Markets and independent shops in Buenos Aires

20 markets, bookshops, record shops and makers in Buenos Aires.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

BuyPalermo and Recoleta
El Ateneo
originally a theater (Teatro Grand Splendid), has now become in one of the top 5 most beautiful bookstores in the world. It has a reasonable offering of books in English.
BuyCentro
Florida
Main pedestrian street of the city. It has a good variety of shops as well as street vendors. Good place to buy a souvenir and also to watch the street tango dancers and other performers.
BuyCentro
Galerías Pacífico
An upscale shopping mall, which is worth seeing even if you don't buy anything. On the top floors is the Centro Cultural Borges which usually has art on display.
BuyPalermo and Recoleta
Malambo
Malambo is a great wine shop with a small cheese and deli section. They also stock a range of sauces, conserves and other similar luxury products. The owner is knowledgeable and speaks excellent English. If you are staying nearby and need decent wine, this is a great place to shop; they are also good at recommending wine, cheese and meat combinations. Other shops (mostly small supermarkets) in the area offer cheaper wine selections with a lot in the 10-30ARS range, but these bottles are of a much lesser quality than what you will find here. Credit cards are accepted.
Mon-Sat 10:00-14:00, 16:00-21:00Moderate
BuyCentro
Pasaje La Defensa
Casa de los Ezeiza
This used to be a tenement where poor families settled after a yellow fever epidemic hit Buenos Aires and resulted in the rich moving to the north part of the city (today Recoleta and Retiro). It has been restored but the paint is peeling and the building has a charmingly dilapidated feel. It is crammed full of antique, bric a brac and food shops. It is a very different building to El Solar de French mentioned below but they are both great to visit.
BuyPalermo and Recoleta
Uru Recoleta
Large leather goods showroom featuring jackets, gloves, handbags. Also has a nice selection of sweaters. Small selection of wallets, cuff links and similar accessories. Jackets are tried on in the showroom to choose the design and find your size, but can be custom fit to your taste. This shop offers a wide selection of leathers for each coat, and will alter a design to suit your preferences (such as shortening the length of a coat, if you're petite). Service is high-touch, attentive, and available in both Spanish and English. This is one of the most hassle-free places to browse for leather in Buenos Aires.
BuyCentro
Walrus Books
Sells new and used English language books and also buys used ones for about 1/3 of the price they sell them for.
Tue-Sun 12:00-20:00
BuyPalermo and Recoleta Not mapped
COTO Hypermarket
The COTO chain is akin to Super Target and Walmart Supercenters. For expats living abroad, you'll find everything from groceries and paper products to electronics, bed and bath, and children's books. This chain has several locations in Barrio Norte, a section that's on the edge between Recoleta proper and Palermo.
Open now · closes 10:30 pm
BuyCentro Not mapped
El Solar de French
In the old days this building was Domingo French's house. Today it has leather shops, silver souvenirs, among other typical stuff from Argentina.
BuyPalermo and Recoleta Not mapped
Feria Plaza Francia (Recoleta cemetery)
One of the more popular street fairs in Buenos Aires, the Recoleta Feria sprawls across Plaza Francia, just outside the famous cemetery. Most items are artisanal designs. Among the things you'll find here are leather belts; clothing; musical instruments, oft of African origin; stained glass; handbags; and more. Clothing is typically one-size-fits-all ("unica"), or comes in Size 1 and Size 2. If you want to shop for clothing, plan to pull it on over your clothes and assess in a handheld mirror. As most Portenas are quite slim and weight-conscious, a "size 2" seems to equate to a US size 4 or 6. Skirts and dresses are also noticeably shorter, owing more to the petite stature of the locals.
Weekends during daylight
Buy Not mapped
Feria de Anticuarios
has a nice atmosphere. It offers nearly 70 stands of antiques, from toys to books and stuff for your home.
Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays
BuyPalermo and Recoleta Not mapped
Galería Mar Dulce
Galeria Mar Dulce is the latest addition to the sizzling Buenos Aires' art scene. Housed on the ground floor of former town-house in the heart of the trendy Palermo Soho district, with light streaming in from large windows onto the street and a lovely little garden out back, it’s more like your trendy friend’s living room that a traditional white-cube gallery. Mar Dulce specializes in artworks by Argentine and Uruguayan artists (hence the name, a former term for the River Plate which runs between the two countries). Artists include some big names on the local art scene, such as Tulio de Sagastizábal, Santiago Porter, James Peck or the father and son Raoul and Ral Veroni. Nearly all artworks are small format however, so well within a traveling budget. The gallery changes exhibitions every 6 weeks or so and always presents 2 shows simultaneously: a solo exhibition and what they call their +COLLECTIVE, so there’s always plenty to browse. Up to date info in Spanish and English is available on the galeriamardulce.blogspot.com and also on facebook and twitter. The gallery is just a few blocks away from the new hub of Palermo art in Humboldt and Cabrera, and round the corner from the famous La Cabrera steakhouse, so present shopping and dinner plans made easy!
Tue-Sat 15:00-20:00free entry
BuyCentro Not mapped
Nativo Argentina
Sells indigenous handicraft. Great place to buy handwoven rugs.
Buy Not mapped
Palermo
comes alive in the afternoon with more artisan's handiwork and freelance clothes designers. Another nearby Plaza (in Palermo viejo) between Malabia, Armenia, Costa Rica and Nicaragua streets has stalls with items for sale. The Último Taller at Jorge L. Borges 1975 (between Soler and Nicaragua streets) sells funky candles and street address plates and markers; there are charming cats, and photos can be etched onto these plates as well.
Mon-Sat 10:00-21:00
BuyPalermo and Recoleta Not mapped
Patio Bullrich:
Originally an auction house dating back to 1867, Patio Bullrich is now an upscale shopping center, offering brands like Ermenegildo Zegna, Hugo Boss, Ferragamo, among others. It is located at Posadas 1245.
Buy Not mapped
San Fernando
This is a market where you will be buying items directly from producers, with the condition that goods are produced with social and environmental ethics in mind. You'll find books, vegetables, handmade clothing, musical instruments, etc. If you plan to buy things, remember to bring your own bag.
Sat 10:00-18:00, Wed 10:00-16:00
Buy Not mapped
San Telmo
offers tango and antique products. Defensa street from Chile to San Juan comes to life with live performers and vendors. The crowds are thick, so keep an eye on your possessions.
On Sundays
BuyCentro Not mapped
Sunday Market
Plazza Dorrego and the outlying streets fill up with tonnes of craft and antique booths, supplementing the numerous antique shops, collectives, and malls in the area. You can get stamps, Judaica, tins, clothing, office equipment, chandeliers, furniture, paintings, etc. Actually it's busy all weekend but reaches its crescendo on Sunday
Sun 10:00-17:00
BuyPalermo and Recoleta Not mapped
The Antique Bookshop
This small bookshop offers many rare, hard to find very old books about topics like Buenos Aires urbanization, French/English/Argentinean literature, British publications about things going on during the early days of Buenos Aires, etc. The store has a very nice atmosphere.
Buy Not mapped
Feria Recoleta
All sorts of artisan products, from jewelry to shawls.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Buenos Aires (CC BY-SA 4.0).