El Tigre (jaguars roamed the area in the early days) is situated by the river and you can take the train which goes through some of the most beautiful Argentine landscapes. At El Tigre there is also a famous channel which is unique to this part of Argentina and the whole world for that matter. You might also want to take the local bus which makes different stops at the islands and little beaches. The other nice thing about this particular area is the Mercado del Fruto, where you can find some of the most amazing furniture, plants, flowers, and practically anything at bargain prices. Walk a little bit further and you will find the Municipal Museum of Art in one of the old elite club buildings. The architecture of this building is particularly stunning.
Head to San Telmo for vintage shopping and to experience tango. This is more touristy but still a must see. If you’re looking for retro sunglasses try a shop called Gustavino inside a gallery in front of the main park. For lunch in San Telmo try La Panaderia de Pablo, one of Argentina’s top chefs and some of the best local cuisine you will try.
One of the newest and most modern museums is Fundacuin Proa in the district of La Boca. It’s in front of the Riachuelo. There is no permanent collection held at the museum, but they often host international exhibitions like Louise Bourgeois’ “Mamman”.
If you’re interested in soccer, then very close to the museum is the famous stadium Boca Juniors – one of Argentina’s biggest teams.
I often spend the afternoon in the Palermo area of the city. It’s one of the younger and hipper areas. Around Palermo Viejo you will find all of the cool clothing stores like Lupe, A.Y. Not Dead, Amores Trash Couture and Trosman. For shoes Mishka is worth a visit and Bimba offers a good selection of vintage finds. Marks is a great cafe and bar to grab a sandwich and a freshly squeezed juice, it’s located at the corner of the streets El Salvador and Armenia. Bar 6, in the same block, is lovely, especially at teatime. The trendy gallery Miau Miau is also located nearby in the street Bulnes and always features the work of young and cool artists.
For a casual dinner in Microcentro look no further than my favourite bistro, Dada (where this picture was taken). It’s a small and cosy restaurant but has the most interesting crowd largely composed of people from the art world. The food is what I believe the British call “nursery food”- homely and wholesome! Try the Dada ginger and honey tea or the mango vodka.
Buenos Aires is also renowned for late nights out. Finishing dinner at 12am you might head up to a bar before going dancing. At the moment the best night spot is Franks located in between Palermo and Belgrano. You need a code to enter through a telephone box inside what used to be a banana factory. The retro furniture compliments the music from the 60’s to the 80’s and there is also a sex shop inside!
At around 3 am- it’s time to go dancing! Depending on the day of the week and the DJs that are playing I would suggest MSTRPLN if it’s a Friday, which is next to the park in Palermo. There’s also the members club Tequila (next to the river in Costanera) for a more fancy dancing experience. Often the Faena Hotel in Puerto Madero hosts private events which are fun to go to and have an interesting crowd.
*Before going to bed it is the Argentinian custom for everybody to have breakfast! Try going somewhere open 24 hours like La Madeleine.
So that’s my 24 hour guide to Buenos Aires i-D online – Do pay me a visit!
Besos
Naomi X
