"Milion..."

From the streets of Buenos Aires an artistic and eclectic Restaurant/Bar lures us in, offering a new yet reminiscenlty San Franciscan vibe..

At 1048 Parana,  Milion greets its guests with a subtle lure of artistic curiosity. There are no flashing lights or obscene advertisements, but rather an inconspicuous doorman, seated slightly hidden behind an iron gate that leads through a dark cobblestoned, open-air corridor.  The only real light visible from the outside would be the luminescent blue tank of jelly fish which replaces the space which was once the first floor front window of this three story mansion turned Bar/Restaurant.  Dipping left halfway down the dim lit corridor (straight ahead would lead to the brick-sided restaurant ) a steep wooden staircase winds and creaks upward towards the second floor, the Bar floor.  At some point im sure these ornate banisters were sanded stained and finished but the wood is raw from wear, smoothed with usage. Open french doors reveal a derelict fireplace symmetrically accompanied by two low tables,  subsequently surrounded by black sitting cubes.  In this small area, ambiance is continuous and fluid, without structural interruption between the the second and third floors.  Thus, from the ceiling of the third floor, two cords with attached black light pens descend below, tracing designs on the glow-in-the-dark surface of the corresponding tables. If tracing abstract designs while sipping on champagne with peach juice isn´t your thing, there´s always the licuados and mantle-art (for licuados, think vodka blended with elaborate smoothies or milkshakes)   In all honesty, the mantle piece was probably my highlight.  Think Andy Goldsworthy´s : Rivers and Tides" viewed through a straw then projected as a piece of moving art.  Like tiny red petals in a petri-dish of water. 
...  And this was only the first room.  From the sensual eerie piped music, to the vine covered terrace with an antique tiled porch.  From the web of private rooms and seating areas, to the dressed-to-be-seen women and prowling eyes of dark featured men.  Needless to say I was captivated.  What part of it being specifically reminiscent of San Francisco?  Its class and antiquity, its eclecticism and dim lit luxurious exploration of senses. Mansion turned public.  Arquitecture with vertical motives.
 
 San Francisco on an International level.
 
How comforting to find culture to relate to, outside that of your own.