hi again, if you had to pick the best 2 restaurants for steak what would you pick?also i hear about malbec wine-i assume its a red wine but do they also have good white wines? also are most of the steak dinners so big that it would be better to split it between 2 females if you got a couple of side dishes? adios-practicing my spanish allready!ha-ha

Hey, drdawggy, what are the two best restaurants for steak in BA??????

We have good wines in Argentina and they are cheap for Americans.

I would say a good steak can certainly be shared by two females who wish to remain slim.

1) Home (Yours)
2) For restaurants try www.elgourmet.com

Barbacharters

There is a very good restaurant in Buenos Aires called La Cabana ( do not confuse it with another with a similar name). The steaks there are outstanding. They offer several different types and I'm sure you could find something that suits you. I got the equivalent of a small filet mignon and it was enough for me without having to share it.

Nomadwoman:

Lolo12 says: "There is a very good restaurant in Buenos Aires called La Cabana" and she/he is right.

The proper name is "La Cabaña", but I know you do not have the "ñ" in your computers.

This is an old restaurant which closed quite a few years ago and has recently reopened in the Recoleta area, under a new management and owners (Orient Express).

I have been to the old "La Cabaña" quite a few times, but I do not know the new version. It is probably good, full of tourists and expensive for us, but quite cheap by, say, New York standards.

I would suggest you try a Shiraz-Malbec blend - much more complex than their VG Malbecs for about the same dinero.
I had a VVG Argentine Pinot Gris (Pinot Grigio) from J&F Lurton which blows away nearly any white wine in its price range (less than $7. US)worldwide (and certainly all the plonk pinot grigio). Their dad Andre Lurton makes several great white Bordeaux in France.
M

You can enjoy an excellent steak in many locations throughout Buenos Aires. I tend toward restaurants that do not cater to tourists, such as Cabana las Lilas...though I hasten to add that Cabana las Lilas serves some very good meat. I just prefer to seek out neighborhood parrillas and eateries, for a more authentic feel of Porteno life.

A couple of spots to try in different neighborhoods:

San Telmo. 1880 Parrilla. Defensa 1665. Some great bife de chorizo is served up here. Order one main and split a couple of side dishes and you are set. The grilled provelone cheese round is an excellent choice for an appetizer. They serve a decent green salad as well. If you want to experiment, try the puree de calabaza (mashed squash). It goes quite well with steak. The wine list is limited, but good. This is an inexpensive neighborhood restaurant that serves up very good food and oozes authentic atmosphere.

2. La Corte in Las Canitas. Great wine list. Very good steaks and salads in a trendy area where locals hang out....nice atmosphere.

3. El Establo. Paraguay/SanMartin downtown. Great service and huge steaks. Papas done many different ways make for a good side dish. Luigi Bosca malbec or Cab goes down well with steak.

4. El Mirasol. In Recova de Posadas near the four seasons hotel. Traditional restaurant with several branches. This one is central and convenient. Huge portions. Watch for their specials on wines. Nice mix of locals and tourists here.

others....Le Nelly out of town a bit, overlooking the water in Zona Norte and La Cabrera in Palermo Viejo are always good.....

If you want to soak up some local atmosphere head on over to Bar Uriarte in Palermo Viejo. Great place to try wine by the glass or the bottle. Very good steak and other types of dishes. Wear your designer jeans here...



If you go with a blended red wine look for Achavel Ferrar Quimera. Outstanding....

There are two top parrillas not mentioned

La Brigada.
Parrilla La Dorita in Palermo viejo.

None of them are touristy or cheap , booking recommended.

A tip for the parrillero ( cook) sometimes makes miracles but not in the above restaurants.

Barbacharters

Well, Doc, that is the least I was expecting from you!

Keep up the good work and we may award you a "cucarda"!

hi everyone, i trully thank everyone for their input about where to go for a great steak dinner. this forum is awsome! 2 days and counting down before i leave. i am very excited!! i am not looking forward to flying varig airlines. the last time i flew them i had a dream the night before i flew back to the us that my plane crashed into the jungles of brasil. they "lost" my friends reservations for this flight and i was flying solo. at 23 years old it was kind of scarry flying back by my self. well to make a long story short about 1 hour after we stopped in belem to pick up more people the plane started to get warm,the plane was tilted in a downward position and people started murmuring loudly and the pilot came on the loud speaker and said due to engine difficulties we have to turn back to belem. great! we were right over the jungles of brasil! i looked out the window and they were putting fire retardent out the engine and we flew back to belem were we dumped our fuel over the amazon and landed amongst the fire trucks and ambulances. it took me 30 hours to get back home to chicago. surfice it to say my friend made it home way before me. hope this flight goes much better. thanks again.

Well, I figure that Varig flight was not too recent and things should have improved.

You'll be all right.

Enjoy Buenos Aires and, if you wish, write to me to [email protected] when you are here.

Hi, nomadwoman:

Found this post in a competing forum and I feel it is worth reading:

I just returned from 12 days in Argentina(Aug 3 through Aug 14). I have a few suggestions for anyone traveling there for the first time. First of all, I never felt threatened by anyone in Argentina. I had lived in Chile for two years quite some time ago, so I am observant and I don't put myself into any situations that don't feel right. Buenos Aires is as safe as any large city in the U.S. if you follow some basic rules. Stay in places during the evening that are frequented by tourists. There are usually police on every corner or so. Travel during the day to places you aren't sure about. Use taxis, the radio dispatched ones, they are very inexpensive...usually in the U.S.$2-6 range. Keep cameras in a safe place, best a pocket where you can close a zipper. Keep your money in a money belt or in a pocket where it would be very difficult for someone to steal from. Know where you are at all times and how to get back to your hotel...even if it is just to be able to pronounce the name of your hotel and the street it is on...or better still have it written on a piece of paper..or an actual photo from a hotel pamphlet.

Things to see: a must is the Recoleta cemetary...it is just hard to believe. The Teatro Colon is interesting to tour, but attending a performance would be even better. Just walking around some of the neighborhoods in Recoleta and the Palermos is interesting as well. The contrasting architecture of many of the buildings is worth the effort. The Malba-Constantini Art Museum is interesting as is the Nat'l. Museum of Fine Arts ....if you like those kinds of things.

Favorite restaurants: Lunch - Piegari(Recoleta), Broccolino(Centro) Dinner - La Cabelleriza, Katrine (Puerto Madero) There are so many great places to eat, you would need a month to hit them all.

Tango - Cafe Tortoni...if you just want the show, with a drink. Senor Tango...if you want a grand production with dinner. Your hotels can arrange reservations for you.

Note: most all restaurants have plenty of seating if you arrive when they open...around 8:30pm. If you want to dine at a popular restaurant, at let's say 10-11PM, it would be best to make a reservation.

Shopping in Argentina: Let the buyer beware. There is usually a discount for paying in cash (effectivo),for most items of a significant value (over $70US) . However, this discount is sometimes nothing more than what you can get back in the tax you pay. If you use a credit card...and you want the tax back...a store owner will fill out a form which you must take to the airport. You turn in the form and they give you the tax back. If you pay in cash...I don't think they record the sale, for tax purposes, and they simply discount the item you are purchasing by the value of the tax. By paying in cash you don't have to hassle with the papers and wait in a line at the airport. Ask lots of questions and shop around. I saved over $90US on a beautiful leather "bolsa" or bag, simply by looking around. I found the same exact item for less...and I negotiated a discount above the value of the tax(I paid in cash).

My trip was great...it helped that I speak fluent castellano. Be prepared that Argentines speak in "vos" and with a distinctly different accent on the "Y" and the "LL"(double Ls). Many people speak English and they are very helpful. I also used the "ciccerones" group to act as a guide. For the price of lunch we had a great guide for about 3 hours in BA.

Not to worry...Argentina is a great place to visit. BA while big and noisy...it is a great place to get to know. The people are friendly, the food is great(and safe to eat...I drank bottled water)) and there are many places to go and see. Best of luck and enjoy it all.

This guy knows what he is talking about!

hi avrooster, thanks again for the good information.i did read the post from the other forum and it was very informative. i do have another question for you. i do speak some spanish and i am confused when they talk about the people in argentina speak in "vos" and how you pronounce the double ll's differently. i was told from different people that it was pronounced as a sh sound or a dj sound .which is correct? thanks again for your help

Hi, nomadwoman. I believe what you have been told essentialy means our Spanish is slightly different from the Spanish spoken by Spaniards, but you should not worry about it.

One example: A Spaniard would say "tú tienes" and we would say "vos tenés", both meaning "you have" (something). No big deal.

The way we pronounce the "ll" is slightly different from the way Spaniards pronounce it, but again, no big deal.

There is no single "correct" way, both are correct and everybody here will understand if you speak like a Spaniard.

Again, write to me when you get here and I'll be pleased to show you around, as a sort of "cicerone". Did you read my "The REAL Buenos Aires" thread?

Could someone comment on La Obrero for steak?

Thanks! We are visiting in Jan and Feb and are so excited.

Cabana Las Lilas has amazing steak. I had lunch there with big group and the food started coming even before we ordered. You can easily split a steak as the portions are large. Food and service were excellent. Avoid La Cabana in Recoleta. Service was poor -- they forgot 3 orders for our table and everyone else was done by the time that food arrived. Food was just okay and pricey for BA.

This Forum is sometimes mysterious to me.

If a Thread is titled "best steak dinner" do the respondents KNOW in some way that nations from Mexico to
Chile are out of play and only Argentina is under discussion?

Yes, we know, simply because it is posted on "Argentina".

The board is somewhat confusing because you can access the forum by clicking on Latin America or on a specific country. If you click on Latin America all threads for the entire region show up, Mexico, Costa Rica, Brazil, etc. along with Argentina....

But who would be foolish enough to suggest that "best steak dinner" would be anywhere other than Argentina, where the best steak in the world is served.....

Hands down, my favorite is La Brigada in San Telmo. Must have a reservation. The best steak I have ever eaten and the service is top notch. Very small and not touristy. My family has been there twice and we will go back when we visit BsAs.