San Telmo is known as the birthplace of Tango. This is probably the most laid back neighborhood in
Buenos Aires, and is one of my favorite barrios in town. San Telmo always has a good mix of locals and tourists in the restaurants and bars. I always feel that this is a good indicator that you are hanging out in the right place.
San Telmo also features the popular antique market every Sunday. During the market the city shuts down Defensa (street) from 25 de Mayo to Avenida Independencia. Up and down Defensa there are different things to see and do: Tango dancers that perform for you, other tango dancers who just pose for pictures, local artists who make and sell jewelry, artists who sing and play music, etc. Just make sure that you watch your belongings when your walking through the market, because there are plenty of thieves who are waiting for the perfect time to rob you. Don't get me wrong...San Telmo is safe but watch your things.
I can't tell you how many nights I spent hanging out in San Telmo. I probably went to eat or hang out in San Telmo twice a week during my two month stay. You can get to San Telmo by taking a taxi, bus, or by using the Subte (get off at the Estacion Bolivar and walk along Calle Bolivar away from la Casa Roja).(picture on left from allabout argentina)
Plaza Dorrego is where a lot of the action takes place during the
weeknights and weekends. It is a lot of fun to go and hang out there on a Saturday afternoon and people watch. In this Plaza you can relax and just take in what San Telmo is all about. There are a lot of tables and chairs set up in the Plaza for people to sit and watch couples perform tango or musicians playing different instruments. When these performers are done performing they come by each table and try to get a tip from you. Don't be surprised when they come by your table multiple times!
There are also a couple of restaurants that are surrounding the Plaza. The restaurants send out servers to the Plaza to take your order for food or to bring you out drinks. There is a variety of food to choose from. On the weekends it is harder to get a table then on a weeknight.
Bars
There are a lot of restaurants and cafes that you can have a drink in. These are the places that are popular in San Telmo
Bar Seddon- Located at the corner of Defensa and Chile. This is a typical Argentina Bar/restaurant. It has a cool feel to the bar and is very laid back. It has a good mix of locals with a couple tourist in there sometimes. There are tables to eat and then also bar tables and stools if you are just grabbing a drink. The bar tenders are the "DJ's," and they allow you to request songs if they like you. The night before my last day of Spanish classes I hung out with a group of friends until 4.30am on a Thursday night. I was definitely late to Class the next morning!
Bar Plaza Dorrego- Located on the corner of Defensa and Humberto. This bar serves "chops" of Quilmes beer along with any other drink you desire. They also serve you free peanuts that you can just throw down on the floor. You will notice that the tables have a lot of names and sayings carved into them. This is a great place to meet for a drink with friends before you eat in San Telmo. The drinks are a little bit more expensive here then a lot of other cafes in San Telmo.
Gibraltar- Located at Calle Peru 895 near Estados Unidos. This bar is owned by an Expatriot (I think). The bar plays a lot of different types of music from hip hop, to 80's, and some rock and roll. I spent a lot of nights meeting other students from Spanish school at this bar. It has a couple tables and couches in the front. Then it has a main bar that is located in the middle as an L shape. In the back they have one pool table. Then they also have a patio with a couple of tables located outside. Pretty fun for summer time. They also serve pretty decent bar food.
Club Museum- This club is located on Peru 535. It is a huge club. This club is very popular on Wednesday nights because of the happy hour that they have. The happy hour is 2 for 1 drinks from 7pm -10pm. If you don't get there before 10pm and you are a guy with no girls then it will be very difficult to get in. If you get to the club for happy hour you will have no problem getting in. Most locals come from work and go straight out in their work clothes. They basically play electronic music.
Restaurants
There are a lot of restaurants up and down Defensa. There is an Italian restaurant on almost every corner. Here are two restaurants that I ate at multiple times in San Telmo.
Desnivel- It is located on Defensa in between Carlos Calvo and Estados Unidos. This is the best restaurant in Buenos Aires for the quality of food at a very cheap price! It is a typical "parilla" style restaurant. Right when you walk in you will notice the huge grille that is to the left that is cooking all different style of meat. It is usually very crowded with locals and tourists. It is typically very busy starting at about 10:30pm and on. The wait staff are very nice and if you don't understand the menu they will recommend a type of meat for you.
I can remember eating a meal with my friend Joel and we had a bowl of bread, salad, 2 steaks (bife de lomo) and a bottle of wine for 45 pesos or about $15 US Dollars. What a deal.
Mexican restaurant- It is located on the corner of Defensa and Mexico. It is almost directly across the street from Bar Seddon. I have to be honest, I can't remember the name of this restaurant, but it was one of the only places you can get a decent Mexican meal in Buenos Aires. The owner learned to cook Mexican food in the States and then opened up this restaurant in San Telmo. The food is actually spicy! Porteno's don't like spicy food, and it this restaurant is a great change of pace from always eating meat! The owner usually walks around to talk to the customers. If you are drinking margarita's, he usually comes around to top it off for free when you get low.
