Photos by Anaïs Plancoulaine

It is not overwhelmingly encouraging to walk into a restaurant whose clientele appears never to have actually allowed their bodies the sinful indulgence of food.

This was my immediate reservation upon observing the beautiful – if somewhat emaciated – young things occupying the crisp white tables of Sabbia, one of Recoleta’s newest and most exclusive resto-bars. Luckily, it became clear that these customers were not, in fact, there to eat, but rather to enjoy the extensive selection of cocktails on offer: an exercise which did not jeopardise the maintenance of their svelte figures, and a revelation which restored my hopes for a rich, filling meal.

We were led past the pinstripes and high-heels of the New York-style lounge area, and through to the equally elegant restaurant. The decor was modern meets classic; glamorous meets trendy; boudoir meets boliche; favela meets chic. White chiffon curtains adorned the corrugated iron walls, atmospherically illuminated by red floor lights and blue backlighting along the length of the mirrored bar. Based on the interior design and the calibre of the punters, in this establishment appearance was undoubtedly everything. It soon emerged that the food was no exception to this rule.

As we flicked through our menus, we watched the other diners receiving their beautifully presented platters of sushi and decorative entradas served on (debatably, superfluous) asymmetrical dishes. However, it did seem as though the menu had been compiled in primary consideration of that which could be dressed up. The choice of starters, puddings and sushi was impressively vast, where the main courses were limited to just seven options, all priced between $29 and $39. In fact, the wine and tragos list was about four times the length of the food menu, affirming that Sabbia is perhaps most aptly categorised as a ‘cocktelería’.

Nonetheless, the food was delectable. The menu boasted a range of salmon and prawn dishes, including the particularly recommendable bruschetta de salmon y brie. Although small, this appetizer was delicious, and if a full belly is the aim of your evening, this could be followed up by one of the more generous principales of pollo relleno de vegetales, medallones de lomo, raviolis or a ‘wok’.  However, the house speciality was evidently the sushi, and head chef, Mónica Camino, serves up an ornate variety of sashimi, niguiris, makis and rolls, drawing from her past experience of working for Buenos Aires’ popular ‘Sushi Club’. The $72 Sushi Tabla Combinada would be ideal for a group of four or five.

For those with a sweet tooth and not on a low-calorie diet, the Sabbia postres, which are all priced around $19, are exceptional. Decorated by a dusting of flower petals, the Volcán de chocolate made for an appropriately lavish finale to my experience of fine dining. So as not to feel as though you’ve missed out on anything, ordering the degustación de mini dulzuras (a sample of each of the desserts on the menu) would be a wise move.

Photo by Anaïs Plancoulaine

Despite the sumptuous menu, it is the wide variety of original tragos that steals the limelight, and cocktails are all priced around $25. At 9pm on a Monday evening, the bar was barely buzzing; however, our waiter, Ramiro, explained that from Wednesdays until Saturdays the place is packed into the early hours. At weekends, guests pile in to enjoy the live DJs playing in the upstairs salón de boliche and to soak up the relaxing ambience of the glass-covered smoking area, complete with a log fire and atmospheric mood lighting. In fact, although relatively new to the fashionable circuit of the noche porteña (the Recoleta branch only opened in July, following in the footsteps of its counterparts in Pinamar and Punta del Este), Buenos Aires Sabbia Liquor Bar has already attracted its fair share of celebrities, including actress, Brenda Gandini and model, Zaira Nara.

It is thus unsurprising that Sabbia insists on the ‘vestimente elegante’ of its guests. It is a place to be seen, and the meticulous attention to detail with which the food and drinks are prepared is matched only by the care with which the clientele have been coiffed. Book ahead for a table at the weekend; expect excellent service and an enjoyable evening of chic drinking and dining. Do not expect to leave feeling full.

Sabbia Liquor Bar is on Ayacucho 1240. The restaurant serves food on Mondays to Saturdays at 6pm-1am, and the bar remains open until 3am. For reservations and private events, call 4827-4415. For more information, visit www.sabbia.com.ar. Mondays are ‘Ladies Night’, and groups of chicas can enjoy a 30% discount of their table’s total bill.

Photo by Jesse Kraft

As I walked along the long hallway into the restaurant, I felt like I was entering into my own jazz-aged, sepia-toned movie. Originally a home built in 1913, a three storey mansion is now the location of Milión, a restaurant and bar that is currently celebrating its tenth anniversary.

Just as this piece of neoclassic architecture has managed to survive the test of time, so has the restaurant inside. In spite of its opening during Argentina’s recession in 1999, Milión’s popularity grew, withstanding the 2001 economic crisis. A decade later, Milión’s anniversary is not only a representation of its success as a business, but an example of an innovative concept dreamed and realised.

Since its inception, its founders, Osvaldo ‘Oz’ Gonzalez, Diego Pérez Morales, Silvina Messina and Ernestina Pais wanted to create an ever-evolving location for art aficionados and lovers of Argentine cuisine, with a hint of the Mediterranean. Although each of the founders had extensive backgrounds in the arts, they lacked experience in the restaurant business. Out of the four owners, only Diego had knowledge in the culinary arts. It was Diego’s uncle who owned the mansion, which Diego then inherited.

“In seven months, when everyone thought we were crazy, we opened up the place,” says Diego. Although the building is almost a hundred years old, the owners kept most of the inside and outside structure intact, thereby providing a uniquely antique style juxtaposed to the modern apartments, kiosks and clothing stores along Paraná.

Silvina describes the first years of the restaurant’s survival as a learning process during which they took “el camino más largo” (the longest route) to achieve success. Wanting to be more than just the financial owners of Milión, Silvina says that each of them devoted time to organising events, learning what to put on the menu and concentrating on even the smallest of details such as picking flowers.

In addition to their involvement in every aspect of Milión’s inception, the owners initially gained much support from their connections in the art world, relying on word of mouth instead of foreign publicity. Since then however, Milión’s worldly status has grown, and the bar regularly features on lists of ‘Top Ten bars to visit in Buenos Aires’. Oz says that a key to keeping this place trendy is working like “kids playing”. By this he means that while economic success is of course essential, since he comes from the art world, the idea of play and fun is equally important to their restaurant.

Photo by Jesse Kraft

In December, the anniversary month, Milión is to host an array of activities inside its candlelit walls. From June, the bar has been displaying art from around the world, joining the ‘Gallery Nights’ circuit on the first Friday of every month, where local talent and foreign is showcased, such as renowned Argentine artist Marta Minujin. As it keeps growing in popularity, Milión opened up La Boite, a space on the third floor dedicated to hosting a range of live shows from musicians to actors. In choosing their musical selection, the owners say they look for the avant-garde and artists keen on musical experimentation. During dinner expect to hear an array of lounge-style music that ranges from Frank Sinatra-style croons to samba beats.

To celebrate its anniversary, the restaurant has also added more samples of Latin American flavours. While a typical dinner for two might reach around $100, there is always the cheaper option of tapas. I tried the Peruvian dish complete with anticuchos (skewered meat) and ceviche.

Sitting down for a drink, one can also contemplate one of the restaurant’s more famous works, ‘Mártir’ by Marcos López. As a striking portrait of a man with a knife through his heart, it will lead to a conversation starter for any who choose to visit the bar.

Just as many locals refer to this current world economic crisis as something normal to them, the same seems to apply for Milión. This combination of thought-provoking art with a mix of laid-back ambience and plentiful food portions seems to be the unique trait that keeps Milión thriving through yet another economic crisis of worldly proportions.

Milión is located on Paraná 1048 between Av. Santa Fe and Marcelo T. de Alvear, open Monday-Friday from midday and weekends from 8pm. Happy hour is from 6-9pm. For reservations or for events call Mariana Rosales from Monday-Friday 11am-5pm, on 4815 9925. www.milion.com.ar. Wi-fi is available. Use it to check out the facebook group for the restaurant’s notorious house cat, Emilio (group name: Fan de Emilio Milion).

‘Última Parada 174’ by Bruno Barreto, has proved the most popular Brazilian film among Argentines, beating eight others to win the second ‘Cine Fest Brasil – Buenos Aires’. Eleven films had their Argentina debut at the festival, which was attended by over 3,000 spectators and took place in the ‘Village Recoleta’ cinema complex.  

The winning film had already enjoyed some success, representing Brazil at the Oscars this year in the ‘best foreign film’ category. The plot is based on real events and reaches its climax when protagonist, Sandro, takes control of a number 174 bus and holds its passengers hostage for hours.   

Director, Barreto, also received an Oscar nomination for best foreign film in 1988 for ‘Cuatro días de septiembre’, similarly based on true occurrences.

The film festival is organised by Grupo Inffinito and was held between 23 and 29 April in Buenos Aires. Later this year the festival will travel to Europe, to cities including Madrid, Barcelona and London.