Hi... for your romantic dinner, I would go to Nectarine (just go a la Carte and you will be inside your budget), or else if you prefer Italian, I would to go Bella Italia. Not the bar, but the restaurant. These are very close by so make sure your concierge does not book you into the bar/bistro. Its also great, but for a romantic dinner you need to go to the Restaurant.

Im PMing you with the details of the wine store.... :D

Safety
 

For those potential visitors to BsAs who are concerned about safety, I would have to say I feel as safe there as I do in my hometown of Montréal. My wife and I, as well as an occassional retinue of friends and relatives have spent our last few winters enjoying the city to its fullest. We've taken buses, the subway, trains, taxis, remises and walked through all parts of the general metropolitan area. As we are athletic walkers, a 25 KM stroll through any given barrio is not unusual. We've been victims of a single unsuccessful "bird trick" attempt, but laughed it off as being so obvious as to be comical. Pick-pocketing on crowded buses or tourist areas is not uncommon if you leave yourself vulnerable by carrying a backpack or purse slung behind a shoulder and out of your view. Of course, I've witnessed the same in Rome, Istanbul, Sofia, Montreal, San Francisco, etc.. Violent crime is not nearly as prevalent as in many North American cities. As for the poverty, it is a reality born of the most recent economic crisis, but it is not nearly so apparant as some of the media portrays. The "garbage pickers" are, for the most part, merely gathering paper and cardboard to be sold to recycling plants. It's become quite a business in its own right. Don't imagine for a moment that there are homeless sleeping in every doorway and pitching tents at city hall (as in San Francisco). Porteños have too much pride.

If you choose to bypass BsAs because of safety concerns, I think you are doing yourself a disservice and missing out on experiencing a wonderfully vibrant and culturally rich city.

Parriladas?
 

Gaucho (or anyone), any word on the better suggestions for parrillada?

(I did do a search and turned up nothing).

Thanks.

Hi WindFlyer-- so that I can better point you in the right direction.... what do you mean by parrillada....? Are you looking for some tips on where to best have meats, or do you want to have a meal in an outdoor setting...? Parrillada is a dish in itself (basically a collection of various cuts of beef, chicken, sausages and other delicacies, sometimes also pork, etc.). Parillada is actually not that common or typical of Argentine quisine, we usually like to say we will go have an "asado" and then order various rounds of different things. The Parillada is sort of looked down upon because it usually is just a collection of whatever the parrillero (the doode at the grill) has leftover or just feels like selling you... :D

In any event, if you give me a little more information on what sort of a setting you are looking for, budget (per pax with no wine included), and some other info I would be delighted to give you some options.

Cheers,
Gaucho

Parrilladas for Chilenos? :D

Excellent Restaurant BsAs Reviews/Info
 

I have found these web-sites quite helpful in deciding where to dine while in BsAs.

ElGourmet is a great resource. Their cumputer code prevents me from posting a direct link to the restaurant guide on their site, but just click on the GUÍA DE RESTAURANTES link to gain access. It's in Spanish, (those unable to cope, just use babelfish), and you can sort results by cuisine, location or price. You can then refine further by sorting results according to location and ratings of food, ambiance or service. they use a 20 point scale. The list is quite extensive. For example, choosing parrilla yields 70 restaurants. Narrowing the results to Belgrano yields 2 choices, El Pobre Luis (rated: 14/11/11; $30-$40 ARS) and El Novilla Alegre (rated: 9/8/9; $20-$30 ARS). If you do a search of all 651 listed BsAs restaurants and prioritize food quality, you'll see some familiar, as well as quite surprising, results.

The oleo guide is similar, but results are based on reader opinions polls and not all listings have been rated. They utilize a 30 point scale.

Smoked out of Buenos Aires
 

We were in BA in 1992 and really liked it, in spite of the very expensive peso or austral at the time. One problem that has kept us from going back was the heavy smoke in every restaurant. My wife has asthma and she suffered to the point that we did a lot of picnics instead. Many countries have banned smoking in restaurants in the last several years. Does anyone know the situation (100kGaucho?) today in Argentina? Has the smoke cleared yet? Thanks!

Not always or necessarily. Some restaurants (a few) have smoking and non-smoking sections, but even there people may still light up.

For what it's worth, I don't come back smelling as strongly of smoke as often as in the past.

Smoking is permitted in restaurants. Then again, most restaurants you will be considering will have smoking and non smoking sections. Lots has changed since 1992.... it would be great if you would consider returning to Buenos Aires.

Gurruchaga and Paraguay
 

I finally sent in my credit card info for an apartment on Gurruchaga and Paraguay. Gaucho--this isn't going to be a decision I regret is it? We are looking to spend time in the hip, trendy, and bohemian sections of BA. Will this be a bullseye?

Some time ago Gaucho.. posted a hip restaurant (mix restaurant/market) in Old Palermo. Forgot the name. Place was real cool ... the people are really friendly, the food was O.K.

Does anyone have an opinion on this hotel and/or its location? In case I can't afford it's 'upscale cousin' the LoiSuites Recoleta :D

Like I said in #383 of this long thread:
When I don't want to spend $110 or more per night at LoiSuites Recoleta I go to the Wilton, which I can often find at online discounters for $45, and can always get directly from the hotel for $60:
Avda. Callao 1162
Telephone: + 54 (11) 48 11 18 18
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.bookings-americas.com/ar/hotels/wilton

Its on the border of Recoleta and Barrio Norte at Santa Fe and Callao, a 10 minute walk or 3 peso cab ride to the cemetary and church.

Im not sure I can answer your question entirely.... I dont know who you passed your credit card information to.... and I dont know the apartment that you have transacted for either. In any event, assuming you have done your homework, you should be OK. Have a great trip!!!

This answers a couple of questions that I had.

I found a fare of $267.26 Argentine Pesos for a round-trip flight between Buenos Aires and Iguazu, which is roughly the equivalent of $91.57 United States Dollars.

Add to that that American Airlines is a partner of Southern Winds, and this seems like a great deal — assuming that I can earn American Airlines AAdvantage miles for the flights.

It is nice to know that I will not have to pay a higher fare simply because I am not from Argentina.

While I know that I can call a toll-free telephone number in the United States to make a reservation, it seems that the only way to make a reservation on-line is to join the Southern Winds Value Miles program.

Please correct me if I am wrong with any of the information above...