Though he'll be the first to tell you he's not a "real Argentine" London filmmaker-turned-Buenos Aires restaurateur Terry Walshe knows all about his accidentally-adopted city. The man-about-town has lived in the capital for about five years. Last year, Walshe launched 647 Dinner Club, a haute-cuisine establishment that hides in one of the last seedy corners of the quickly gentrifying San Telmo district. Around the corner there's a Bolivian squat, a handful of crackheads, and a hot dog stand where all the local taxi drivers hang. Terry has used his film director's sensibilities to create a glammed-up lounge and restaurant straight out of 1940s Shanghai, where he drops major tunes, and subsequently, Argentine celebs and international big spenders drop major pesos.

The restaurant has been featured in Argentine design magazine ****** and Condé Nast Traveler's Hot List, as well as in D-Mode (the Argie equivalent to V) and it was voted "best place to have an affair" in readers' polls. Apropos, the managers informed us that there have been more than a few risque escapades in the downstairs bathrooms. PsychoPEDIA spoke with Terry in his Las Cañitas lair and found out how he accidentally-on-purpose became the owner of one of Buenos Aires' most extravagant restaurants, where we should shop next time we come to town, and what's on his latest playlist:

How'd an English boy end up in Buenos Aires?
I came to write a film, and ended up opening a restaurant. Seriously, I wanted to get out of London for a year to write a film about distraction. Then I got distracted. I still haven't written that film.

How did 647 come about?
I got bored researching for the film. I had this friend, let's call him, "bankrupt Nick" who was sort of an alcoholic-on-the-run. And he was bored, too. We decided to open an underground club– a place to drop good music. We bought a huge warehouse in a run-down area, intending to use just a small part of it. And then we ended up with 647, which is this huge luxury restaurant.

Is it true not even Madonna can get into 647?
When we first opened, the press portrayed it as a "super exclusive" place no one could enter, even big name stars. One magazine ran a big picture of my ex-partner and me with Madonna photoshopped between us, with a quote, "Not even Madonna can get into 647."

Buenos Aires really isn't as hip as they say?
It’s actually a very conservative city that masquerades as ultra-hip. I like living here because it's a throwback. It's like living somewhere 30 years ago– there's a certain charm to it. You can get on the bus at 2 am, and it's full of kids just laughing, not looking for trouble. There's an openness and innocence to the people, especially the younger generation. The kids are very friendly and have got a good energy.

Where's good to eat other then 647?
Florencio for lunch— very cool, very chic, very tiny. I always recommend Restó in the Society of Architects. Also, in Palermo, Oui Oui for lunch. They've got good coffee, good everything. Another spot is the Hyatt– not hip at all, but the place is wicked. It's in an old mansion. You've got to sit outside in the gardens and have the lunch buffet.

Is there a variety of ethnic food available?
For Argentine food, there's El Pobre Luis which is a parilla in Belgrano—great for steak and chorizo, cosas así. It's actually Uruguayan. For sushi you go to Yuki, an old school place in Congreso. It's the best. There's another one at the Japanese Association in San Telmo which Ana, my girlfriend, says is really cool. For cheap Chinese, the best bet is Lai Lai in Barrio Chino. Chinatown is worth checking out anyway; you can find shit like tofu that you can't get anywhere else in this city, plus loads of bizarre cheap tacky shit that's come over from China. For ice cream you've gotta be dropping Persicco. Definitely the number one ice cream place. Mint Chocolate with White Chocolate is the best.

Where are the cool kids partying these days?
It's still Compass Friday nights at Niceto for a decent dance party. 878 is a good bar in Villa Crespo, like a hidden-door place where you ring a bell and they let you in. Cool restaurant, cool bar, good place for drinks. There's another place inside which you can only get in if they know you, on Thames 878. If you've got to see tango, go to a real Argentine Milonga. Salon Canning in Palermo has one. Never go to a tango show, they're brutal.

Where does your girlfriend shop?
For shoes, she likes Josefina Ferroni. For clothes, she says Kukla in Palermo, across the street from Mark's. Lupe is great too but she's gotten really expensive. This season Maria Cher has got some really good stuff, and there's a new place in Recoleta called Seco that has umbrellas and rainwear. Most of the men’s clothing here is really grasa. I suppose Felix is the best of the bunch. If I don't get to London this year, you could possibly find me in there. You know where I do buy stuff? That glasses shop in Quinta Avenida, the vintage gallery. I got some great big 80s Run-DMC style glasses. There's another great glasses place in San Telmo, in a galleria next to the square. It's run by a couple of real old ladies, and you can get vintage Yves St. Laurent and vintage Dior.

What about for antiques?
The top place for well-priced antiques is still San Telmo, even though you'd expect it to be a tourist trap. The big warehouse off Bolivar has very cool pieces like gramophones; the lower level has got the really good shit. You can even buy fruits and veggies there. It's an asi asi situation.

Are there any good exhibitions and galleries of late?
a href="http://www.ccborges.org.ar/" target="_blank">Centro Cultural Borges, I always recommend that. And Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo; they've got 120 Rodins right now. Ana and I just went to a great show called Peppermint Candy at Bellas Artes—it was a collection of work by Korean artists, all contemporary stuff. MALBA is usually worth checking out, but now they've got a retrospective on Latin American Art that doesn't really turn me on—Frida Kahlo and stuff. As far as galleries, Appetite is still the big "left of field" gallery. Ruth Benzácar and Braga Menéndez are good too.

What are your other favorite haunts?
I love the Recoleta Cemetery. It's a big tourist spot but still an essential thing to visit. The secret is to go around five in the afternoon on weekdays. At that hour, it's empty and full of shadows. The Japanese Garden is in all the books, but no tourists go there. All the Argie couples go to take pictures of themselves making out.

~Christine Whitney


Go There:
Resto Montevideo 938 (Soc. Central de Arquitectos), Barrio Norte, Tel: 4816-6711
Oui Oui Nicaragua 6068, y Dorrego, Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tel: 4778-9614
El Pobre Luis 2393 Arribeño, Belgrano, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tel: 54 11 4780 5847
Yuki Pasco 740 b/w Independencia & Chile, San Cristobal, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Tel: 11/4942-7510
Persicco 2591 Salguero, Palermo, Buenos Aires, Tel: 54 11 4808 0888
Bar Ocho7Ocho Thames 878, Between Loyola and Aguirre, Villa Crespo, Tel: 54 11 4773 1098
Salon Canning Scalabrini Ortiz 1331 Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tel: 4826-8351