Category Archives: Drink

Get inspired!

Posted on August 31, 2011 | 1 Comment

Lonely Planet, one of the largest publishers of travel guidebooks, released the 2011 Top 10 cities for artistic inspiration list and…guess what? Buenos Aires made the 3rd place! .

Cafe Las Violetas (Almagro)

In Buenos Aires, Lonely Planet points out “the elegant cafes where the city’s best writers hung (and still hang) out”. One of the mentioned places is the Cafe Tortoni. In the first half of the xx century, writers Jorge Luis Borges, Roberto Arlt, Alfonsina Storni, Spanish Ortega y Gasset used to visit this café on Avenida de Mayo.

Bar o Bar (Retiro)

In the nearby café London (Avenida de Mayo and Peru), it is said Julio Cortázar wrote his first novel, Los premios. In the Recoleta neighborhood, everyone knows that the favorite bar of Adolfo Bioy Casares was La Biela.

Want to get inspired? Here are some of the notable bars of BA we like:

Las Violetas
Av. Rivadavia 3899, Almagro
www.lasvioletas.com

La Puerto Rico
Adolfo Alsina 416, Monserrat
www.lapuertoricocafe.com.ar

El Preferido de Palermo
Jorge Luis Borges 2108, Palermo

Clasica y Moderna
Av. Callao 892, Recoleta
www.clasicaymoderna.com

Cafe el Banderin
Guardia Vieja 3601, Almagro
www.elbanderin.com.ar

Bar o Bar
Tres Sargentos 415, Retiro
www.barbarobar.com.ar

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Speakeasies: bars behind closed doors

Posted on July 8, 2011 | Leave a comment

Speakeasies were numerous and popular during the Prohibition years. Some of them were operated by people who were part of organized crime. Although police and agents of the Bureau of Prohibition would often raid them and arrest their owners and patrons, they were so profitable that they continued to flourish.

All great cities have their secrets bars. Even Buenos Aires already has four exponents.

Our favorite one in Buenos Aires is Frank’s. It is the last appearance in the list of locals speakeasies. And the first one directly inspired by the bars of New York.

Not only they emulate the ancient aesthetics (with sofas and low tables, chairs and much upholstery style), but require a password to enter. Once you get there, you’ll find a false telephone booth where a code must be set in order to open the door. Yes, it’s a secret code and no, we cannot give it to you…. not even the address.

But if you talk to the security person or to other people coming, if you dress with a certain elegance, surely you’re going to get it.

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Have you ever heard of Torrontes?

Posted on February 10, 2011 | Leave a comment

When we speak of Argentina wines, the first thing that comes to our minds is Malbec. But, have you ever heard of Torrontes?

The grape is grown almost exclusively in Argentina. In Spain there is also a grape called Torrontes, but apparently the two grapes are unrelated.
The best Torrontes is highly aromatic, lush floral and citrus with a rich touch.
Three Torrontés varieties exist in Argentina: Torrontés Riojano, the most common, Torrontés Sanjuanino, and Torrontés Mendocino. It is primarily Torrontés Riojano that has received attention for the quality of its wines, and is the variety used for most high-class Argentine wines simply labelled Torrontés.

Today it is fashionable and glamorous to drink a Torrontes. What happened? The most floral of local varieties changed and became one of the most aromatic and colorful wines of the market.

Next time you come to our Home Bar, why not give it a try? It’s an excellent option for the hot summer nights.

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Monotennis parties are coming back @ Home!

Posted on November 2, 2010 | Leave a comment

Starting this Friday Nov 5th,  Monotennis parties make a comeback at Home Hotel Buenos Aires, with music by Dj TomRixton (UK), Miguel Castro (Victoria Mil) and Jay Pace (UK).


Monotennis parties are held at the is Home Hotel bar, where you can enjoy a happy hour, from 7pm to 9pm. There is a variety of excellent drinks, as well as tapas, snacks and sandwiches.

If you like electronic music you can dance to the rithm the DJs play. Otherwise, you can relax in the garden, having a drink with friends and enjoying the night outdoors. Parties go on until midnight.

Why are they named Monotennis? Ask the DJ. Only he knows the answer.

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Cafes Week @ Bares Notables porteños

Posted on October 21, 2010 | 1 Comment

October 23rd to 27th
During this week, you will be able to enjoy performances of tango, and flamenco in notable bars (Bares Notables porteños). In addition, on Tuesday 26, from 17 to 22,  a special celebration will be held: drink 4 coffees and pay only 2. October 26 marks the day of the Cafe, commemorating that day in 1894 (115 years ago) the historic Café Tortoni opened on Avenida de Mayo 825.

Cafes Notables Special tours

SATURDAY 23 
➤Bars of Avenida de Mayo:
Meeting point: Bar 36 Billares, Avenida de Mayo1265 @ 5 pm
route: Bar Castelar, Bar Iberia, Cafe Tortoni, Confiteria London City, where at 7pm Nico del Cid (flamenco) will be performing.

SUNDAY 24 ➤ 
Bars in San Nicolas
Meeting point: Confiteria Ideal, Suipacha 384 @ 5 pm
route: Confiteria Ideal Café, La Giralda, and Café Petit Colon, where at 8pm Marcelo Dallamea (tango) will be performing.

MONDAY 25 
➤ Bars in Almagro
Meeting point: Bar de Roberto, Bulnes and Peron @ 6 pm
route: Bulnes, Corrientes, Sanchez de Bustamante, Guardia Vieja, end tour, bar El banderin, where at 7pm Esteban Riera (tango ) will be performing.

TUESDAY 26 ➤ 
Bars in Boedo
Meeting point:  Cafe Homero Manzi, San Juan and Boedo  @ 5.30 pm
route: Cafe Margot, Av Boedo and  San Ignacio. At 7pm: inauguration of the new façade of Café Margot, Av Boedo 857.
➤Bars in Barracas
Meeting point: Bar El Progreso, Av Montes de Oca 1702 @ 7.30 pm
route: California Street to the Bar Los Laureles, where the tour ends with show: Pablo Mainetti and Cesar Angeleri at 21.30

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We like it hot

Posted on September 17, 2010 | 1 Comment

Since the whiskey exists on this planet, millions of humans choose a scotch to shake off the cold in winter.
In the Home hotel bar, Daniel Biber goes beyond this tradition and proposes this great drink:  Sweet & Spicy Scotch

Sweet & Spicy Scotch  is a drink that respects the taste of one of the whiskeys more popular in Scotland but with a heart both spicy and sweet: Famous Grouse Blend with with jalapeños and honey, add a cinnamon syrup, all built into a tall glass with an orange peel and ends the work with soda.

Try it. The result is a potent drink with a touch sweet, spicy and hot.

(thanks planetajoy.com!)

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The café: a “porteño” institution

Posted on August 30, 2010 | Leave a comment

Traditional, alternative, outstanding, entertainment, sports, literary bars. The café is a “porteño” institution par excellence. This is the place where people can feel free at their ease, the perfect spot to dream with friends and find magical solutions to the country’s problems. It is here, better than another scenario, where people think that utopias are possible.
Cafes are usually real references to the neighbourhoods. They are part of the usages and customs of the porteño society and its everyday history. Cafes are part of the town landscape, poetry and literature.

The porteño café is heir of those from Madrid and Paris. People can go to drink a coffee or aperitif, but also, they can read the newspapers or a book in no hurry. Besides, they can study or enjoy a concert, and of course, in many cafés they can play billiards.

Some bars were officially declared as part of the cultural heritage of the City. Outstanding sites are those bars, billiards rooms and confiterías related to meaningful cultural events or activities, and also those that have a particular value due to their age, architectural design or local relevance.

Among the oldest bars, you may find Tortoni and 36 Billares in Avenida de Mayo; La Giralda and La Paz in Avenida Corrientes; the Británico bar in Parque Lezama; Las Violetas in the corner of Medrano and Rivadavia; La Biela in Recoleta neighborhood and La Academia in the corner of Callao and Corrientes.

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How to make your hours more happy?

Posted on August 19, 2010 | Leave a comment

How to make your hours more happy? At Home Hotel, we have discovered the formula! CYNAR + LIME + SUGAR + SODA= CAIPI-CHOFA happy hour

Caipi chofa resembles of a brazilian caipirinha, but…have you ever tried Cynar? it’s an Italian bitter made from 13 herbs and plants. Predominant and most unusual amongst these is the artichoke Cynar is dark brown in color, has a bittersweet flavor. Cynar can be drunk as either an aperitif (generally over ice), or as a cocktail.

You can taste this Caipi chofa at our daily happy hour, from 7 to 9 pm. A must in these last days of southern winter.

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Fernet + Cola: the dream team

Posted on July 29, 2010 | Leave a comment

If I say to you, “Fernet-Branca,” what is it? Yeah, you’ve had it? It’s good isn’t it? It does the job. But,oh the taste.
– Bill Cosby, “Fernet-Branca” from Fat Albert, 1973

Fernet entered the country through the port of Buenos Aires. Italian immigrants who landed earlier in the century came with dreams to fulfill and a bottle of this beverage ready to pop. At the slightest motion sickness on the boat, the minimum indigestion or to make local water drinkable, Italians had their multi-purpose bottle handy.

What is fernet? It’s a type of amaro, a bitter, aromatic spirit. Fernet is made from a number of herbs and spices which vary according to the brand, but may include myrrh, rhubarb, chamomile, cardamom, aloe, and saffron, with a base of grape distilled spirits, and colored with caramel coloring.
This mysterious herbal brew has been a “bartender’s cure” for generations, recommended to settle upset stomachs and hangovers. Part of the reason no one has ever been able to replicate it, is because you can’t just get all the ingredients in one area. It comes from around the world.

Popular in Argentina,mixed with cola,  it is often taken as the national cocktail.

Let us tempt you… and try our Fernet Cola @ Home RESTO-BAR. We have a daily Happy Hour (2 X $30) from 7 to 9 pm.
YUMM….

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Could El Bonpland be our NFP? (New Favourite Parrilla)

Posted on June 24, 2010 | Leave a comment

We came across El Bonpland a few months back and been meaning to put it through “the Home Test”.  We are a bit spoilt for carnivorous choice in Palermo -  the classic El Trapiche for the totally porteño experience, but best enjoyed by a group, we like La Cabrera if we ever got it together to actually book in advance (not likely). Miranda is fun and Don Julio still rocks, but many parrillas have either closed or quality has gone down in direct proportion to their prices going up (darn you campo!).  So we were intrigued by this unassuming little spot.

We finally got around to it last night…the verdict?  Well, the wine list is way too short, the salad average, but who goes to a parrilla for salad?  Lets get to the imnportant issue here:  the steak!  We ordered sirloin (bife de chorizo) rare to medium (bien jugoso) and the waiter cut it in half with a spoon! Rather gimmicky but a good omen nonetheless,  now to the bite…scrumptious, juicy, tender and yes, very jugoso indeed.  So happy as Larry customer so far.

The question is, does it cut it to be in the our very own Home Guide?  Well, we folks at Home are very thorough, so we’ll have to go back for the main man: the bife the lomo to see if it really cuts the mustard.

El Bonpland

Bonpland 2113, Palermo Hollywood

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