Buenos Aires Anniversary Weekend:

Michelin Stars, Standby Flight Roulette & Why We’d Go Back

Our fifth anniversary snuck up on us, so we did what any standby travel family would do—booked grandma, grabbed our passports, and flew flight roulette to Buenos Aires for a weekend of Michelin dining and Argentine steak.

When Your Anniversary Plans Start with “We Have No Plans”

We didn’t have a Buenos Aires anniversary weekend plan, we didn’t have childcare, and honestly? We didn’t have any energy, haha. Being parents to two toddlers will do that to you.

My husband booked his mom to fly out, and suddenly we had a window. He didn’t have many PTO days left, so we knew we could squeeze in a Friday-to-Monday trip. Thursday night departure for the PTO hack? Obviously.

Here’s the thing about flying standby with kids lately: it’s getting harder. That’s the brutal honesty. My mother-in-law has a retired status with United, which means our priority in the line has dropped. By, like, a lot. So we figured this was the perfect opportunity to go out of the country on flight roulette. Just the two of us. No car seats. No diaper bags. Pure freedom. Like the good ole days.

The Journey: Columbus Day Weekend Chaos

We packed our bags and left Thursday night and made it, by some miracle, on two delayed planes to Buenos Aires. Columbus weekend travel is not for the faint of heart. Should we move our anniversary? Hahaha.

Honestly, we wouldn’t have chosen Buenos Aires for our anniversary weekend except we stumbled across this incredible guide from Sol Salute. Read it over for a local’s experience and recommendations! She has in-depth posts about literally any and all attractions and absolutely sold us on Bs As.

The flight is around 9 hours from Houston, so I grabbed a salad with chicken at IAH before boarding. This airport has a ton to offer as it’s a major United hub—so many options for those who are diet restricted like me. But on the plane? Not so much, which is why I like to grab something ahead of time, even just to bring on and eat later.

We got on, got seats together (woohoo!), I ate my salad, and promptly passed out. Shoutout to being a mom of two toddlers for really draining everything out of me. You know what it’s like to prep for being away from your house? Takes it out of you.

United has these plastic U-shaped pillows—like those neck pillows you see people getting, but they’re covered in a plastic pillowcase so they’re not the most comfy. I used that and put my chair in full recline (leg room is more generous on the big planes). We actually survived flying in coach long-haul!

Arrival: Starbucks, eSIMs, and the Taxi Stand

We arrived around 9 AM and I went directly to Starbucks. Buenos Aires actually has a Starbucks inside the airport, and TBH, I always like seeing other countries’ spin on the food and drink at big chains.

I tried downloading an eSIM on my phone from Airilo while we still had WiFi, but honestly, I’ve never gotten these to work right. While I was doing that, my husband booked us a taxi to the hotel at the taxi stand…no Uber app without phone service!

There’s a taxi stand right in front of Starbucks and everything seemed to work really well, we paid in advance and they took us directly to the hotel. No one seemed to use AC in the cars; in every car we took, they had the windows down, even when it was cold.

Where We Stayed: Park Tower, A Luxury Collection Hotel

We arrived in the Puerto Madero area where we stayed at the Park Tower, a Luxury Collection Hotel. It’s part of the Sheraton complex and has a St. Regis restaurant. We stayed here on AmEx points, which means we got early check-in, late checkout, free breakfast, and a property credit.

The real tea: I wouldn’t stay here again unless they have a remodel. It’s dated. But there are tons of other Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt, or Marriott properties to choose from. There’s actually a really amazing Park Hyatt I would recommend, especially if you’re into celebrity sightings.

From there, we walked to the marina for lunch and explored the area on foot until our room was ready. The exchange rate when we visited was 1,400:1, which made for some exciting math. There were many places to stop and relax or eat along the riverfront cobblestone walkway.

The hotel has taste-testing of local dishes and beverages every afternoon (and even a reservable high tea), so when we got back, we even had a little happy hour. We checked into the room and got ourselves ready for dinner. It was our anniversary night, so my husband booked a surprise 2-star Michelin tasting dinner at Aramburu, a Relais & Châteaux restaurant.

Anniversary Dinner: Aramburu (And the Oyster I’ll Never Forget)

We took an Uber to dinner, and it really was top-of-the-line fabulous. A 16-course tasting menu with wine pairing. I’m a bit of a champagne snob thanks to my brother-in-law who sent us champagne from France when they lived in Europe. They started with a local sparkling 100% Chardonnay that knocked my socks off, and from there it was really the time of my life. I hadn’t even tried the food yet!

We’ve had a few other Michelin star meals, but this was really a top-of-the-line dining experience. The sommeliers and servers were incredibly sharp, and every dish was fresh and creative. Honestly, I should have gone without the wine pairing because it was too much for me to keep up with, but there was a magical oyster & Torrontés white wine that paired so perfectly, I don’t think I will ever forget it. I took a bite, let it marinate, and then took a sip as usual, and BOOM completely new flavor profile for a perfect finish. I’ve only had this experience once at a dinner with my BFF and her mom (also a chef) at a restaurant that’s now closed in Denver (Acorn, closed in the fall of 2020). I’d be interested to try the other beverages at Aramburu, or if it was just water without the wine pairing.

I would say, hands-down, this is THE reason to go. This restaurant absolutely made our Buenos Aires anniversary weekend.

One thing to note: my husband graciously warned them of my gluten allergy ahead of time in the reservation, so they did have all the options for me as well! His hack? r/finedining IYKYK

Day 2: Hungover on a Big Bus Tour

Day 2 started with our St. Regis breakfast. While the hotel is dated, the service was impeccable, and the breakfast was delightful. They offer a full buffet and made-to-order dishes as well.

I was a little hungover, in need of a spa and cold plunge (where is the Encore spa experience when you need it?), so we had a slower day. We have never tried the Big Bus tours and we saw them cruising around and booked one through the Grey Line. They have headphones for different languages and we had a beautiful day, so we sat on the upper deck for the best view.

Buenos Aires has a complex history with a lot of Parisian architectural influence, tons of Eurpoean culinary influence, and rich agriculture through beef and wine. There are two local rival soccer teams—The River and La Boca. If you get the opportunity, definitely go to a game! Messi is from Argentina, so you’ll see the jerseys everywhere.

La Boca Area: So Much Meat

We stopped in La Boca neighborhood for lunch where we had a personal table-sized BBQ brought to us with a sample of meats. There’s so much meat in this town. You can get a big steak anywhere! La Boca is a fantastic, colorful neighborhood with vibrant flavors, personality, and art.

Teatro Colón & Eating Steak at 11:30 PM

That evening, we got a pair of the last tickets available for a ballet at Teatro Colón—a really beautiful historical theater right in the heart of Buenos Aires. We stood in the very top section through the first act, then hit another restaurant.

To note: Buenos Aires is a sleepy town. Things open late and stay open late. We could have gotten a dinner reservation that started at 11:30 at night. Y’all. I’m usually in bed by 9 PM at home, haha! Luckily, we had a 2-hour time change on our side.

At dinner, we ordered… steak, haha! Are we true Texans or what? But really, it was amazing. Completely different but so glad we got a seat at Santos Manjares within walking distance from the theater.

San Telmo Market & Spoon-Tender Steak

The next day, we visited San Telmo Market. Sundays are HUGE market days and we were worried it wouldn’t be good due to a little rain, but it was happening in FULL FORCE, I would say. Totally packed with artisans, foods, and antiques.

We got dropped off at Plaza de Mayo and walked the market down Defensa towards Plaza Dorrego. It’s a fantastic place to shop for gifts. There are many artists creating out of leather.

At the end of our market journey, we had a late lunch at La Brigada, a soccer-obsessed Italian-style restaurant where the steak is so tender they actually cut it with a spoon. And I don’t think I mentioned it yet, but we’d been sampling flan. The flan here is really good, unlike other places I’ve tried, and it’s always served with dulce de leche, or caramel. SO GOOD! I feel like you expect a Michelin dinner to be good, but it felt like we were stumbling into these places that were also SO good!

When Flight Roulette Catches Up With You

Our flight filled up, so we had to go home a day early. We ended up canceling an evening at The River Plate soccer match and Fogón for dinner, but we managed to get a full refund for everything, including a night at the hotel, thanks to AmEx chat. They have such an amazing customer experience compared to our Chase Sapphire card.

We checked out of our hotel and toured the train museum in walking distance to the hotel before an Uber back to the airport. The airport Uber is a 50-minute drive. I really wish we had had enough time to see a polo match, soccer match, art museum, and ate more food, but this gives us a reason to go back someday!

The Unexpected Gift: A Phone-Free Weekend

Here’s something I didn’t expect to love—we really enjoyed our time together without phone service. The Airalo eSIM fail turned into one of the best parts of the trip! We felt like we had a ’90s experience, actually connecting with each other and people around us for a few days. No scrolling at dinner, no checking notifications, no “let me Google that real quick.” Just us, the city, and genuine conversation.

An IRL weekend without phones is something I’d highly recommend for any anniversary, even if you’re not in Buenos Aires. There’s something magical about being fully present with your partner without the constant pull of texts, emails, and social media. We had to ask people for directions, and actually talk to each other during every meal. Revolutionary, right?