Victoria Brown

This hip Palermo spot is a Victorian café by day and a steampunk wonderland by night. A convincing brick wall at the back of the café area opens up into a dimly lit warehouse with funky illustrations on the walls and a huge old-fashioned clock behind the bar, it's cogs and wheels backlit in the dim room.

An enormous team of well-dressed porteños keep the place running smoothly, darting between the long bar and the clusters of old-fashioned armchairs. The customers tend to be similarly young and attractive, especially on weekends.

Food is fairly expensive, but it's well-executed and the servings are large. The award-winning drinks list is short but sweet with a handful of wines, Stella Artois on tap, and a well-curated selection of house cocktails. Drinks can vary somewhat in quality depending on who's behind the bar, but the ambiance is good enough you almost wouldn't notice.