Gaucho100K

Hi there Folks.... as a EZE native and self imposed crusader of bringing more tourists and visitors to Santa Maria de los Buenos Aires, Ive decided to start a new master thread on the city that heard my first cry some 35 springs ago...

Please post all and any questions you have on EZE right here, Ive subscribed to this thread so I should be able to check it out on quite a short notice and hopefully help you all plan your next trip to EZE. My motto is..... its not important that you go to EZE, whats important is that you go there and leave wanting to return...

Cordiales Saludos....

Alejandro

snorkmaster

Gaucho, thanks in advance for starting this thread.

My partner and I will be visiting in December, and I'm beginning to look at hotels. While it wouldn't normally be "my type of hotel" (since I prefer something modern), I'm somewhat interested in the Claridge, which is offering a rate of 75 USD that includes service, breakfast, welcome drink, and cell phone during the stay.

I'm also considering the Park Chateau or Park Plaza Kempinski, which are running specials at around $250 for 3 nights -- including airport transfers and breakfast (and even lunch, but I don't think we'd eat that at the hotel.)

Any thoughts on these hotels (and their locations), or other recommendations in the sub-$100/night range?

I imagine I'll have a few follow-up questions down the road, but I thought I'd get started with a hotel query.

Thanks,

snorkmaster
(travis)

MelP

I'm heading to Buenos Aires a week from tonight! As a single 40-something woman traveling solo, do you have any recommedations as to eateries (mainly for dinner) where I wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb as much (not fancy places)? Also things to do at night.

USAFAN

Regarding hotels: We stayed at L'Etoile in Recoleta. Very nice, nice area and not expensive. http://www.etoile.com.ar/

Next to the hotels are many restaurants ... Rest. Lola was very good.
I also went to a stylish restaurant in Old Palermo (which Gaucho1000K recommended), very interesting, good food..
Porto Madero is also good for restaurants ...

Gaucho100K

The Claridge is a good choice. There are of course many options in the US$ 80-100 range, but I think the names you mention are good examples.

Regarding restaurants, a quick list I can compile would be the following, (I apologize for not having time to post all the details including address, but you should have no problem asking your concierge for directions, all these places are well known).

1) Sucre (located on Sucre street, close to River Plate Stadium) - very nice place, also for people watching.

2) Cabaña Las Lilas - located in the Puerto Madero area.

3) Oviedo - a traditional old-Buenos Aires style restaurant, with a serious kitchen.

For fine dining....

1) Nectarine - check with your concierge, the place is well known

2) Sinclair - go there for dinner, and make sure Ramiro (the Chef) is there...

UAL_Rulez

What mobile phone system(s) and providers offer service to travellers in B.A.?
I have 2 GSM dual-band phones (Ericsson T29 & T28s) and a Verizon CDMA/TDMA tri-mode. Any of these work?

USAFAN

I have an old Nokia and AT&T service ... and it worked in Buenos Aires!

Gaucho100K

Provided you have auto-roaming, you should be OK. GSM service is now also readily available in Argentina, so you should all be OK. However, just like roaming charges everywhere else, beware of the big bill(s).

Gaucho100K

BTW, I second the above recommendation for Lola in the Recoleta area. I would however go there for lunch, dinner is better had at other venues.

While in Recoleta, dont forget to check out the Cafes...

Gaucho100K

For the hotel point 'hogs', the Hilton Buenos Aires is a great option, its located in the trendy Puerto Madero area. If you book well ahead you should be able to get reasonable US$ rates. Its not the best bargain in town, but then, you have to keep that stays counts moving if you want to renew status...

Starwood has 4-5 hotels in the EZE area, so plenty of options for SPG junkies as well.

Please, dont hesitate to keep the questions coming. I will try to reply more quickly as my follow up lately has not been very good.

Cheers,

Jaimito Cartero

I ate at Montana a couple of weeks ago in Recoleta and thought it was quite good. However, but even better value, you can go to Yugo's Parrilla just a block away and have some awesome meat at much lower prices.

I have a 450 gram Bife de Chorizo (around 16 ounces) for a whopping 12 pesos (About $4.25). It's was the best steak I had in BA, and I've been to quite a few places.

Gaucho100K

For a steak place that is 100% local, I suggest El Parrillon del Pobre Luis. They recently moved, but they are well known enough for you to ask your Concierge for directions. They are located in the Nuñez Neighbourhood, quite close to River Plate Stadium.

Another option for meat is Rio Alba. This place is in the Palermo Area, close to Le Parc Tower.

For something even less touristy and cheaper, try a joint called El Novillo Alegre. This place is in Belgrano, and is right across the street from a nice (small) shopping mall called El Solar de la Abadia.

Again, I apologize for not having the exact addresses, its just that I just drive to these places usually.... I will see if I can get some internet site info. and post it here.

Enjoy your steaks... and, please, dont forget to sample a good Malbec with your red meat, and..... dont overcook it. Anything beyond medium rare is SACRILEEEEGGEEE !!!!!!!

Gaucho100K

Here is some detailed info. on restaurants in the EZE area. Im not sure its available in English though...

http://www.restaurant.com.ar/

El Cochinito

I´m writing this from one of the numerous Internet cafes in Recoleta; I'm here in Bs.As. with the wife and 8 year old on vacation! This is truly a magnificent city and we hope to return some day. Of course a trip report will be forthcoming.

Last night we had dinner at Grant´s, a tenedor libre (all you can eat place) here in Recoleta. Great place, with a superb assortment of dishes but the best part was the cooked to order plates in their "exhibition kitchen".

I could use some ideas on Argentinian wines to bring home. I am partial to reds - Cabernet is my preference with Merlot a close second. Any recommendations?

Any thoughts on the side trip to Colonia in Uruguay via Buquebus? Is this worth the time and money?

Stewie Mac

Just my $0.02 worth....

spent about 5 weeks in Argentina last Nov/Dec, and it was absolutely our favourite place in 8 months of travelling central/south America and Australasia.

As Gaucho says, just get on a plane and GO !!!

I will be back soon (certainly before the peso recovers, anyway !)

StewieMac

USAFAN

I was in Restaurant Bourgogne, in Hotel Alvear. Had lunch menu incl. a bottle of first class red wine (Nobile or so..)

I also liked the wines and sparkling wines from Domain Chandon Argentina..

El Cochinito:

I think you can't go wrong with wine from Argentina .. all I had were fine...

Now there should be harvesting time/festivals in Mendoza??? May it's to late..

Gaucho100K

Cochinito. I suggest you go to one of the retail wine outlets, two good options are:

Winery - they are all over the place
Frappe - with 4 locations in Buenos Aires

Ask your concierge for details. By all means, please avoid Ligier - they are thiefs but unfortunately grease most hotels so that the concierges send the poor tourists there... they are really bad people and should be shunned. Please take this from a veteran of the Argentine wine scene... you dont want to buy there.

As for wines, whats your budget per bottle? I think that for US$ 15 a bottle you can get a heck of a bang for your buck. In this price range, I suggest:

Cabernets
1) Carmelo Patti, Cabernet Sauvignon
2) Trapiche, Fond de Cave
3) Escorihuela Gascon, varietal line Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlots

1) Escorihuela Gascon, varietal line Merlot

Malbec (Argentina's signature grape)

1) Domingo Molina, Malbec
2) Trapiche, Malbec Reserva Especial

If you want to go upmarket... there are many. Just check out the wines from the following wineries:

Catena Zapata
Finca la Anita
Terrazas de los Andes
etc.

Hope this helps....

Gaucho100K

USAFAN-- how was your meal at La Bourgogne...? If you are in to fine dining, I have some places you should go that are far far better than that place. I happen to know the chef and he is an idiot (so I guess Im biased), but still, Ive never been satisfied with that restaurant.

Cheers...

Gaucho100K

Stewie-- Welcome to FT!! Im very glad you enjoyed travelling around Argentina. We are a country that is still learning how to best treat tourists, we still have a lot to learn but we are getting there. I hope you return there soon and if you have any questions, please contact me or even better fire away here. I shall do my best to help you out...

USAFAN

Gaucho100K:

The meal was very good, like in a 1 to 2 star restaurant in France. Also very good service.

USAFAN

Gacho100K:

You can be proud of your Portenos! Very friendly. We stayed at Recoleta and only met nice and friendly people.
One day we went to your great opera, BTW, great performance of Mozart's Requiem. After the performance it started to rain .. lots of people needed a taxi .. there was no rush .. all and everybody behaved very calm. Great people!
I could live there any time ...

Gaucho100K

USAFAN-- The next time you are down in BA, I suggest you try one (or all) of these places: Sinclair, Christophe, and Nectarine.

Cheers.

Gaucho100K

Address for Nectarine (French Cuisine):

Vicente López 1661 Local 15, 1º P. Phone: 4813-6993

Gaucho100K

Here is another recommendation, this one for Spanish Cuisine:

Pata Negra
Address: Av. Scalabrini Ortiz 3096
Phone: 4805-9957

USAFAN

Gaucho100K:

Get ready. United is coming (from Chicago)

Chicago–Buenos Aires 9:25 p.m.–11:45 a.m.** Daily from 10/31/04 767
Buenos Aires–Chicago 8:50 p.m.–5:15 a.m.**

I think they will stop/stopped MIA-EZE.

iahphx

Nice to see a B.A. thread. I'm planning my first trip since late 2000, when prices were still high and economic despair was rising. I've been regularly visiting since the late 80s, and it always seems you never know what the situation will be on your next visit! (One time I missed a coup by 4 days).

Since there's not much about Argentina in the US papers these days, I'm assuming things have calmed down and are relatively normal (at least by Argentine standards)? Last time I was in town everyone was banging pots and the airlines were on strike. Are the tourist areas again very safe to walk around in?

Last time -- before the dollar was dropped -- things were a tad expensive and I had to "compromise" on my hotel accomodations. This time, if I can get a top property for less than $100, I'd probably go that route. So everyone keep those hotel tips coming! And it sounds like good steaks are again at the $5 level, so I know we'll eat well (and cheaply) this time, especially from the recommendations you guys already have given. Always interested in good (non-steak) fine dining choices, too -- just to get a little variety in the diet!

Any shopping tips for good quality leather and woolens at good prices?

And if someone had 3 days to spare for a trip outside B.A., what would you recommend? I'd be particularly interested in a gaucho/hacienda type experience.

Thanks.

Gaucho100K

Yes, this was in the planning for some months now. UA EZE had been lobyying WHQ for this flight for ages now, its just that the bean counters wanted for the Northern Hemisphere to go into low season before they released one of the old 767 crates for the ORD service. Do you know if they will be doing this with 2 or 3 classes of service?

Gaucho100K

iahphx-- Glad to hear you will be going down to EZE sometime soon. Things are indeed quiet and orderly, by all standards. True that our picket lines are perhaps louder and more colorful than some of the ones you see in North America, but still, you have nothing to worry about. Getting a place to stay for around US$100 will be very easy, as well as $5-$7 steaks (depending on how high up the scale you want to go).

If you have enough meat in your system, I suggest you try out some of the other places Ive mentioned here and in other threads. Some more examples:

1) La Catedra - International, in Palermo
2) La Fornarina - Italian, in Belgrano
3) La Parollaccia - Av. Libertador, in Belgrano
4) Oviedo - in Barrio Norte

Cheers....

USAFAN

I don't know how they will be doing this; with 2 or 3 classes of service. I only got an e-mail from UA regarding:

BTW, UA needs two of this "old 767 crates" to establish a daily service to/from EZE, right? One 767 is sitting the whole day on the tarmac in EZE ... or make a short trip to Montevideo?!?
I am not a fan of the 767, however, I am beginning to like them. I went with CO from IAH to GRU, this bird had 2 - 1 - 2 seating in business-first.

iahphx

Thanks Gaucho. Given the quality of B.A. restaurants, and the exchange rate, I know we're not going to starve. :<)

Following up on a tip from another poster, I see we can stay at the Claridge for $85 on either a 3-night rate, or a "last minute" rate. I also see there are some 3-4 star properties in the $50 range. Certainly don't mind spending the extra bucks if the Claridge is appreciably nicer. What's the consensus? Location pros and cons? Any other good 4 or 5 star choices under $100?

And still looking for a 3 day excursion from B.A. Been to Iguazu and loved it, but I'm looking for something different. Are internal-Argentine airfares cheap? Or would I be better off driving to an estancia for a few days? Looking for an "authentic" Argentine experience that would be interesting and enjoyable. Thanks.

ALadyNCal

Great thread, Gaucho. Thanks! Very timely for me, as we just booked a cruise for February. I have two questions preliminarily...

1. We will arrive in EZE for a couple of days, then cruise 14 nights, ending in SCL for a couple of days. Will we NEED to learn Spanish? Will it be very helpful? Or is English widely spoken? We will do our best to learn as much as we can between now and then, but would appreciate an idea of how necessary it will be.

2. A family member is going on the cruise also and I have the next several months to find a reasonable airfare for them. The difficult part is it is high season (Feb) and triangle (LAX-EZE/SCL-LAX). Any thoughts on when bargain airfares pop up? Or any consolidators to consider? They do not collect FF miles....so price is the priority.

Thanks so much for any help

akhullar

Knowing some does help. I make an effort to learn more than the previous trips, and carry a pocket dictionary. Enjoy Buenos Aires.

USAFAN

I agree. A little Spanish helps. I have not found one taxi driver who could speak English. The personal in the hotels speak English ..
You will like Buenos Aires .. the people are very nice.
Don't miss the opera. http://www.teatrocolon.org.ar/inicio.htm

Gaucho100K

You dont have to learn Spanish.... although this would certainly help. For taxi drivers, just make sure you have the address written down and you will be fine. Also, take your taxis from taxi stands and hotels, or else call a radio taxi.

As for airfare deals, I suggest you try to look for some of the local carriers like AR (Aerolineas Argentinas), or Southern Winds. You may have to first get to a US Gateway for these airlines, though, some safe bets are: MIA, JFK and ORD. I think LAX is also served by AR.

Have a great trip!!!!

LRD

Gaucho,

As some of the travel books do, would you care to share your top suggestions of sights to see in the city?

dedehans

I am going to BA in late November, staying at the Alvear Palace

How about suggestions of a tango house with great food? Is the Esquina Carlos Gardel the best or should I go to one not so frequented by tourists? Which one?

Also, where can I find performance schedules for the Theatro Colon in November and December?

Lastly, do you have any very favourite art galleries I might visit?

Gracias!

Gaucho100K

Galleries:

The Malba Museum (Constantini Collection)
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
Museo de Arte Decorativo
Centro Cultural Recoleta
Palais de Glace

Im not good with Tango house recommendations, I will have to referr you to your concierge. Also, I would say go to Tango houses for the Tango.... and then go eat elsewhere.

Gaucho100K

Please see this link for the Teatro Color program for 2004:

http://www.teatrocolon.org.ar/progra...porada2004.htm

Unfortunately, I dont think this is available in English.... my apologies for that (its inexcusable that the site is not available in 4-5 languages). I will drop a line to the President of the Colon Theater Foundation.

Gaucho100K

dedehans-- it just struck me that Ive listed galleries as in places to see paintings from some of the premiere public and private collections in the coutry... but, are you looking to purchase art? if so... then let me know, and I will have to think of some more information for you.

dedehans

Yes, I am looking to purchase art, Gaucho 100k...
You are muy simpatico, gracias!
dedehans