Lonely Planet Buenos Aires Read online

  2Sports & Activities

  Urban BikingCYCLING

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4314-2325; www.urbanbiking.com; Esmeralda 1084; h9am-6pm Mon-Fri, noon-6pm Sat & Sun; bLínea C San Martín)

  One- and two-day cycling tours, along with bike and kayak excursions to Tigre. Also rents out bamboo bikes.

  Recoleta & Barrio Norte

  Sights

  Eating

  Drinking & Nightlife

  Entertainment

  Shopping

  Recoleta & Barrio Norte

  Neighborhood Top Five

  1Cementerio de la Recoleta Wandering among the tombs in an astonishing necropolis where, in death as in life, generations of the Argentine elite rest in ornate splendor.

  2Centro Cultural Recoleta Catching a concert, film or theatrical performance or seeing an exhibition at this excellent cultural center.

  3L’Orangerie Indulging in afternoon tea at the Alvear Palace Hotel's beautiful, flower-filled Orangerie.

  4El Ateneo Grand Splendid Browsing the books in one of the world's most spectacular bookstores, housed in a former theater.

  5Feria Artesenal Plaza Francia Finding that perfect handmade souvenir in one of the dozens of stalls at the weekend artisan market.

  Explore: Recoleta & Barrio Norte

  Recoleta’s main attractions are concentrated around the cemetery. This neighborhood was, interestingly enough, first constructed as a result of sickness; many upper-class porteños in the 1870s originally lived in southerly San Telmo, but during the yellow-fever epidemic they relocated as far away as they could, which meant clear across town to more rural Recoleta and Barrio Norte. Today you can best see much of the wealth of this sumptuous quarter on Av Alvear, where many of the old mansions (and newer boutiques) are located.

  Behind the cemetery is the impressive Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes and just beyond the museum is the landmark flower sculpture Floralis Genérica. From here you can walk to Palermo's fancy MALBA museum and green parks in about 15 to 20 minutes.

  Barrio Norte is not an official neighborhood as such but rather a largely residential southern extension of Recoleta. Some people consider it a sub-neighborhood of Recoleta (and parts of it are sometimes lumped in with Retiro or Palermo, too) – it really depends on who you talk to. However, Barrio Norte does have a more accessible feel than its ritzier sibling, especially around busy Av Santa Fe. Here you’ll find stores vying for shoppers’ attention, all conveniently located on bus and Subte lines.

  Local Life

  ALadies who lunch For Recoleta's upper class señoras, classy cafes such as Como en Casa are popular spots for lunch or afternoon coffee.

  AShopping Grab your wallet and head to Av Santa Fe, where hundreds of stores cater to porteños' every whim.

  AMarkets The weekend artisan market at Plaza Francia attracts a bohemian band of locals.

  AIce Cream Recoleta has more than its fair share of excellent ice-cream shops, so find one and order up.

  Getting There & Away

  ABus Buses 59 heads from Palermo to San Telmo, stopping along Av Las Heras on the way.

  ASubte Línea D covers the southern section of Recoleta; Línea H Las Heras station is six blocks from Recoleta cemetery.

  Lonely Planet's Top Tip

  Recoleta is an expensive neighborhood. For a cheap lunch, get takeout somewhere –such as empanadas from El Sanjuanino – and find a nice park bench, perhaps in Plaza Intendente Alvear, where you can hang out, eat and watch the world go by.

  Best Places to Eat

  A L'Orangerie

  A Elena

  A Rodi Bar

  A El Sanjuanino

  Best Places to Drink

  A Milión

  A Gran Bar Danzón

  A Clásica y Moderna

  A La Biela

  Best Places to Shop

  A El Ateneo Grand Splendid

  A Feria Artesenal Plaza Francia

  A Comme Il Faut

  A Fueguia

  TOP SIGHT

  Cementerio de la Recoleta

  Recoleta cemetery should be at the top of any visitor to BA's list. You can wander for hours in this city of the dead, where countless ‘streets’ are lined with impressive statues and marble sarcophagi. Peek into the crypts, check out the dusty coffins, and try to decipher the history of its inhabitants.

  Illustrious Inhabitants

  Originally the vegetable garden of the monastery next door, Recoleta cemetery was created in 1822. It covers four city blocks and contains about 4800 mausoleums decorated in many architectural styles, including art nouveau, art deco, classical, Greek, baroque and neo-Gothic. Popular motifs include crosses of all kinds, marble angels, stone wreaths, skulls and crossbones, draped urns, winged hourglasses and the occasional gargoyle. All decorate the final resting places of past presidents, military heroes, influential politicians, famous writers and other very noteworthy personages.

  The most impressive tomb is not Evita's, though it's certainly the most visited. Get a good map and look for other sarcophagi; interesting stories, odd facts and myths abound. Also note the cemetery's rough edges – the cobwebs and detritus inside many of the tombs, the vegetation growing out of cracks, the feral cats prowling the premises. All add to the charm.

  Don't Miss

  AEvita’s grave

  APaz family tomb

  ARufina Cambacérès' tomb

  ABoxer Luis Ángel Firpo's grave

  AAlmirante Guillermo Brown's tomb

  Practicalities

  A MAP GOOGLE MAP

  A%0800-444-2363

  AJunín 1760

  Ah7am-5:30pm

  AbLínea H Las Heras

  MANVMEDIA / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

  2Neighborhood Walk

  Death, Art & Shopping

  Start Cementerio de la Recoleta

  End La Biela cafe

  Length 2–3km; three hours

  Start with a bang and visit BA’s top tourist destination: 1Cementerio de la Recoleta. You can easily spend hours in here examining the hundreds of elaborate tombs. Don't miss the grave of Eva Perón – to find her, go to the first major intersection and turn left at the statue; continue until a mausoleum blocks your way. Go around it and turn right at the wide 'street.' After three blocks, Evita's tomb is on the left. Leave the cemetery, turn right and swing past the upscale 2Recoleta Mall.

  Head to the neo-Gothic 3Facultad de Ingeniería, designed by Uruguayan architect Arturo Prins and never quite completed. Need to shop for your home? Make your way up Azcuénaga and stop in at the large 4Buenos Aires Design mall, worth a look for the cutting-edge furniture and lifestyle products. Now cut across Plaza Francia and head to the excellent 5Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, containing classical art from all over the world. Everything is well displayed and lit and, best of all, it’s free.

  Cross Av Figueroa Alcorta to reach the giant metal flower sculpture, 6Floralis Genérica; look for your reflection in the petals. Head back down Alcorta – passing the mammoth 7Facultad de Derecho (School of Law) building along the way; it's considered bad luck for students to enter the building through the central door until they've graduated. Cross the footbridge and make your way up Plaza Intendente Alvear. If it’s a weekend, browse through the craft stalls at 8Feria Artesenal Plaza Francia.

  Stop by the 9Centro Cultural Recoleta to explore the galleries. If you have small kids, the Museo Participativo de Ciencias will grab their attention. Right next to the cultural center is the pretty aBasílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar; check out the small museum upstairs.

  Amble down to restaurant-filled RM Ortiz and end your walk at the fine bLa Biela cafe. If it’s sunny, grab a table on the front patio – it’s worth the extra pesos.

  1Sights

  Cementerio de la Recoleta Top Sight

  MAP GOOGLE MAP

  oCentro Cultural RecoletaCULTURAL CENTER

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4803-1040; www.centroculturalrecoleta.org; Junín 1930; bLínea H Las Heras)F

&
nbsp; Part of the original Franciscan convent and alongside its namesake church and cemetery, this excellent cultural center houses a variety of facilities, including art galleries, exhibition halls and a cinema. Events, courses and workshops are also offered – check the website for current offerings. Exhibitions are usually free, while tickets to films and shows are reasonably priced.

  Museo Participativo de CienciasMUSEUM

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4806-3456; www.mpc.org.ar; Centro Cultural Recoleta, Junín 1930; AR$100; h10am-5pm Tue-Fri, 3:30-7:30pm Sat & Sun; c; bLínea H Las Heras)

  This hands-on science museum designed with children in mind has interactive displays with plenty of levers to pull and buttons to press. A great place for kids to release their pent-up energy and produce electricity by cycling on a fixed bike to power a light bulb, for example.

  With a total of nine rooms, there's enough here to keep the little ones occupied for a good few hours on a rainy or blisteringly hot day. Can be busy with school groups during the week.

  Basílica de Nuestra Señora del PilarCHURCH

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4806-2209; www.basilicadelpilar.org.ar; Junín 1904; museum adult/child AR$20/free; hmuseum 10:30am-6:10pm Mon-Sat, 2:30-6:10pm Sun; bLínea H Las Heras)

  The centerpiece of this gleaming white colonial church, built by Franciscans in 1732, is a Peruvian altar adorned with silver from Argentina’s northwest. Inside, head to the left to visit the small but historic cloisters museum; it’s home to religious vestments, paintings, writings and interesting artifacts, and there are good views of Recoleta cemetery.

  On the left-hand side of the courtyard as you enter the church, look for a ceramic tiled artwork depicting Buenos Aires as it was in 1794, back when the church stood in open countryside outside the town.

  Palais de GlaceGALLERY

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4804-1163; www.palaisdeglace.gob.ar; Posadas 1725; hnoon-8pm Tue-Fri, 10am-8pm Sat & Sun; g130, 93, 62)F

  Housed in an unusual circular building that was once an ice-skating rink and a tango hall (happily not at once, however), the spacious Palais de Glace now offers a variety of rotating artistic and photographic exhibitions. Be sure to check out the 2nd floor, worth a peep for its interesting ceiling and other architectural details.

  Floralis GenéricaMONUMENT

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Av Figueroa Alcorta & Bibiloni; g130, 62, 93)

  This gargantuan flower sculpture, located smack in the center of Plaza Naciones Unidas, is the inspired creation of architect Eduardo Catalano, who designed and funded the project in 2002. The giant aluminum and steel petals are 20m high and used to close like a real flower, from dusk until dawn – until the gears broke, that is.

  Floralis Genérica sculpture by Eduardo Catalano | GABRIEL MASLIAH/500PX ©

  PRACTICAL TIP

  VISITING RECOLETA CEMETERY

  AFree tours are offered in Spanish at 11am from Tuesday to Friday (weather permitting). Tours in English are supposed to be at 11am on Tuesday and Thursday, but were suspended when we visited so call ahead.

  AFor a good map and detailed information, order Robert Wright’s PDF guide (www.recoletacemetery.com).

  ATouts also sell maps at the entrance.

  ATo get a good photograph of the cemetery from above, head to the cloisters museum at the Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar.

  ARemember to behave respectfully; people may be here to visit the graves of relatives and funerals sometimes take place.

  5Eating

  Recoleta is a playground for the wealthy elite. As you can imagine, the restaurants here aren’t cheap, but if you want to rub shoulders with the upper classes, this is the place to be.

  Practically everyone visits Recoleta’s cemetery, so the two-block strip of touristy restaurants, bars and cafes lining RM Ortiz is very convenient. Food here tends toward the overpriced, but many restaurants have outdoor terraces that are choice hangout spots on warm days. The people-watching here is excellent, especially on weekends when the nearby craft market is in full swing.

  CumanáARGENTINE$

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4813-9207; Rodríguez Peña 1149; mains AR$82-145; hnoon-4pm & 8pm-1am; bLínea D Callao)

  To sample Argentina’s regional cuisine, check out this colorful, budget-friendly eatery with huge picture windows and an old-fashioned adobe oven. Cumaná specializes in delicious cazuelas, stick-to-your-ribs stews filled with squash, corn, eggplant, potatoes and meat. Also popular are the empanadas, locro (corn and meat stew) and humita (corn, cheese and onion tamales). Come early to avoid a wait.

  Un Altra VoltaICE CREAM$

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4805-1818; www.unaltravolta.com.ar; Av Quintana 502; 250g AR$80; h11am-midnight Sun-Thu, to 1am Fri & Sat; g124)

  Sample Argentina's fabulous Italian-style gelato at this upmarket ice-cream parlor. The sambayón (made with egg yolks, milk, cream, sugar and Marsala wine) is particularly good here.

  PersiccoICE CREAM$

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; http://persicco.com/; Av Quintana 595; 250g AR$90; h10am-midnight Mon-Thu, 10am-1am Fri, 9am-2am Sat, 9am-midnight Sun; g124)

  With 11 branches around the city, Persicco is many porteños' ice-cream vendor of choice. The selection of flavors will leave you spoilt for choice – take our advice and order the dulce de leche (caramel).

  Rodi BarARGENTINE$$

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4801-5230; Vicente López 1900; mains AR$120-350; h7am-1am Mon-Sat; W; bLínea H Las Heras)

  A great option for well-priced, unpretentious food in upscale Recoleta. This traditional neighborhood restaurant with a fine old-world atmosphere and extensive menu offers something for everyone, from inexpensive combo plates to relatively unusual dishes such as marinated beef tongue.

  El SanjuaninoARGENTINE$$

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4805-2683; www.elsanjuanino.com.ar; Posadas 1515; empanadas AR$24, mains AR$165-305; hnoon-4pm & 7pm-1am; g130, 93, 124)

  This long-running, cozy little joint has some of the cheapest food in Recoleta, attracting both penny-pinching locals and thrifty tourists. Order spicy empanadas, tamales or locro (corn and meat stew). The curved brick ceiling adds to the atmosphere, but many take their food to go – Recoleta’s lovely parks are just a couple of blocks away.

  Como en CasaARGENTINE$$

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4816-5507; www.tortascomoencasa.com; Riobamba 1239; mains AR$155-230; h8am-midnight Tue-Sat, to 9pm Sun & Mon; W; bLínea D Callao)

  This gorgeous, upscale cafe-restaurant has a very elegant atmosphere and attracts Recoleta’s wealthiest. Its best feature is the shady patio, complete with large fountain and surrounded by grand buildings, great on a warm day. For lunch there are sandwiches, salads, vegetable tarts and gourmet pizzas, while dinner options include goulash and homemade pastas. Plenty of luscious cakes and desserts, too.

  oL’OrangerieFRENCH$$$

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4808-2949; Alvear Palace Hotel, Av Alvear 1891; full tea Mon-Fri AR$450, Sat & Sun $490; hafternoon tea 4:30-7pm Mon-Sat, 5-7pm Sun; g130, 92, 63)

  Afternoon tea at the Alvear Palace Hotel's beautiful, flower-filled Orangerie is a classic Recoleta experience for a special occasion. The formal tea, served from 4:30pm (from 5pm on Sunday), offers an endless array of exquisite cakes, sandwiches and pastries as well as a selection of loose-leaf teas and background piano music.

  ElenaARGENTINE$$$

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4321-1728; www.elenaponyline.com; Four Seasons, Posadas 1086; mains AR$240-495; h7-11am, 12:30-3:30pm & 7:30pm-12:30am; g130, 62, 93)

  If you’re looking to splurge on a night out, Elena should be your destination. Located at the Four Seasons Hotel, this highly rated restaurant uses the best-quality ingredients to create exquisite dishes. Order its specialty – the dry-aged meats – for something really special. The cocktails, desserts and service are five-star.

  El BurladeroSPANISH$$$

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %011-4806-9247; www.elburladero.com.ar; José Uriburu 1488; mains AR$210-305; hnoon-4pm & 8pm-midnight; bLínea H La
s Heras)

  Treat yourself to an upscale meal in Recoleta at this excellent Spanish restaurant. The menu changes seasonally, but will usually include a paella dish and perhaps marinated rabbit, black hake fish or lamb with mushrooms.

  Casa SaltshakerINTERNATIONAL$$$

  (www.casasaltshaker.com; set menu incl wine pairings US$80; h8:45pm Tue-Sat)

  Ex–New Yorker Dan Perlman is the chef behind this respected place, which is a puerta cerrada (closed-door restaurant) in his own home. You'll need to book ahead, arrive at an appointed hour and sit at a communal table, which can be a lot of fun – especially for solo diners. Address and phone number given upon reservation.

  Expect a five-course set menu focusing on creative Mediterranean- or Andean-inspired dishes.

  GLORIOUS DEATH IN RECOLETA

  Only in Buenos Aires can the wealthy and powerful elite keep their status after death. When decades of dining on rich food and drink have taken their toll, Buenos Aires' finest move ceremoniously across the street to the Cementerio de la Recoleta, joining their ancestors in a place they have religiously visited all their lives.