I’ve turned to my readers before for suggestions in Miami, Montreal, Toronto, and Washington D.C. and readers came up big time (as you can tell from my subsequent trip notes from Miami, Montreal, Toronto, and Washington D.C.).
I haven’t asked for feedback on international trips that I’ve taken, but I’ve got nothing to lose by seeing if any of my readers have any tips to share!
We’ll be staying at the Park Hyatt in a suite, thank to the Hyatt card and points from cards like Chase Sapphire and Freedom.
-So what activities shouldn’t we miss and what should we skip? (Stroller friendly is a must these days!)
-Which kosher restaurants should we eat at and what do they each make best? Any good cholov yisroel ice cream? Best place to pickup some takeout food for shabbos?
-Is it worth adding on a trip to Iguazu Falls, or better to save that for when the kids are older and will appreciate it more?
Hit the comments and let’s hear your thoughts!
@C:
Any activities you would recommend in BA with a 10 month old?
I think we’re going to save Iguazu for a future trip when the kids are older and can hike/boat and appreciate it.
Dan,
I’ve lived on and off in BA over the last 5 years. I don’t eat kosher, so can’t really help you there…although I could give you a ton of suggestions that aren’t kosher. The best pizza place in BA is Siamo nel Forno (thin crust Italian stlye). You can check out restaurant reviews at http://www.guiaoleo.com.ar or order delivery from a wide selection of places at http://www.badelivery.com. Check out these food blogs: http://www.pickupthefork.com and http://www.thelostasian.com. Although the Park Hyatt is nice and you are using points, I don’t love the area. Recoleta is nice, el Centro not so much. I much prefer Palermo Soho, Palermo Chico, Las Canitas, Belgrano to be wandering around in. You aren’t far from Puerto Madero, which offers upscale waterfront restaurants, but to me is lacking in any Argentine culture. Near from there is the Faena hotel, which is quite nice for a drink, although expensive.
Iguazu is an impressive sight to behold, but there is no need to spend more than a day or two there. Check into booking flights on Lan (you can transfer from SPG at 2X1 + a 20% bonus) or using Avios points for the short haul on it’s partner Lan. In addition, Bariloche, Mendoza, el Calafayte, and up North around Salta, are all very worthwhile trips. Flights within Argentina can be crazy expensive, so using points can be a great value.
Disfrutalo! Que tengan un buen viaje!
order a “fugazetta” at any pizza place
“bife de Chariso mariposa” and “pastromi show” at el galope a must
the best restaurant that I literally ever ate in was in Buenos Aires!! Went there in December. It’s called Asian. And is amaaaaaaaaazingly delicious. Nice steak house with a unique menu. Go there for sure.
@Anonymous: Hint: the kosher one has a HUGE sign in front that says…. KOSHER!!
ok im a shliach in ba this year.. so feel free to ask any questions and i’ll try to get you the answers and suggestions, for fun things with reviews..
1st off here is a good website for “jewish” buenos aires info including names and addresses of almost all the jewish resteraunts etc
http://www.turismojudaico.com/contenidos/Argentina/pagina/1
btw for good exchange rates of about 1$us to 4.7-8-9-9.5 come to aguero there’ll be quite a few people happy to change for you. also the guys on the street that’ll offer you about 4.7-9 as well are known to have fake bills..
1st off the hotel is 14 blocks from chabad central (1164 aguero) there you’ll find a kosher store built into the side of the chabad complex, its not “empire kosher” CH, but it has some salads and challahs for shabbos
http://goo.gl/u1CeD
there is a nice kosher bakery close by on tucuman 2663 more info here http://goo.gl/uMgvs
there is 2 gr8 ice cream stores, i’ve mainly been to one, – “maichel”. it’s a nice small clean place with quite a few type’s of ice cream typically served in a Styrofoam tub. (1/4 kg 18 peso)
pareve sucks milchiks is gr8 – the vanilla is yellow btw.. a must have is “dulce de leche” the wine ice cream is interesting, nothing special tho.. unless you love wine.
(cholov yisroel under R.feigleshtock – local chabad rov)
more info here
http://goo.gl/UAU2W
al galope is a must. it not very expensive when compared to your average american resteraunt,.. i would suggest tho, that if you came all the way here, go for the biggest item wich is a grill, delivered to your table filled with pretty much everything they sell including “moshecha” (sweet breads – really good – its not the brain.. some people mix that up) and a couple other weird stuff as well as their really prime steaks, top ribs chorizo – (sausages) etc.. i think it costs 250 peso. + it’ll cost you more for drinks and tip etc.. but i think its well worth it. you’ll be eating the equivelent of almost 150$ of meat at a butcher let alone a resteraunt.
map here http://goo.gl/IDmOs
many people suggest “resteraunt asian” apparently they have gr8 sauces and marinades etc. its a little more expensive than al gelope but officially also a must eat at if your visiting argentina.
remember. no jokes. the meat here is undoubtedly the best meat you’ll ever taste.
more info pictures etc here http://www.asiankosher.com/
menu with english – http://www.asiankosher.com/menu.pdf
a great bakery (spanish its called “panederia” ) is “malena”
there are 3 catering services that you could probably order shabbos food from,
victorias catering
num 49645943
alejandra cohen
46375393
bata catering
48017282
i dont know wich is best but i will ask around.
thats all for now.. good shabbos.
Checkout the cool casino boat docked about 15-20min from the jewish community Once (pronounced ‘onsay’)
You will find some young lubabs there and im sure they can show you around town aswell.
They have 3 floors, and the top one is for US currency gambling, which feels like a high end vegas style feel place and the 2 bottom floors are peso currency for the locals which is ghetto style. Pretty cool, check it out, make sure to bring passport.
Milchigs – Saltanis
Meat – Al Galope
Thursday afternoons – Mothers of the Plaza De Mayo protest
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothers_of_the_Plaza_de_Mayo
day trip to Tigre River Delta:
http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/11/28/travel/28tigre-overnighter.html?pagewanted=all
Eva Peron’s tomb / Recoleta cemetery
graffiti walking tour with graffitimundo.com
Teatro Colon performance & take the tour – do both!
MALBA museum is excellent
Evita Museum
Palacio Barolo tour is very fun http://www.palaciobarolotours.com.ar/homein.html
there is an awesome zoo that allows you to go in and pet the animals lions, elephant etc.
really cool
Don’t miss the amazing rabbis there. In the aguero area you’ve got R Tzvi grunblatt, R Osher Farkash, as well as some fascinating people in the yeshiva. They have students and staff from all over South America, and some of them have some pretty neat backgrounds. Meet someone named Michael Tacher, previously a soldier in Fidel Castro’s army, an amazing person (Michael, not Fidel).
Hey Dan
Have you ever tried staying in Cleveland for more than a month? They say it is very ineresting!!!!
My advice to you: don’t worry about missing something. Just make sure you have a relaxing time and try to soak up the culture and just take walks. Can’t wait for your trip report!
Do you have any advice on flying longhaul a couple hours after a colonoscopy? Will it be uncomfortable? (I’m traveling to europe the evening of my colonoscopy 🙁
Hey dan, i was in ba for a year last year and im into food so here are a few tips on food there.
1. there is a great sushi/milchig place in Buenos Aires Design Mall located in Recoleta called sushi Go.(http://www.sushigo.com.ar)Obviosly it aint america but for argentina its great.
2.2 very nice upscale Fleishig places. 1 is called Tucson(actually a non kosher franchise but the opened a kosher branch)on salguero 2741. (within 2 blocks are also a few other descent places a sushi place(beware of the non kosher one next door)called dashi, a fleishig place (no cc) called el pasache (they have a milchig one next door)…..Starbucks right there……
3. Nice upscale fleishig place called Asian. Slightly different area then the afformentioned but very worth it.
4. Must see Massive Chabad on Aguero 1164(there is a kosher store next door called Tate Kosher, But in general you should find out witch hechsherim you eat there before you go because it does not work like in america where you have ou on everything…maybe ask sandhaus)
5. i would take a horse and buggy ride around palermo . but dont let them rip you off because you dont speak spanish.
anyway ill be here all night so just enjoy and i think you SHOULD invest in going to iguazu!
Oh and how can i forget on tucuman (near corrientess) there is a good bakery called Kokush (and the guy there speaks english!!!!) so you can go there and pick up some baguettes and go across the street to the kosher store and pick up some cold cuts and make some subs for your trip to Iguazu!!!:):):) Thats it for now. good night . enjoy
Recommend “Al Galope” for the heimishe style and steaks (at Tucumán 2633 open pretty late in the afternoon before Shabbos) and “Asian” which has upscale Asian fusion and meat (Cordoba Ave. 5288)
i was there for a friend’s chasuna. not much to do but, eat, eat and eat some more. Better said, meat, meat and meat some more. Meat is cheap so u get some good steaks for amazing prices. can’t recall any names of restaurants just be prepared to eat meat!
you can call me but im sure when dani will be back as always he will post pictures as well as write his experience here and the things that are worth doing as well as place that he recomends visiting and restorants that are worth eating at…
English please …..
@ shloimy sanhaus Hi I am also going this summer ( or winter August!) and was wondering if you mind if I call or email you as well, I had a few questions and don’t have any south american contacts.
Maybe there are three Mcdonalds in that mall – we kept going back and forth to two and didn’t see any kosher sign! The pizza shop is on my sisters corner – nice looking place – I have a picture maybe I can attach it. Also, be careful, not all the hecsherim are acceptable. and hope you know spanish!
Iguazu is worth a few trips – I’ve been twice – it makes Niagra Falls look like a puddle
Patagonia in the south is also beautiful
Taxis are tiny Renault ultra compacts so stroller may be a squeeze – I have many Argentina trip reports on my blog that may be of interest
There’s a wonderful – enormous – artisan’s market FERIA PLAZA FRANCIA (with many very unusual, reasonably priced, handcrafts) in the big area next to the Design Center & Recoleta Cemetary at Puerrydon & Libertador. Sunday it usually starts at around 12 noon.
The excellent National Museum of Fine Arts (Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes) is in that same area (Avda. Libertador), and there is no admission charged.
hey dan, you ever go to alaska? if you did any trip notes?
Ok enjoy 🙂 they do put whole olives on the pizza ( in some places) in my opinion it’s a chocking hazard!
dani, i dont know if you remember me, but we were together in brazil on 2003-2004. (i almost went with you and leivi krinski to japan).
I live in argentina and in retribution for all the points/miles that i made thanks to you, i will be more than glad to give you advice in anything you need and answers for all those questions you have! i know this place better than anyone and im sure you will have lots of fun!
you guys are already invited for a shabbos meal!
my cell phone number for when you will be here is: 153-210-3832. (if you want to call from the us you have to dial: 001-549-113-210-3832) you can call me anytime or email me.
when are you coming?
About one hour away by car is the Lujan Zoo, where you can pet and feed lions, as well as play with monkeys and a few other animals. I think it’s definitely worth a half day trip.
@GD:
How is that compared to taking taxis?
@Chaya:
Which bakery?
Which American couples are down there?
@Lcyitz:
People say that about Brazil, but I enjoyed the change of pace from American pizza.
@dan Not a good idea to even try pizza in argentina in my expeirience. Stick tithe meat it’s what they are good at 🙂
Make sure to go to Florida Street for street vendors and cool street shopping.
Also there a few chabad american couples there so maybe network with em for shabbos. and do NOT forget the BAKERY!!! for the dolce de leche bake goods. yum!!!!!
Also, its cold there now.
Just got back from BA on Monday. I would suggest the Teatro Colon. It is a fantastic building and if you are lucky, you might get a peak at a practice session for the upcoming opera. You should go to the neighborhood La Boca, it is not amazing, but you will get some great pictures in front of the colorful houses. Do not go to the Jewish museum, it is a basic tour of Judaism as opposed to the true history of Jews in Argentina.
Also, you should not be scared for your safety as there is not rampant violent crime, but you need to be aware of your surroundings. Make sure you have no visible gold or valuable watches when you go out, these will make you a target for muggings.
The tourist bus is a very convenient way to see the main sites.
http://www.buenosairesbus.com/en/city_tour.htm
@Mocha:
Years ago I went with a friend and we took a bus outside the city to a petting zoo where we pet lions and tigers. Was awesome.
@Avi:
Is there any site that has an accurate list of restaurants?
Chabad Houses may have meals, but that doesn’t help when you have an infant in a city that has no eruv! Any takeout places?
Care to review any of the places you went to?
@hi:
The top-rated carseat by consumer reports:
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/19149
@Shmulik London:
Which pizza shop is decent? Do any of them ice cream? (Gonna need to find some dairy for my better half 🙂 )
@Nun:
Any specific places for those activities that stuck out?
@levi:
Yup, and I will be back to Brazil for sure, so maybe it’ll wait for another time.
iguazu was cool but i think the best part was taking a hike to the falls it might not be the best trip with kids.
@hudi: Toeles for the specific question/person.
@Anonymous: the kosher one says McDonalds Kosher on the front sign that should be a hint 😉
@Hudi For him it would be toeles. For everyone else it isnt.
It is better to say where you SHOULD go rather than where you should NOT go, in any case.
for some it might b le’toeles but if ur not going it might not b
Just Saying
Igaucu falls is a must! It’s one of the most beautiful places on earth!
Visiting BA is all about city life, and not as much about tourist sites. So you should try to enjoy things like restaurants, nightlife, shopping and open markets. I thought Iguazu was the highlight of my last trip, but if you’re definitely going back when the kids are older then I guess you can put it off.
@Yehuda: Whats the diff bet loshon hora in public or email?
I went with my wife and two small kids last summer for a week. We travel alot including to Southeast Asia and Europe where you can generally get around using English. Argentina is different. Even the frum people do not speak English. Bring a dictionary. Also, though the food is generally good, the ambiance is not what you are used to in America. Very dirty looking restaurants Mc Donalds at the mall being the exception. Dont want to write loshon hara on a public board but if you have questions feel free to email me.
@Avi: False. Mcdonalds in Bet She’an is Glatt as well. I know Rabbi Lasri who gives the hechsher.
Dairy in Argentina is nothing to write home about, They have one pizza shop there that is decent the rest are whatever.
Mama Jacinta, El Galope, Sukkat David, and El Passache are all ones that i recommended.
McDonald’s is good to visit as a tourist but the food is really horrible
I believe they have opened a decent sushi spot since i have been there last
@Anonymous: the McDondals that has the huge kosher sign is the kosher one, its right next to burger king.
BTW its the only GLATT McDonalds in the world.
which car seat do you have, where did you get it from and how much did you pay for it?
this is a website for free walking tours (you still hve to tip) http://www.bafreetour.com/english-buenos-aires-walking-tour-recoleta it will give a great sense of the city and alot of history and culture, one of the tours goes by the site of the isreali embassy bombing and memorial. you should take atleast 1 stroll at 1 or 2 am to get a sense of the night life.
the list of kosher restaurants that you will find online is in noway accurate. some have closed down. there are alot that are not on the list at all. if you walk around the side streets in jewish area near Tucumán and Pueyrredon you will find a few kosher bodegas where you can ask the locals everything you wants, when i went we fond a small meat restaurant (I think it was called tov tam, or something like that) it is kind of a dive but they make great stake and burgers. you can get pareve sherbet at a chain called Freddo, don’t know about CY. There are alot of chabad houses were you can get meals for shabbat.
getting around on foot or Subte (subway) is easy but strollers are hard because the streets can be narrow with cracked and uneven cement.
Iguazu is a far shlep and there is only one thing to do there ( the falls). Bring your own kosher food or stick to fruits and vegis.
La Plata is a small city about an hour outside BsAs, you can take the bus for about 30 Pesos.
I was there for a week but still have alot to see.
Kosher mcdonalds in the abbasto mall, but be careful, there are two, one not kosher, and we couldn’t tell which was which
Buenos Aires is beautiful and there’s lots to do. But if you end up being in the mood for something different, I recommend you just hop on to a Buquebus ferry, and for under $100 you can take a one-hour ride on a comfortable ferry to Colonia Del Sacramento, Uruguay. You can walk around the ferry, buy drinks, and there’s even a nice Duty Free. You can even take your car with you (confirm this with your rental company). You can either go to Colonia for a day, or you can make it into a two-day trip and visit some other parts of beautiful Uruguay, like Montevideo, Punta del Este, or Rocha. Then you can take the ferry back from Montevideo (3 hour ride to Buenos Aires). Sometimes you can find cheap BUE-MVD-BUE flights as well. For some people it pays to make their flight from America to Montevideo instead Buenos Aires (if you’re using AA miles it’ll cost you the same) and save the $150 that you’ll otherwise have to pay for an entry visa at the airport in Buenos Aires (last time I checked that’s how much it was), and instead go to Buenos Aires by ferry from Montevideo (they shouldn’t charge you for an entry visa if you enter Buenos Aires by sea), and make your return flight from Buenos Aires so that you don’t have to return to Uruguay to catch your flight back.
Enjoy your Asado!