Palermo: Buenos Aires’ Hip, Pulsating Heart
When the 2001 economic crisis hit, Buenos Aires’ creative class picked up the pieces by sparking a cultural renaissance. The city’s Palermo district served as the HQ of this revolution as designers, film types and galleries took over the then-cheap old buildings. Seven years later, Palermo is the established heart of all that is hip in the city. During our recent visit, local ASWers let us in on the secrets of their address books.
Oven-roasted lamb with vegetables at El Rocio
EatIt’s all about the beef in BA. Get your prime cuts at La Cabrera, reputed to be one of the city’s best parrillas (steak joints) and the perfect spot for curing a hangover, according to Fernando Bach. Social Paraiso is another staple for its lovely service and inventive fusion cuisine. For a quick lunch, Anne-Maria Korpi’s pick is El Preferido de Palermo, also a choice of Francis Ford Coppola, who has a house nearby. For a break from the meat, head to Krishna, a kitschy canteen offering amazing vegetarian thali. And for dessert, try Scannapieco (Cordoba 4826) for the best ice-cream ever and a time warp – circa 1950s or so – experience.
Tango Dancers
Play The Rojo Tango Show at the dramatic Faena Hotel is a night out like no other. And be sure to get to Congo – a bar boasting an enormous outdoor terrace and a particularly good atmosphere on Thursday nights, according to girl-about-town Loli Delger. But, get there before the queues start at 11. You might want to continue the party and head on to Club 69. For a less hectic night out, try Milión. And of course, needless to say, keep an eye on the ASW forums as parties happen in BA all the time!
Antiques at Mercado de las Pulgas
ShopBring an extra suitcase or better still, plan a shipping budget. With all the tantalizing objects – modern and antique – on offer, you might decide to refurnish your pad. For antiques, the old but rather touristy Feria San Pedro Telmo on Sundays is mandatory. In Palermo, don’t miss the daily Mercado de las Pulgas, which is chock-full of chandeliers, mid-century furniture and other curiosities at bargain rates.
Calma Chicha is a favorite for fun souvenirs, such as the penguin wine jugs, and try Papelera Palermo for the prettiest notepads and wrapping paper. For earthy, indigenous Argentine wares, check out the technicolor carpets from the country’s northwest at Fernando Bach’s Elementos Argentinos. For cowhides, try Calma Chicha or head out to Boedo and pick up a bargain from the wholesale Nueva Casa Antonio, which also sells to the passing retail shopper.
Materia Urbana is the spot for crafts and prints by contemporary local artists. At Sabater Hermanos, you'll find divinely scented handmade soaps in the shape of flakes, golf balls and plain old, multicoloured bars. Lode Joaquin Alberdi has an extensive selection of that other great local product - wine
Loaf
At the Crack-Up bar and café there’s a jumble of Spanish-language books and a host of amusing (and literary) local characters. The courtyard garden of the very hip Olsen is an oasis for those mid-afternoon stops for coffee or vodka shots from the bar’s extensive menu. If BA inspires you to attempt some poetry or prose, a good place to spark up your laptop is the courtyard café of Boutique del Libro, a bookstore lined floor-to-ceiling with art tomes and other books.
The Hammock at El Rocio
Rest Throw a stone in Palermo and you are likely to hit a boutique hotel. While Home Hotel’s rooms are mini sanctuaries, the hotel also provides two out-of-room oases: its rocking bar and secluded pool. Costa Petit, co-owned by artist Diego Padilla and interior designer Eugenia Choren, is another recommended gem.
In neighboring Las Cañitas, Mariquel Waingarten’s Tailor Made lives up to its name with in-room Mac Minis, hydrotherapy tubs and free bike rentals. In Recoleta, the magnificent Palacio Duhau - Park Hyatt is enchanting. Sometime BA habitué Luigi Tadini recommends having a drink at the neo-classical mansion’s Oak Lounge, overlooking its beautiful gardens.
If you are staying for a week, you might consider renting. There are plenty of lofts available and the new-ish Palermo Hollywood Lofts are fabulously appointed.
a Gaucho at El Rocio
EscapeIf you’ve had enough of BA’s bustle, the flat countryside around the city has many estancias (ranches) that welcome wannabe gauchos and aspiring polo players for short visits.
Head out to Estancia El Rocio on the Pampas (the plains between the Atlantic Ocean to the Andes), which is owned by former financier Patrice Graviere and his wife, Macarena Llambi. Packed with art and mementoes from their travels, the estancia is an extremely stylish getaway, which should come as no surprise since Macarena used to run Hermès in BA.
Eat your fill of the chef's meals - made with local produce and unbelievable vegetables from El Rocio’s organic patch - and then work it all off with a ride around some of the ranch’s 400 acres, guided by polo manager, Camilo Moreno Crotto. It’s easy to spend days and days here - bird watching, learning polo or simply lolling about the pool.
If all you want to do is get out of Palermo, then explore the city’s other nabes and its traditional tourist attractions. Take a walk amongst the magnificent tombstones at Cementerio de la Recoleta or venture to up-and-coming Boedo (think Greenpoint in Brooklyn or Hackney in London) for a bistro lunch at Café Margot. There’s also tango and theatre to be had in the hood. See www.boedomas10.com.ar for more details.
On the edge of Palermo is Villa Crespo – the next big thing, neighborhood-wise. Billed ‘Palermo Queens’ (to complement the existing Palermo Hollywood and Palermo Soho quarters), the area is home to Thames 878, the ‘secret’ gathering spot for ASW porteños. Watch the numbers or you’ll miss it since there are no signs for the bar. Further on, the area on the fringes of La Chacarita cemetery has been nicknamed ‘Palermo Dead,’ the new, new frontier. ASW has penciled in a tour of the hip haunts that are sure to be there by our next visit.
Address Book
Rest
Home Hotel, Honduras 5860, Palermo Viejo
Phone: + 54 11 4778 1008
www.homebuenosaires.com
Costa Petit, Costa Rica 5141, Palermo Soho
Phone: + 54 11 4776 8296
www.costapetithotel.com
Tailor Made, Arce 385, Las Canitas
Phone: + 54 11 4774 9620
www.tailormadehotels.com.ar
Palacio Duhau - Park Hyatt, Avenida Alvear 1661, Recoleta
Phone: +54 11 5171 1234
buenosaires.park.hyatt.com
Palermo Hollywood Lofts
Phone: + 54 11 5254 1770
http://argentinaconsultant.com/default.aspx
Eat
La Cabrera, Cabrera 5099, Palermo Viejo
Phone: +54 11 4831 7002
Social Paraiso, Honduras 5182, Palermo
Phone: +54 11 4831 4556
www.socialparaiso.com.ar
El Preferido de Palermo, Guatemala 4801
Phone: +54 11 4774 6585
Krishna, Malabia 1833, Palermo Viejo
Phone: + 54 11 4833 4618
Scannapieco, Cordoba 4826, Palermo Viejo
Phone: + 54 11 4773 1829
www.scannapieco.com
Play
Rojo Tango Show, Faena Hotel, Martha Salotti 445, Puerto Madero
Phone: + 54 11 5787 1536 for reservations
www.rojotango.com
Congo, Honduras 5329, Palermo Viejo
Phone: + 54 11 4833 5857
Milión, Paraná 1048, Recoleta
Phone: + 54 11 4815 9925
www.milionargentina.com.ar
Thames 878, Thames 878, Villa Crespo
Phone: + 54 11 4773 1089
Shop
Feria San Pedro Telmo, Plaza Dorrego, San Telmo
Open Sundays from 10 a.m.
Mercado de las Pulgas, Niceto Vega and Dorrego, Palermo Viejo
Open daily from 10 a.m.
Calma Chicha, Honduras 4925, Palermo Viejo
Phone: + 54 11 4831 1818
www.calmachicha.com
Papelera Palermo, Honduras 4945, Palermo Viejo
Phone: +54 11 4833 3081
www.papelerapalermo.com.ar
Elementos Argentinos, Godoy Cruz 1720, Palermo Viejo
Phone: + 54 11 4832 6299
www.elementosargentinos.com.ar
Nueva Casa Antonio, Avenida Boedo 1411, Boedo
Phone: +54 11 4921 7951
Materia Urbana, Gorriti 4791, Palermo
Phone: + 54 11 4831 6317
www.materiaurbana.com
Sabater Hermanos, Gurruchaga 1821, Palermo
Phone: + 54 11 4833 3004
www.shnos.com.ar
Lode Joaquin Alberdi, Jorge Luis Borges 1772, Palermo Viejo
Phone: + 54 11 4832 5329
www.lodejoaquinalberdi.com.ar
Loaf
Crack-Up, Costa Rica 4767, Palermo Viejo
Phone: + 54 11 4831 3502
www.crackup.com.ar
Boutique del Libro, Thames 1762, Palermo Viejo
Phone: + 54 11 4833 6637
www.boutiquedellibro.com
Escape
Estancia El Rocio, Rte. 3, km 102.5, San Miguel Del Monte, Buenos Aires
Phone: + 54 22 7142 0488
www.estanciaelrocio.com
Charles Crespín offers trips to Estancia El Rocio and other locations near BA.
Email: rugbydeportiva@yahoo.com.ar
Cementerio de la Recoleta, Junín 1760, Recoleta
Open daily from 7 a.m.
Café Margot, Boedo 857, Boedo
Phone: +54 11 4957 0001
Photographs (except Palermo at dusk) by Jessica Ramakrishnan
