Buenos Aires: Palermo & Chacarita

Palermo is the 'it' neighborhood. In recent years it transformed from a family-oriented barrio to the hive of bohemian and fashion activity in B.A. To the west lies the residential area of Chacarita.

SEE

Bosques de Palermo
One of the many parks in the northeast section of the neighborhood. In one swath of greenery you'll find botanical and Japanese gardens, a zoo, and a hippodrome. A terrific place to spend an afternoon.

SEE

Plaza Armenia
A favorite weekend hangout that's unknowingly skipped by tourists but packed with young professionals who fill the artsy cafés and restaurants that border it. Sidewalk terraces are crammed with people and with vendors selling their wares (mainly cheap, trendy jewelry).

EAT

Lelé de Troya
Calle Costa Rica 4901, 011-54-11/4832-2726
There's a room to suit your every mood in this fun, super-inexpensive Argentine/Mediterranean restaurant-red, green, yellow, and blue to be exact. Feeling amorous? Sit on couches in the boudoir-style red room and savor the house specialty, lomo croquante-crispy tenderloin wrapped in phyllo with mushroom mousse and spinach.

EAT

Pizza Que?
Calle Charcas 4037, 011-54-11/4833-3165
Rich, stone oven-baked pizzas. Rough wooden tables and candlelight add to the bohemian ambience. Perfect on a cold night; grab a beer with your pie and stay into the wee hours.

SPLURGE

Cabernet
Calle Jorge Luis Borges 1757, 011-54-11/4831-3071
Sophisticated Argentine-Mediterranean food that's earned a local following. The chef's specialties are a rich lobster-asparagus risotto and an unusually delicious lomo cabernet, medallions of beef wrapped in cured ham with a mushroom and wine reduction. Sit on the stone-paved patio amid lush greenery in summer, or in wood-paneled elegance next to a fireplace in the colder months. A fine four-course meal with wine, coffee, and impeccable service runs $35 per person.

DRINK