BUENOS AIRES ALWAYS
inspires me. I go at least three
times a year: my favourite time is in
November around the polo tourna-
ments, when the jacaranda trees are
in full bloom and the streets are
covered in extraordinary neon blue
flowers. For pure unadulterated
glamour and style, nowhere in the
world compares. Everyone there
loves to have a good time, all the
time, which is incredibly contagious.
I was born in Chile, but this is the
city that has been instrumental in
launching my career; it’s where I
opened my first Isabel and Casa
Cruz restaurants. I love its design
ethos: from the art deco and ra-
tionalist buildings to those wide
tree-lined avenues that overspill with
restaurants, bars and cafés. Even theT R AVEL
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12345Juan Santa Cruz enjoys
decadent good times when
in sultry Buenos Airesornate doors of the buildings on
Avenida del Libertador inspire me.
For my latest Casa Cruz outpost,
which opens in New York on 61st
Street and Park Avenue next year,
we have taken inspiration from
the 1940s buildings and interiors
in Buenos Aires, so we’ve gone for
a mix of exotic woods and lots of
bronze. I want my restaurants to feel
like private clubs that hark back to a
more civilised era: it’s about elegance
with a hint of romance, a candlelit
ambience behind plush drawn cur-
tains. I’m a longtime fan of designer
Johanna Ortiz, and when I finally
met her in person in Cartagena it was
love at first sight. We immediately
began working on a wall print design
to bring to Isabel in London. To
have that wildly glamorous South
American spirit in London, from
the food and decor to the scent of
the room, is an absolute luxury for
me. I am instantly transported to
heady days and nights in Buenos
Aires. santacruzco.com PHOTOGRAPH: HARRY MITCHELL; WPBSTARS.COMago. Every time I play their songs
they bring me back to all those
wonderful parties with everybody
dancing all night long.TA K E A WAY
The alfajores from Havanna café:
a biscuit filled with dulce de leche,
covered in dark chocolate. The best.Muchos buenosBUENOS AIRES
ON A PLATE
Restaurateur
Juan Santa CruzW HE R E TO STAY
I have a flat in Palermo, so I usually
stay there, but if I didn’t I would
stay at the Alvear Palace
(alvearpalace.com), my favourite
hotel in the city. It’s all about old-
school glamour, plus it’s across the
street from La Rambla, one of my
favourite places to eat.WHERE TO DINE
I love classic restaurants that
remain unchanged by time.
La Rambla is a café in Recoleta
that serves the best steak
sandwiches in town. Then there is
Fervor, a restaurant nearby that’s a
good choice for lunch. For dinner,
I always head to Francis Mallmann’s
little restaurant, Patagonia Sur in La
Boca (restaurantepatagoniasur.com),
which is incredibly chic, for smoky
asado-style cooking.WHERE TO PLAY
For a more traditional and
authentic experience, hang out
at the bars known here as parrillas,
such as Los Amigos in Villa
Crespo, which is not glamorous at
all but so much fun. The walls are
covered with signed shirts by all
the footballers you can recall from
history, from Maradona to Messi.
For a more charged evening there
is Tequila, where all the beautiful
people go to drink and dance until
the early hours of the morning.THE SOUNDTRACK
Music by Charly Garcia and Soda
Stereo. I was very good friends
with the lead singer of Soda, who
sadly passed away a few yearsAlvear Palace HotelPatagonia SurTatler October 2019 tatler.com10-19Travel-Postcard.indd 156 15/08/2019 02:18
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