It’s impossible to capture the charm of Buenos Aires in one description. Its restaurant and art scene is vibrant as ever, with new venues opening nearly each day. And its historic cafes are always alluring — and ideal for some prime people-watching — while its speakeasy scene remains impossibly cool. It’s not an exaggeration to say Buenos Aires has something for everyone, that is, if you’re willing to look for it.

Buenos Aires is a dynamic place whose sophistication and fashionable locals echo Western capitals like Milan, and where reinvention is as valued as the past. Rollercoaster politics aside, Buenos Aires is proud of its literary heritage — heroes new and old like Silvina Ocampo, Jose Luis Borges and Samanta Schewblin — and it shows in its lively bookstores and historical landmarks. The city also it loves its steak — how can it not when you pair it with Malbec — which almost always guarantees a great meal.

If those aren’t enough reasons to entice you to go, here are 20 more to put on your radar.

Boutique Luxury Hotels

Stylish options abound for hip travelers in search of something better than what the chain hotels have to offer. In Villa Crespo, Pop Hotel serves breakfast in a retro-pop setting with 44 rooms, while Legado Mítico, in Palermo Soho, offers 11 rooms themed around distinctive personalities in Argentinian culture.

A Speakeasy Culture

Most people equate Buenos Aires with Malbec, but there’s more to the city’s bar scene than wine. At Frank’s in Palmero Hollywood, eager guests must figure out a password in order to enter a smaller room. Then, a secret code entered in a phone booth grants them access to a swanky bar where the cocktails are artfully mixed, if a tad overpriced. At Bar Isabel in trendy Palmero Soho, a limited number of tables means you’d better sign up for the guest list.

A Strong Cafe Culture

It’s impossible to visit Buenos Aires without dropping into one of its old-school cafes, living embodiments of the city’s past as a literary hub. El Federal, which dates back to 1864, is a focal point of San Telmo, where the window seats beckon you to people-watch while sampling a tapas dish. In Palermo, the salmon-hued El Preferido De Palermo nods to its past life as a grocery store — and haunt of Jorge Luis Borges, who grew up on the same block — with hanging hams and stacks of canned pumpkins

El Ateneo Grand Splendid

Housed in a nearly century-old theatre in the Barrio Norte neighborhood, the Grand Splendid was converted into a bookshop at the turn of the millennium and now welcomes millions of visitors each year. Here you’ll find a standard selection of books, mostly in Spanish, along with a coffee shop and live piano music on the same stage where tango legend Carlos Gardel once performed.

Incredible Steak

Argentinians take their beef seriously, and for good reason: the parrillada, or mixed grill, is a longtime tradition and the prime cuts are plentiful (and exceptional). When ordering the latter, don’t expect the waiter to plunk down a steak knife and sauce and call it a day. Porteños smother their medium-cooked ojo de bife (rib eye) or vacÍo (flank steak) with colorful salsa criolla, a side dish of tomato, onion and parsley, or chimichurri, a tasty sauce made of olive oil, garlic and parsley.