Buenos Aires City Guide

Sophisticated yet surprisingly cheap, Buenos Aires is known as the Paris of Latin America. Its Baron Haussmann-inspired boulevards and leafy plazas are made for wandering. Visitors come from far afield for the Argentina capital's chic boutiques, fancy restaurants and vibrant nightlife.

* See
* Spend
* Get Out
* Culture
* Eat & Drink
* New Perspective

See

Buenos Aires is a city of diverse neighbourhoods and entertainment. Spend pesos in the boutiques and chichi restaurants of Palermo. Stroll round the bombastic grandeur of Recoleta Cemetery and the MALBA's modern art. Drink in the atmosphere at the San Telmo Market. And catch a world-class soccer game at the Boca Stadium.
Spend

Shop for antiques along Defensa in San Telmo. Stock up on the delicious dulce de leche – a kind of caramel fudge, and buy a case of Mendoza wine from the upmarket grocery stores in Recoleta. Buy international designer names on Recoleta's Avenida Alvear, and look for local design at Puro Diseño or in the boutiques of Palermo Soho.
Get Out

The Park 3 de Febrero in Palermo is the largest outdoor space in the city, where roller-bladers, cyclists and walkers head in their droves at weekends. Take a ride in an old-fashioned carriage, and don't miss the lovely rose garden, the Rosedal, for its legion of summer blooms.
Culture

Venetian mosaics and Carrera marble decorate the interior of the imposing Teatro Colón opera house at the cultural heart of Buenos Aires. Rub shoulders with the city's smart-set during the opera, ballet and concert season from May to December. Or head to a milonga – a traditional tango dance – to see the tango danced with real passion in its homeland.
Eat & Drink

Beef is the staple of the Argentine diet – justifiably famous, tender, pampa-fed beef, served at parrilla establishments all over the city. Just follow your nose, or try the patio restaurants of Puerto Madero for sophisticated steaks with a view. For inventive, international cooking, make for Palermo, particularly the upmarket Las Cañitas district, where sushi, tapas and Asian fusion are all in evidence. The city's Italian immigrant tradition is reflected in some great pasta and pizza restaurants – downtown is where you'll find many of these.
New Perspective

The simple white-and-blue Basilica Nuestra Señora del Pilar in Recoleta is one of the city's oldest churches, and is well worth a visit to see its ornate, pre-Hispanic-style Peruvian altarpiece. Before leaving, head upstairs to the monks' old cloisters. From there you can get a great view over the top of the adjoining Recoleta Cemetery, and its mini-city of ornate tombs and sculpture