Buenos Aires
The dark days may be behind the Argentine capital. The country’s debt has been renegotiated, tourism is flourishing and new players are popping up on the restaurant and hotel scene. The end result? Buenos Aires is again a vibrant city in which to do business.
Sleeping
Faena Hotel + Universe. Philippe Starck’s new velvet-and-glam hotel sits in an old granary beside the Rio de la Plata. Think Turkish baths, plasma TVs, wireless computers in the business center and in-room safes big enough for a laptop. You can check out the same time of day you checked in – and no penalties. A decked-out Mercedes picks you up at the airport. Rooms run from $350 to $2,500. www.faenaexperience.com
Sofitel. The French chain’s new hotel, a restored 1920s Art Deco skyscraper on a street dotted with art galleries, offers elegance but at a more affordable rate than elsewhere in the city. Rooms run from $205 to $485 a night. www.sofitel.com
Meliá Buenos Aires. What sets this glass edifice apart from B.A.’s legion of cookie-cutter hotels is location, near the Catalinas financial district and the happy-hour hangouts. Few frills, but great rates, from $100 to $210 a night. Free Ethernet connection in every room. www.solmelia.com
Design Suites. Loft-like rooms and contemporary design are the hallmarks of this funky boutique hotel, built with long-term stays in mind. Rooms start at $100. For $40 more you get a larger, quieter suite. Each guest gets a free pass to Buenos Aires’ top gym, a half-block away. www.designsuites.com
Relaxing
La Pascuala Delta Lodge. On a bucolic island just a 75-minute motorboat ride from B.A., this resort sits among the wild outreaches of the Río de la Plata delta. A system of hardwood walkways connects the complex, which features 15 plush bungalows. Swim, fish, trek or windsurf. Daily rates begin at $150 per person, a bit higher on weekends. www.lapascuala.com.ar
Eating
La Cabaña. Beef barons and power suits agree: This three-story steakhouse serves the biggest and juiciest bife in town. www.lacabanabuenosaires.com.ar
La Brigada. A succulent steak with the fat literally trimmed with a spoon would cost big bucks outside of Argentina. But this relaxed, family-run parrilla keeps prices affordable. La Brigada eateries have spread to other barrios, but the San Telmo location, decorated with kitsch soccer paraphernalia, is where it all began. Estados Unidos 465; phone: 54-11-4361-5557.
Filo. Urbane sophisticates flock to this never-out-of-style eatery for one of B.A.’s less heralded culinary traditions: pizza. A downstairs art gallery and the riotous, color-splashed decor take a bow to bohemia, but the clientele is more yuppie than hippie. www.filo-ristorante.com
Abril. This chic San Telmo eatery with an always-original kitchen can compete with the city’s best. Chef/owner Leandro Paino offers a menu that carries hints of his travels through Asia. Dessert is a must. Balcarce 722; phone: 54-11-4342-8000.
Social Paraiso. A pioneer of fusion-dining in Palermo Viejo, this is a place where gastronomy holds precedent over glitz. The menu is Mediterranean, with touches of Brazil and the Middle East. Honduras 5182; phone: 54-11-4831-4556.
Drinking
Corporate movers and shakers are the staple at Opera Bay, a Puerto Madero restaurant, bar and dockside dance club resembling the Sydney Opera House. The Wednesday after-office party is the biggest in the city. www.operabay.com At Kilkenny’s, fashionable and flirtatious singles drink locally brewed stout that puts Quilmes to shame; Marcelo T. de Alvear 399, phone: 54-11-4312-7291. The coolest place to sample Argentina’s acclaimed varietals is Gran Bar Danzon, with more than 200 bottles on offer (and a sushi bar). Dim lighting, a funky soundtrack and plush sofas create a Soho atmosphere. www.granbardanzon.com.ar At the Marriott Plaza Hotel, the woody Plaza Bar boasts what is reportedly the city’s best martini. www.marriott.com
Shopping
Lithe Latin hipsters can pick up clothing by Argentine boutique designers, who are gaining international fame. The best talents in women’s fashion include Nadine Zlotogora (www.nadinez.com), whose fabric-mixing designs straddle the line between fantasy and haute couture. Would-be pampas playboys should head to the post-industrial warehouse of Etiqueta Negra at Dardo Rocha 1366; phone: 54-11-4792-7373. A less flash satellite boutique is now open at Patio Bullrich shopping mall.