Six whirlwind days spent exploring Buenos Aires and Mendoza with the best friend and trip planner a girl could ask for.
If you’d asked me six months ago if I would fly 10 hours across the world alone to a country where I don't speak the language I would have said you’re delusional. After weeks of indecision, doing absolutely no research and waiting until the last minute,
I jumped into the unknown and purchased a nonrefundable ticket to Argentina!
And then I splurged and treated myself to an Away suitcase to accompany me on the journey. Shameless plug: it’s the best suitcase I’ve ever owned.
The best part of an international flight is the free wine. A heavily poured glass of red wine later and you try to get some sleep in a giant flying tube full of strangers.
Day 1:
After making it through customs (shoutout to the family from Texas that adopted me in line), I arrived in Buenos Aires around lunch time. The first meal was at Don Julio, which is one of the nicest steakhouses around. We shared a bottle of Malbec (when in Buenos Aires, amiright?) and had bife de lomo (filet mignon), mashed potatoes and grilled zucchini. I was too tired/hungry to remember to take Instagram worthy photos, but I’m sharing these on the blog because Argentina really knows its way around a steak and you've got to see for yourself.
Our Valentine’s Day dinner date was at Tegui, #49 on the list of the World’s Best 50 Restaurants. I have no food photos because the management encourages you to “take memories, not pictures” but I did get a shot of the menu, pictured below. We feasted on a ten course tasting menu with three appetizer courses plus wine pairings.
A couple things I learned right away: Dinnertime is between 9-10PM (restaurants don’t open until 8) and all meals last between two and three hours, usually with multiple courses.
Day 2:
Explored Kristin’s neighborhood, Palermo SoHo. We started the day with medialunas and coffee at Lucio. And then we moved on to Casa Cavia for lunch because as you know, the best trips revolve around food.
We wandered through the Japanese Gardens, the Rosedal De Palermo (rose gardens) and lots of cute shops!
I don’t have pictures from dinner night two either, because it was dark and we were at a communal table (I know, all you’re hearing are excuses), but post dinner we got ice cream and some fancy cocktails.
Day 3:
Ventured to San Telmo, Puerto Madero, and Centro. Had Choripan for lunch at a food market very similar to North Market here in Columbus. Spent the majority of the day walking around, taking in all the beauty.
I saw an outdoor shopping mall with umbrellas suspended in midair, the Puente de la Mujer (women’s bridge), had a beer overlooking Rio de la Plata, checked out the Plaza de Mayo, and the Obelisk.
Before our tango lesson and show, we stopped in for a late afternoon snack of churros and coffee.
Restaurants in San Telmo: San Telmo Market (we got food from La Choripaneria)
Restaurants in Centro: Cafe Tortoni
Day 4 & 5:
Spent wine tasting in Mendoza, overlooking breathtaking views of the Andes mountains. We visited five wineries in two days completely stress free thanks to our incredible driver Evon. I spent the whole time in awe; I still can’t believe I actually saw the Andes mountains in real life.
At our first stop we were treated to a private wine tasting and a six course meal prepared on an outdoor grill and in a clay oven.
We toured four other beautiful wineries and drank delicious wines.
Wineries visited: Trez Wines, Kaiken, Tucumen, Solo Contigo, and Domaine Bousquet
Day 6:
Adventured through Recoleta, where Kristin attends law school. We grabbed empanadas at this little hole-in-the-wall spot and then went site seeing at the Recoleta Cemetery and El Ateneo Grand Splendid, an old theater turned book store.
Restaurants in Recoleta: La Cocina (second place under empanada section)
Going on this trip reminded me that it’s good to get out of your comfort zone, seek adventure and do anything you want. And now I want to explore the rest of the world.
I’ve linked all restaurants and wineries above, if you’re planning a trip to Argentina and have any questions, reach out! Also, most of the restaurants in Buenos Aires were pulled from the Eater list
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