Buenos Aires for 3 days

[Nica]

I will be in Buenos Aires for 3 days around New Years. Our first night there will be a Saturday evening on which I want to plan a birthday dinner for my boyfriend. We're looking for great food, authentic experience with a fun local vibe (not touristy). The past postings about Buenos Aires are a year old so I just wanted to make sure I'm up-to-date. Would La Cabrera or El Obrero fit this description or are there better places you would recommend? As we'll be in Uruguay and Argentina for a few weeks, we don't need all of our meals in Buenos Aires to be steak dinners so I welcome any suggestions as well for the other 2 nights we will be there.

Also I would greatly appreciate any suggestions for nightlife, bars, lounges, etc... ??

[argentinadave]

I will be in Buenos Aires for 3 days around New Years. Our first night there will be a Saturday evening on which I want to plan a birthday dinner for my boyfriend. We're looking for great food, authentic experience with a fun local vibe (not touristy). The past postings about Buenos Aires are a year old so I just wanted to make sure I'm up-to-date. Would La Cabrera or El Obrero fit this description or are there better places you would recommend?  As we'll be in Uruguay and Argentina for a few weeks, we don't need all of our meals in Buenos Aires to be steak dinners so I welcome any suggestions as well for the other 2 nights we will be there.

Also I would greatly appreciate any suggestions for nightlife, bars, lounges, etc... ??

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La Cabrera and El Obrero are great places to go, albeit both a bit touristy. But for good meat and traditional Argentine fare you will do well at both places. There is a great Uruguayan meat place (called parrilla in Spanish) in the neighborhood of Belgrano called "El Pobre Luis." If you feel like a journey into the suburbs, try a place called "Las Talas del Entrerriano" and amazing parrilla, absolutely unpretentious, no ambiance, but probably the best meat and at very cheap prices.

If you want to try something different there are 2 places I recommend. Osaka, a mixture of Peruvian and Japanese, Nobu style, very good. And a must for me is an old French restaurant way off the tourist path. It is called "Les Anciens Combattants", located in San Telmo. The house is an old war veterans' cultural center, very beautiful and authentic. The food is amazing, the chef's father used to run the kitchen, now the son does, he comes out and explains each dish. Freshest ingredients, wonderful atmosphere, great food and you won't hear many people speaking in English there. That would probably be a great choice for the birthday dinner. A good bar is "878" on Thames street. You can check on all these places at a website www.guiaoleo.com.Guia Oleo

Enjoy

[Elena]

If you want to enjoy a good meal on new years eve, make sure the place you plan on going to is open as many don't open on the night and those that do often offer a set menu with some choice available. Clubs will start filling up after midnight (midnight itself is a family affair, with fireworks) as everyone enjoys their last night in the city before heading for the beaches for the month. A good place for good meat with a different presentation to the usual steak and intestines approach is Sarkis (also on Guia Oleo - Arabian food, ie humus, baba ganouj, beautiful kebabs...), not quite in the middle of things but close enough to walk to clubs and bars and also incredibly good value for money. The place is always packed and I always have to wait a good half hour for a table there (there are chair outside for those waiting - it looks like you're going to be there for hours, but once you've given the doorman your name and how many of you there are, it's 30-40 minutes max).

For steak, but also good pasta options and great salads if you've had enough of the meat, Don Julio in Palermo is very good and popular with locals. Good meat, wine and prices (on the corner of Guatemala and Armenia streets I think).

Also, remember that most Argentines don't consider going out to eat until 10pm, so the atmosphere will be lacking if you go earlier.

Good luck, and hope you enjoy wherever you eat...