I LOVE VILLA CRESPO

Shop 'til you drop!

2010-05-20T17:43:00.000-07:00

Villa Crespo has an abundance of new boutique stores, known as an 'outlet' area, but its a far cry from the outlet shopping areas that we have back in the UK. Forget the out of town outlet shopping centres and huge warehouses, here they are stand alone stores, beautifully designed and up to the minute lines but at a discounted price. You can find outlets for Timberland, North Face, Christian Lacroix &Yves San Laurent, Prune, Blaque, Viamo, Wrangler, Puma, Cacharel, Bowen, Cardon, Rapsodia, Akiabara, New Man, Wanama, Mary & Joe, Daniel Hetcher, and many more. Stores are popping up all over the place so its difficult to keep track, but get yourselves down there to grab a bargain and explore the area as there are many hidden delights in Villa Crespo. Located on Aguirre, Gurruchaga and Serrano and only one block from Querido B&B, Avenida Cordoba is another well known major street with many outlet stores, five blocks from the the B&B. Click here for map.

Villa Crespo Shopping Buenos Aires

2010-05-17T07:43:00.000-07:00

Villa Crespo has many new boutique shops springing up at a phenomenal rate, and has become a popular alternative to Palermo.

So ladies and gentlemen, if you like leather, then look no further than Calle Murillo, it has every thing that you're looking for, bags, jackets, belts etc... all at discounted prices.

The Murillo zone is located on 3 or 4 blocks, packed with about 50 shops, Murillo 666 is a very well know brand here, and other leading leather shops are located here. Over the past year leather shops have spilled on to Scalabrini Ortiz, so it's worth having a look there too. The advantage of shopping here is that you get a great bargain compared to the shops on Calle Florida (city centre), if you pay in cash you get up to 10% off. To get an idea of prices a jacket can set you back $400 - $800 peso (100 - 500 US dollars)

And more...

2010-05-16T18:41:00.000-07:00

Buenos Aires city graffiti tours are available, check out Graffitimundo for more information.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimsnapper//CC BY 2.0

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tercerojismo/ / CC BY 2.0

http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulk/ / CC BY 2.0

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimsnapper/ / CC BY 2.0

Graffiti city Buenos Aires

2010-05-15T18:03:00.000-07:00

Chacarita

Out 'n' about Villa Crespo Buenos Aires

2010-05-14T15:30:00.000-07:00

So, here we go...photos of my beloved Villa Crespo.

First, check out the local park (Parque del Centenario) , great for a lazy day or a couple of hours, quiet, and not teeming with lots of people, a nice water feature with a bit of wildlife namely ducks and dogs, no need to step periously though, dogs are banned and confineded to pens around the park. Don't worry it's not cruel, it's the norm here, you'll see a dog walker with 10 dogs or more and even puppies in a back pack, but the park is popular with dog walkers, runners, and the odd body builder...I should also mention that the Natural History Museum of Buenos Aires is located here, with an abundance of cats littering the grounds.

Big Bellied Tree

Natural History Museum Big Owl

Dinosaur Walk

Parrrrrrilla!

2010-05-14T08:41:00.000-07:00

Parrilla al Carbon

Serrano

Villa Crespo

Buenos Aires

Parrilla al Carbon is typically Argentine, a real spit and sawdust, no fuss restaurant. Don't be put off by the general shabbiness of the place, or the tired looking tables and that there are no menus because the food is excellent, so get practising your spanish! The waiter will quick fire the menu at you, if it leaves you dumbfounded don't worry, here's what's on offer...

Chorizo, their very own homemade spicey sausages made from beef, and you can see stacks of them next to the parrilla, this is why I like to call the place 'The Sausage Factory'. Quite often in Buenos Aires you'll find that the chorizo sausage has big lumps of fat in them, but not here, so chomp away!

Chorizo

Next up is the BEEF!

Bife de chorizo - sirloin or rump

Bife de lomo - tenderloin

Vacio - neither skirt or flank but something in between, it sort of resembles brisket, but juicier, it's a classic cut so give it a go

Entrana - skirt, delicious, its a real treat to get it here, because its not often on the menu

Chicken is also available, but I highly recommend sampling the beef, also try the grilled provolone from the parrilla, and don't forget to ask for the salsas, perfect condiments that go with all the dishes, chimchurri (herby) and and 'The One With No Name' (parsley, garlic and olive oil) they'll bring both out for you.

It's open every day for lunch and dinner, apart from Sunday, cash only, and its very popular especially in the evenings, so get there early! No reservations. Approx $40 (10 US dollars) pesos per person.

It's only a block away from the shops on Gurruchaga, so it's ideal for a lunch time pit stop.

I love food

2010-05-14T06:46:00.000-07:00

Sarkis

Thames 1101

Villa Crespo

Buenos Aires

Tel: 4772-4911

Photos courtesy of Guia Oleo

This has to be one of my favourite restaurants in the city, serving homemade Armenian cuisine, the best bit is that the portions are big, tasty and good value for money. It is very popular with the locals, so you'll need to get there early, and quite often you have to queue sometimes up to an hour (no reservations taken), my advice is get there early at 8.30pm, put your name on the list and you should be in there by 9pm, but don't fret you can purchase drinks while you're waiting, it's well worth the wait!

So what's on offer...to start with, oooh there are so many choices, but here are a few of my favourites; hummus, jambra (pureed red peppers topped with almonds), tabouleh, stuffed vine or cabbage leaves, stuffed red peppers, falafel, sun dried tomatoes and pecorino cheese and Armenian empanadas. For mains, the chicken or beef brochette (big juicy chunks of meat on a stick) served either on their own, or on top of a homemade pitta (pan arabe) covered in a delicious yoghurt and garlic sauce, keppe, koftas, ahhhh and the most amazing moussaka i've ever tasted (very different to the greek style), chicken arabe and rice, and there's even brain on the menu for the more adventurous! There are plenty more options on offer, numerous rice dishes, salads and a selection of vegetarian dishes. Word of warning, the portions are huge and best for sharing but most dishes can be served as half portions.

Tabouleh salad Beef brochette and keppe

Jambra

Selection of starters

Dinner costs between $40 - $65 (10 - 15 US dollars) pesos per person.

Open every day, lunch from 12 noon - 3pm, and dinner from 8pm - 1am.

Mmmm....Villa Crespo restaurants.

2010-05-13T13:55:00.001-07:00

Salgado Alimentos

Ramirez de Velasco 401

Villa Crespo

Buenos Aires

Tel: 4854-1336

This is fantastic pasta restaurant specialising in fresh homemade pastas. Salgado was originally a deli but got so popular the owners decided to open a restaurant. The decor reminds me of a trendy East End deli, worn rustic tiles, retro deli counter top, simple wooden tables and a spot to eat at the counter. The dishes are not your usual fair that you'll find in Buenos Aires, so if you're looking for something a bit different then this is the place to come. To start, why not try the delicious spanish tortilla with chorizo or meat balls with pesto; for mains I love the asian salmon ravioli, beef cannelloni in a rich tomato pesto sauce topped withe mountains of mozzarella, seafood spaghetti, lamb and mint sorrentinos or the buffalo ravioli. There's plenty more to choose from, including vegetarian options such as goat cheese ravioli or gnocchi with courgette, sweet potato and almonds. You'll also find some traditional argentine dishes and interesting salads.

For two mains, a large bottle of beer, a jug of freshly made juice and slice of cheesecake came to $90 pesos. (23 US dollars)

Cash only.

http://www.salgadoalimentos.com.ar/

Welcome to I Love Villa Crespo, Buenos Aires

2010-05-06T11:48:00.000-07:00

Villa Crespo, where the heck is that you may ask...the answer Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Villa Crespo is an up and coming area, located only a few blocks from the trendy Palermo, which maintains its traditional local feel of a 'barrio' (neighbourhood). It's one of Buenos Aires' best kept secrets, but is becoming increasingly popular with a new creative social scene, secret restaurants, un-signed bars and a new ever expanding boutique shopping area. The aim of this blog is to introduce you to Villa Crespo and Buenos Aires, and to fall in love with it as much as I did, so much so that my brother and I built a B&B here.

So why stay in Villa Crespo?

Villa Crespo shares a border with Palermo which means it's well located, but not being Palermo it's not overwhelmed with tourists, and the best bit it's cheap. Its cobbled streets are pretty and there are hip places to eat and drink, that's if you know where to find them, and of course a new place stay....Querido B&B (www.queridobuenosaires.com).

For further information check out the link below to the Guardian travel review of Villa Crespo...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/jan/03/buenos-aires-culture-rough-guide

Happy reading, I'll be back soon with more info and reviews soon.