Buenos Aires Restaurants

1. Astor, Manduque Porteño

The name—which means, more or less, "the way locals eat"—may be a bit of a misnomer, because this restaurant doesn't serve anything that you'd find in a traditional local restaurant. Chef Antonio Sorano takes those traditional concepts and turns them on their head, creating beautifully plated, perfectly prepared dishes that retain the spirit of the original. The menu changes weekly. A well-curated wine list is under the direction of charming sommelier Pablo Colina. This may not be the way locals have been eating, but they're starting to, and you should, too.

2. Chila

With a prime harborside location and a carefully curated tasting menu that delves into Argentina's abundant pantry, Chila is worth the splurge. Book a table on the water and allow the exemplary team (helmed by bright young culinary star, Pedro Bargero), to work its magic. The wine list is one of the city’s best; ask for the pairings.

3. Chori

This bright yellow corner storefront has given the humble sausage sandwich called choripán a radical and much-needed makeover, turning it from basic street food to a sleek fast-food meal. All the chorizos that are the base of the sandwich—from lamb to mushroom and even fish—are produced in house, and there are side dishes such as sweet potato fries as well as beer, wine, and cocktails.

4. El Sanjuanino

It may be cramped, crowded, and kitschy—and very warm in hot weather due to the roaring wood-fired ovens—but the empanadas are delicious and they serve the city's best locro (corn, squash, and meat stew) as well as delicious and iconic game dishes. Ignore the wine list and opt for the house vino served in pitchers, which is just as good and half the price. The waiters have fun with the crowd, and speak at least basic conversational phrases in a half dozen or more languages.

5. Julia

An intimate space for just 22 diners led by talented young chef Julio Martín, enjoy a plant-led (but not exclusive) menu at this adorable bistro named after his daughter. Low lighting makes for an intimate ambience, ideal for a date, while you can also take a table on the sidewalk. Sample the tasting menu or go a la carte; the small culinary team enjoys playing around fermentations. Start with the apple, kiwi, and shiso salad before moving on to the wagyu aged in barley koju. 

6. Pura Tierra

In a charming and creative space that was once a private residence in Belgrano, chef Martín Molteni's dining room offers up a tribute to the lesser-known products of the region. Specializing in unusual meats—llama, wild boar, rabbit, and quail are regular offerings—as well as fresh fish, unusual grains and vegetables, and hand-crafted cheeses, Molteni brings his overseas training in France and Australia to bear on his Argentine heritage. The menu changes completely every two or three months to reflect the freshest seasonal ingredients. While the menu doesn't list vegetarian options, give advance notice when you reserve and the kitchen will turn out equally stunning vegetable plates. A chef's tasting menu is also available.

7. Restó SCA

A haunt for foodies who adore the creative, contemporary Argentine cuisine and beautiful presentation, there's nowhere better in the neighborhood for lunch or an atmospheric dinner. The star of the lineup is the roasted, stuffed whole quail with squash. Service is very efficient and a top sommelier is in charge of the wine list, heading a young dynamic team.

8. Tomo I

One of the city's more sophisticated dining rooms, Tomo I is a bastion of modern French-Argentine cooking. Dishes lean towards less-is-more, and truly shine with updated versions of classic French dishes, like kid with broad beans.

9. Adentro Dinner Club

Realizing that not every visitor to Buenos Aires has friends or family to invite them to an asado, the traditional backyard barbecue, Colorado native Kelly Brenner and Argentino Gabriel Aguallo decided to take the plunge. They threw open the doors to their charming home, where guests join them on the patio around a massive grill and then adjourn to the farmhouse-style dining area for a family-style steak or seafood fest. Plenty of grilled vegetable dishes, creative salads, and glasses of local wine accompany the meat. More wines are available from the short but well-selected wine list. The exact address is provided when you make a reservation.

10. BIS

A romantic bistro located down a secluded Recoleta alley, chef Gonzalo Aramburu's BIS deals in classy comfort food with contemporary twists. Expect dishes such as rabbit terrine, wood-grilled octopus, and a steak tartare that comes with mustard ice cream. It opens for breakfast at 8 and keeps serving until 11 pm. The outdoor patio is lovely when the weather cooperates.

11. Café San Juan

When famed "anti-chef" Leandro Cristóbal decided to return to his roots, he dropped his trademark modern cuisine in favor of huge platters of rustic traditional dishes with little creative twists reflecting his own bad-boy personality. That carries over into the decor and setup—the room has a sort of farmhouse-chic feel with the addition of graffiti and tattoo-covered cooks working the open kitchen. Roast partridge with hazelnut stuffing, sweetbread-and-ricotta cannelloni, and tender wine-braised rabbit are among the stars here. A second location is open nearby at Chile 474 focusing more on pastas.

12. Café San Juan La Cantina

Its façade leads into tiny vermouth bar but the back is a huge dining room, where tattooed celebrity chef Lele Cristobal prepares tasty dishes with Spanish and Italian flavors such as lamb meatballs with chickpea mash and ossobuco stew. Start an evening with a glass of the house aperitivo—vermouth comes on tap—with soda at the bar with just eight stools, then move onto the main event for a buzzy evening.

13. Casa Coupage

In the middle of the chaos of Palermo, Casa Coupage is an oasis of tranquility. Located in a converted home, the beige-on-beige dining area takes up most of the main floor. Decor is simple, mostly wine related, plus the odd choice of postage stamps glued in a swath around the rooms at eye level. Your best bet is the frequently changing tasting menu that lets you sample the full range of chef Pablo Bolzan's creative take on traditional Argentine cooking. A limited selection of à la carte dishes is always available. Sommelier Santiago Mymicopulo knows his stuff, and his great wine-pairing options are usually a much better value than ordering from the somewhat overpriced wine list.

14. Club Eros

Known for its no-frills decor, this Palermo Soho stalwart is where generations of locals have been coming to dine. It's located inside a soccer club of the same name and draws its clientele from club members, neighborhood residents, and pretty much anyone who wants honest cooking that doesn't put a dent in their budget. While the menu features three different pastas and a dozen items off the parrilla (grill), your waiter will tell you what's actually available for the day.

15. Cumaná

The hearty stews, steaks, and empanadas at chaotic Cumaná are a far cry from Recoleta's European pretensions. Skip dessert, though (nearby ice-cream parlors are better).

16. Don Carlos

With a prime location right in front of the Boca Juniors stadium, this bodegón is an institution not only for soccer fans but for the likes of movie director Francis Ford Coppola and chef Francis Mallmann. Owner Carlitos Zinola basically chooses your Italo-Argentine menu for you, which could be steak, pasta, tortilla, pascualina tart, or a combination of them all. The neighborhood is dodgy, particularly at night—take a taxi to and from this restaurant.

17. Down Town Matías

On a prominent corner of the downtown business district, Down Town Matías is the flagship of a group of Irish-themed pubs. Drop in at lunchtime for a simple steak with mushroom sauce, a well-prepared piece of fish, or a simple sandwich. Pints of ale on tap and plenty of noise, particularly at dinnertime, are the order of the day. Weekday evenings there's an early happy hour followed by live music, generally local rock groups, which can make dinner conversation a challenge. At the other locations outside of downtown, the ambience is a bit more laid-back, and prices are a touch lower.

18. Duhau Restaurant & Vinoteca

An oasis of elegance and grace in the heart of Recoleta, French cooking techniques dominate this kitchen, though the seafood and meat are sourced from Argentina. Standout dishes include butter-soft Angus tenderloin, crispy sweetbreads, and a decadent molten chocolate cake. If the weather is nice, ask for a table on the terrace overlooking the courtyard gardens. Don't miss a pre- or post-dinner visit to the wine-and-cheese bar with a fantastic array of each, and be sure to take an after-meal stroll through the hotel's underground art gallery.

19. El Federal

An homage to the rugged terrain of the Argentine wilds, every surface in this downtown eatery seems to be rough wood or tanned leather. Chef Paula Comparatore turns out modern twists on classic regional dishes, often making use of rarely seen ingredients. Her tehuelches, a type of Patagonian empanada named after a near-extinct southern tribe, are among the best in the city, and her classic slow braises of lamb, goat, and beef are simply divine. For those with something lighter in mind, there are indigenous fish preparations and even a vegetarian dish or two.

20. El Palacio de la Papa Frita