Argentina at Bargain Prices
Taking a trip to Buenos Aires may be less costly than you think.

ARGENTINA (By Fabiola Santiago, Hispanic Magazine) November 2004 - Argentines are known for Texan-like exaggerations, but this is no beef: The filet mignon at Cabañas Las Lilas, an upscale parrilla on the city’s refurbished river docks, is the world’s most flavorful and perfectly moist steak.

The spectacular bife at this traditional parrilla in the Puerto Madero district alongside Río de la Plata is also divinely well-priced. Five of us devour steak entrees, drink two bottles of Argentine cabernet sauvignon from the Mendoza region, and sample desserts for about $135.

In these days of economic and political unsteadiness, Argentina is on sale. The dollar is so strong and European-inspired Buenos Aires is so cheap that to vacation here means to indulge in luscious yet unbelievably cheap meals, shop for quality leather goods at bargain prices, and experience a culture that worships the arts and makes them readily accessible at affordable prices.
All of this in a walking city filled with parks and plazas that is a lot like Rome, Paris and Madrid—without the euro trouncing on the dollar and without the dreadful jetlag of Europe. Buenos Aires is only one hour ahead of Eastern Standard zones, which makes it easy, among other things, to get into the local custom of dining late.

In this age of uncertainty across the Atlantic, the city has become a favorite playground of Hollywood stars.

Buenos Aires, actress Diane Lane says, is where she truly found her Tuscan sun, and actor Robert Duvall will tell you that his favorite spot to people-watch is La Biela, a charming corner restaurant with outdoor seating in the trendy La Recoleta district, famous for the cemetery where Evita Perón is buried but more visually astounding for the imposing mausoleums of prominent Italian families.
The dollar goes such a long way here that it’s possible to treat yourself to an unforgettable stay at the Alvear Palace Hotel, an Old World jewel built in 1932 in La Recoleta and awash in British elegance and wealthy patrons. This is where Hollywood stars stay and even Prince Charles has danced the tango among dark, rich woods and crystal chandeliers.

Voted the best hotel in South America by travel magazines, the Alvear was once untouchable, with the lowest rates hovering in the $550-a-night range. But now it’s available at Internet discount sites for as low as $310 a night; regular rates range from $410 a night to $3,000 for the royal suite where Charles stayed. The rate includes perks such as the best buffet breakfast in Buenos Aires and a personal butler service that unpacks, irons two articles of clothes at arrival, and re-packs for you.

Better priced but equally sophisticated is the Sofitel Buenos Aires, a hub of French style down the boulevard from the Alvear in El Retiro, another of the city’s wealthiest enclaves. Erected in 1929 as the neoclassical Torre Mihanovich, a lighthouse for nearby Río de la Plata, the building was dramatically renovated and inaugurated as a hotel in December of 2002. Traditional French in style with touches of Art Deco, it embodies modern elegance in hues of black, beige and yellow, accented by Argentine leather. Rates range from $240 to $1,110 for the penthouse l’appartement, although $150 introductory rates are available, depending on hotel occupancy or season.
Buenos Aires’ image is closely tied to the soul-stirring tango, and visiting a tango show like Señor Tango is a must for a first-time visitor, but the city offers so much more than that.

For $75, the cost of one ticket in the United States, you can treat five to a Broadway-quality musical or theater show. The last Friday of the month, art-gallery packed Arroyo Street in front of the Sofitel is closed to traffic for gallery night. Argentine wines and champagne freely flow as elegantly dressed people waltz in and out of high-end art galleries, including Christie’s. Across town, in the also trendy Belgrano neighborhood, El Museo de Papel, The Paper Museum, features the work of Argentine artists who produce a diverse universe of works using exactly the same piece of paper. Admission is free.

There is also moderately priced art of quality in every neighborhood. In the antique district of San Telmo you can buy whimsical oil paintings for about $20. At Paseo de los Artistas (Walk of Artists) at a Recoleta park bursting with purple jacarandas in bloom, you can purchase art even cheaper, for about 13 pesos—that’s about $4.50.

Theater is available nightly. The stately Teatro Colón, a must-see architecturally, offers shows for as little as $5, and shows run even on Monday afternoons. Walk along the theater district on Avenida Corrientes and get fliers for the night’s roster of teatro de la gorra, theater acts where you don’t pay to get in, but make a donation after the performance when the hat, la gorra, is passed around.
Buenos Aires is also a modern city. Some U.S.-serviced cell phones work, and in both the Alvear and Sofitel, there are converters for the chargers. Internet service is readily available and cheap. Every neighborhood is dotted with locutorios, Internet cafes where you can use computers for about $1 an hour.
But what takes the beef is well … el bife.

La milanesa rellena at La Farola, a neighborhood chain restaurant specializing in traditional Argentine cuisine, is a spectacle all by itself. It’s so big, it arrives at the table, not on a dish but on a tray, and it is rolled like a wrap and stuffed with ham, cheese, and sliced hard-boiled eggs. As if that wasn’t enough flavor, it’s smothered in a rich potato and mushroom sauce.

The price tag is even better—22 pesos, about $7.30—and it’s so filling two or three people can share one serving. Pair it with an Isenbeck, the national beer, and you’re good for another hearty walk in one of the city’s many bustling shopping districts.

Shop at San Telmo’s antiques flea market, reminiscent of the one in Paris. On Sundays, local artists and antique dealers pack Plaza Dorrego, the center of this old district, and the adjacent streets are lined with antique shops, coffee houses and boutiques. Street performers mingle with anti-government protesters who make the news daily and sometimes gather here in a small group to bang their cazuelas, their rhythmic pots and pans.

For higher-end shopping, visit Patio Bullrich, a modern mall with quality merchandise that straddles the two posh neighborhoods of La Recoleta and El Retiro. For better deals, head to Calle Florida, an entire district of door-to-door stores, more shoes and purses per square mile than you’ve ever seen, a leather shopper’s paradise.

Along the stately Avenida Alvear in Recoleta, haute couture pairs up with high art. Here, the city’s most exclusive designer boutiques stand door-to-door with expensive art galleries. But it’s not without a dash of that Argentine passion that gave the world the tango. Turn a corner and the wall surrounding a compound has become a canvas for a lover who clamors in black graffiti, “te amo con todo mi corazón.”