British-born Louise arrived in Argentina in 2009 for a five-day visit while travelling through Central and South America. Five years, one marriage and one baby later, she lives with her family in the wilds of west Buenos Aires with a bouncy dog and a cat with an attitude. In between making pureed versions of classic Argentine meals for baby, she writes about travel, wine and food, and ponders storms, sunsets and the complexities of the Argentine football league at her blog West of Buenos Aires. She spends her spare time taste-testing empanadas, obsessing about the weather, and plotting Gabrielito’s introduction to Marmite.
Buenos Aires barrios are famously chaotic, crowded and completely captivating. But one new neighbourhood projects a totally different vibe. Want water, wide open space and traffic-free wandering? Puerto Madero is right on the dockside; it’s so far removed from the hustle of the crazy city it provides a breath of fresh air. Check Puerto Madero out in the summer sunshine with our guide to the most un-Buenos Aires barrio in BA.
Desperately seeking Sriracha or sweet chili sauce? Got a taste for tahini or fresh sushi rolls? Barrio Chino in Belgrano has the answer. Buenos Aires’ Chinatown gives you a greater variety of spicy, herby and healthy ingredients and products in two short blocks than you’ll find anywhere else in the city – you’ll even find peanut butter. Local dieteticas, Disco and Jumbo may match you a few of your food cravings but if you want to fill a basket to bursting and still walk out feeling like you should have bought more, Chinatown is your barrio. Tingling taste bud-heaven for foodies. Here’s where to go.
A food festival like Bocas Abiertas reveals all that is interesting, delicious, and above all fun about modern Argentine cuisine. On any given Sunday in Argentina the sweet smell of asado drifts towards your nostrils. But this Sunday, here in San Isidro, other enticing scents are in the air. This was the third edition of…
Olvidate por un momento del churrasco y de las empanadas. Si querés probar algo aún más argentino, pedí una milanesa. Por siempre favorita de los niños y de los adictos a las minutas, en la actualidad la milanesa recuperó su posición de orgullo en la escena culinaria argentina y se sirve en una tentadora oferta de variedades – y en diversos restaurantes.
Cuando el ruido de la ciudad te esté ensordeciendo, agarrá termo y mate y escapate a la región pampeana. En la provincia de Buenos Aires hay más de 20 pueblos turísticos, como le gusta llamarlos a la Secretaría de Turismo de Buenos Aires, aunque son destinos no tan “trillados, más bien lugares vivos que respiran, auténticos, que alardean vistas ventosas, casas coloniales y hasta cerveza artesanal. Todos en un radio de 150 km desde Buenos Aires, estos diminutos pueblos son ideales para una escapada y “recargar pilas” con el canto de los pájaros como único sonido que acompañe.
In Rosario the Río Paraná dominates the urban landscape, its tea-brown waters setting the scene for riverside dining, drinking, strolling, and chilling out on peaceful river islands. While Buenos Aires bursts with capital city pride, Rosario paddles its feet in the water….
¡Feliz primavera! In Buenos Aires the grey skies of winter are receding and it’s time to usher in the spring – the perfect time to explore the city. September 21st is Spring Day and all thoughts turn to blossom, romance, snoozing on the grass, and falling in love with the great outdoors. It’s tempting to think you must leave the city entirely to find some of this elusive green stuff but that would be a mistake…
If you’re new to Argentina and worried about your Spanish language skills, don’t panic – you can communicate with the locals without making a sound. Everyone knows actions speak louder than words, but nowhere is this truer than in Argentina, where the way you touch your elbow means the difference between telling someone they’re stingy and telling them you’re definitely not happy…
You’re never more than a few metres from an empanada wherever you travel in Argentina, and you’re all the better for it. Empanada literally means “wrapped in bread” but this description does not do justice to the wonder of this Argentine staple. These savoury pockets are served warm as a prelude to the asado, or on their own at parties.
Steak, super-sweet desserts, chocolate and Malbec are the highlights of an Argentine dining experience at any time of year. But when Easter Sunday rolls around, you’ve got the perfect excuse to indulge even more. The Easter Bunny may not be making an appearance, but that just leaves more time to savour a special version of a classic Argentine Sunday – a long, lively lunch with family and friends, and a bottle or two of vino tinto. And before the main event, you’ve got 40 days to sample a variety of tradiciones de Pascua. Here’s a must-eat guide to Easter, Argentine-style.