I have never stepped foot in South America until I came to Buenos Aires. And WOW was I in for a shock. In western culture, a lot of countries in South America can be labeled “dangerous.” However, it actually feels safer than cities like Los Angeles! The cityscape is also beautiful and clean. In fact, did you know that Buenos Aires is known as the “Paris of South America”? It is gorgeous, well-maintained, and multicultural. Read below for some of my favorites!
Helpful Apps
Google Maps is accurate and helpful to find your way around.
Uber is fast, easy, and affordable to use!
Rappi is a great option to have your food delivered if you’re feeling lazy or tired.
Food
The world knows Argentina for its famous, South American MEAT. However, as someone who’s not a total meat-loving lunatic, I’d like to underscore other types of food that I thoroughly enjoyed in Argentina! (And don’t worry, I’ll include some of the best restaurants for meat-lovers too!)
- Chori
There’s several locations for this simple, yet delicious sausage sandwich shop! It’s considered a “fast food” restaurant; I would compare it to America’s Wing Stop or Chipotle. It’s a staple that’s always consistently delicious. The portion size is ideal for a meal that’s not too heavy and not too light. There’s various options with sauces that ooze out of the sandwich. It’s very flavorful and a definite must try!
- Sottovoce
Sottovoce is a popular Michelin-star Italian restaurant. We went on a weekday for lunch and had to wait about 30 minutes; the place was packed! It’s apparent that this location is a popular spot amongst the locals. The pasta really did taste like it was from Italy. However, just like how I felt in Italy, it was a bit too heavy for me personally. Nonetheless, if you are an avid pasta-lover, this place should be perfect for you!
- La Carniceria
Again, I’m not too fond of meat. However, this review comes the people I went with who are absolute carnivores. They’ve been eating Argentinian beef every day for a week, and they agreed that this location was even better than Don Julio, which is one of the most popular restaurants in Buenos Aires for Argentian beef. According to them, the meat at La Carniceria is juicier and more flavorful whereas Don Julio is more dry. Looking at the photos, you can’t deny it looks pretty dang moist and tasty!
- Aramburu Relais & Chateaux
Although this is more on the expensive side, I highly recommend this Michelin star restaurant for fine-dining! In Buenos Aires, you should treat yourself to at least one romantic, fine-dining experience, and this place is it! Upon entry, you are escorted to a table where you have the kitchen in full view. There’s at least a dozen workers preparing each plate with unparalleled focus. This dinner provides a 15-course meal; and each dish will surprise you you with its texture and flavors! It really caught me off guard with my expectation and the reality. For example, a dish that I thought would be soft was actually hard; a cracker that I thought would be crispy and savory was actually very floral! All areas of your tongue will be dancing with flavor because you’ll get a hit of savory, sour, umami, and sweet with each bite. For dessert, they’ll escort you upstairs for a more private and intimate setting. This dinner was truly unforgettable.
- Antiche Tentazioni
As someone who has a dreadful sweet tooth, Antiche Tentazioni was scrumptious to close out every meal! Comparatively, I also tried Alchemy, another popular ice-cream shop in Buenos Aires, but I found the flavors there quite strange. For instance, the pistachio would be nutty but have no resemblance to pistachio. However, Antiche Tentazioni stayed true to each flavor and each bite was crazy creamy and delightful!
Activities
- Recoleta Neighborhood
This area of Buenos Aires is what I view as the “artsy district.” I recommend spending the entire day doing the following activities:
Street Art Market (opens every Saturday as of 2025)
At this market, you can find a lot of custom and personalized art pieces. Vendors sell items ranging from artwork to handcrafted jewelry and much more! They are all lined up near the Recoleta Cemetery.
Recoleta Cemetery
This cemetery is like a labyrinth! You can go in all different directions and easily get lost. There is a definite mysterious and eery atmosphere perhaps because it’s not the most well-maintained. A lot of the tombs’ windows and doors are shattered or broken which is unfortunate. There are also a lot of renowned and respected people who have been buried here. You can read here which tombs to visit if you plan on coming here!
Colon Theater
Colon Theater is incredible! It’s one of the top opera houses of the world! The attention to detail, the grandiosity, and the acoustics are something that tourists must hear about! My only regret is that I wasn’t able to watch a show at Colon Theater. The acoustics here is supposed to be perhaps the best in the world. A fun fact is that although you may get the best views from the lower levels, the best acoustics are actually from the upper levels according to acousticians. So if you plan on watching a show, choose which one you value more! 😉
Tango Porteno
If you’re in Buenos Aires, it is a MUST to watch a tango show! After all, tango was birthed in Argentina! I highly recommend the dinner and show combo at Tango Porteno. The food isn’t anything super memorable, but it’s satisfactory. However, the show is unforgettable because it intertwines various styles of Argentinian dance, music, and instruments. You’ll also have an opportunity to do a photo-op with a tango couple, so make sure to dress appropriately!
Paseo el Rosedal Garden
This is a beautiful Parisian-style garden in Buenos Aires! It is very well-maintained and includes fountains, gardens, and benches to sit and enjoy the view. You can even find statues of random historical figures like Shakespeare (even though he’s never been to Argentina LOL). Regardless, it is extremely peaceful and pleasant; if you ever need fresh air or some tranquility, this is the place to go!
- San Telmo
San Telmo is the oldest neighborhood in Buenos Aires and where you’ll find the most historic buildings. A full day can be spent here, and I highly recommend the following activities:
Feira de San Telmo (every weekend as of 2025)
The San Telmo fair is kind of like a flea market. The vendors sell all sorts of items including souvenirs, apparel, food, and other random goods like kitchen tools, artwork, jewelry, and/or toys. To be honest, it may not be anything you want or need but still a fun sight to see as you stroll through multiple blocks.
San Telmo Marketplace
A hidden little marketplace that is packed with vendors selling all kinds of food! Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to try anything because I was already so full from lunch, but it smelled great and the prices looked even better! However, if you tend to get claustrophobic, this place might not be for you. It can be quite stuffy given how many restaurants and people are in there.
Plaza de Mayo
This plaza is the main center of San Telmo. Parades, events, and even protests are often held at the main square. A walking-distance away, you an find other historic buildings and shops that are listed below!
- Metropolitan Cathderal
- Cabildo Museum (only open Wed-Sun)
- Cafe Tortoni (oldest cafe in BA and also has tango shows Mon-Sat at 5PM and 7PM)
- Palermo (fun district for shopping and drinking)
If you want to have fun and party, Palermo is where to go! I highly recommend coming here at night because it’s a very fun and lively district for shopping, eating, and especially, drinking. There’s loud music blasting from the restaurants; so many groups of people wandering around; and it’s probably one of the most popular tourist centers because I’ve never seen so many people from all over the world in one area. This is definitely a place where you can meet a lot of new people of all different ages, races, and cultures. You can start your night at the upper level of the gastrocub, DIGGS, on Serrano Street! You can get a bird’s eye views of the general area and plan which other spots you want to hit up after.
Scenery
The scenery in Buenos Aires is gorgeous. You are literally transported to Europe given its French and Italian influences all over the city. You’ll find French gardens; French-style homes and grand boulevards; Italian-style government buildings. Between the 1800s and 1900s, a lot of Italian and French people immigrated to Argentina. Those in power wanted the city to resemble their home in Europe, so they hired architects and showed them photos of what their hometown looked like. The architects then designed the city according to their preference which is why it has such strong French and Italian influences today! Moreover, the city is extremely clean, and you rarely see graffiti or homeless people.
Lifestyle
The first observation I made when I landed in Buenos Aires was the driving. I am not exaggerating when I say that our Uber picked us up from the airport and drove on the shoulder of the freeway all the way to our hotel. I was so stunned that I had to Google if it was legal to drive on the shoulder of the freeway in Argentina– it was not. Interestingly, we drove past police cars, and they didn’t seem to mind. This wasn’t the only instance of reckless driving though. Throughout the entire week, almost every car we went into didn’t really seem to follow the rules of the road. It was concerning and scary at first, but you just learn to trust the drivers. However, be wary because Argentina is known to have higher car accidents resulting in fatality compared to most other countries.
Nonetheless, the people are very friendly and easygoing! It is a country that is very English-friendly, so it was easy to get by. The people seem to enjoy life and have a good balance of work and leisure. In fact, it’s common for shops to open later and close later; if you’re an early bird, it might be hard to find places to go to before 10AM. In fact, Argentinians usually eat dinner starting at 9PM, and clubs will even open at midnight! This schedule highlights the Argentinian lifestyle of enjoying your time and company of others instead of hustling and constantly working. In fact, throughout the day, it’s common to see couples laying on the grass, individuals napping in a park, or groups of people socializing. I loved this change of pace compared to LA.
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