PlanetEye

A few years ago Buenos Aires experienced a rapid widespread expansion of pubs, specially Irish ones. If you are in town and feel like going to an Irish pub there are a few good places you might like to check out. One of these establishments is DownTown Matías. Since it opened its doors back in 1973, it claims to have been the first pub in downtown. The are several locations, but the one I like the most is the original one, the first one that opened, located in the barrio de Retiro. It's nothing fancy but in my opinion it is by far the best of the Irish pubs, or at least as much Irish as you are going to get in Buenos Aires. Many people come here after office for happy hour, to enjoy a beer or two or taste one of the more than 100 types of whisky. The menu offers a wide variety of international dishes from which the chicken campestre is a favourite of mine. It is also an excellent place to get together with friends and listen to good live bands. Just go downstairs, usually from thursday to sunday they have some sort of live band playing. It is a good spot to check out local bands. They start late and never on time, so be prepared. If they say 11 pm, it is probably more like past midnight. Beware, it could get a little crowded. Opens Sundays to Fridays from 7 pm to 3 am and Saturdays from 7 pm to 6 am. Happy hour is Sundays to Fridays from 6 pm to 11 pm and Saturdays from 6 pm til midnight .

Buenos Aires is a surprisingly green city. The city boasts some of the most green spaces and recreational areas in the world for a city of its size. Whether you are here for a short vacation or an extended stay, there are a few parks which offer the outdoor fix you need to balance out your frantic urban adventure, such as los bosques de Palermo (Palermo Parks), la Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur, and  Plaza San Martín, just to name a few. But there are a number of not so famous green areas to discover. Parque Chacabuco is one of Buenos Aires' nicest, most underrated, largest neighborhood parks. Located next to the barrio de Caballito, in a neighborhood that shares the same name, roughly 6 kilometers West of Plaza de Mayo, in the geographical center of the city, the neighborhood has many of the usual downtown amenities, but at a fraction of the cost. The park spans a good portion of property in the area. This is a true barrio park. It is a popular place for local family picnics, carnaval festivals, dog walkers, local drum groups, and artisans selling hand-made crafts and jewelry. There is also wide athletic space as well, so don't be surprised if you see fútbol matches, joggers, and even yoga and tai chi exercises. A smaller garden with roses and blooming bushes is gated off within the park and opened on the weekends. It's worth a trip through. The neighborhood's main avenue, avenida Asamblea, runs from avenida de la Plata to the actual park. It is known for its bargain clothing stores, as well as restaurants, bakeries, and other various food markets. While the restaurants here lack the variety of the ones downtown, you can still find some of the best pizzerias and parrillas in the city at a fraction of the cost. Parque Chacabuco can be reached by subte, just get off at avenida La Plata stop on Linea E, or by one of the many colectivos (buses) lines. Check the Guia T. Taxis from downtown run anywhere between $15 to $20 pesos.

Due to the great number of immigrants that established in Buenos Aires during the late 1800's and the first half of the 1900's, the city became a melting pot. One of the communities that arrived in large numbers is the Jewish. In fact, Buenos Aires is home to the largest community in South America, and second largest in America after New York. Located in the barrio de Tribunales you will find el Templo Libertad, a synagogue situated on calle Libertad, across Plaza Lavalle, near the famous Teatro Colón. Founded in the 1860's, the temple may not be the oldest synagogue in Buenos Aires, but it was the most important for early Jewish immigrants. This Byzantine style synagogue is worth a visit. Inside the main sanctuary you will find fascinating architecture and a list of names honouring members of the community. Among the names are the victims of the AMIA bombing (1994) along with names of those who went missing during the military regime years (1976-1983). The synagogue is home to the CIRA (la Congregación Israelita de la República de Argentina). You will be impressed with its architecture and the changes it went through from its humble beginnings. There are very interesting guided tours. There is a nice Friday night service; they are very welcoming to foreigners. The synagogue also houses the Jewish History Museum also known as the Museo Kibrick, after its founder. You will find material related to the Jewish community in Buenos Aires, with both Sephardic and Ashkenazi items from their original homelands, including a 14th century menorah that came over from Spain. Menorahs, altar cloths, spice holders, and various pieces of religious art make up the bulk of the collection. Special exhibits also relate the history of Jewish agricultural colonies in rural parts of Argentina. If you decide to visit, bring a form of identification as security is really tight. Do not take pictures of the building from the outside or you can find yourself in a bit of trouble. Admission is free and donations are greatly appreciated.

Templo Libertad

Libertad 769

4814-3637

Every big city around the world has its own Chinatown, so needless to say is that Buenos Aires has one too. It is located in a small corner of the beautiful barrio de Belgrano. Chinatown starts at the intersection of calle Arribeños and avenida Juramento and runs for a few blocks along calle Arribeños. Walking around this small area is almost like leaving Argentina, although you can still find flashes of the local culture. For example, you can walk by a bakery window and see empanadas sitting next to all kinds of different noodles and Asian delights. The shops in the Chinatown are exactly what the desperate gourmet needs, sauces, spices, rice noodles, sesame cookies, shitake mushrooms, oolong tea, and more. You can even buy shrimp crackers and inexpensive smoked salmon sushi roles. And the list of curious and intriguing treats continues. If you aren't much for cooking then there are a number of Chinese restaurants ready to do the work for you. Most serve up standard Chinese dishes. The average dish costs between 10 and 20 pesos, but expect to pay closer to 40 for a seafood specialty. There are also lots of vegetarian options with tofu galore to please all those who struggle everyday with Argentine cuisine. Restaurant Lai Lai is good choice. I think their secret is the freshness of their products. Last time I had Fried Sweet Chicken, it was one of the chef's recommendations. Absolutely great! the chicken was crispy outside and soft inside and it comes with a ginger and spring onions sauce. Also, check out Hsiang Ting-Tang, great food, nice ambiance, as well as BuddahBA. For the culinary adventuresome, there is even a Chinese style parrilla (I will get back to you with the name), with roast ducks and various unidentifiable meets and even chicken feet. More so, at the corner of  Mendoza y Arribeños there is a nice Korean restaurant called Keum kang san. The restaurant is located on a first floor, and to access it you have to go into a sushi restaurant and take the stairs on the left. What makes this restaurant different is that every table has an electric grill in the middle, where you can grill your own beef. You are given small plates with portions of food to share with the others. At the end, you are given thin slices of beef, marinated in some very good sauce, to grill. So, if you need a break from the local cuisine and get in touch with some new ingredients or find some little fun treats, you know where to go. And if you are searching for Chinese knick-knacks, paper fans and lanterns, cheap change purses or carved jade statues of Buddha then look no further. As with any Chinatown, several shops overflowing with mass-produced trinkets can be found nestled between the specialty grocery stores and Chinese restaurants. Chinatown is very close to both a train station (Belgrano C linea Mitre) and a bus terminal where over a dozen city buses stop at. You can get there by subte, a faster alternative to the buses, though it drops you a few blocks further away. Get off at Juramento subway station (linea D) and walk along avenida Juramento toward the east. Once you cross the railways, that street will be Arribeños.

There is possibly no better place that represents Palermo Soho's (Palermo Viejo) dining revolution than Bar Uriarte. It is located a couple of blocks from Plaza Serrano. This place is totally the opposite of Club Eros. Despite its name, Bar Uriate is a multi purpose business. It has a fancy long long long bar, two intimate dining spaces and lounge areas where you can lie down on the sofas and chat with friends. You can even take your meal while lounging on a sofa, or you can opt to dine on the patio garden enjoying nature's beauty. It is frequented mostly by trendy porteños. The interiors are luminous with a great view of the street. There is an industrial chic design with a polished concrete floor, complemented with interesting wooden art on the walls. Upstairs, there is an art gallery that sits in a loft, where you can kill time while waiting for a table. All of the objects are for sale. The kitchen is set in the front of the restaurant, exposed to the street, so you can watch as they cook. Needless to say, the kitchen is immaculate from so much attention from onlookers. The menu offers many creative dishes. This is one of the few places in Buenos Aires where you can get excellent saffron risotto. The entrée options are great. Cured prosciutto, pastrami, and salami; veal carpaccio with fried capers; and pizza crisped in the wood-fired-mud-oven are simply delicious. Try the ribs braised in red wine, the meat is so tender it just falls off the bone. Such basics as parrillada, pasta, and salads round out the menu for the less experimental. The wine list is extent. There is also an emphasis here on being a destination for drinks alone. The bar and lounge are particularly inviting for their 5 to 8 pm tea or their 8 to 10:30 pm happy hour. Have a great time while listening to the DJ spinning the latest hits on weekends. The loud, funky music gives a clubby feel to the place, so it may not suit everyone. It is open for lunch and dinner. Saturdays and Sundays, they have a special brunch menu.

Bar Uriarte

Uriarte 1572

4834 6004

www.baruriarte.com.ar/

Buenos Aires, like any big city, has its stories of success and also its stories of decadence, of quick development and quick oblivion, such as the astonishing recycle of Puerto Madero or the sad downfall of the once famous calle Lavalle. One of this stories of success takes place in the barrio de Palermo on a district called Las Cañitas. It was historically a slum area but is now an upmarket area of restaurants and bars next to the Campo Argentino de Polo in the extreme north of Palermo. What began with some restaurants and bars is now one of the most requested areas for the enterprising, and the most visited by porteños as well as lovers of  the good cuisine. Yesterday, there were only houses with big gardens. Today, there are plenty of modern buildings and lofts, where the day and night movement is constant. There are options for all the ages and taste. The younger crowd will be able to enjoy of the variety of pubs and discos that play great music and which are decorated with the lastest trades in fashion or with a very retro style. There are also many restaurants of elegant or casual style where you will find menus that go from classic food to ethnic and fusion dishes, all prepared by the most imaginative chefs. The area offers an alternative ride. Some of the best restaurants and clubs you'll find here are Nina Wok, Soul Cafe, Morelia, Club Zen, Campo Bravo, Lotus Neo Thai , El Estanciero  , Novecento  , Sushi Club  to name a few. During a stroll in Las Cañitas you will also find a huge number of exclusive boutiques, leather goods, health and beauty spas, wine and liquors galleries and antique stores. Las Cañitas Creativa street fair is worth checking out every Friday and Saturday evenings around 6pm. So don´t miss out.

One of my favourite places to go out at night in Buenos Aires is a little plaza in the heart of Palermo Soho (or Palermo Viejo) known as Plaza Serrano. The true name of this plaza is Plazoleta Julio Cortázar, but few people call it that way. The plaza is right at the intersection of calle Serrano and calle Honduras, although calle Serrano is also named calle Borges on some maps (go figure!). This is the bohemian part of Palermo. Nobody seems to be in a hurry here and there is a permanent cheerful spirit in the area. During the day, not much goes on, but at night this plaza comes alive with young people gathering to be with friends, drink, celebrate, sing, dance, play guitar, and just generally have a good time. The best time to go is on either Friday or Saturday nights. The entire square is packed with people of all ages, and it's easy to join and chat with any of them, and many sell funky jewellery and other art crafts while they gather together. The plaza is surrounded by numerous cafés, bars and restaurants that usually take out tables and chairs to the curb. I specially like Bar Crónicos, a little bar with a heart of rock and roll, but there are other great places such as El Taller, or Madagascar, or República de Aca, to name a few. Any lover of nightlife will undoubtedly enjoy this place. I like sitting with friends at any of the cafés around the plaza, have a cold beer and chat. On Saturday and Sunday, from 11am to 6pm, there is a very interesting fair called the Independent Design Fair, where artisans sell wooden toys, ceramics,  funky jewellery, and more. This is also a great place to buy art. The railings around the playground act as an open air gallery for Palermo artists, and organizers control the quality of art on display. The feria continues unofficially at many nearby bars, which push their tables and chairs aside to make room for clothing and accessory designers. Prices, styles, and items vary greatly. For instance, you might see a stall selling silk tops made from antique scarves next to neon anime bomber jackets. It is this stylistic variety and bazaar-like atmosphere that makes it a hot destination for trendy porteños who frequent the weekly fair. I would recommend arriving early. Other independent design fairs in the city can be found in San Telmo, Plaza Francia, and San Isidrio. Chekout this website(in Spanish) for more information about specific venues and fairs. There are some nice pics of Plaza Serrano on Buenos Aires' Most Popular Photographs at Planeteye.