Expatriate Forums in Uruguay

NIGHTLIFE IN URUGUAY / URUGUAY NIGHTLIFE GUIDE

Uruguay Info — Tue Dec 05, 2006 4:13 am

Author: Uruguay Info

Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 4:13 am

NIGHTLIFE IN URUGUAY

MONTEVIDEO

Nightlife in Monte Video is pretty good. Ther is no reason to be bored here. If you want to do nightlife the way Uruguayans do it, you should try out one of the boliches which are cafe-concert, penas (kind of pub).

As in Buenos Aires, nightlife in Montevideo means drinks after 10pm and dancing after midnight. For earlier entertainment, ask around or call the Teatro Solís, Calle Buenos Aires 652 (tel. 02/916-0908), the city's centre for opera, theatre, ballets, and symphonies, for performance information. SODRE, Av. 18 de Julio 930 (tel. 02/901-2850), is the city's "Official Radio Service," which hosts classical music concerts from May to November.

Gamblers should head to the Plaza Victoria Casino, Plaza Independencia (tel. 02/902-0111), a fashionable venue with French roulette tables, blackjack, baccarat, slot machines, horse races, and bingo. It opens at 2pm and keeps going through most of the night.

Mariachi, Gabriel Pereira 2964 (tel. 02/709-1600), is one of the city's top bars and discos, with live bands or DJ music Wednesday to Sunday after 10pm. Café Misterio, Costa Rica 1700 (tel. 02/600-5999), is another popular bar, while New York, Calle Mar Artico 1227 (tel. 02/600-0444), mixes a restaurant, bar, and dance club under one roof and attracts a slightly older crowd. Montevideo's best tango clubs are La Casa de Becho, Nueva York 1415 (tel. 02/400-2717), where composer Gerardo Mattos Rodríguez wrote the famous "La Cumparsita," and Cuareim, Zelmar Michelini 1079, which offers both tango and candombe, a lively dance indigenous to the area. La Casa de Becho is open Friday and Saturday after 10:30pm; Cuareim, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after 9pm. The tourist office can give you schedule information for Montevideo's other tango salons.

PUNTA DEL ESTE

The Conrad Resort & Casino, Parada 4, Playa Mansa (tel. 042/491-111), is the focal point for evening entertainment in Punta, featuring Las Vegas-style reviews and other music, dance, and magic shows -- sometimes around the torch-lit swimming pools. The enormous 24-hour casino has 450 slots and 63 tables for baccarat, roulette, blackjack, poker, dice, and fortune wheel.

Bars and discos come and go with considerable frequency in Punta. The concierge at Conrad Resort & Casino is a good source for what's hot in town. The best bar is Moby Dick, located at Rambla de la Circunvalación (tel. 042/441-240), near the yacht harbour. Punta's bronzed Latin bodies then make their way to Gitane and La Plage (tel. 042/484-869), two discos next to each other on Rambla Brava, Parada 12. The Conrad Hotel's own disco, La Boite, is another upscale club free for hotel guests and US$10 to enter for outsiders (this US$10 can be redeemed for chips in the casino).

SHOPPING IN URUGUAY / URUGUAY SHOPPING GUIDE (MONTEVIDEO)

Uruguay Info — Tue Dec 05, 2006 4:04 am

Author: Uruguay Info

Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 4:04 am

SHOPPING IN URUGUAY (MONTEVIDEO)

Uruguay is a predominantly rural country, and Uruguayan goods reflect that reality. A substantial cottage industry of hand-knit sweaters is built on the backs of Uruguayan sheep and the fluffy wool they produce. The wool yarns are hand-dyed then knit into sweaters in interesting styles and in nuanced colours not represented on a Pantone chart.

In 1968, a group called Manos del Uruguay began harnessing the traditional skills of rural craftspeople building a chain of stores around their carefully-edited handmade textiles including sweaters, scarves, capes, gloves and tapestries as well as some wood items and leather goods. A cleverly run, non-profit cooperative, Manos insists that the merchandise continuously change in style as well as seasonality. So, they avoid the limitation inherent in selling traditional goods.

Leather items, especially leather coats and jackets, represent the second major specialty consumer category. Shop upon shop offering leather clothing in soft antelope, rabbit and more standard skins and pelts line the streets near Plaza Independencia. But the design and tailoring are inferior to the quality of the leathers themselves. Montevideo style falls into two camps: traditional or Texan. Still, the prices are so low that it's impossible not to buy at least one. Given the abundance of raw materials at hand, leather manufacturers would do well to venture back to the old country and import some design talent from Milan or perhaps from across the river in Buenos Aires.

Uruguayans like paintings on their walls. Montevideo's art dealers are rich stores of information, and, despite heavy foot traffic through their galleries, tend to be generous with their time. The quality of tourist art--culturally representative works priced from US$200-US$3000-- is among the best anywhere in the world.

Shopping hours

Mon-Fri 0900-1200 and 1400-1900, Sat 0900-1230.

Currency

Peso Uruguayo (UYU) = 100 centécimos. Notes are in the denominations of UYU2000, 1000, 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of UYU10, 5, 2 and 1 and 50 centécimos.

Currency exchange

Visitors are advised to buy local currency at banks and exchange shops, as hotels tend to give unfavourable rates. Inflation in Uruguay, though less severe than in other Latin American countries, leads to frequent fluctuations in the exchange rate.

Credit & debit cards

American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are the most commonly used. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available. ATMs may reject European or US credit cards.

Traveller's cheques

Sterling traveller's cheques can only be changed at The Bank of London & South America; visitors are therefore advised to carry US Dollar traveller's cheques (US$50 and US$100 denominations only).

Currency restrictions

There are no restrictions on the import or export of either local or foreign currency.

FOOD & DINING IN URUGUAY / URUGUAY DINING GUIDE

Uruguay Info — Tue Dec 05, 2006 3:57 am

Author: Uruguay Info

Posted: Tue Dec 05, 2006 3:57 am

FOOD & DINING IN URUGUAY

GENERAL

The majority of Uruguayan restaurants are parrilladas (grill-rooms). Table service is usual in restaurants. Cafes or bars have either table and/ or counter service.

National specialties

• Bife de chorrizo (rump steak).

• Cazuela (stew), usually served with mondongo (tripe).

• Morcilla dulce (sweet black sausage made from blood, orange peel and walnuts) and morcilla salada (salty sausage).

• Dulce de leche (milk sweets).

• Chaja (ball-shaped sponge cake filled with cream and jam).

National drinks

• Uruguayan wines are of good quality. A popular drink is medio-medio (half dry white wine and half champagne).

• Beers are very good.

• Local spirits are caña, grappa and locally distilled whisky and gin.

DINING IN MONTEVIDEO

Restaurants in Montevideo serve steak -- just as high in quality as Argentine beef -- and usually include a number of stews and seafood selections as well. You will find the native barbecue, in which beef and lamb are grilled on the fire, in any of the city's parrilladas (as parrillas are called in Uruguay). Sales tax on dining in Montevideo is a whopping 23%. There's usually a table cover charge, called the cubierto, as well -- usually about US$1 per person.

Restaurant Tandory
Scoseria 2549--Cordon-bleu trained, world-class chef Gabriel Coquel returned to his native Montevideo where he runs a remarkably sophisticated restaurant featuring food from around the world. The varied dishes from cuisines as far ranging as French, Thai, Indian and Moroccan are so intensely flavoured and authentic tasting, it's hard to believe they are cooked in the same kitchen. The pretty restaurant is located in the pleasantly upscale Punta Carretas neighbourhood.

Restaurant Dackel
Dr. Gabriel Otero 6438--For a languid Saturday lunch, visit this German restaurant in the exclusive, security-conscious Carrasco neighbourhood. Try their specialty costilla ahumada Kassler: a thick pork chop that is smoked, and then grilled. As postre, don't miss the apple strudel.

Las Brasas
San Jose 909--Costilla al lomo (T-bone steak) to die for at this excellent parrilla.

Ristorante Panini
Bacacay 1339 (on Sarandi)--Rich and interesting cooking in what many consider the best Italian restaurant in Montevideo.

Don Peperone
Sarandi--Home of the classic chivito, sangria and cocktails.

El Abasto Parrilla
Bacacay 1309 (near Sarandi)--Busy indoor/ outdoor casual spot, good after Teatro Solís performances.

Don Tiburon
Perez Castellanos 1569 (in the Mercado del Puerto)--Sunny indoor/ outdoor restaurant for Uruguayan beef and tourist watching.

Valentino's Restaurant
110 S 1st Street--Polished-wood casework and elegant lighting and accessories impart this appealing restaurant with an extra measure of class. It's an ideal place to visit for a relaxing meal and a leisurely repast. Homemade sandwiches, salads and soups are popular with patrons, and daily specials add to the flavorful options. If you just need something to tide you over for a while, consider a fragrant cup of coffee and a delicious pastry.

Jake's Pizza
207 S 1st Street--A mainstay on the local dining scene, Jake's is known for its ability to satiate desires for great pizza. The eatery serves some of the area's best, as they'll proudly tell you, and regulars heartily agree. Even if you're not in the mood for the specialty fare, consider Jake's array of sandwiches, salads and soups. You'll also find a few Mexican dishes if your taste buds crave south-of-the-border flavour. Old photographs of the town showcase the pizzeria's civic setting and heritage.

Java River Cafe
201 S 1st Street--This coffeehouse and community living room is much more than a place to grab a great espresso. It's also a cafe devoted to the value and promotion of local foods, culture and ecology. It supports small local farms and urges folks to explore authenticity rather than mass-produced goods. The philosophy coincides with great food and drink offerings, which include sandwiches, salads, soups, ice creams, desserts and gourmet coffees. Local art is prominently displayed in the 1890s building, and chess tournaments, book readings and musical performances spice things up on a regular basis.

scoccoroo's

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Author: stud

Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 2:20 am

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