Oh, I fell so in love with Buenos Aires, the beautiful “Paris of South America”! It convinces with a unique blend of European elegance and South American charm. You find here stunning architecture, wide boulevards and charming neighborhoods yet always with a South American flair. And to think that my husband and I only came to Buenos Aires as a stopover destination to Chile (see itinerary). Yet we planned three nights to explore it properly – here is my suggestion for a city tour in keywords (under activities on My Google Map). And this included staying at one of the best luxury hotels and dining at hip gourmet (Michelin) restaurants in Buenos Aires.

After letting you know about where to stay in style in this city, you find details to three great foodie spots in town.

Staying in style at The Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt Buenos Aires

Of course, we wanted to stay at a hotel paying tribute to Buenos Aires’ image of “Paris of South America”. And the perfect choice here is – and at the same time one of the best luxury hotels in town – the Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt.

The Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt Buenos Aires’ back story

The Duhau family, renowned land barons, bought the property in the late 1920s. At the time, the existing mansion from 1898 had already been torn down. The new owners asked French architect León Dourge to design a new residence. He did so, and this inspired by Château du Marais near Paris. The result was a splendid neoclassical palace. After the building’s completion in 1934, the Duhau family used it as a residence, and this until 1995. In 2002, a local developer purchased the palace and entered into a partnership with the Hyatt Hotels.

After a 74 million US$ investment, The opening of The Palacio Duhau as a Park Hyatt property took place in 2006. Most of the palace’s original work was preserved. A new addition was an annex, a modern tower in the eastern end of the gardens.

Location

The Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt Buenos Aires is favorably located in the poshest corners of the upscale Recoleta neighborhood. It is on Avenida Alvear, one of the most elegant and sophisticated in Buenos Aires. You find here many high-quality shops, glamorous mansions and quite a few embassies.

Yet the hotel’s setting is also good for exploring Buenos Aires’ sights. The closest is the famous Recoleta cemetery. Plaza de Mayo is less than ten minutes by car away, Plaza Dorrego in the historic San Telmo neighborhood less than a quarter of an hour. And you reach the Park Hyatt in about 40 minutes from the (main) Ezeiza International Airport.

Ambiance/Staff

As stated The Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt Buenos Aires has a rich history and grandeur. The hotel’s palatial elegance is impressive. When entering the historic palace, towering columns, high ceilings, crystal chandeliers and marble floors await you. Personally, I liked Los Salones del Piano Nobile best (à al carte breakfast and light dishes), it is such a beauty!

And there is a lovely tiered garden area, which is considered as one of the best places in town to have a drink outdoors.

The more contemporary newer annex, the Posada Building, was – aesthetically seen – less to my taste. For me, it represents a compromise between tradition and modernity. But I imagine that it was no easy task to complement the original Palacio Building appropriately.

Staff does not fail to impress at The Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt Buenos Aires. The service was excellent throughout our stay. Employees were attentive without being intrusive. Having said that there was a place where the service was not totally satisfactory. And this was at Los Salones del Nobile at breakfast time. Staff cleared plates on our overcrowded table only upon request. And at times you had to wait quite long for being served.

Rooms

Out of the 165 rooms in total, 23 are in the Palacio Building, 143 in the Pousada Building. The ones in the historic house still retain some of their original Belle Époque charm, the others in the high-rise have more have a sleek, minimalistic feel.

My husband and I had opted for a Park Suite in the newer Pousada Building.

Our room was spacious (72 sqm). It was kept in wood (floors and paneling) and muted tones (cream and chocolate).

The marble bathroom/walk-in closet was roomy and took up about a third of the total space. You could enter it either from the entrance or from near the beds.

We very much liked spending time at our Park Suite and also enjoying the views of the historic main building and over the Recoleta neighborhood.

Restaurants

Duhau Restaurant & Vinoteca in the historical building is Michelin listed and offers Argentinean cuisine. You can make your choice of a selection of meats and fishes, yet also some vegetarian choices are available. Gioia Cocina Botánica is also recommended by the Michelin Guide and specializes in botanical cuisine based on plants, fruits, legumes, algae and fungi. It also offers a buffet breakfast in the morning. The third in the row finally is Los Salones del Piano Nobile. This is the place for small bites and an à la carte breakfast. And all these three spots have an outdoor area too!

We did not have dinner at The Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt Buenos Aires, yet we had breakfast here four times.  After having assessed both possible locations we opted for Los Salones del Piano Nobile. And we enjoyed the quiet atmosphere at these beautiful premises very much.

Also the food was fine, however “very American”, which means that you get way too much, especially when going for the American Breakfast (47 US$ for one).

Other facilities 

I will not name all the facilities, as they are quite many of them, check them out here. Yet I would like to point out the art gallery. You find it in a massive marble corridor that goes underneath the mentioned garden to link the historic Palacio Building and the newer Pousada Building. And it is open to the public! Do not be shy and have look around.

Overall The Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt Buenos Aires

If you do not want to stay at one of those faceless, interchangeable hotels, then The Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt Buenos Aires might be for you. The original building is a neoclassical palacio from 1932, the annex – a vintage tower – from 2006. And in-between you find a lovely tiered garden. Its location is great, in a gorgeous tree-lined street in the fashionable Recoleta neighborhood. Staff is immaculate as you expect it in such an establishment and the guest rooms are outstanding. Short, it definitely is one of the best luxury hotels in Buenos Aires, and if you want to know about great fine-dining restaurants in town too, keep on reading.

Dining in style in Buenos Aires

When I planned our Buenos Aires stay – think of staying at one of best hotels in town and dining in restaurants alike – , I only had the 50 Best Discovery list by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants to rely on. End of November 2023, there was a new addition, the Michelin Guide for Buenos Aires appeared for the first time – also the one for Mendoza. As it turned out, I was not that wrong. I had picked out a Michelin one star restaurant and another one listed in this guide.

A stay in Buenos Aires is not complete without eating at one of the traditional parrillas.

More about this and two other fine-dining spots follows in the next section.

Restaurant Don Julio Buenos Aires

Some background & setting

Like I just mentioned, Don Julio is a parrilla. This is a steakhouse where they grill over charcoal at a low temperature for a long time. The cuts are different and often bigger than in the U.S. In addition, the meat is only seasoned with salt and accompanied by a chimichurri dipping sauce. Back to Don Julio, it is not just any parrilla but according to the Michelin Guide in its comment to the one-star award “one of the world’s best”. As to the 50 Best Restaurants award, this restaurant is ranked No 19 and No 3 on the Latin America list.

The current chef at Don Julio is Pablo Rivero. He was in his 20s when the restaurant opened 1999 in the now trendy Palermo Soho neighborhood in a 19th-century corner property. It is said that his grandparents and parents laid the foundation of this success story, all with a background in beef farming and butchery. They refined the breeding and aging process of their beef to highest excellence.

When we approached Restaurant Don Julio on the day we had reserved – our hotel concierge did this as we were not fast enough to secure a table on the release date of the reservations – , we encountered a hustle and bustle around the place. There were lots of diners outside – it was not that warm – , and people queuing for openings. Upon entering, our eyes immediately fell on the spectacular meat display counter and the grill with the two asadores at work.

There is a main dining room and several smaller ones plus a gallery. The atmosphere is lively yet sophisticated. Staff is friendly, efficient and on hand to offer advice as to choosing the right piece of meat for you and the wine to accompany it.

Food, overall & price

Expectations were high – as you can imagine – , and they were fulfilled. I had prepared for the occasion beforehand, so I knew what to order at Don Julio for us. As I had found out that the meat serving sizes were large, we did not order any starters. And you get tasty bread, a small empañada and a small glass of sparkling wine to start the meal. For main course, we opted for a T-bone steak plus two side dishes, mashed potatoes and asparagus, everything to share.

The meat we got was a veritable highlight. After presenting the T-bone steak to us,

the server arranged it on two plates table-side, leaving the bone on site. Every single bit of it was scrumptious, packed ton of flavor and made our tastebuds sing! The side dishes knew how to please too. For dessert, my husband and I shared a Charlotte. That is Jersey milk ice cream with a warm dark chocolate sauce, poured table-side. It was also a flavorful delight.

Dining at Restaurant Don Julio is a must for every steak lover! This restaurant provides the ideal setting for a high-quality parrilla experience. While the ambiance is still casual and the service rather relaxed, the place is also clearly geared towards fine dining. It is true that you find lots of foreigners here, but that does not detract from the enjoyment. Don Julio takes his “meat responsibility” very seriously, even towards non-locals. And from what I read, Don Julio retains a huge local clientele too. Price wise, the T-Bone steak costed about 136 US$. The total check was around 300 US$ for two (with a bottle of La Gran Nave Malbec).

2. Restaurant Crizia Buenos Aires

Some background & setting

This is another long-standing restaurant in Buenos Aires fine-dining scene. Its opening was in 2004 in the Palermo Soho neighborhood. In 2021, the owners, the husband-and-wife-team of chef Gabriel Oggero and front-of-house director Geraldine Gastaldo, moved it to Palermo Hollywood. The dining spot, specializing in produce from the sea from day one, is ranked No 41 on the Latin America list of the 50 Best Restaurants in the World. And it also appears in the newly published Michelin Guide 2024.

As to the restaurant’s appearance, it is modern, kept in dark hues and dimly lighted. An eye-catcher is the three-story vertical wine cellar at the back of the dining spot.

Service on our evening was amiable, hospitable and helpful.

Food, overall & price

The menu here is comprised in five parts: Oyster Bar, Appetizers from the Ocean, Appetizers from the Farm and the Orchard, Main Courses from The Fires (Chef’s Creations) and Main Courses from Wood Fire (Charcoal & Wood Oven). I have to admit that the concept, especially the difference between the latter to sections, seemed somewhat confusing to me. While “The Fires” includes pasta, seafood, fish, lamb and suckling pig, the “Wood Fire” features fish, seafood, Peking Duck and rib eye. Be it as it may, there are lots of dishes to choose from. And if you should be indecisive, you can still opt for the Puro Mar Tasting Menu. However, this is rather pricey (224 US$ per person).

As the chef is a true connoisseur of oysters – from what I read he has been working with the same cultivator since the beginning, I opted for those as starter.

For the main dish, I chose the Patagonian Trout with a colorful vegetable and berry side dish. My husband also had the Patagonian Trout yet as a Tartar in unison with avocado to start the meal. Then he ordered the Patagonian Sea Bass that came with a potato-almond mousse and fennel. For desserts, we decided on the Dulce de Leche variation and the Chocolate Serena creation.

Everything we had was immaculately done and arranged, full of flavor and served by pleasant staff. My husband and I enjoyed our dinner at Crizia very much. In terms of costs, we spent a bit less than 300 US$ for the two of us with a bottle of wine.

3. Restaurant Chila/Amarra (Fico) Buenos Aires

Some background & setting

The third restaurant my husband and I dined at in Buenos Aires used to be a one of the best fine-dining outlets in town – ranked No 26 on the Latin America list of the 50 Best Restaurants in the World in 2022. And this for 17 long years, since 2016 helmed by Pedro Bargero. Meanwhile, it changed its concept. In 2023, the restaurant functioned as a showcase for a number of chefs/restaurants from different regions of Argentina. It did so under the name of Amarra.

You find this eatery in the heart of Puerto Madero in a former warehouse. There is a large windowed kitchen, which you pass when entering the restaurant. The premises are large, modernly styled and overlook the dockyards.

Staff is friendly and inform widely about what Chila/Amarra has to offer. On our evening, Estefanía Maiorano and Martin Sclippa (Fico) were at work.

From what I understand, the circle through Argentina’s kitchens is now closed. As from this point of time, Amarra’s team takes over to propose its own menu. This makes a tour around the country, taking the lessons learned along the way.

Food, overall & price

When my husband and I dined at Amarra, it was up to Fico, as mentioned. You could choose a three-course menu from an à la carte selection with three to five dishes in each section that costed a bit more than 80 US$ for per person. And it included – exceptionally delicious – snacks

and a pre-dessert. We went for the escabeche with mussels, saffron and pickled carrot as well as for the hazelnut port paté as starters. For mains, I had white fish with chard, asparagus and white garlic, my husband ordered a crab burger with fries. And we ended the meal with a chocolate mousse-buttermilk toffee-tonka bean creation plus a rum baba paired with fruit ice cream.

While we were not completely blown away by the food, some dishes just as mussel escabeche or the chocolate mousse dessert were very good. Other items on the menu just as the paté tarte or the rum baba were not that convincing. Both were overly large portions. Furthermore, the former lacked complexity taste wise. And the latter consisted more or less of dough plus was too filling. Otherwise, we liked the contemporary location by the water and the dedicated staff. When it comes to the check, it was the least expensive of our Buenos Aires dining. We paid a bit less than 250 US$ for two with a bottle of wine.

Looking back at my mini-series about a Chile/Buenos Aires journey

The current post about Buenos Aires showcasing one of the best luxury hotels and three fine-dining restaurants in town was the last of totally six about a Chile/Buenos Aires trip. I started with a 20-day itinerary  that focused on My Google Map of the journey complete with all the upscale hotels and restaurants we visited plus the things we did. The latter includes city tours in key words as well, and everything comes with lots of pictures. Afterwards I went into three high-end hotels in Patagonia and the Atacama Desert. Finally, I outlined how to stay and dine in style in three cities, which were Santiago de Chile, Valparaiso and Buenos Aires.

Date of stay: November 2023

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As a significant stage in the life of my husband and mine is about to come to an end – more info to follow later this year – , we  treated us to a special journey. It is about a once in a lifetime trip to Chile. We had thought hard about where to go in South America. After visiting Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands a few years ago, we had been a bit unsure where to head next. Brazil seemed too dangerous for us, Peru rather over-run by tourists. So, we opted for Chile. And this mainly because of its many natural wonders. As always when traveling we were looking for a luxury trip to Chile. While we usually try to avoid overspending when vacationing, we miserably failed here – so much I can tell you already. But first things first.

I start with some thoughts about where to go in Chile for luxury-minded globetrotters and then come to the actual itinerary.

Traveling Chile in style

While we first thought we had had plenty of time (20 days) to explore Chile, we soon found out that this was not necessarily the case. Out of four highlights – Atacama Desert, Patagonia, Easter Island and Lake District – , we had to leave away the latter two. First of all, we “lost” three days because we had a stopover in Buenos Aires.

We opted for this not only because of this city’s beauty but also due to less flight costs when doing so (minus a bit more than 2,000 US$ for two). And second, we longed for a non-rushed itinerary. Having said that we wanted to see different parts of Chile, not only one. Yet Patagonia is usually a must for every Chile traveler boasting varied landscapes with impressive glaciers, bizarre rock formations, blue lakes and extensive steppes.

Patagonia (south Chile, from Puerto Montt to Cape Horn) luxury trip

You have to know that you can easily spend four weeks in Patagonia without seeing it all. It is said that you need about two weeks to do the mayor things here, and this in a quick way. As you might know, Patagonia has a harsh climate. As my husband and I are not too much into spending lots of time at such latitudes, we limited our time here to five days. This is about the minimum time you should come and only allows you to explore one place. My husband and I chose Patagonia’s crown jewel. This is about the Torres del Paine National Park in Southern Patagonia (see post about luxury hotels here). You can reach it by flying into Puerto Natales from Santiago in just over three hours. Then you have to drive another one and half hours to get to the national park’s entrance.

A second Chile destination: Atacama Desert (north Chile, from Copiapó to Peruvian border)

If you want to combine Patagonia with a second destination in Chile – and if you like nature – , then the Atacama Desert is your best option (see post about luxury hotels here). While the Lake District also seems to be worthwhile traveling, Atacama is something special. It is not only the driest nonpolar desert in the world but also features diverse landscapes including geysers, lagoons, volcanoes and crusty hills. As to Easter Island, you have to take into account a flight of five and a half hours in order to get there. To enjoy the island’s cultural heritage and natural beauty to the full, I suppose you should plan at least a four-day stay. So, you need almost one week for this undertaking.

Thus, we went for Patagonia and the Atacama Desert. And to be honest, both of them are not exactly off the beaten path. They suffer from overtourism, especially the place we chose in Patagonia (Torres del Paine National Park). I fully realized this only after our journey. Yet, also in the hindsight, we would make the same choices. The Lake District, the most viable alternative to South Patagonia, is considered as “Chilean Switzerland”. And we as Swiss not necessarily need more Switzerland when traveling.

Santiago & Valparaiso as urban complements to Patagonia & Atacama Desert

Around the two nature highlights of Patagonia and the Atacama Desert we built in a number of urban stays. On the one hand, we were three times in Santiago (post about staying & dining in style) – once at an airport hotel as you cannot fly directly from the Atacama Desert to Patagonia.

On the other hand, we made a three-day visit to Valparaiso (post about staying & dining in style) – a one and a half hour drive away from Santiago.

This beautiful port city is Chile’s second largest and known for its colorful houses built on the many hills that surround it – and Valparaiso is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In total, we had five days in Santiago and three days in Valparaiso. That is a lot of time, but as mentioned, we were looking for a non-rushed itinerary. You can easily reduce the Santiago stay to three days – you probably need one of them for a stopover between the Atacama Desert and Patagonia. As to Valparaiso, two days might be enough to see the mayor sights. We had thought about exploring the wine regions near Santiago. Yet we did not come across a suitable hotel, and so we let it be.

After setting the scene as to this luxury Chile trip, I jump into the details of our Buenos Aires and Chile itinerary.

My Google Map of Chile & Buenos Aires in style, a non-rushed 20-day itinerary 

My Google Map illustrates the 20-day journey to Chile and Buenos Aires my husband and I undertook in the first half of November 2023.

You find here all the luxury hotels (Patagonia, Atacama Desert, Santiago de Chile, Valparaiso and Buenos Aires) we stayed

and the foodie restaurants (Santiago de Chile, Valparaiso and Buenos Aires) we dined,

complete with pictures. In addition, I included all the activities we did,

again with photos.

As far as our stays in Patagonia around Puerto Natales and in the Atacama Desert in the San Pedro area are concerned, I listed all the half and full days trip guided by the hotels we stayed.

With regard to the cities we visited (Buenos Aires, Santiago and Valparaiso), I indicated the routes we took to explore them (self-guided).

In the following, there is also a travel plan of this luxury Chile trip with the number of nights we spent at the respective location (plus hotel).

• 3 nights in Buenos Aires (Park Hyatt Buenos Aires)
• 2 nights in Santiago (The Singular Santiago)
• 4 nights in San Pedro de Atacama (Awasi Atacama)
• 1 night in Santiago (airport, Holiday Inn Santiago)
• 2 nights in Puerto Natales (The Singular Patagonia)
• 3 nights in Torres del Paine National Park (Tierra Patagonia)
• 3 nights in Valparaiso (Casa Higueras)
• 2 nights in Santiago (The Singular Santiago)

What is next about Chile & Buenos Aires

While I provided an overview of our Chile and Buenos 20-day luxury trip in this blogpost, my next posts will be about the details of the respective stops we did. When doing so, I will focus on the hotels and restaurants we visited. Most of them were high-end, as it was a luxury Chile trip. At one point or another, I will also cast a look at activities, yet these will no be at the center of my attention. Instead, refer to My Google Map of Chile & Buenos Aires in style where I have listed all the things we did, complete with (numbered) pictures.

My Chile short series will cover following topics:

• Patagonia (my post): Hotel The Singular Patagonia (half board) and Hotel Tierra (all-inclusive)
• Atacama Desert (my post): Hotel Awasi Atacama (all-inclusive)
• Santiago (my post): Hotel The Singular Santiago and three foodie restaurants
• Valparaiso (my post): Hotel Casa Higueras and three high-end dining spots
• Buenos Aires (my post): Hotel Park Hyatt Buenos Aires and three gourmet restaurants

Date of stays: November 2023

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The post Chile & Buenos Aires in style, a non-rushed 20-day itinerary appeared first on Swiss Traveler.