Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
115
breakfast). Lunch specials run $3 to $4 (£2-£2.70). They also do takeout, which makes
a great picnic for the park or zoo.
Av. Santa Fe (at República Siria).
&
11/4833-5515.
Main courses $2-$4 (£1.35-£2.70). AE, MC, V. Sun-Fri
6:30am-midnight; Sat 6:30am-2am. Metro: Plaza Italia.
Macondo Bar
INTERNATIONAL/ARGENTINE Macondo Bar is one of the
stars of P laza Serrano, with side walk seating and lots of lev els overlooking the action.
Inside, the restaurant twists around several staircases and low ceilings. It's a loud and busy
place, for sure, but the setup creates a sense of intimacy if you come here with friends to
share conversation over drinks and a meal. S andwiches, pizzas, salads, and
picadas
make
up the menu. DJs blast music of all kinds thr ough the bar, from folkloric to techno to
electronica. Technically, there's no liv e music, but sometimes people come ar ound and
play on the street in front of the bar.
Borges 1810 (at Plaza S errano).
&
11/4831-4174.
Main courses $1-$5 (70p -£3.40). No cr edit cards.
Mon-Thurs 6pm-4am; Fri-Sat 5pm-7am; Sun 5pm-3am. Metro: Plaza Italia.
Malouva
CAFE This is a great location at any time, but it's best late at night when you
have the munchies after barhopping in P alermo Viejo. Malouva is open 24 hours and was
here long before the neighborhood around it got trendy. As such, you're not here for sophis-
tication but, rather , for the simple menu items and the drink selection. Cheap offerings
include salads, pastries, sandwiches, and pizzas. On the downside, service can be slow, and
they don't seem to hav e enough staff for both the indoor and outdoor seating sections.
Nevertheless, lots of y oung local people come her e, making weekends especially crowded,
with kids conversing over large bottles of Q uilmes beer. If you're not staying nearby, don't
worry about getting a cab from here: It's across the street from a gas station where taxi driv-
ers clean and fuel up, so it's easy to get a car fr om here to anywhere. In fact, the table next
to yours may be full of taxi driv ers taking a break from their long days.
Charcas 4401 (at Thames).
&
11/4774-0427.
Main courses $3-$9 (£2-£6.10). No cr edit cards. Daily 24
hr. Metro: Plaza Italia.
Tazz
MEXICAN In an old house, like so many other restaurants in Palermo Viejo,
Tazz is one of the best spots for outdoor seating on all of P laza Serrano. Step inside,
however, and you'll think you've entered the dining hall of a spaceship, with blue glowing
lights and walls, mod aluminum panels, and billiard table after billiard table. The booths
look like little emergency space capsules that can be r eleased if the mother ship gets
attacked. The bulk of the menu is M exican (there are hardly any other Mexican restau-
rants in Buenos Aires). Pitchers of sangria and margaritas add to the fun. M ore of a bar
than a restaurant, this place is very popular, with a very young clientele.
Serrano 1556 (at Plaza S errano).
&
11/4833-5164.
w ww.tazzbars.com. M ain c ourses $4-$8 (£2.70-
£5.40). No credit cards. Sun-Thurs noon-3am; Fri-Sat noon-6am. Metro: Plaza Italia.
Viejo Agump
Finds
MIDDLE EASTERN In the heart of the old Armenian sec-
tion of Buenos Aires, owner Elizabeth Hounanjian offers authentic Middle Eastern cui-
sine and a ne w hub for her compatriots (“ agump” means “ club” or “ meeting place” in
Armenian), in the shado ws of the Armenian chur ch and the community center . The
exposed-brick interior of the old house adds a touch of comfort to the dining area, where
mainstays include kabobs and baklav a. S idewalk seating on this tr ee-lined str eet is a
delight in warm w eather. A special menu is offer ed for about $12 (£8.20), with entr ee,
main dish, and a drink. O n weekends, Arabic belly dancing and coffee-bean r eadings
heighten the ex otic atmospher e. To arrange a r eading, contact the mystic R
5
oxana
