Best Shopping in Buenos Aires – Elite Traveler

Buenos Aires is famous for shopping, with outstanding leather products and jewelry among the items that keep tourists coming back year after year.

Arguably South America’s most fashionable city, you are sure to find something you like in Recoleta and Palermo’s boutique shops or one of the capital’s stylish malls.

BEST SHOPPING DISTRICTS

RECOLETA

Renowned as one of Buenos Aires’ most sought-after neighborhoods, it’s no surprise Recoleta features some of the city’s most stylish shopping, in addition to notable landmarks such as the world-famous cemetery and Fine Art Museum.

Countless boutiques housing the latest collections of European designers adorn the district’s streets, with a particularly high concentration of upscale retail outlets to be found on the prestigious Avenida Alvear, the seven-block street which for decades has been home to some of Argentina’s most glamorous names. Recoleta is one of the must-visit areas in Buenos Aires, with its stunning French-inspired architecture one of the principal contributing factors to the Argentine capital’s reputation as the ‘Paris of the South’. As well as fantastic shopping, Recoleta is home to some of the city’s finest hotels and restaurants.

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PALERMO

Just up the road from Recoleta sits Palermo, one of Buenos Aires’ largest districts and another excellent place to find some of the best retail offerings in the city.

Palermo is acclaimed by locals and visitors alike as one of the capital’s trendiest districts, with boutique shops nestling alongside upscale restaurants and nightclubs, making it a destination of choice among the well-to-do and the place to see and be seen. Many of Buenos Aires’ most exclusive shops are located in the Palermo Soho subdivision, a chic, bohemian enclave of cafés, restaurants and boutiques where some of the finest shopping in the city is concentrated. For those wishing to take a break from shopping, Palermo is also home to the Argentine Polo Grounds (Campo Argentino de Polo), and the largest Japanese gardens to be found anywhere outside the Asian nation.

BEST AREA FOR JEWELRY

SIMONETTA ORSINI

Founded more than a decade ago and drawing on a history dating back to 1920, Simonetta Orsini is the Argentine capital’s jewelry store par excellence, with an unbeatable selection of wares from the world’s leading brands.

The Petit Palais boutique located in Recoleta is renowned as one of the foremost places to purchase such finery in the whole of South America, featuring jewelry and watches from international heavyweights such as Cartier and Chanel, as well as offerings from local brands that may catch your eye. With additional outlets located nearby on Calle Posadas, and slightly further afield in fashionable Belgrano, there is no excuse for leaving a trip to Simonetta Orsini off your Buenos Aires itinerary.

BEST AREA FOR LEATHER

No trip to Buenos Aires would be complete without sampling some of Argentina’s famous leather products, held in high esteem worldwide and generally considered to be among the best in the world.

The export of leather was central to the growth of Argentina’s economy in the late 19th century, and today some of the most highly regarded leather goods in the world can be found in the nation’s capital. Shops selling such products abound, however we feel the following are the best the city has to offer:

CASA LOPEZ

SYLVIA Y MARIO – LEATHER FACTORY

BEST SHOPPING MALLS

PATIO BULLRICH

First open to the public in 1988 and subsequently expanded in 1995, the now legendary Patio Bullrich sits in a property formerly owned by the family of the same name, designed by English architect Juan Waldorp and constructed in 1867.

Situated in the upscale Retiro district, the magnificent neoclassical building now plays host to Buenos Aires’s premier shopping mall, with the Bullrich containing a wide variety of outlets offering high quality goods from some of the world’s most desirable brands, with the advantage of being located right in the heart of the city. As well as offering quality shopping opportunities, the mall has several restaurants to help sustain those in pursuit of rest and relaxation when hunger sets in following a hard day’s shopping.

GALERÍAS PACÍFICO

Ideally situated in the centre of the city on the corner of two bustling streets, the narrow, pedestrianized Calle Florida and the enormous, Manhattan-esque Avenida Córdoba, Galerías Pacífico offers style and convenience to those searching for everything under one roof. Housed in a magnificent building that has been listed as a historic national monument since 1989, the mall is perfectly in keeping with the reputation of the neighborhood of Recoleta as an upmarket destination replete with high class shopping and dining facilities. Pacífico first opened in 1992 and features stores from internationally recognized brands, including Christian Lacroix and Polo Ralph Lauren. The mall stays open until 9pm every day of the week, even on Sundays, offering discerning shoppers flexibility as well as style and choice.

ALTO PALERMO

Shopping in the fashionable district of Palermo moved into a different league when Alto Palermo opened its doors for the first time in 1990, with this mall combining chic style and an impressive number of shops, making it one of the best places to buy luxury goods in Buenos Aires. With a focus on attracting female shoppers, the mall offers a pleasant alternative to browsing the boutiques in Recoleta or Palermo itself, shielding those in search of that special something from the elements, while at the same time offering variety and unquestionable quality. Alto Palermo celebrated its 20th birthday in 2010 and, featuring stores such as Christian Lacroix, Dior and Calvin Klein, has long established itself as a premier retail destination within Argentina’s capital. An array of cafés and restaurants provides a perfect complement to the excellent shopping on offer.

JEWELRY & WATCHES

FASHION AND ACCESSORIES