Me! Ok, I was there last year, but I got a few hundred pounds converted before I came and the rest went on credit card. Hotels prepaid. I thought they were very good value compared to the price paid and what I got in Rio for example. Don't normally stay in hotels in London as I live here, so can't compare.

Food, and in particular steak, Buenos Aires wins for me. Way cheaper. However I don't do "Fine Dinning" as a norm. I go to the D&D London (ex Conran) chain for a fail safe good meal. I've dropped Wagamama in favour of Noodle St as our pre-movie meal and save a £10 in the process. I've been to the Ivy once and was disappointed (twice if you include the upstairs club, but meals were limited to a decent curry from memory). Over the 5 days I had in BA I only had one poor meal and that was served by one of the most surly waiters I'd seen in a long time.

The only expensive thing we did was the Tango show at the Port. The food was slightly above average and the show was pleasant enough, but I thought it was overprices, even with the "free" transfer to and from the hotel (and the additional sightseeing we had going to all the other hotels in the process!).

We did have a brief look at the shops and didn't think things looked particularly expensive, but we weren't looking a brands or specific products.

And of course this was a year ago and prices and exchange rates can change!