 h flight from Lima.

Don Julio | Palermo - voted one of the best restaurants in the world. If you love meat, you will agree ( my favorite was still Aramburu as I am not a huge meat lover. although I have to say meat in BA was really good even for someone who is not a huge fan)

El Preferido | Palermo - besides the pink interior and hanging chilli peppers, the food was amazing. Thought you cannot get a schnitzel outside of Europe . Well here it was the best schnitzdel I’ve ever had.

Rapa Nui | Palermo - for delicious ice cream and coffee. You can go there straight after Don Julio for dessert.

Floreria Atlantico - a not-so-hidden speakeasy in a flower shop. But the cocktail choice and quality were really good, including some bizarre creations.

Shops

El Camarin - a local designer located in a beautiful period building. ( The showroom is located on the first floor and you need to be let in) But definitely worth seeing.

Bolazo - an artesian local designer. Every piece is handmade, which sounds better than it actually is (I had an unfortunate/ bad experience, which I don’t want to rant about here). It is still a beautiful shop with clothes, accessories, and home wear.

San Telmo Market - you will find everything from food, drinks, souvenirs to antiques.

El Ateneo Grand Splendid - a theater turned into a bookshop. It’s on a super busy avenue and probably a touristy spot, but I still loved visiting it.

Promenade Alvear is a shipping gallery full of vintage stores and local designers. I wish I had more time to explore this one; it looked too amazing.

San Esteban - beautiful handbags handmade in Argentina ( my husband got my one for my upcoming birthday ! )

Flaneur - very cool bags and jewelry.