Going local with Buenos Aires taxi drivers

"Right," says the taxi driver, as the cab door slams shut. "Where do you want to go?"

"Well, the thing is," begins Layne Mosler, as she slides into the back seat, "we want you to tell us. You see I have an unusual request …"

And Layne begins to explain her quest – to find the most interesting restaurants in Buenos Aires without the help of guidebooks, online tip-sharing sites, and travel-networking websites. Instead, she goes straight to those who know the city's ins and outs better than anyone: the taxi drivers.

The 34-year-old Californian has been living in Buenos Aires for four years, and for the past two years she has been taking weekly taxi excursions to eat at the places recommended by the drivers and posting the details on her blog, taxigourmet.com.

Enamoured with the idea, I make Layne a proposition: one Saturday in the city, one taxi-gourmet marathon, with lunch, afternoon tea and dinner all dictated to us by our drivers. After more than 60 taxi adventures, Layne is unfazed by the challenge, and so we find ourselves jumping in our first cab from the cobbled streets of the Palermo district...

• Read the rest of the feature and watch the video on Guardian Travel today.

Local blogs for the weekend: part 2

Looking for some weekend reading? Try working your way through the shortlist for the Lonely Planet blog awards.

There are some great destination blogs among them and two mentions of SpottedByLocals. It's also good to see the categories are not entirely Anglophone.

As for microbloggers (ie members of Twitter), I'm now following all the LP nominees. I'll see what they have to say over the next week before I cast my vote. Interesting to see a Buenos Aires hostel is among them: Hostel Colonia. I've never visited, but perhaps I should check it out. It's amazing how prolific Twitter usage can thrust the little guys into the international spotlight.

For more tips on travel people to follow on Twitter, see the Telegraph's 50 best travel tweeters.
It'll be interesting to revisit this list - and Lonely Planet's - next year to see how things have changed.

But what about here and now? Any sites - blogs or microblogs - these lists have missed?

The best secret bars

Travellers can't seem to get enough of speakeasies. Check out this top secret drinking dens piece from yesterday's Observer Escape.

As soon as I read the headline, I scanned the page for the mention of Buenos Aires. It was inevitable given this city's long-standing word-of-mouth culture. And, sure enough, there it was: a mention of good ol' Ocho7Ocho - which I've previously tipped in the Guardian.

Today's speakeasies can be divided in two genres. There are the rare, gritty ones that are hoping not to get caught. And the above-board, new ones who are playing marketing games, such as a New York bar calling itself PDT, standing for Please Don't Tell. As if.

So, what is it about a lack of sign that makes people go ga-ga?

First, it makes people feel in-the-know. (Even though it may have been going for years and everyone in town knows about.)
Second, it conjures a boho spirit. (Even though the owners are probably making a fortune.)
Third, it feels rebellious. (Even though most are completely above board.).

Yes, it's one big, fat illusion and we're all falling for it. But let's enjoy it. I am. Here's another "bar escondido" (hidden bar) I've recently discovered in Buenos Aires: Puerta Uno in Belgrano.

Want to know where it is? See their ultra-flashy website, telling you, er, exactly where to find it. The website designer must have let that one slip accidentally. Don't tell, will you.

Secret suppers: where to dine with locals worldwide

What could make you feel more at home when travelling than an invite to dine at someone's house? It sure beats a restaurant for making an experience relaxed and personal.

But how do you go about getting such invites? Is the only option to make unsubtle hints to people you've just met in a bar or metro queue? ("Mmm, I just love homecooking. Sigh, I sure miss it. If only I found someone who...").

Well, before you resort to such desperate measures, read on. There are plenty of people round the world willing to have you round for dinner. You just need to know where to find them.

Call them in-home restaurants, secret supper clubs, salon dinners, or whatever you wish: they've been going for years and the internet is making them easier to track down than ever.

Personally, I love the idea. I've tried two so far: Casa Saltshaker in Buenos Aires and Jim Hayne's Sunday Dinners in Paris (which I wrote about in the Guardian last Saturday). I've also visited La Cocina Discreta in Buenos Aires, although I have yet to put their food to the test.

The set-up varies from home to home. They might resemble an intimate restaurant, a dinner party, a buffet at an informal get-together, or an arts club with music and poetry. Typically there's a fee involve, but it's often reasonable.

So apart from a good feed, what do you get? A peak around a local house (within reason - noses out of the medicine cupboard), a sociable evening out (rather than just dining with your same old husband/wife/mate - yawn), the chance to hang with some locals (cue lots of insider tips for the rest of your stay), and maybe some new friends (further dinner invites if you're very lucky).

And the hosts? For them, it's a great way to meet people, share a passion for food/life/travel, and maybe even earn some extra cash. Tips on starting your own: here.

I've been doing some research and have uncovered lots great in-house restaurants around the world. I've also been corresponding with some of the people running them, who, by nature of what they do, are always interesting characters with stories to tell. I'm now longing to meet Jessica Buck who runs the arty Portland dinner club, D'Merde, which she describes as "a toast to the spirit of Parisian Salons in the early 1900". [Website seems to be down, but stay tuned.]

So, it was during the course of this research that I had a brainwave: "I know! I'll compile all the ones I've found into a handy blog. What a great resource!"

So, I ploughed on, finished it (below), and then came across a version by Dan Perlman of Casa Saltshaker that is far, far better and makes mine look rather pitiful. Bah. (Just kidding - everyone should check it out, and his ever-interesting blog.)

Anyway, here's my little list nonetheless. You never know there may be a few different ones on here. The London one is very new (a tip-off from my editor at the Guardian).

Paris, France, 1: jim-haynes.com (Sunday night)
Paris, France, 2: meetup.com/TalkTime (Saturday night)
Paris, France, 3: parissoirees.com (Sunday night)
London, UK: The Secret Ingredient
Dusseldorf, Germany: Sunday Dinner Parties
Portland, Oregon, US: dmerdesalon.com
Buenos Aires, 1: Casa Saltshaker
Buenos Aires, 2: La Cocina Discreta

Worldwide
dinewithlocals.com
Like-a-local.com

US
theghet.com

And here's a link of world's best dining clubs that various Aussie papers nicked from Travel+Leisure magazine via Reuters last month. Rather unhelpfully, they include no contact details whatsoever. I guess the reader is just expected to Google around until they find them.

The hottest barrio in Buenos Aires

Want to know the hottest barrio in Buenos Aires right now? Start by looking beyond Palermo, which reached its boiling point so long ago that its soul is now danger of evaporating. Head instead to Villa Crespo, which is just starting to simmer.

It's not a place where you'll find rows of hip bars and nightclubs, but you'll be in your element if you are the sort of tourist who is happy to leave the guidebook alone, wander aimlessly, and enjoy soaking up local life. Here you're likely to encounter residents having a makeshift asado (BBQ) on the pavement, admire antique furniture in ramshackled street-side shops, or catch a glimpse through a window into one of the local artists' studios.

On my last three visits to the city, this barrio has been my favourite place to wander. It still has the cobbled streets and low-rise houses that you find in Palermo, but it's much more "tranquilo", as they say here. I love the way hip bars, like Ocho7Ocho (878 Thames, pictured), rub shoulders with some of the most old-school joints in town, like the delightful 1930s icecream parlour, Scannapieco (Córdoba 4826).

I tipped Villa Crespo as the place to be in Buenos Aires in last Saturday's Guardian Travel. You don't have to be a local to be down with the local knowledge, but you do need to look beyond the obvious. How did I find the places I tipped in the Guardian? Aside from spending many an hour pounding the cobbles, I simply asked those in the know.

One afternoon, I had a particularly good brainstorming session round the kitchen table at La Cocina Discreta. Run by Alejandro and Rosana, this is one of the city's newest in-home restaurants. The pair gave me lots of good pointers - including alerting me to their friend, Shoni Shed, who hosts blindfolded gigs in his house (see the article for details).

In the end, I was spoilt for choice. Here are some of the other local finds that I couldn't fit in the article:

Carlitos (Scalabrini Ortiz, 701) - This popular pancake house has hundreds of options that are filling and cheap (10 - 15 pesos). To make things a little more interested, the best combos are named after famous people. Try a Chaplin (roquefort, onion, ham); a Pablo Neruda (cheese, tomato and oregano); or even a rather odd homage to the inventor of Viagra (cream cheese, roquefort, celery, green olives). Open from midday until 1am. 3am on Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

Thymus (Lerma 525)
Stylish restaurant in a converted home on a sweet residential street just behind Corrientes. It's run by a sculptor and famed for its multi-course tasting menu. Evenings only, Mon - Sat. Book ahead on 4772 1936.

La Perla (Canning y Triunvirato)
Classic bakery and a Villa Crespo institution. Stop by for facturas (little pastries to be enjoyed with coffee or mate). I haven't had chance to check it out myself yet, but it is highly recommended by La Cocina Discreta and they haven't been wrong yet.

Couchsurfers coming up from the underground

Is it me? It the time of year? Or are there really more couchsurfers than ever in Argentina?

When I was on my Going Local trip last year - meeting locals while staying in a mix of hostels and homestays - the times I crossed paths with other travelling couchsurfers were rare. Occasionally we'd meet when staying with a particularly active host, who organised multiple meet-ups, but, generally, it seemed like a behind-the-scenes community, going on quite apart from the hostel scene.

However, since arriving in Argentina, every other traveller seems to be a couchsurfer, or part-time couchsurfer. I met at least four while staying in a hostel in Cordoba - all had failed to get a host because the student city was in the middle of exam period. Then, in Buenos Aires, I soon met another three: one in a bar, one in my hostel and one friend-of-a-friend, who used Couchsurfing.com's BA forum board to find his houseshare - with a fabulous terrace where I ended up seeing in the new year (pictured).

Argentina is certainly a good place for a Couchsurfer to be. Aside from the obvious attractions (the steak, the wine, the culture, the diversity of landscape), it is also within the top 25 Couchsurfing countries (with nearly 9,000 members), while Buenos Aires is in the top 20 cities.

The BA Couchsurfing forum is quite simply fantastic for any new arrival in the city and yet, refreshingly, it is not just the domain of expats. Most of the regular users are Argentinean and seem to have limitless enthusiasm for new arrivals in their capital. On NYE they posted a hugely helpful list of suggestions of what to do in the city, including open invites for house parties and a camping gathering on the delta. Today I noticed a post from a Canadian newcomer asking how safe BA is for cyclists. Within no time, she received a string of helpful responses, including an offer of a personal bike tour.

I met a lot of these great people back in July and now I'm going to be staying in Buenos Aires for the foreseeable future I must admit that knowing about this forum has really taken the edge of any fear about not meeting people or getting homesick. I've already joined them for their regular Monday outing to an incredible percussion night called La Bomba del Tiempo and am sure this was the first of many for me.

However, here's hoping the balance is kept. Everyone that utilises the goodwill of such forumites should be willing to give something back to the community to keep it going and not just pop in to use it as some sort of nuevo Craigslist. I'm hoping that once I am more settled I can help out some newcomers to the city and, in one way or another, some locals too. My first mission: to find a way to get some specialist books from the UK over to a friend I met via HospitalityClub.org. I've had no shortage of folks back home expressing a desire to visit, so hopefully it won't take long.

Wanted: a friendly Parisian

Parisians rude and unfriendly? No, you´ve got it all wrong. In fact, to prove it, Paris Greeters will get a extra-friendly resident to give you a free city tour. Or, at least, that´s the theory. In reality, it seems all 11 million of them are a little busy right now. One will get back to you though. Maybe. If you´re very persistent.

Journalist Agnès Poirier waited six weeks to get a response - and only then after tipping them off that she was journalist. She wrote an entertaining blog about it over at Guardian Travel.

But friendly Parisians can´t be in that short supply, can they? My recent trip there showed that the best way to get behind closed doors - literally and metaphorically - is to stay with a local via a B&B network, such as 2binParis.com or Alcôve & Algapes. Pictured left is my host, Françoise - a professional laughter coach living in the eastern suburb of Vincennes - with the equally friendly Jenny Johnson from 2binParis.

Or you could try meeting a Couchsurfer. Paris is the world´s largest Couchsurfing city, with over 15,000 local members.
And before you despair in all greeter schemes. Check out this follow-up blog, Pleased to Greet You, which covers more successful greeting experiences in Jamaica and Argentina, among others.

I'll add links to these greeter sites to the Going Local Travel sidebar. And thanks to Stephen Chapman of MakeTravelFair for making me aware of many of them.