Don’t cry for me

South America’s most European city, Argentina’s capital has a bustling
shopping and cafe scene and a style all its own.

stay
Book a room in the trendy Palermo neighbourhood
for easy walking access to the area’s boutiques and restaurants, like
cute Hotel
Vain, which came with a tasty free breakfast and a welcome drink to
enjoy in the cosy upstairs lounge. My friends raved about their stay at
downtown Hotel
Lennox.

eat
Grass-fed
steak and red wine are the order of the day for most visitors to Buenos
Aires, but this cocktail-loving vegetarian enjoyed
eggplant-and-walnut-filled tortellini at semi-veg Quimbombo,
giant salads and refreshing honeyed grapefruit juice at adorable
teahouse Pierina
and pisco sours in countless flavours at Peruvian restaurant Bardot.

shop
Local
specialties leather, wool and silver will top your shopping list. My
favourites included Materia
Urbana in the midst of San Telmo’s bustling Sunday market for modern
yerba mate cups, jewellery and home décor and Elementos
Argentinos for gorgeous wool and llama throws and quirky items with
local flair like crocheted potted cacti, and I picked up the perfect
simple silver earrings by designer Viviana
Carriquiry at her boutique.

do
Make
like every tourist and head to La
Recoleta Cemetery to gawk at the over-the-top mausoleums and pay
homage to the grave of Evita Perón. Take an ice cream break at popular
café Freddo for one of its several dulce de leche varieties,
then show up for one of two daily free
walking tours to get an insider’s glimpse at local life, culture and
history. Kat Tancock