1 Manolo Honest local cuisine – steaks, salads and a huge menu of Spanish pasas and meat-and-potatoes platters – keep this friendly, family-run corner joint alive and kicking.
The budget-friendly prices pull in neighbourhood families and groups of hungry boys after fútbol practice. Reserve for dinner. restaurantmanolo.com.ar
2 Doppelgänger This cool, emerald-hued corner bar specialises in vermouth cocktails.
The atmosphere is calm and the lengthy menu is fascinating: start with the Journalist, a martini with a bitter orange twist, or channel Don Draper and go for the bar’s bestseller – an Old Fashioned. doppelganger.com.ar
3 Café San Juan Having studied in Paris and Barcelona, celebrity chef Leandro Cristóbal now runs this renowned San Telmo bistro.
Start with tapas, then delve into the grilled octopus, molleja (sweetbreads) cannelloni and the amazing pork bondiola (deliciously tender after nine hours’ roasting).
4 Bar Sur Historic Bar Sur is one of the city’s most celebrated (and expensive) tango show venues: you’ll pay handsomely to sip champagne at one of a dozen tables.
Be prepared – the upscale dinner show is often participatory – so avoid it if you’re not prepared to try a few tangled steps.
5 Mitos Argentinos This cozy old brick house in San Telmo has hosted rock groups for over a dozen years.
It’s not too big, with lots of tables, a perfectly sized stage and a small balcony above. Known for its tributes to “rock naçional” bands. mitoargentinos. com.ar