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$$ | Palermo Soho |
One of the finest steak houses in the planet that ranks in the World's 50 Best Restaurants, Don Julio features cowhide tablecloths, wagon-wheel lighting fixtures, a vast indoor grill, and rows of empty wine bottles signed by satisfied customers. A mix of locals and expats packs the place at lunch and dinner to feast on the fantastic ojo de bife (rib eye) and entraña (skirt steak). The wine cellar is one of Argentina's finest; ask to participate in the sensorial tasting before dining. Book well ahead, or line up around the corner.
Guatemala 4691, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, 1425, Argentina
Known For
- Tender rib eye
- Excellent attention and service
- Fantastic wine cellar
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$$$$ | Recoleta |
In a city filled with Spanish and Basque restaurants, there's not much of a tapas bar scene in Buenos Aires. El Burladero provides a mix of bar seating and communal tables, along with a more formal dining room, where you can mix and mingle with other diners. It serves up not only the best tapas selection in town, but also some of the best Spanish food. Don't miss one of the city's most satisfying versions of chipirones en su tinta (baby squid in its own ink), or the mouthwatering conejo en sidra (rabbit braised in cider). And speaking of cider, the bar pulls pints of the stuff to start off or accompany your meal. At lunch there's a fantastic three-course menu that costs less than a main course off the à la carte selection.
Pres. J.E. Uriburu 1488, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, 1114, Argentina
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun dinner, Reservations essential
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$ | Centro |
This iconic pizza parlor is frequented by porteños who worship the pies topped with fresh tomato sauce and a mile-high pile of oozing mozzarella. Every square inch of wall space is dedicated to memorabilia of sports legends, musicians, tango dancers, and actors, and every local has their cherished dining spot. The best pizza is the classic mitad-mitad, or half and half—one side a straightforward tomato sauce and cheese, the other swimming with anchovies. Dessert here is a winner, with the classic flan leading the pack.
Talcahuano 937, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, 1013, Argentina
Known For
- Old-school atmosphere
- Pizza
- Frequented by locals
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$ | Recoleta |
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.
Posadas 1515, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, 1112, Argentina
Known For
- Laid-back ambience
- Solid fare from the north
- Cheap and cheerful
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$$ | Palermo Botánico |
The first purveyor of contemporary Jewish cuisine in the city, Mishiguene brings classic Middle Eastern, Polish, and Russian dishes such as baba ghanoush, varenikes, pastrami, and borscht up-to-date. Vibrant Klezmer music, efficient service, and a party atmosphere add to the reason why these are some of the hottest tables around. Book the chef’s table for an exclusive tasting menu in full view of the open kitchen.
Lafinur 3368, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, 1425, Argentina
Known For
- Innovative concept
- Classic dishes brought up-to-date
- Fun ambience
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$ | Recoleta |
In a meat-centric city like Buenos Aires, excellently cooked seafood is a welcome change, and Oviedo turns out beautifully plated fillets of fish—don't miss the daily catch with pickled baby vegetables or the pristine shellfish. Top it all off with wine from one of the city's finest cellars–the pride and joy of owner Emilio Garip–and you're in for a memorable lunch or dinner.
Beruti 2602, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, 1425, Argentina
Known For
- Great wine list
- Knowledgeable service
- Sophisticated ambience
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.
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$$ | Recoleta |
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.
Montevideo 938, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1019ABT, Argentina
Known For
- Romantic
- Low key
- Great wine list
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed weekends. No dinner Mon.–Wed., Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Centro |
One of the city's more sophisticated dining rooms, Tomo I is a bastion of modern French-Argentine cooking. Dishes lean towards less-is-more, and truly shine with updated versions of classic French dishes, like kid with broad beans.
Carlos Pellegrini 521, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1011AAE, Argentina
Known For
- Sophisticated
- Ideal for business meetings
- Upscale service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch Sat., Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
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$$ | Palermo |
In a city known for its steak and potatoes, vegetarians generally have to make do with salads, pastas, and pizzas to get by. That’s slowly changing thanks to gems like Artemisia, which serves up what is arguably the city's best and most creative meat-free fare, spiced up with Peruvian flavors. It also offers what may be the city's best veggie burger, packed with flavorful lentils. If you're traveling with omnivores, there's always one fish dish on the menu. The service tends to be a bit slow, but it fits the relaxed vibe. There's a sister spot at Cabrera 3877, also in Palermo.
Gorriti 5996, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, 1414, Argentina
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner Sun.
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$$ | Palermo Hollywood |
The city’s finest purveyor of southeast Asian food started out as a closed-door restaurant in the chef's home but these days it has a prime Palermo Hollywood location. Adobo pao (steamed pork buns) from her beloved Philippines and delicious Thai yellow curry are two musts, best accompanied by a lemongrass and vodka cocktail. Book a table under the banana trees at the back for a romantic dinner.
Humboldt 1626, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, 1414, Argentina
Known For
- Authentic flavors
- Spicy food
- Chilled-out ambience
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.--Mon.
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$$$ | Retiro |
Stepping into the wood-paneled dining room, with tables draped in white linens and a ceiling tented with a colorful carpet, you may feel like you've entered a British officers' club from the late 1800s. During the day the clientele seem to be mostly embassy employees and foreign-service workers, which just adds to that atmosphere. At night it changes over to a mix of neighbors and tourists enjoying the offbeat menu that's half Italian and half Indian. For those in the mood for spice, a half-dozen reasonably hot curries are on offer (the fish and prawn curries are the stars). For something milder, pasta is the thing, and the excellent lasagnas are the house specialty. The waitstaff is trained to sell and can sometimes seem a little pushy.
Arenales 837, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, 1061, Argentina
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch Sat., Credit cards accepted, Reservations essential
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$ | Recoleta |
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.
Vicente López 1661, local 12, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, C1018ABA, Argentina
Known For
- Efficient service
- Great wine list
- Excellent brunch
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun.
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$$$ | Belgrano |
This elegant corner Italian restaurant features wraparound windows overlooking Parque Paseo de las Americas was one of the first spots to bring some life to "Bajo Belgrano." Now, there are a half dozen restaurants within a block, and this area is a dining destination, not only for local Belgrano residents but for visiting gastronomes from across the city and globe. The duo that owns it—restaurateur Fernando Brucco (also owner of Happening in Puerto Madero) and local rocker Fabián "Zorrito" Quintiero (who also owns Soul Café)—have maintained the standards originally set by consulting chef and local food TV personality Donato deSantis. The stars here, other than the owners, are the pastas, made fresh in-house and topped with creative, delicious sauces—don't miss the "Unico," a whopping raviolo filled with spinach and cheese and topped with mushrooms and truffle sauce.
Sucre 696, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, 1428, Argentina
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch, Credit cards accepted
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$$$ | Belgrano |
In the heart of the city's Chinatown, BuddhaBA is part pan-Asian restaurant, part tranquil garden, and part art gallery. The service is understated, but always gracious, and the food is a pleasure to both look at and eat. The tastiest dish on the menu is the paté imperial, a unique twist on the classic Vietnamese banh mi sandwich, reinterpreted as a pair of long, delicate, crispy springrolls. The Chinese sweet-and-sour dishes are always delicious, if sometimes erring a trifle on the sweet side. Finish up with a pot of tea, perhaps out in the garden during nice weather.
Arribeños 2288, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, 1428, Argentina
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No lunch Thurs. and Fri. No dinner Sun.
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$ | Recoleta |
The city's first microbrewery is in a prime position opposite Recoleta Cemetery, and it's a prince among frogs in a saturated craft beer market. There are seven different styles of beer (the Porter is highly recommended), and you can have a sampler of the whole range. Great sandwiches and one of the better burgers in the neighborhood are more reasons to drop in. Head up to the terrace on weekends. There are also storefronts in Villa Crespo and Belgrano.
Junín 1747, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, 1113, Argentina
Known For
- Craft beer
- Pub grub
- Happy hour
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$$$ | Puerto Madero |
The beef and pork are sourced from the owner's own ranch at this well-known—and expensive—steak house that attracts a crowd of mostly international travelers to the docklands. Service is impeccable, as are the steaks; of note are the ojo de bife and bife de lomo, aka the rib eye and the sirloin.
A.M. de Justo 516, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, 1107, Argentina
Known For
- Tender beef
- Impeccable service
- Fantastic wine list
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$$ | San Telmo |
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.
Av. San Juan 450, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, 1147, Argentina
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon., No credit cards, Reservations essential
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$$ | San Telmo |
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.
Chile 474, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Known For
- Celebrity chef
- Hearty fare
- Buzzy ambience
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$ | Centro |
Take a seat amid the Tiffany lamps and marble-topped tables, and contemplate the fact that you may be sitting in a chair once occupied by a former president, a renowned tango singer, or a world-famous artist or writer while they nibbled an exquisite pastry. The place and setting are from another age, thankfully well preserved, but you may have to wait for a table at the oldest—and highly popular—café in Buenos Aires. Reservations are a must for the dinner-hour tango show.
Av. de Mayo 825, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, 1084, Argentina
Known For
- Tango
- Blast from the past
- Submarino (hot chocolate) and churros
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$ | Palermo Soho |
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.
Uriarte 1609, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, 1414, Argentina
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No credit cards, Reservations not accepted
