BA trip report
Feb 23rd, 2005, 06:58 AM
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BA trip report
We just returned from a whirlwind 4-day visit and just wanted to post a couple of impressions.
Cintia at Wow! hooked us up with a great rate at the Caesar Park, which is right across the street from Patio Bullrich, the high-end shopping mall in town and the center of a lot of activity. Afternoons at Cafe Francesca on the lower level of the mall for cafe con leche or cortados and media lunes was the place to be-- it was packed, especially on the weekend, with portenos, and we found it much preferable to the Galleria Pacifico off of Florida St.. which was all tourists-- the much better bargains were found in Recoleta, both at Patio Bullrich and all of the shops along Quintana and Alvear.
Spent a day touring the Recoleta Cemetary, a must-see! And the crafts ferria outside of the cemetary on Saturday. Also strolled the Design Center-- if you need furniture or any kind of home decorating, that is the place to go-- gorgeous Argentinian leather couches for US$600! also some very pretty art galleries. Just nearby the design Center is the Bella Artes (spelling?) Museum.
One day we went to Palermo Viejo, which is the center of young up-and-coming porteno fashion designers-- beautiful little boutiques and cute cafes for lunch. Make sure and stop for chocolate and a scoop of their homemade dulce de leche with chocolate bits in it at Tikal ( I think it is on El Salvador, but double-check). In Palermo Viejo--there was tons of poeple watching in this area, full of young people (30'ish), lots of life-- definitely worth a visit!
Dinner at Lomo on Honduras in Palermo Viejo (make sure and ask for a table on the rooftop patio-- very cool lighting, ambience, awesome music, and, if the weather permits, a nice breeze). I would describe Lomo as nouvelle Argetinian cuisine--you can still get your beef, but it is done with delicious sauces, cheeses, etc., just a nice contrast to the traditional parillas.
Also ate at Cabanas las Lilas, which also was a great experience but I found it so more for the service, site along the river,and view than for the steak-- I found mine was good but a little salty for my tase.
The best dinner we had was at La Brigada in San Telmo on Etados Unis (in the 400 lock I think)-- compared to Las Lilas, this is a very laidback place, the authentic porteno experience, so a nice conteact from Las Lilas-- the service at Brigada was incomparable-- the waitstaff takes true pride in their profession (ask to sit in Beto's section!) -- awesome provoleta, palmitos in "golf" dressing (that's hearts of palm in something like 1000 Island dressing, but it is homemade and soooo good!), yummy entrana and you MUST try the chorizo-- out of this world!!
Finally, went to El Mirasol (drdawggy, thanks for the recommendation!) in Recova, which was near our hotel. Our plane left at 9:45 p.m. so we went for a bottle of delicious malbec and steak dinner, very early (by BA standards-- we did not eat before 10:00 the other nights) prior to getting on the place--again, great service and good food (my entrana was not as good as Brigada but the salchicha sausage was GREAT!!
In sum, our favorite was Brigada, which I felt very authentic and down to earth-- not many tourists and the very best steak we ate.
If I think of more I will post again-- I am behind at work though-- wanted to post my initial thoughts here!
A wonderful city experience!!!
Cintia at Wow! hooked us up with a great rate at the Caesar Park, which is right across the street from Patio Bullrich, the high-end shopping mall in town and the center of a lot of activity. Afternoons at Cafe Francesca on the lower level of the mall for cafe con leche or cortados and media lunes was the place to be-- it was packed, especially on the weekend, with portenos, and we found it much preferable to the Galleria Pacifico off of Florida St.. which was all tourists-- the much better bargains were found in Recoleta, both at Patio Bullrich and all of the shops along Quintana and Alvear.
Spent a day touring the Recoleta Cemetary, a must-see! And the crafts ferria outside of the cemetary on Saturday. Also strolled the Design Center-- if you need furniture or any kind of home decorating, that is the place to go-- gorgeous Argentinian leather couches for US$600! also some very pretty art galleries. Just nearby the design Center is the Bella Artes (spelling?) Museum.
One day we went to Palermo Viejo, which is the center of young up-and-coming porteno fashion designers-- beautiful little boutiques and cute cafes for lunch. Make sure and stop for chocolate and a scoop of their homemade dulce de leche with chocolate bits in it at Tikal ( I think it is on El Salvador, but double-check). In Palermo Viejo--there was tons of poeple watching in this area, full of young people (30'ish), lots of life-- definitely worth a visit!
Dinner at Lomo on Honduras in Palermo Viejo (make sure and ask for a table on the rooftop patio-- very cool lighting, ambience, awesome music, and, if the weather permits, a nice breeze). I would describe Lomo as nouvelle Argetinian cuisine--you can still get your beef, but it is done with delicious sauces, cheeses, etc., just a nice contrast to the traditional parillas.
Also ate at Cabanas las Lilas, which also was a great experience but I found it so more for the service, site along the river,and view than for the steak-- I found mine was good but a little salty for my tase.
The best dinner we had was at La Brigada in San Telmo on Etados Unis (in the 400 lock I think)-- compared to Las Lilas, this is a very laidback place, the authentic porteno experience, so a nice conteact from Las Lilas-- the service at Brigada was incomparable-- the waitstaff takes true pride in their profession (ask to sit in Beto's section!) -- awesome provoleta, palmitos in "golf" dressing (that's hearts of palm in something like 1000 Island dressing, but it is homemade and soooo good!), yummy entrana and you MUST try the chorizo-- out of this world!!
Finally, went to El Mirasol (drdawggy, thanks for the recommendation!) in Recova, which was near our hotel. Our plane left at 9:45 p.m. so we went for a bottle of delicious malbec and steak dinner, very early (by BA standards-- we did not eat before 10:00 the other nights) prior to getting on the place--again, great service and good food (my entrana was not as good as Brigada but the salchicha sausage was GREAT!!
In sum, our favorite was Brigada, which I felt very authentic and down to earth-- not many tourists and the very best steak we ate.
If I think of more I will post again-- I am behind at work though-- wanted to post my initial thoughts here!
A wonderful city experience!!!
Feb 23rd, 2005, 04:11 PM
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Glad you enjoyed Argentina. I love La Brigada and recommend it all the time...but someone on here posted not long ago that they had a terrible meal there (off night I suppose)....in any case, glad to see a positve review!
I might have been one of the people who strolled by you in Patio Bullrich...I went to see Million Dollar Baby there on my recent trip....pretty cool with Spanish subtitles....
I might have been one of the people who strolled by you in Patio Bullrich...I went to see Million Dollar Baby there on my recent trip....pretty cool with Spanish subtitles....
Feb 24th, 2005, 03:50 AM
#3
Pennycharlotte,
Your descriptions for the different restaurants and for the foods you tried at each were terrific. I've made some thorough notes since we'll be visiting BA in May.
I have a couple of questions regarding your flight out of BA at 9:45PM--I'm just trying to get a sense of time. What time did you leave for the airport, and how much time did you give yourself at the airport for this departure? Our flight has a 9:40 departure time also. And, I assume you went back to the hotel to pick up your stored luggage, then headed to the airport.
We're also working with WOW!, and I could ask them for a timeline, but I thought I'd like your impressions of time needed.
Thanks, Kathy
Your descriptions for the different restaurants and for the foods you tried at each were terrific. I've made some thorough notes since we'll be visiting BA in May.
I have a couple of questions regarding your flight out of BA at 9:45PM--I'm just trying to get a sense of time. What time did you leave for the airport, and how much time did you give yourself at the airport for this departure? Our flight has a 9:40 departure time also. And, I assume you went back to the hotel to pick up your stored luggage, then headed to the airport.
We're also working with WOW!, and I could ask them for a timeline, but I thought I'd like your impressions of time needed.
Thanks, Kathy
Feb 24th, 2005, 05:38 AM
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We made a connection with a car service that I want to share:
Remis Executive Transfer
Oscar Alerberto Carrixo
15-5036-0188
He can pick you up at the airport and be a tour/car service while in town for a tour to El Tigre and many places. It was very reasonable, about $ 10 per hour, and a great way to get around Buenos Aires and the outskirts.
Remis Executive Transfer
Oscar Alerberto Carrixo
15-5036-0188
He can pick you up at the airport and be a tour/car service while in town for a tour to El Tigre and many places. It was very reasonable, about $ 10 per hour, and a great way to get around Buenos Aires and the outskirts.
Feb 24th, 2005, 09:33 AM
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Kathleen,
Yes, we left our luggage w/the concierge. We had him make arrangements for a remise taxi (that is the equivalent of "car service" here-- meaning, a very clean, air conditioned car)-- the remise was 80 pesos (or about US$25). You definitely want to get a remise since the airport is a good drive out of the city and w/o air conditioning and not as clean of a car, it could be gross-- and given it is a good 30-minute drive, the $25 fare is entirely reasonable. The remise picked up at the hotel at 7:15 (that was after the steak dinner at El Mirasol-- by the way, I meant to mention, make sure and have their churrasco with the salchicha sausage-- of the 5 churrascos we tried, theirs was easily the best-- but Brigada had the best steak!). Anyway, left the hotel at 7:15, arrived at the airport around 7:50. Got to the gate at 8:30 or 8:40. When they say to be at the airport 2 hours in advance, they mean it-- you will have to show your passport about 4 times at various points and the check-in is extremely slow by American standards. At least at my home airport (MIA), we don't really need to be there 2 hours in advance b/c we get checked in and trhough security in under an hour easily-- but a lot of flights leave BA around the 9:45 time so it is extremely busy-- I found getting there 2 hours in advance to have been cutting it a bit too close--I would have been more comfortable leaving the hotel closer to 7 or even 6:45.
Yes, we left our luggage w/the concierge. We had him make arrangements for a remise taxi (that is the equivalent of "car service" here-- meaning, a very clean, air conditioned car)-- the remise was 80 pesos (or about US$25). You definitely want to get a remise since the airport is a good drive out of the city and w/o air conditioning and not as clean of a car, it could be gross-- and given it is a good 30-minute drive, the $25 fare is entirely reasonable. The remise picked up at the hotel at 7:15 (that was after the steak dinner at El Mirasol-- by the way, I meant to mention, make sure and have their churrasco with the salchicha sausage-- of the 5 churrascos we tried, theirs was easily the best-- but Brigada had the best steak!). Anyway, left the hotel at 7:15, arrived at the airport around 7:50. Got to the gate at 8:30 or 8:40. When they say to be at the airport 2 hours in advance, they mean it-- you will have to show your passport about 4 times at various points and the check-in is extremely slow by American standards. At least at my home airport (MIA), we don't really need to be there 2 hours in advance b/c we get checked in and trhough security in under an hour easily-- but a lot of flights leave BA around the 9:45 time so it is extremely busy-- I found getting there 2 hours in advance to have been cutting it a bit too close--I would have been more comfortable leaving the hotel closer to 7 or even 6:45.
Feb 24th, 2005, 09:39 AM
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Oops, one more thing, also make sure and get a remise at the airport when you arrive to go into the city-- you can do this PRIOR to walking outside. After you leave baggage claim, there is a big window before you get outside. I note that the car from the airport was 60 pesos (or $20), while the one going to the airport was 80.
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