Anonymous wrote:Drink Malbec and eat steak! And Freddo gelato!

This!

Love this cafe
https://www.yelp.com/biz/vive-caf%C3%A9-buenos-aires


Buen viaje.

I did this trip 15 years ago and LOVED it! Have a blast!!

You all are awesome! Pulling up Eater now and planning to download the local rides app!
Riding the struggle bus trying to reserve dinners ahead… what methods outreach worked (besides stopping by earlier in the day, which is a good idea for backup)?

We used credit cards and took Uber everywhere in BA. Always just walked into restaurants. We ate at normal times for us (7-8pm dinner) I suppose we had some later nights. We also had a wonderful high tea at one of the old grand hotels in Recoleta— maybe it was the Alvear Palace Hotel? I’m a vegetarian and never felt like I lacked for a good meal; steak-eaters were always very happy.

Drink Malbec and eat steak! And Freddo gelato!

Also recommend Eater for restaurant recommendations in Buenos Aires. Don Julio is the best for steak if you can get a res. Probably easier to get the earliest reservations. They do eat late.

Many places prefer you to pay in cash and will give you a cash discount. Bring crisp $100 bills and you can exchange them at Western Union and other exchange offices for a much better rate than at regular banks. If you can get the blue rate on your credit card, that's a good option if you don't have cash. "Cabify" is the Argentinian version of Uber. Super cheap. Uber is actually illegal there although they are around. The cars are small. Very hard to get a larger car. Check your Argentinian airline carry-on rules about sizes. I was disappointed that we had to check our bags on the intra-Argentina flights even though we are able to carry them on for nearly every other plane I've been on (the Away universal carry-on). If you rent a car, don't be surprised by police check points on the highway.

Thanks, gang. Would love to hear names of favorite restaurants, coffee shops, pastry places etc in Calafate. Live music could be fun, too.
We will be in BA on Christmas Eve and I booked a hotel on points - confirmed they will have room service available, so we have a backup room plan.
Will be in San Martin de Los Andes the 25th - will get busy trying to pin down someplace for dinner!

Anonymous wrote:Their president is a total nut. He communicates with his dead dog.

Please let us know how it goes!

You know what they say about people in glass houses…

Anyway, let’s keep this to Argentina travel tips and not a political discussion.

Anonymous wrote:Their president is a total nut. He communicates with his dead dog.

Please let us know how it goes!

OP probably unlikely to be having any presidential meetings, but I guess a possibility to consider.

I spent Christmas Eve in El Calafate in 2004 ... so I am no help on things like Uber. But I had a glorious Christmas Eve dinner at a small restaurant on El Calafate's main street -- they had a special set menu as did many other places that evening, and all required reservations. (I did get one just by walking in that afternoon, though.) Dinner was late there in general (as in the rest of Argentina and also Chilean Patagonia, or at least the part I visited) and this meal was ending as the midnight fireworks went off for Christmas Eve.