As far as classic neighborhoods go, few can beat Buenos Aires’s Recoleta. While many might label it a place better reserved for buttoned-up, moneyed ladies who lunch, it’s surprisingly diverse, offering a wide array of experiences that the Argentine capital’s currently hip enclaves can’t match. It mixes fine dining with street food, fine arts with craft cocktails, and it is home to one of the world’s most oft-visited cemeteries. Here, a guide to making the most out of its timeless grandeur.
No hotel captures Recoleta’s elegance quite like the Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt Buenos Aires, a neoclassical mansion built in the 1930s when wealthy Argentine families were trying to recreate the grandeur of European architecture. Palacio Duhau, as the hotel is known by locals, is comprised of two buildings each with its own entrance and aesthetic. While the entire place oozes discrete elegance, you'll definitely want to score one of the 23 rooms in the original palace. Details like French windows, stucco fireplaces, hardwood floors, and crystal chandeliers live up to the hotel’s glamorous reputation. But regardless of where you end up sleeping, Palacio Duhau’s major draw (among both locals and travelers) is the terrace and patio that acts as the central hangout between the two towers. When it’s sunny out, it’s the ideal spot to take your breakfast, where you’ll have unobstructed views of the palace’s beautifully carved façade.
If you do decide to shack up at Palacio Duhau, you needn’t go far to partake of one of the neighborhood’s premier culinary experiences. The hotel’s fine-dining masterpiece Duhau Restaurante & Vinoteca marries Argentine ingredients with French cooking techniques to delicious and sometimes whimsical effect. Start with the provoleta, the national spin on melted cheese. Here, aged and smoked goat cheese is paired with caramelized onions and shaved fennel. And because this is Argentina, meat is a must. The kitchen prepares a mouthwatering tasting plate of different cuts of local meat, all of it grilled to perfection and accompanied by a variety of sauces. Just around the corner from the hotel is Fervor, a brasserie-style favorite among Recoleta’s finest, who often bring out-of-towners. It makes perfect sense: There’s a convivial atmosphere that feels distinctively local, and the menu is massive. There are plenty of Argentine classics here, but it’s really known for fantastic seafood. If you go with a group, commit to the massive parillada de mar, a feast of expertly grilled seafood and fish. You might be hanging out in the city’s most exclusive district, but one of Recoleta’s most beloved foodie stops is La Cocina, a dive-y empanada hotspot near Buenos Aires’ famous cemetery. The Pikachu is one of its best sellers—a little bit spicy and loaded with cheese.
Recoleta’s leafy streets are full of fabulous indie boutiques, design shops from local creatives, and quirky souvenir stores. Strolling around will bring you into contact with countless addresses worth popping into and spending you hard-earned pesos. (Right now, $1 converts into 16 Argentine Pesos.) But for a more exclusive shopping excursion, give Mai 10 a call. This bespoke tour operator specializes in providing travelers an insider’s look into Argentina; owner Maita Barrenechea is very well connected in Buenos Aires and can organize a day of Recoleta shopping that even in-the-know locals would have a hard time accessing on their own. Accompanied by a local stylist or interior designer, your day might include a private meeting with Martin Churba, the designer behind the country’s most renowned womenswear label Tramando, which is known for its sculptural collections featuring eye-catching textile details like hand painted linen jackets and origami-like folds on dresses. Personalized perfumes, made-to-measure leather, and customized jewelry are just a few other stops on the itinerary.
Of all the cultural points of interest in the neighborhood, the one you can’t leave without seeing is Recoleta Cemetery. There are thousands of above-ground mausoleums here, most of which were built with intricate architectural details, from Art Deco to Gothic to Art Nouveau. Argentina’s iconic Evita Peron is also buried here, and hers is one of the only mausoleums that attract a significant audience so it won’t be difficult to find. Art enthusiasts should certainly visit the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes to see its impressive inventory of paintings from the likes of Rembrandt, Titian, and Monet plus works by national artists. The city’s cocktail scene has recently blossomed, but unfortunately, Roceleta is not home to very many of the newer drinking dens. But there are a couple: Pony Line’s decor takes inspiration from the world of polo, one of the country’s cultural cornerstones, with lots of smooth leather and even section partitions that resemble stables. The scene is young and the cocktails are inventive with local ingredients like yerba mate and Torrontés wine. Another hip hangout is actually in the next neighborhood over, but it’s so close to Recoleta that it’s worth mentioning: Florería Atlántico, a speakeasy behind a flower shop that was so buzzy when it opened in 2013 that it was almost inappropriate to call it a speakeasy. It’s been a few years, but the crowds are still here sipping on globally inspired craft cocktails, from Italian spritzes to G&Ts made with an in-house gin infused with eucalyptus and other botanicals.