Argentina - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 79

EATING
The bulk of Rosario's restaurants are clustered along
Avenida Pellegrini, although in summer you'll want to take
advantage of the waterfront aspect and pull up an outdoor
chair at one of the many popular restaurants along the
Costanera. Many of these riverfront restaurants open until
the small hours during the summer months, although
most are closed by around 10pm (later at weekends)
during winter.
Ì La Baska Tucumán 1118 T 0341 411 1110. The
empanadas here are piping hot and come with a huge
range of heavenly fillings including prawns, tuna,
mushrooms and Roquefort cheese. Daily 11am-2pm &
6-11pm.
La Casa de Nicolás Mendoza 937 T 0341 447 7533.
A staggering array of meat-free dishes is served at this
inexpensive Asian buffet, and the sushi, stir-fries and soya
burgers make a welcome change from barbecued meat.
Mon-Sat lunch & dinner.
Escauriza Paseo Ribereño, at Escauriza T 0341 454 1777.
Highly regarded parrilla specializing in fish, on the
riverfront near the access to the Victoria road bridge.
Surubi and dorado (river fish) are on the menu as well
as more conventional meat, and the prices are very
reasonable. Daily lunch & dinner.
La Estancia Av Pellegrini, at Paraguay T 0341 440 7373.
Rosario's most popular restaurant is an old-fashioned
place with a vast menu. The emphasis is on - you guessed
it - beef, and it's fun to watch the impeccably suited
waiters rush around with exotic cuts of sizzling cow. Daily
8.30am-1am.
Ì Peña Bajada España Av Italia, at España T 0341
449 6801. Restaurant with a tranquil wooden terrace over-
looking the river and serving cheap barbecued fish feasts.
Access is by elevator. Daily lunch & dinner.
Petra Av Pelligrini 1428 T 0341 449 8369. For a fixed
price, diners can help themselves from the heaving salad
bar before loading up on pizza, seafood and grilled meats
at this bustling tenedor libre (all-you-can-eat buffet). Daily
noon-3pm & 6-11pm.
Via Apia Av Pellegrini 961 T 0341 481 3174. It's easy to
miss this small Italian restaurant among the vast neon-lit
food palaces of Av Pellegrini, but the crisp stone-baked
pizzas are arguably the best in the city. Mon-Sat 6-11pm.

Bar del Mar Balcarce, at Tucumán. A restaurant-bar with
an aquatic theme and colourful mosaics; good for people-
watching before painting the town red.
Berlin Pje Zabala 1128, between the 300 block of
Mitre & Sarmiento W elberlin.com.ar. Regular events and
a steady flow of German beer keep locals coming back to
this trendy bar. Thurs-Sun 11pm until late.
Café de la Flor Mendoza 862 W cafedelaflor.com.ar.
Live music, DJs and pizza fuel the boisterous alternative
crowd at this cavernous joint. Thurs-Sun; shows start
around 8pm.
Gotika City Club Mitre 1539. Spacious, gay-friendly club
in a converted church; come here when you have some
serious energy to burn. Hosts regular shows. Fri-Sun.
Madame Brown 3126. This is the club for party animals
- a mainstream disco with three dancefloors blaring
cumbia , reggaeton, electronica and rock. Over-21s only.
Fri & Sat 2am until late.
Willie Dixon Suipacha, at Guemes W williedixonblues
club.com. Rock out at this live music venue that hosts
quality Argentine acts: a disco follows the band. See
website for schedule.

1

SHOPPING
Bookshop Ameghino, Corrientes 868 ( T 0341 447 1147)
stocks English-language topics.
Clothes The pedestrianized Av Córdoba is a busy shopping
street flanked with handsome historic buildings, many
of which now function as chic boutiques and department
stores. Falabella, at Cordoba & Sarmiento, is a vast depart-
ment store with good bargains to be found during end-
of-season sales.
Markets The Mercado de Pulgas del Bajo flea market is
on every weekend afternoon in the Parque Nacional de
la Bandera, near Av Belgrano 500. Handmade crafts, used
topics and antiques are on sale.

DIRECTORY
Banks and Exchange Banco de la Nación Argentina
at Córdoba 1026; Branches of HSBC at Santa Fe 1064, San
Martín 902 and Córdoba 1770/72. Rosario Transatlantica
casa de cambio generally offers decent exchange rates
and has branches at Rioja 1198 and Córdoba 1463.
Laundry Lavandería VIP, at Maipú 654.
Post office Buenos Aires & Córdoba on Plaza 25 de
Mayo.

DRINKING AND NIGHTLIFE
Rosario's good-looking locals and party spirit all combine
to make it a great place in which to go out. In summer,
the clubs and bars in the riverfront Estación Fluvial attract
a modish crowd. Summer fun also transfers to Rambla
Catalunya, a waterfront avenue in the city's north. Note
that nightlife in Rosario doesn't really get going until
well after midnight, with some clubs not opening until
after 2am.

PARQUE NACIONAL EL PALMAR
Only after ranching, farming and forestry
had pushed the graceful yatay palm to the
brink of extinction did it find salvation in
the PARQUE NACIONAL EL PALMAR . he
85-square-kilometre park, on the banks