argentina · October — April · polo season Sep–Dec
The polo capital of the world. Palermo Open in November, La Dolfina, La Aguada. Estancia La Bamba de Areco for the chukkers and the asado. Buenos Aires for the wine bars of Palermo, the steakhouses of Recoleta, the milongas after midnight. The trip that lasts ten days, comes back as a story for ten years.
Where to begin
The addresses I would send to a friend on the first visit. The full guide is below.
Polo estancia · Relais & ChâteauxThe 1830 estancia 120 km from Buenos Aires — Relais & Châteaux, eleven rooms named after polo ponies, and the home of the eponymous polo team.
Parrilla · PalermoPablo Rivero's Palermo Viejo parrilla — Top 3 in Latin America's 50 Best, the Hereford and Angus dry-aged programme, and the steakhouse that defines Buenos Aires.
Polo · November–DecemberThe 132nd Argentine Open at Campo Argentino de Polo — the Triple Crown's final tournament, the most important polo championship in the world.
Recoleta · 5★The Four Seasons in Recoleta — Belle Époque mansion and contemporary tower, the only hotel in the neighbourhood with a proper outdoor pool.
Contemporary · Palermo HollywoodGermán Martitegui's no-menu tasting room in Palermo Hollywood — Latin America's 50 Best regular, and the most ambitious dining room in the city.
Polo · CañuelasThe Cañuelas headquarters of Adolfo Cambiaso's La Dolfina — match days, training visits, and the breeding operation that defines modern polo.
Heritage · 5★The 1934 Duhau Palace and the contemporary Posadas building joined by a garden — Recoleta's most refined hotel, declared a national historic landmark in 2002.
Bodegón · Palermo SohoPablo Rivero and Guido Tassi's 2019 reimagining of the classic Buenos Aires bodegón — pink-painted 1952 house, milanesa de lomo, and Latin America's 50 Best at #24.
Tango · Private guideThe proper Buenos Aires tango evening — a private class at nine, the milonga from ten, the códigos and the music explained by a teacher who stays with you.
Hotels
Book the room.
Puerto Madero · 5★Alan Faena and Philippe Starck's 2004 hotel — the eighty-eight-room property that single-handedly turned Puerto Madero into a hotel zone.
Leading Hotels · 5★The 1932 French-style Recoleta palace — 207 rooms, Leading Hotels of the World since the beginning, and the oldest five-star address in the city.
Authentic · the quiet rooms
Reserve the quiet dinner.
Parrilla · Palermo SohoThe other Palermo parrilla — open since 2002, Gastón Riviera at the grill, two dozen cuts and the side-dish parade that became famous on its own.