It is quite difficult to make a comprenhensive report in regard to a city that has around 6,000 restaurants in the federal district but we will do our best.
Argentina is a melting pot because our immigration came from Spain, Italy, France, England, Germany, Russia, Switzerland, etc, and this led to a local culture different from other countries.
We use to have dinner NOT BEFORE 8.pm. If you go to a restaurant before 9 pm very likely you will not need to make a reservation.
Do not miss :
Meat of course
Pizza (different from Italy, USA, etc)
Wines (absolutely outstanding both in quality and prices)
Traditional food like empanadas (turnovers), locro
Milanesas (either chicken or veal)
Provoletas (roasted cheese)
“Porteño” (is the nickname of locals), Italian and Spanish restaurants, etc
Pastry (besides restaurants you can buy in the shops labelled “Panaderia y Confiteria”)
Cafés (coffee places everywhere)
There are some areas with a high concentration of restaurants like Puerto Madero, Palermo, Las Cañitas, etc. Just walk and you will find many interesting restaurants.
Top restaurants (expensive, from 30 to 70 U$S)
Nectarine (French) Vicente López 1661 -Tel: 4813-6993
La Bourgogne (Alvear Palace Hotel) (French) Ayacucho 2027 - Tel: 4808-2100/48053857
La vinería de Gualterio Bolívar (International, local) Bolívar 865 - Tel: 4361-4709
L'Orangerie (Alvear Palace Hotel) (Very elegant, also for tea time)
Alvear, Av. 1891 - Tel: 4808-2100 ext.1643
Tomo I (A legend in Argentina) Carlos Pellegrini 521 - Tel: 4326-6695/6698
Gioia (Palacio Duhau - Hotel Park Hyatt) (Italian) Posadas 1350 - Tel: 5171-1330
Piegari (Italian) Posadas 1042 - Tel: 4326-9654/9430
Le Mistral (Hotel Four Seasons) (Mediterranean) Posadas 1086 - Tel: 4321-1730
Recommended (prices 20-30 U$S)
Centro Vasco Francés (really good and very traditional, huge serves to share) See http://www.rvascofrances.com.ar/
Moreno 1370 - Tel: 4381-5415
Les Anciens Combattants (obviously French)(small, reserve)
Santiago del Estero 1435 - Ciudad de Buenos Aires Tel: 4305-1701/ 4776-2307
El Baqueano – (all sorts of meats )
Chile 495 - Tel: 4342-0802
Yuki (Japanese)
Pasco 740 - Tel: 4942-7510
Irifune (Japanese, very good sushi)
Paraguay 436 - Tel: 4312-8787
Sudestada (exotic Thai, really good)
Guatemala 5602 - Tel: 4776-3777
Sirop (very original and nice)
Vicente López 1661 Local 11 - Pasaje del Correo - Tel: 4813-5900
Bizkaia (Basque)
Nicaragua 4432 - Tel: 4832-1569/ 4384-6210
Granda Bistró (small and charming French corner)
Junín 1281 - Tel: 4826-2317
Freud & Fahler (small, charming, original dishes)
Gurruchaga 1750 - Tel: 4833-2153
Amici Miei (very good Italian)
Defensa 1072 1° floor - Plaza Dorrego - Tel: 4362-5562
La Fondue (French, fondees)
Seguí 4674 y Godoy Cruz - Tel: 4778-0110
Green Bamboo (South Asian)
Costa Rica 5802 - Tel: 4775-7050
Sorrento (solid, traditional, with excellent meats, pastas, risottos)
Corrientes, Av. 668 - Tel: 4325-3787/7774
Recommended (10 to 20 U$S)
El Almacén de los Milagros (reservations required)
Quintana 210 - Tel: 4814-0533
Sarkis (Arab, Armenia)
Thames 1101 - Tel: 4772-4911
Nikkai (Japanese )
Independencia, Av. 732 - Tel: 4300-5848
Olinda Bistró (original, very good)
Jose León Pagano 2697 - Tel: 4806-6343
Maria Magdalena Restó (original, deer, duck, etc)
Humboldt 1551 - Tel: 4772-2008
La Casa Polaca (excellent, try Pierogis)
Jorge Luis Borges 2076 - Tel: 4899 0514 / 4777 6683
Nebula (very good, meats, fish)(cash only)
Serrano 1160 - Tel: 4777-0433
A Manger (Mediterranean, cheap and nice)
Charcas 4001 - Tel: 4833-3095
El Dorinda (Spanish, cheap and nice)
Guatemala 4487 - Tel: 156 828-6616
Brasserie Petanque (French)
Defensa 595 - Tel: 4342-7930
El buen gourmet (Pasta, also cheap and good)
Charcas 4063 - Tel: 4832-6684
1810 Cocina Regional (typical argentinian food like locro, empanadas, etc. Cheap)
Julián Álvarez 2000 (at Guatemala street) -Tel: 4865-0030/4865-4507
Báraka (original)
Gurruchaga 1450 - Tel: 4834-6427
Don Julio (good meats)
Guatemala 4691 at Gurruchaga - Tel: 4831-9564 / 4832-6058
Recommended (less than 10 U$S)
La Morada (typical argentinian food like locro, empanadas, etc)
Larrea 1336 - Tel: 4821-6349
Palermo Vecchio (chicken, tarts, empanadas, etc)
Honduras 3895 - Tel: 4824-6373
María María (excellent empanadas)
Ecuador 1179 - Tel: 4961-2697
Ambiente Wok (Woks, good)
Mercelo T. de Alvear 997 - Tel: 4328-7114
Sr. Telmo (original pizzas)
Defensa 756 - Tel: 4300-3883
Untertürkheim (German)
Humberto Primo 899 - Tel: 4307-3265
La Fidanzata (very good pizza)(Las Cañitas)
Huergo 306 at.Arévalo - Tel: 0800-555-4675 4778-3558 4775
Costumbres Criollas (delicious empanadas. Their main business is delivery and therefore service is rather show, but it is really inexpensive and worthwhile)
Libertador 308 at Esmeralda- Tel: 4393-3202/05
Chez Pauline (French, tarte tatin, quiches, teas)
Juncal 1695 -Tel: 4816-9988
Meat
The “bife de chorizo” is a must. The name is curious because time ago the gauchos were “processing” cows only for the tenderloin, leaving the “second class” meat for sausages (chorizos), and that is the origin of the name. However is more tasty than the tenderloin (lomo).
Other excellent cuts: “asado de tira”, matambrito, vacío, ojo de bife,entraña
Also mollejas (sweetbreads), riñon (kidneys), chorizos (sausages), morcillas (blood sausages), etc
Basic vocabulary:
Well done = muy cocida
medium = a punto
Rare = jugosa
”Parrilla” means BBQ, a “parrillada” for 2.3.4 persons is a mix of everything
There are more than 400 “parrillas” in the federal district. The following is a partial list of recommended places:
La Cabrera Cabrera 5099 Tel: 4831-7002
La Vestalia Grill & Resto Thames 1392 - Tel: 4773-0187
La Dante Hipolito Yrigoyen 2000 -Tel: 4953-8933
Calden del Soho Honduras 4701 - Tel: 4833-2221
Happening Av. Rafael Obligado entre La Pampa y R. Obligado - Tel: 4782-8207
Happening Alicia Moreau de Justo 310 - Tel: 4319-8712/5 (Puerto Madero)
Gran Parrilla del Plata Chile 594 - Tel: 4300-8858 4362-5748
Restaurant El Maipú San Juan, Av. 451 - Tel: 4361-4289
El Mirasol de la Recova Posadas 1032 - Tel: 4326-7322/23
El Mirasol Alicia Moreau de Justo 202 – Tel: 4315-6277/78/79/80
Miranda Costa Rica 5602 - Tel: 4771-4255
Don Julio Guatemala 4691 - Tel: 4831-9564 / 4832-6058
El Establo Paraguay 489 – Tel: 4311-1639
El Yugo Ayacucho 1629 - Tel: 4806-2009
Campo Chico Pasaje Bollini 2134 - Tel: 4807-5131
La Dorita Arce 903 - Tel: 4776-4190
La Choza Gascón 1701 - Tel: 4833-3334
La Rienda Paraguay 716 - Tel: 4313-1524
Los Tatas Honduras 5999 - Tel: 4778-1081
Buenos Aires Grill Av. Santa Fe 1876 - Tel: 4813-4796
El Mangrullo Balcarce 761 - Tel: 4362-3734
La Vakita Cabrera 4223 -Tel: 4878-7221
Gardelito Thames 1914 -Tel: 4777-8338 (like in the old times)
Porteña
The classical local restaurants offer a variety of dishes (meat, fish, vegetables, pizza,etc). Many have 100 or more dishes in the menu
Lo Rafael México 1501 - Tel: 4383-7943 (very good, ask for “papas del cheff”)
Social Paraíso Honduras 5182 - Tel: 4831-4556
Café San Juan San Juan, Av. 450 - Tel: 4300-1112
Standard Fitz Roy 2203 -Tel: 4779-2774
Vintage Bar Defensa 588 - Tel: 4342-4464
El Patio de San Telmo Piedras 1316 - Tel: 4362-8296
Gran Parrilla del Plata Chile 594 - Tel: 4300-8858 4362-5748
Bar del Gallego Bonpland 1703 - Tel: 4771-1526 (like in the old times)
Los Remanseros Costa Rica 3990 - Tel: 4821-0842/7678
La Churrasquita Corrientes, Av. 1220 - Tel: 4382-9466
Italian
Broccolino Esmeralda 776 - Tel: 4322-9848/7754 (excellent food, try the Caligula sauce)
La Parolaccia Alicia Moreau de Justo 1052 -Tel: 4343-1679 / 4345-4742
La Parolaccia Riobamba 1046 - Tel: 4812-1053
La Parolaccia del Mare Alicia Moreau de Justo 1170 - Tel: 4343-0038 / 0063
Pregiato Restaurante & Grill Cabrera 5065 -Tel: 4831-0103
Bacio da Lupo El Salvador 5602 esq. Fitz Roy - Tel: 4771-6441
Tatana Gorriti 5516 - Tel: 4779-9267 / 4777-1982 (arriving before 9pm from Monday to Thursday discount of 15%)
Pinuccio & Figli Chile 2199 - Tel: 4308-3491
Ciao Farina Ristorante Paraguay 4062 - Tel: 4833-6400
Cantina Don Corleone Brasil 43 - Tel: 4362-6230 (old style cantina in San Telmo)
Sette Bacco Aguero 2157 - Tel: 4808-0021
Fulana de Tal Baez 227 - Tel: 4772-6137
Pizza
The most traditional places are quite simple and we are excluding them because are difficult for foreigners.
Most italian restaurants offer pizza, but in the following we list some specialized places.
Filo
San Martín 975 - Tel: 4311-0312
La Nueva Gata Ayacucho 1016 - Tel: 4829-0222/0100
El Cuartito Talcahuano 937 - Tel: 4816-1758/4331
Los Inmortales (very traditional)
Lavalle 746 - Tel: 4322-5493 / 4394-8532 / 0800-999-5674 also
Los Inmortales Corrientes, Av. 1369 - 4373-5303 / 0800-999-5674
Spanish:
We are dismissing several that are too expensive because the same quality can be obtained at a much lower price
Centro Asturiano de Buenos Aires Solis 475 - Tel: 4381-1342
Palacio Español (beatiful building and food, around 30 U$S)
Bernardo de Irigoyen 180 - Tel: 4334-4876 4342-4380
Betanzos Venezuela 1534 -Tel: 4115-8780
Tancat (very good, reservation required) Paraguay 645 - Tel: 4312-5442/6106
O toxo (food from Galicia, small) Belgrano 1825 - Tel: 4372-5182
Dorá (incredible tortilla made with artichokes and gruyere cheese, large serves to share, very good food, price around 30U$S) Reconquista 1076 - Tel: 4311-2891
Restaurant Rioja Belgrano 958 - Tel: 4342-5585
El Globo (old and traditional) Hipólito Yrigoyen 1199 - Tel: 4381-3926 4384-9788
Plaza Asturias (very traditional, large serves) Av de Mayo, Av. 1199 at Salta -Tel: 4382-7334
Tenedor libre (eat as much as you want for a fixed price)
In general this sort of restaurants cannot be recommended but there are two very good:
La Bistecca (Puerto Madero) (see http://www.laparolaccia.com.ar/)
Alicia Moreau de Justo 1888 - Tel: 4514-4999/4998/4999
Quórum
Combate de los Pozos 61 (behind the Congress)- Tel 4951-0855
Coffee:
Is an essential part of the porteño culture and therefore coffee shops are everywhere.
Basics:
If ask for a café you get an expresso, “cortado” is with a little milk, “lágrima” with a lot of milk, “cargado” is with an extra shot, same price
Croissants are called “medialunas” (half moons) and are several kinds, the most populars being “de manteca” and “de grasa”.
Wines:
This is an almost impossible subject to deal with because there are so many to mention !
The Argentine wine industry is the fifth leading producer of wine in the world
See Robert Parker’s comment http://www.winesofargentina.org/destacados/10/
Recently the CEO of Moet Chandon said in France that is simply impossible to produce a wine as Terrazas Malbec with such a quality and such a low price.
The flagship is Malbec because due to climatic reasons here we produce the best in the world. But we also have excellent Cabernet, Syrah, Bonarda, Merlot,, Burgundy, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay,Chablis, etc, etc. One unique is a white called “Torrontés”
Some recommended bodegas are:
Catena Zapata, Luigi Bosca, Lagarde, Rutini, Nieto Senetiner, El Portillo, López, Callia, Finca La Anita, Trapiche, Chandon, Familia Zuccardi, Navarro Correas, Terrazas, Enrique Foster, Escorihuela, Finca Flichman, Norton, Bianchi
Wines with low-medium prices to recommend (only 8-15 U$S in a restaurant):
Finca el Portillo, Trapiche, Latitud 33, Rincón Famoso, Terrazas, Norton, Bianchi
Buy wine at the airport on your way home because you will really see tax free prices !
|