A Perfect Day: Buenos Aires in One Day

For me, there's nothing better than flying to Buenos Aires in winter and getting off the plane to a bright blue sky and summery temperatures. First thing in the morning, I'm drawn to the oldest café in the city. At the Café Tortoni, built in 1858 in the style of the French fin de siècle, waiters in white tailcoats serve a typical Argentinian speciality: medialunas with dulce de leche: pastry croissants with sweet caramel cream. Simply delicious! 

In Buenos Aires, life takes place on the street. Especially in San Telmo, the oldest neighborhood in the city. Here I like to sit in the sun on Plaza Dorrego and watch the colorful life around me. Or I stroll through the Feria de San Pedro Telmo flea and craft market, which has over 300 stalls. It takes place every Sunday on the Plaza Dorrego and is known for its open-air tango shows.

At lunchtime, I find myself in the market hall of San Telmo, which has existed since the 19th century. I have often struck up conversations with locals at the many food stalls. For example, at the El Hornero stall, where you can try empanadas of every imaginable filling. They taste particularly good with a cheese filling.

The La Boca district is a particularly lively area with its brightly colored houses, narrow streets and many street artists. Some of the houses date back to the time when the first Italian immigrants came to Buenos Aires and built their homes out of brightly colored sheet metal. La Boca is also famous because football legend Maradona once trained in the La Bombonera stadium.

Palermo is a young and trendy neighborhood with its many cafés, bars and unusual shops. I once went to a Toten Hosen concert here. The German punk band has had a large fan base in Argentina for over 30 years. I'll never forget the audience shouting along to the Toten Hosen songs in German. Unfortunately, my favourite bar, the Hosen Bar, has now closed.

Palermo is also home to my absolute favorite restaurant, the Lo de Jesus. You can eat first-class steak there, but vegetarians will also be happy. My favorite dish is the grilled cheese Provolone with creamy spinach called Espinacas a la crema.

After dinner, I like to go for a cocktail or mocktail with friends from Buenos Aires to Milión, a restaurant bar in an old Belle Époque-style villa. Supposedly it bears this name because the owner spent a million dollars on its restoration. The investment paid off, and the glamor of the past is still alive.