Chefs from the Buenos Aires branch of the Ølsen
The walk covers the neighborhoods of palermo –Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood–, starting from the elegant Recoleta , where high-class Buenos Aires residents gathered during the yellow fever outbreak in 1871, and whose discreet and silent shops with facades of parisian style and its large hotels made it the ideal city of the end of the century.
The first stop –on the map– is the Piano Nobile , in the hall of one of the best palaces in the city, the Duhau Palace , today a Park-Hyatt . order a glass of torrontés white , fruity and dry, to accompany a selection of the best Argentine cheeses . Try the tres leches, made with cow, sheep and goat milk. Then go down the stairs and take the alvear avenue until Ayacucho , then go to the Quintana Avenue (Jorge Luis Borges lived there), until reaching the alvear square . Keep to the right, pass the old convent, cross the square france downhill to Avenida Presidente Figueroa Alcorta, which you will cross. Stop to see the giant metal flower . Continue northwest through Alcorta and turn left on Marshal Ramon Castilla to get to the grand bourg square . You will have traveled about three kilometers after shopping, visiting the gardens and the monuments.
Salads, sandwiches and sweets at Nucha
maybe you need Water . Maybe caffeine . The best place to find both is the National Museum of Decorative Art (across Libertador Avenue from Grand Bourg Square). In front of this once proud mansion is the once proud goal, today one of the best cafes in town , Croque Madam. Have a coffee on the patio. If you ask for 'coffee' they will bring you an espresso . If you want it with milk, ask 'a cut'.
It's time to move again. Head west of the Liberator Avenue , turn left on the avenue Ortiz de Ocampo and continue to the Matterhorn Avenue , where you will find a refreshing string of images that illustrate everyday life in Buenos Aires –laundries, grills, dog walkers, ice cream parlors–. Resist the temptation to buy yourself a cone until you get to Jauja ('paradise'). In this ice cream parlor, well known for its patagonic ice cream , you have to ask for a ball of calafate with sheep's milk , an ice cream that, in addition to milk, has blueberries that grow on the southern tip of the continent.
Take it indian avenue to the botanical garden, then cross the santa fe avenue to enter the district Palermo-Soho , the walker's paradise, full of modern boutiques housed in restored houses, lined with tree-lined streets. Continue the sweet route until night , a candy store that makes their own chocolates and pastries . ask for a piece of javi cake (a cake composed of layers of sponge cake, chocolate mousse and cream, decorated with Italian meringue) . If you run out of this delicacy –it is possible–, ask for their chocolate truffles (Armenian, 1540).
Mind you, before you even begin to consider dinner, you have to prepare your stomach for other italian gastronomic tradition that Argentines have inherited: the appetizer . going down Uriarte Elizabeth proposes superb cocktails classics; you can order the mythical Spritz l'Orange (champagne, Campari and sour orange) . But it is more advisable to try one of the creations of the house, such as the Blind Pig ('blind pig'), wrapped in a old newspaper . The bar does not open until 9:00 p.m., since dinner is not served until 10:00 p.m. in these parts. If you can't wait that long, drop by later for a drink.
'Japanese-Peruvian' delicacies at the Osaka
And now, finally, the first course: corn blini with lumpfish caviar, salmon or smoked trout . If it sounds Scandinavian, that's because it is. Turn left on fitzroy and to the right in beanie and you will arrive at Ølsen, one of the best bars in Buenos Aires. When they opened ten years ago, they heralded the world's fixation on scandinavian tastes . We recommend you try your Caipiroska , a version of the Brazilian national cocktail, the caipirinha , made with vodka instead of cachaça. Ølsen It has more than sixty distillates, so it is better to leave the decision to bartender.
For the fish dish, the relentless celebration of cultures continues all the way to Osaka , where a throng of well-dressed youngsters savor the textures of Japan with the tropical flavors of Peru . order a Tiradito , the shy but more handsome cousin of the Ceviche . She then asks for another and another, and whispers a prayer of thanks to Saint Benedict of Palermo , the patron saint of the city of Sicily , of the same name as the neighborhood. This raw fish is not very forceful. Better this way. You will need room for meat (starters from €10) .
The long-awaited moment has arrived: steak time! 'meat for dinner' may be the catchphrase in America. In Argentina it is a way of life. It would be sacrilege not to eat on a grill. It is the national version of the grill, where the fire is made with wood and the menu includes types of cuts that you didn't even know existed. In Miranda, you will be tempted by the consistent and bloody rib eye . But if you prefer to eat like a local, ask strip roast (Grilled Ribs) . Accompany it with a powerful malbec (starters from €10).
Strip roast with chips in Miranda
Get up from the table, our route has not finished. For him dessert –the first dessert, I have to say– advances a few blocks by Costa Rica to Tegui. The poster is small. Look for the graffiti that covers the wall, knock on the black door and wait to be ushered into the chic food sanctuary of Palermo Hollywood . The invention of the chef and celebrity German Martitegui , the same of Ølsen and Casa Cruz , an elegant restaurant known for its delicious and eclectic menus. Think about cow brain cake or one banana split with gingerbread and coconut ice cream . Whatever it is, accompany it with sweet semillon , an underrated Argentine sweet wine (desserts from €25) .
The final dish awaits you at HG, named for the national star chef, Hernán Gipponi . They prepare delicious seasonal menus (about €35). If you still have an appetite, give it a try. Otherwise, just order dessert, like the apple sorbet with carob powder and coriander (desserts: €5) . The ride is over. Not you. There is the matter of the cup. In HG they will offer you the italian digestif Fernet Branca , a powerful herbal pomace and, they say, the national drink (here they mix it with Coca-Cola) . Its properties are well proven. At this point, it's not like you deserve it. It is necessary.
Signature cocktails at HG
Where to sleep:
- Collect. The 10-room Cotton Mansion is serene, intimate, and its service takes care of the details. The rooms combine historical atmosphere with a modern touch. The walls of the bathrooms Ambassador Suite they are made of marble and large enough to put up a tent. HD: from €340.
-Palermo Soho. In a neighborhood with so many boutique hotels , the traditional design and the celebration of the Argentine history of the Mythical Legacy – the themed rooms are inspired by national figures such as Jorge Luis Borges Y Eva Peron – can be a bit extravagant. Especially if we compare them with the minimalism of the boho So typical of the genre. In contrast to smaller hotels, the staff is numerous and supremely friendly. HD: from €180.
Dress Code: Buenos Aires is a city where people know how to dress, but the residents have not been stuck in formality. Men must wear long pants and leather shoes (Sandals are ideal for walking, not eating) . Women may not agree with the local style, but you have to know that an 11 km walk requires a footwear that combines fashion and comfort.
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Carlos Gardel Suite at the Legado Místico boutique hotel