Buenos Aires in December
Oct 27th, 2003, 03:04 AM
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Buenos Aires in December
Going to BA for one week. Leaving Dec. 4th.
Wondering what the weather will be like, and what clothes to take.
Also, any suggestions about one day trips we could take to nearby towns. Any particular place/s we could go?
Since we are asking for advice, what about good restaurants. Heard a lot about the food in Argentina. It is supposed to be very good.
Will be staying at the Emperador Hotel. Does anyone know good restaurants in that area. I am sure there must be many.
Thanks,
JL
Wondering what the weather will be like, and what clothes to take.
Also, any suggestions about one day trips we could take to nearby towns. Any particular place/s we could go?
Since we are asking for advice, what about good restaurants. Heard a lot about the food in Argentina. It is supposed to be very good.
Will be staying at the Emperador Hotel. Does anyone know good restaurants in that area. I am sure there must be many.
Thanks,
JL
Oct 27th, 2003, 11:20 AM
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Weather:normal temps for December...55 to 75 F.
Like spring in the United States....
Clothes: Dressier clothes for the evening, jeans or khakis during the day.
Things to do: Where do I start? Take a city tour to get your bearings and target areas to which you want to return; Spend a day in the country at an estancia where you will be treated to a BBQ, gaucho music/dancing and a display of horsemanship; take in a tango dinner show--Sr. Tango is a good production; take a ferry across to Colonia, Urugay for a day; The San Telmo flea market on Sunday is a good outing, lots of street entertainers, and booths galore with funky stuff for sale; Take the Teatro Colon tour...a great opera house; there are horsedrawn carriages, bikes or canoes in the parks in Palermo; stroll down Florida street..a shopping mall in downtown...or restaurant row in Recoleta...While you are in Recoleta take in the Recoleta cemetary, where Evita is buried...then go to the Evita Museum in Palermo....just down the street from the museum is a great Italian restaurant, Bella Italia.
Restaurants near your hotel: Your hotel is in the 400 block of Libertador, not far from a concentration of restaurants in an area called la Recova de Posadas (near the 4 Seasons hotel). Several good restaurants are located there, including el Mirasol (steak) and Plaza Mayor (Spanish).
Other areas with lots of good restaurants: Palermo Hollywood (Try Domingas or Spirit),Recoleta, or Puerto Madero (I like Rosada, Happening and La Bisteca). One of my favorite inexpensive restaurants is in San Telmo, 1880 Parrilla at 1665 Defensa. T.4307-2746....great steaks and pork ribs....
Think steak, Italian and Spanish...the three most popular types of cuisine....
You will soon discover your own favorites...
A suggestion if you don't speak Spanish...use a good local travel agent! Cintia of wowargentina.com is one of the best....she will give you a personal tour of the city and make tons of helpful suggestions about places to go and things to do!
Like spring in the United States....
Clothes: Dressier clothes for the evening, jeans or khakis during the day.
Things to do: Where do I start? Take a city tour to get your bearings and target areas to which you want to return; Spend a day in the country at an estancia where you will be treated to a BBQ, gaucho music/dancing and a display of horsemanship; take in a tango dinner show--Sr. Tango is a good production; take a ferry across to Colonia, Urugay for a day; The San Telmo flea market on Sunday is a good outing, lots of street entertainers, and booths galore with funky stuff for sale; Take the Teatro Colon tour...a great opera house; there are horsedrawn carriages, bikes or canoes in the parks in Palermo; stroll down Florida street..a shopping mall in downtown...or restaurant row in Recoleta...While you are in Recoleta take in the Recoleta cemetary, where Evita is buried...then go to the Evita Museum in Palermo....just down the street from the museum is a great Italian restaurant, Bella Italia.
Restaurants near your hotel: Your hotel is in the 400 block of Libertador, not far from a concentration of restaurants in an area called la Recova de Posadas (near the 4 Seasons hotel). Several good restaurants are located there, including el Mirasol (steak) and Plaza Mayor (Spanish).
Other areas with lots of good restaurants: Palermo Hollywood (Try Domingas or Spirit),Recoleta, or Puerto Madero (I like Rosada, Happening and La Bisteca). One of my favorite inexpensive restaurants is in San Telmo, 1880 Parrilla at 1665 Defensa. T.4307-2746....great steaks and pork ribs....
Think steak, Italian and Spanish...the three most popular types of cuisine....
You will soon discover your own favorites...
A suggestion if you don't speak Spanish...use a good local travel agent! Cintia of wowargentina.com is one of the best....she will give you a personal tour of the city and make tons of helpful suggestions about places to go and things to do!
Nov 4th, 2003, 12:19 AM
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The usual precautions, plus taking radio cabs to get around at night. Note the number of the cab as you get in. Phone ahead whenever you can...Buenos Aires is also served by a large fleet of inexpensive taxis. Fares begin at $1.24 pesos Argentinos. A trip within the same barrio will cost between 2-3 pesos, with trips to other barrios costing more. Here are links to several reputable radio taxi companies:
http://www.taxipremium.com/
http://www.taxilibero.com.ar
http://www.blue-blue.com.ar
http://www.radiotaxi-citytax.com.ar
Radio Taxis have Radio taxi written on the side of the car. If it doesn't say Radio Taxi, don't take it.....
You don't say where you will be staying. Some parts of town are safer than others, especially for getting out at night. Also, there aren't many English speakers on the street...so booking a hotel with an English speaking staff can be helpful....
http://www.taxipremium.com/
http://www.taxilibero.com.ar
http://www.blue-blue.com.ar
http://www.radiotaxi-citytax.com.ar
Radio Taxis have Radio taxi written on the side of the car. If it doesn't say Radio Taxi, don't take it.....
You don't say where you will be staying. Some parts of town are safer than others, especially for getting out at night. Also, there aren't many English speakers on the street...so booking a hotel with an English speaking staff can be helpful....
Nov 4th, 2003, 08:51 AM
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As for trips, i would fly to Puerto Madryn to see the whales, the penguins, the sea elephants and the guanacos and ostriches roaming everywhere or to the Andes, like to San Martin de los Andes or Bariloche. If you do go to Bariloche, try to stay away from the town which is ugly but find a place near further to the west and into the lakes and mountains.
A good, reliable agent is Monica at [email protected].
A good, reliable agent is Monica at [email protected].
Nov 5th, 2003, 05:47 AM
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I'll be at the Sheraton Park Tower, I'm not sure what barrio it is in, but it is owned by Starwood. Other than dinner, I wasn't really planning on being out late in the evening. At larger, reputable restaurants would I be able to ask the staff to call me a taxi??
Nov 6th, 2003, 06:30 AM
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Thanks, and didn't quite mean it like that. Just that as I'll be a female dining solo, I wasn't planning to venture to places way outside the central area, or down dark alley etc-- despite great reps etc. Now, on the other hand, I'm not looking for a typical big, tourist restaurant--but most likely something fairly close to my hotel with 'typical' Argentine cusine. Perhaps even somewhere that I could 'safely' walk after dinner (and I'm thinking I'll be done with dinner by 20:00 21:00 ish????? Sorry I am not a late diner (smile). I am sure that will also will limit my choices.
Nov 6th, 2003, 10:26 AM
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Since I was such a smart ass with my last post, I will try to make it up to you
Here is a great seafood and traditional Argentine fare restaurant less than two blocks from your hotel.
Dora. Leandro N Alem 1019 y Marcelo T. Alvear. Seafood & Argentino cuisine.
Good seafood is not easy to find in a city known for its beef. Dora is an exception. Shrimp Dora is a superb dish, tender shrimp swimming in a sauce that marries fish stock and a rich cream sauce with just a touch of saffron. The cheese sampler appetizer includes a butter smooth roquefort among several other pleasing cheeses that were unfamiliar to me.....a 15 year old red blended wine from bodega de Lopez was a perfect, albeit pricey at 85 pesos per bottle, companion for the cheese....
top it off with an icecream that is half dulce de leche and half liquer flavored, washed down with a cafe cortado....
At $25 dollars each, our meal was much more expensive than average...but the food was superb. Not in the mood for seafood? Try the steaks. They are less expensive and very good.
Very close to Dora (at the corner of Paraguay and Reconquista)) is located Morizono, a West Coast style Japanese restaurant. the food was supreme. I remember having ordered a kind of teishoku dish made of salmon that really rocked.
Less expensive is El Establo, probably 4-5 blocks from your hotel on Paraguay at the corner of San Martin. About 35 pesos for a good steak, salad, wine.
Thousands of other options are just a short cab ride away. If you don't speak Spanish, ask someone from the hotel to write down directions for you before you head out in a cab and hand it to the driver. If you go walking, take several business cards from the hotel, and hand one to the cab driver.
I know you don't want to get out much at night, but if you have the opportunity to see a performence at Teatro Colon, consider it....Wonderful theater...with some excellent touring opera companies and a decent symphony....acustics are superb.....
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.
Here is a great seafood and traditional Argentine fare restaurant less than two blocks from your hotel.
Dora. Leandro N Alem 1019 y Marcelo T. Alvear. Seafood & Argentino cuisine.
Good seafood is not easy to find in a city known for its beef. Dora is an exception. Shrimp Dora is a superb dish, tender shrimp swimming in a sauce that marries fish stock and a rich cream sauce with just a touch of saffron. The cheese sampler appetizer includes a butter smooth roquefort among several other pleasing cheeses that were unfamiliar to me.....a 15 year old red blended wine from bodega de Lopez was a perfect, albeit pricey at 85 pesos per bottle, companion for the cheese....
top it off with an icecream that is half dulce de leche and half liquer flavored, washed down with a cafe cortado....
At $25 dollars each, our meal was much more expensive than average...but the food was superb. Not in the mood for seafood? Try the steaks. They are less expensive and very good.
Very close to Dora (at the corner of Paraguay and Reconquista)) is located Morizono, a West Coast style Japanese restaurant. the food was supreme. I remember having ordered a kind of teishoku dish made of salmon that really rocked.
Less expensive is El Establo, probably 4-5 blocks from your hotel on Paraguay at the corner of San Martin. About 35 pesos for a good steak, salad, wine.
Thousands of other options are just a short cab ride away. If you don't speak Spanish, ask someone from the hotel to write down directions for you before you head out in a cab and hand it to the driver. If you go walking, take several business cards from the hotel, and hand one to the cab driver.
I know you don't want to get out much at night, but if you have the opportunity to see a performence at Teatro Colon, consider it....Wonderful theater...with some excellent touring opera companies and a decent symphony....acustics are superb.....
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.
Nov 7th, 2003, 09:54 AM
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Thanks very much for the suggestions! I'll only be in the city 3 nights, so I did want to sample some 'local' cuisine.
Can you suggest any good places to walk around and soak up the atomosphere--ie. like NYC's Soho or Paris' left bank??
I'm a big walker, and have no problem taking public transit (bus or subway is fine with me). Also would you recommend any quick trips outside the city?
Can you suggest any good places to walk around and soak up the atomosphere--ie. like NYC's Soho or Paris' left bank??
I'm a big walker, and have no problem taking public transit (bus or subway is fine with me). Also would you recommend any quick trips outside the city?
Nov 8th, 2003, 01:06 AM
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San Telmo flea market on Sunday. Stroll up and down Defensa, the main street in San Telmo. Tango in the street.
Village de Recoleta. There is a flea market on weekends, but any evening a stroll up and down "restaurant row" is an interesting adventure....full of sidewalk cafes, etc.
I like the Florida pedestrian mall in the evening. Lots of street entertainers: mimes, dancers, singers,etc. I particularly like watching the people watch the entertainers....
Out of town trips: For a glimpse of gaucho life, go to San Antonio de Acero or take one of the organized tours to an estancia (Santa Susana is popular and good).....Colonia is just across the river in Uruguay.You can take a ferry from the Buquebus terminal
Village de Recoleta. There is a flea market on weekends, but any evening a stroll up and down "restaurant row" is an interesting adventure....full of sidewalk cafes, etc.
I like the Florida pedestrian mall in the evening. Lots of street entertainers: mimes, dancers, singers,etc. I particularly like watching the people watch the entertainers....
Out of town trips: For a glimpse of gaucho life, go to San Antonio de Acero or take one of the organized tours to an estancia (Santa Susana is popular and good).....Colonia is just across the river in Uruguay.You can take a ferry from the Buquebus terminal
