Tango Town

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Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos
Aires (above); Palermo Viejo (below)
UENOS AIRES has long thought
itself part of Europe; much more
urbane than its Latin American
neighbours. It is distinctly oldworld, its French-style mansions,
wide boulevards and prim
squares honouring national
heroes ensuring its early designation as the Paris of the Pampas.
But it has its differences. Scratch
the surface and you’ll find a messy,
passionate Latino city besotted with tango, infatuated with food
and having fun. Capricious, creative and – these days at least –
inspired by all things Argentine.
Founded in 1536 by Spanish conquistador Pedro de Mendoza
– who dubbed it Puerto de Nuestra Señora Santa María del Buen
Aire (Port of Our Lady St Mary of the Good Air), abbreviated today
to Buenos Aires – the city covers 200sq km and is home to some
14 million people. Its centre, however, is a beguiling series of barrios
(neighbourhoods) linked by ribbons of frenetic traffic, flowering
parks and plazas. At its historic heart lies the Plaza de Mayo, the
city’s main square. Laid out in the 1580s, the plaza hosts the Casa
Rosada (Pink House), seat of the Argentine government, and the
neoclassical Catedral Metropolitana.
Styles diverge markedly a few blocks away in Puerto Madero, the
regenerated port area. Grain elevators, giant cranes and 19thcentury warehouses mix it with a 21st-century footbridge by
Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and a chic hotel (Faena 
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Simply savour the sweetness at Vasalissa
(above and left); acquire ephemeral
Argentine elegance such as necklace
(below) at Perez Sanz (above right)
PEREZ SANZ
1317 Posadas, Recoleta.
(11) 4815 9190.
Ring the bell then step into
this tiny space filled with
elegant Argentine mementos
– silver bells crowned with
cows, marble-crusted frames,
boxes dusted with dragonflies,
whimsical silver matés
(pear-shaped teacups) and
glorious leather passamenterie.
The original store at 1477
Posadas is (almost) alive with
lizard, snake and crocodile
wallets, and clutch bags with
flamboyant silver clasps.
SABATER HNOS
1821 Gurruchaga, Palermo.
(11) 4833 3004.
www.shnos.com.ar
At first glance this could be a
stupendous lolly shop. Instead
it’s choc-full of sweet-smelling
handmade soaps in myriad
‘‘
colours and shapes – stars,
hearts, golf balls, baby dolls,
petals and chunky stamped
blocks perfumed with lime,
coconut, wild orchid, lavender,
mint and mango. Made by
third-generation soap makers.
VASALISSA
1940 Callao, Recoleta.
(11) 4806 4158.
www.vasalissa.com
Come here for the perfect
afternoon pick-me-up: a
polished lozenge of Belgian
chocolate filled with luscious
raspberry and pepper.
Choc-dusted truffles nuzzle
chocolate chess sets, hearts
and teddies in this creamy,
dreamy shop. There are also
boxes of deeply delicious
drinking chocolate, and
rainbow-coloured non-choc
jellies. Vasalissa is all about
sweetness and indulgence.

Recoleta and Palermo,
the city’s most exclusive
European enclaves
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BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
‘‘
Red-eyed unicorns
sprouting from the wall,
bison heads on velvet...
STAY
LEGADO MITICO
1848 Gurruchaga, Palermo
Viejo. (11) 4833 1300.
www.legadomitico.com
An intimate boutique hotel with
11 sleekly decorated rooms
inspired by Argentine icons,
such as Che Guevara, tango
singer Tita Merello, former First
Lady Eva Perón, writer Jorge
Luis Borges and comic-strip
character Mafalda. Gadgets
galore, stacks of style and
bespoke breakfast instead
of bulging buffet. From $240.
ALVEAR PALACE HOTEL
1891 Avenida Alvear,
Recoleta. (11) 4808 2100.
www.alvearpalace.com
The city’s grandest dame
shows no obvious signs of
ageing – much like the ladies
who take tea here. Refurbished
inside and out, this is a bastion
of tradition, from the lavishly
upholstered chairs to the butler
at hand to unpack your bag.
Technology isn’t forgotten,
though, with in-room PC on
request and a plasma TV over
the bath. Masses of marble,
Hermès toiletries and a legion
of ready-to-please staff. The
spa has a vitality pool with
ozonated bubbles designed
to detox and relax. Impress
business contacts and book
La Cave for an Argentine wine
and food tasting for anything
from two to 12 people. A cigar
and cognac bar opens in
December. From $800.
FAENA HOTEL & UNIVERSE
445 Martha Salotti, Puerto
Madero. (11) 4010 9000. www.
faenahotelanduniverse.com
Designer Philippe Starck is not
known for restraint. Why not
golden swan heads on the taps
and chairs, red-eyed unicorns
sprouting from the wall, clawfooted armoires, bison heads
mounted on velvet, alligator
skin stools and enough etched
glass and crystal mirrors to
rival Versailles? There’s no
concierge or receptionist,
rather an “experience manager”.
Spacious marble bathrooms
with plate-sized shower heads,
velvet curtains, white leather
chairs, crisper than crisp sheets
and wi-fi are standard room
fare. Drop in for a cocktail just
to walk the 80m red carpet and
ogle the facelift to this 100year-old granary. From $650. 
Faena Hotel & Universe
(above); icons adorn Legado
Mitico (below and below left)
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BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
Perhaps you’d rather stay at Home
(above and below); Bar Uriarte in
Palermo Viejo (above right)
HOME
5860 Honduras, Palermo
Viejo. (11) 4778 1008.
www.homebuenosaires.com
A former Argentine PR
supremo and her English DJ
husband are the brains behind
Home, a smart boutique hotel
with a vintage bent. Quirky
wallpaper, ’60s furniture, a
tranquil garden and pool, plus a
bar with an astounding array of
vodkas add allure. From $155.
1555 MALABIA HOUSE
1555 Malabia, Palermo Viejo.
(11) 4833 2410.
www.malabiahouse.com.ar
in the bar, then slide over to
the casual, candle-filled dining
room for sushi or lamb cutlets
with spinach and almonds
washed down with a glass
of torrontes, a spicy dry white
wine from Salta province, or
sangiovese from Mendoza.
Perfect for solo travellers after
a non-self-conscious meal.
This former convent now draws
pilgrims intent on exploring
nearby bars and boutiques. This
diminutive designer B&B has
15 rooms, light-filled interior
courtyard and living rooms
ideal for lounging. From $240.
EAT & DRINK
BAR URIARTE
1572 Uriarte, Palermo Viejo.
(11) 4834 6004.
www.baruriarte.com.ar
Take a seat in the patio
garden and order up duck
confit with sweet shallots and
mascarpone, or salmon and
spinach lasagne fresh from the
igloo-shaped brick oven. The
brushed-steel kitchen has a
window so you can check out
the cooks before committing.
Great for a drink or a pastryladen afternoon tea.
GRAN BAR DANZÓN
1161 Libertad, Recoleta.
(11) 4811 1108.
www.granbardanzon.com.ar
Buenos Aires’ first wine bar is
still one of the best in town
thanks to the wide selection
of wines by the glass and the
attractive, satisfying food of
chef Martín Arrieta. Start off on
one of the black leather sofas
MOTT
4685 El Salvador, Palermo
Viejo. (11) 4833 4306.
Set your shopping bags on
a hessian-covered chair and
pause for a salad of prawns,
avocado, palm hearts and
cherry tomatoes, or a hearty
mushroom risotto dished up
by Maria Lancio in this white
box with lofty bar.
CASA CRUZ
1658 Uriarte, Palermo Viejo.
(11) 4833 1112.
www.casa-cruz.com
Upscale food courtesy of
Buenos Aires’ best-known chef,
Germán Martitegui. Polished
wood, dim lights and a liberal
spray of red give the room a
theatrical feel, while the food
is inventive without being
overworked. Try the pork confit

with red wine, quince and
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BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
‘‘
Finish with rhubarb
tart with black pepper
(honest!) ice-cream
mashed potatoes; or the
grilled shrimp brandade
with tomatoes, black olives
and spinach; then finish
with rhubarb tart with black
pepper (honest!) ice-cream.
OCHO7OCHO
878 Thames, Villa Crespo.
(11) 4773 1098.
Out of the way, but worth
a detour for the cocktails
(some, such as the Juan Collins,
feature hesperidina, a heady
local spirit tasting of mint and
bitter oranges), the collection
of single malt whiskies and the
dishevelled private club vibe.
LA BRIGADA
465 Estados Unidos, San
Telmo. (11) 4361 5557.
www.labrigada.com
Football photos adorn the
walls, barbecued meat is the
staple: charcoal-flavoured
blood sausage, sweetbreads,
ribbons of tripe and ultratender steak. The moist, meaty
empanadas are good, too.
SEE & DO
BICICLETA NARANJA
308 Pasaje Giuffra, San Telmo.
(11) 4362 1104. www.
labicicletanaranja.com.ar
Explore San Telmo, La Boca,
Puerto Madero and the Plaza
de Mayo, or coast the northern
reaches of Retiro, Recoleta
and Belgrano on two wheels
any day of the week. If you
have time, the Orange Bicycle’s
themed tours – anything from
following in the steps of San
Martin (Argentina’s liberator)
to discovering the city’s walls
or its immigrants’ stories – are
a great (and healthy) way to
discover the city’s secrets.
FERIA DE SAN PEDRO TELMO
Plaza Dorrego.
www.feriadesantelmo.com
On Sundays, San Telmo’s
main thoroughfare, Defensa,
is closed to traffic as musicians,
merchants and maverick artists
take over. Plaza Dorrego hums
with stalls peddling books,

brass, linen, china, vintage
Top chef Germán Martitegui
delivers for upscale appetites in
the sophisticated surrounds of
Casa Cruz (all images)
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BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
An impressionist, cubist and
abstract stockpile at MALBA
silverware, art, antique seltzer bottles –
and always an improvised tango show.
During the week, browse the maze of
antique shops without the mayhem.
MALBA – MUSEO DE ARTE
LATINOAMERICANO DE BUENOS AIRES
3415 Avenida Figueroa Alcorta,
Palermo. (11) 4808 6500.
www.malba.org.ar
Drop into this luminescent, angular
space for a crash course in 20thcentury Latin American art: works by
Mexico’s Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera,
Colombia’s Fernando Botero, Brazil’s
Candido Portinari, and Argentina’s Xul
Solar and Guillermo Kuitca. A guided
tour of this impressionist, cubist and
abstract stockpile assembled by tycoon
Eduardo Costantini is worthwhile, as is
the shop brimming with goodies made
by talented locals.
MUSEO NACIONAL
DE ARTE DECORATIVO
1902 Avenida del Libertador, Recoleta.
(11) 4801 8248. www.mnad.org
Catch a glimpse of one patrician
family’s home life in the early 20th
century. Parquetry, panelling, carvings,
mirrors and marble were shipped in
from Europe, along with portraits,
tapestries and furniture to ensure the
Errázuriz-Alvear clan’s supreme comfort.
CEMENTERIO DE LA RECOLETA
Calle Junín, Recoleta.
It’s only fitting that the Paris of the
South has its own Père-Lachaise. The
sprawling Recoleta Cemetery houses
Argentina’s elite departed – presidents,
writers, military men, sporting heroes,
priests and poets – in stately, often
over-the-top, mausoleums. Follow the
crowds to Eva Perón’s tomb. Locals joke
that it’s cheaper to live your whole life
in Buenos Aires than it is to be buried in
Recoleta Cemetery.
ROJO TANGO
Faena Hotel & Universe,
445 Martha Salotti, Puerto Madero.
(11) 4010 9000.
www.faenahotelanduniverse.com
Among the many tango shows in
BA, this is a standout. Four costumed
couples stomp, snap and spin while a
swaggering singer and his femme fatale
counterpart trill in between. Aptly, in an
intimate setting part-Parisian bordello,
part-1930s Berlin cabaret, there’s even
a guttural rendering of Roxanne à la
Moulin Rouge. Proof that tango is
simply the sexiest dance in the world. For airfares call Qantas on 13 13 13 or visit qantas.com
For holiday packages to Buenos Aires call Qantas Holidays on 13 14 15.
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