Eat

Old: Gran Parrilla del Plata
San Telmo’s classic barrio, GPdP is the place to head if you’re in the mood for fine cuts of beef washed down with a Mendozan malbec. True, the service is on the slothic side and the place is perma-packed, but for classic meaty thrills in a city built on beef, this takes some beating. 594 Chile, San Telmo, +54 11 4300 8858; www.parrilladelplata.com.

New: El Baqueano
This newly opened San Telmo eaterie specialises in regional Argentine meat – but not the traditional kind. Menu staples include wild boar (jabalí), ostrich (ñandú), hare (liebre), and alligator (yacaré), served up in dishes like alligator brochettes, lamb meatballs and llama carpaccio. To some, this bovine-dodging is pure heresey, for others, heaven. 495 Chile, +54 11 4342 0802.

Sleep

Old: Alvear Palace Hotel
The clue is in the word ‘palace’ – not, in this case, pretentious hyperbole. For the Alvear is more than a mere hotel – it’s also a source of civic pride, a symbol of grandeur and an enduring reminder of BA’s golden, affluent era. Filling half a block of the lavish Avenida Alvear, the 210 rooms are an ocean of opulence: rich burgundies, antique French furniture and Hermès bathroom goodies scattered around the hot tubs. Avenida Alvear 1891, +54 11 4808 2100; www.alvearpalace.com.

New: Faena Hotel + Universe
A true original in BA. Designed by French master Philippe Starck, this magnificent, lavish and camp lodging is built in the shell of an eye-catching English-style red-brick silo. The hotel continues to house the famous and wealthy in the 105 gorgeous rooms, and the even wealthier in the 83 privately owned apartments. Martha Salotti 445, Madero Este, +54 11 4010 9000; www.faenahotelanduniverse.com.

Do

Old: Recoleta Cemetery
An open-air museum of heart-breaking genius, Recoleta’s Cemetery grand houses for the dead (Evita Perón among them) are food for thought and a feast for the eyes. Junin 1760, +54 11 4803 1594.

New: Tierra Santa
The miracle of eternal life is celebrated every hour at this religious theme park, where an 18-metre animated statue of Jesus rises again and again. Avenida Costanera Rafael Obligado 5790, +54 11 4784 9551; www.tierrasanta-bsas.com.ar.

For more information, see Time Out Buenos Aires.

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