Buenos Aires: Local Take

Three insiders share their favorite places in the city.

Alejandro Digilio

Chef, La Vinería de Gualterio Bolívar
San Telmo was pretty rough around the edges until a decade ago. Around that time tourists began discovering the area’s hidden jewels. The antiques stores on Defensa and the retro housewares at Cualquier Verdura (517 Humberto Primo) are fun to browse, but I also love what’s left of old San Telmo: the covered, 19th-century Mercado de San Telmo and the café Aconcagua (502 Estados Unidos; 54-11/4362-3826; $), a spot for the old guys from the barrio.

Gabriela Horvat

Jewelry designer
I live near the Paraná River delta in Tigre, a 30-minute drive from downtown Buenos Aires. Every morning I take my dog for a walk on the riverbank Paseo Victorica. Afternoon tea on the veranda at the Tigre Boat Club is lovely; you can watch hundred-year-old boats on the water. For a culture fix, go to the restored Museo de Arte Tigre (972 Paseo Victorica), which features Argentinean paintings from the late 19th through the 20th century.

Aldo Graziani

Sommelier, Aldo’s
I opened the bar Tercer Tiempo in the late eighties, when Palermo was mostly residential. These days the neighborhood is full of hip spots. For lunch, locals go to La Pulpería (1667 Uriarte; 54-11/4833-6039; $$), an old-fashioned diner that serves a delicious oyster-mushroom sandwich. Nearby, Bolivia (1581 Gurruchaga; 54-11/4832-6284) stocks a great selection of men’s clothing, from casual floral-print shirts to slim-fitting suits. Come nighttime, I love Mundo Bizarro (1222 Serrano; 54-11/4773-1967), a cocktail lounge with a great rock-and-roll vibe.

Tango Beats

Sharpen your milonga moves with our dance-filled itinerary.

2 p.m.: Book a class at the salon Confitería Ideal, in a grand 1912 mansion in Microcentro.

10 p.m.: Watch Rojo Tango, the hottest tango show in town, live at Faena Hotel & Universe’s El Cabaret.

12 a.m.: Ready to strut your stuff? Head to San Telmo’s Centro Región Leonesa (1462 Humberto Primo; 54-911/4147-8687). It’s the best place to dance with locals.