Part of my work makes me travel to different countries and explore the local cultures. And in every…read morecountry I need to find something really unique that will forever remind me of this trip. And Violraviol is my souvenir of Buenos Aires: colorful, bold, yet playful and even a bit kitschy. I was wandering around Palermo (the Hollywood part) and then I detected this cute little shop. As a gay man I was right away attracted to the flowery aprons in the window and so I went inside to have a look at what other fabulous things they'd sell here. My eyes then caught the attention of a set of napkins in different designs...and I right away knew that this would be looking wonderful on my kitchen table. Gorgeous, darling...just gorgeous! Funnily enough, a couple months later I'm exchanging travel stories with a person I was having drinks with and when we came to talk about Buenos Aires, we soon discovered that we'd both been shopping at Violraviol...turns out, she was bold enough to buy that apron! The moral: be bold, colourful, playful and even dare to be kitchy!

Violraviol is an absolutely adorable shop in Palermo full of pretty table runners, napkins, aprons,…read moredish towels, coasters and the like. All are handmade using textiles that are local to Argentina. The owners are so sweet and when I came in recently looking for something travel-friendly they showed me to a striped bag that folds up small. Perfect! I've now been using it regularly on the road. Violraviol is a pleasant place to pick up a special gift from Buenos Aires for yourself or a loved one. And if your travel plans aren't taking you to Argentina anytime soon, they have an Etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/VIOLRAVIOL

Off the beaten path in Palermo Hollywood, this is a charming, but rather expensive, little shop…read morewith interesting objects, dining, kitchen things, etc., nicely curated from a number of locally made artisan products. Some things are new; others antique, but in disireable condition. The owner was pleasant and tried to be helpful but she doesn't speak any English, so it was impossible to learn anything about the artists or their products. Too bad for tourists, which this shop is clearly aimed at.

We've purchased several items from Elementos Argentinos, including the Lisa Azul Marino rugs that…read morewe use in our bathrooms. They're perfect for what we are using them for. We love their throws and blankets. We bought one large blanket at the store in Buenos Aires and have since ordered the Casabindo, the Juella and the Uquia blankets for our home. We've also purchased the Abril, Alicia and Amanda pillow covers. The quality of these rugs, blankets and pillows is exceptional. And the customer service is excellent. Highly recommended.

The shop is nicely set up, the staff is friendly. They only sell handmade items from Argentina in a…read moremore modern, fresh design. I ended up buying a rug (5 x 6 feet). It cost 5900 Peso (675USD) - if you pay cash (who the hell carries 675USD in the pocket walking the streets of Buenos Aires?). The price went up by 10%(!) paying with credit card. I have a sheep's wool rug in funny colours at home now, 740USD. My wife's comment: "Rip off".