Every day, lines of people seeking passports form outside the consulates of Italy, Spain and other countries. The Alvear Palace is reputed to be the city's most luxurious. Count double that in ritzy restaurants in the center of the city or in Puerto Madera. Coffee shops, known as confiterias, exist on virtually every city block. If you are not counting calories, try pastries filled with dulce de leche, a sweet specialty that resembles liquid caramel toffee.
Ice creams come in the same flavor topped with hot chocolate.
English-style houses nestle alongside apartment blocks in Belgrano. The colorful San Telmo district is full of Spanish-style colonial buildings, and is a good place to browse for antiques and discover small tango bars. The old dock area is being converted into a new city along the river Plate, called Puerto Madera, where many of the trendiest restaurants and bars are found. It is a wonderful city for walking - or it would be if the utility companies would get around to filling in the trenches they dig up in the streets. Another peril for pedestrians is that residents tend to be uncivilized dog owners.