Buenos Aires

Grand avenues, neighborhood cafés and dinner at 10 PM.

Buenos Aires is a city of neighborhoods (barrios), each with its own feel. Most visitors stay in Palermo or Recoleta, spend a Sunday in San Telmo, and quickly learn that nobody eats dinner before 9.

Barrios

The city is made up of 48 official barrios. These are the ones our team or local contributors have reviewed so far.

Palermo: Big and leafy, with the most restaurants, bars and parks. Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood are the lively parts. Read our Palermo guide
Recoleta: Elegant and quieter, with grand buildings, museums and the famous cemetery.
San Telmo: The old city: cobblestones, antiques and tango. Full of character, a little rougher at night.
Puerto Madero: The redeveloped docks: modern towers, a riverside walk and polished (pricier) restaurants.
La Boca: Home of Caminito and the Boca Juniors stadium. Colorful by day; visit the main streets and leave before dark.

Palermo: Buenos Aires' Biggest, Greenest and Most Lively Neighborhood · Soho and Hollywood, the parks and rose garden, street art, and where to eat and drink.

Where should I stay?

Where you stay shapes your trip. These are the neighborhoods most first-time visitors choose.

The Best Hotels in Buenos Aires — And the One I Keep Coming Back To · From palaces in Recoleta to a Palermo hideaway, and the hotel I keep coming back to.

Harris's 10 favorite hotels in Buenos Aires

The short version of the full guide: my favorite first, then the right pick for each kind of trip.

Palladio Hotel Buenos Aires – MGallery (My pick): The whole package: a comfortable room, a great restaurant and a location that works.
Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires (All-out luxury): Going all-out, with the complete luxury-hotel experience.
Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt Buenos Aires (Romantic splurge): A romantic trip, and a splurge.
Alvear Palace Hotel (Old-world grandeur): Classic, old-world Buenos Aires grandeur.
Faena Hotel Buenos Aires (Dramatic and memorable): Something dramatic and memorable in Puerto Madero.
Casa Lucia (Modern, with history): A modern five-star in a historic building.
Park Tower, a Luxury Collection Hotel (Luxury value): Luxury value, especially with Marriott Bonvoy points or status.
Sofitel Buenos Aires Recoleta (Dependable Recoleta): A really nice room in a really good location.
Be Jardín Escondido by Coppola (Palermo boutique): A small boutique stay in the middle of Palermo.
InterContinental Buenos Aires (Value downtown): Value near the historic center.

Where should I eat?

Steak at a parrilla, pizza by the slice, pastries with coffee, and ice cream at midnight.

10 of My Favorite Empanadas in Buenos Aires · From an old-school parrilla to a fast-food counter, with a map of every one.

Don Julio · Palermo · Parrilla (Argentine steakhouse): A classic corner parrilla known for grass-fed beef cuts and a deep Argentine wine list; reserve well ahead.
La Brigada · San Telmo · Parrilla (Argentine steakhouse): Long-running San Telmo steakhouse full of football memorabilia, where waiters famously cut the beef with a spoon.
Pizzería Güerrín · San Nicolás (Av. Corrientes) · Porteño pizza: Busy 1930s pizzeria on Corrientes serving thick, cheese-heavy porteño slices, often eaten standing at the counter.
El Cuartito · Retiro · Porteño pizza and empanadas: Old-school pizzeria open since 1934, with walls of sports posters and classic fugazzeta and fainá.
Café Tortoni · Monserrat (Avenida de Mayo) · Historic café: The city's oldest café, founded in 1858, good for a café con leche and churros in an ornate Belle Époque room.
Las Violetas · Almagro · Historic confitería: A grand 1884 confitería with stained glass, known for its generous afternoon tea and medialunas.
Mercado de San Telmo · San Telmo · Food market: A 19th-century iron-roofed market mixing produce and antique stalls with casual counters for coffee, empanadas and choripán.

What should I do?

The classics, and what locals would add.

Recoleta Cemetery · Recoleta: A city of marble mausoleums, including Eva Perón's. Go in the morning.
Teatro Colón · San Nicolás: One of the world's great opera houses. The guided tour is worth it even if you don't see a show.
San Telmo Sunday fair · San Telmo: Antiques, street tango and food along Calle Defensa, Sundays only.
Caminito, La Boca · La Boca: The painted houses everyone photographs. Go by day and stay on the main streets.
A tango show: Dinner shows are touristy but fun; a milonga (a real dance hall) is the local version.
Day trip to Tigre: River delta towns and boat rides, about an hour north by train.