We will be going to Argentina in December and will only be in BA for 4 nights---one of which will be at a dinner tango show. If you had to recommend your "don't miss" restaurant what would it be? We want to go to a parilla one night. Is Cabana Las Lilas the best in the city as all of the critics imply? What about Sucre? We are going to an estancia for a day and I thought we would probably want something light for dinner that night such as pizza. Any recommendations? Thanks.

want to know my opinion. you said 4 nights which is not much.
tango shows offers a very good dinner
Cabaña Las Lilas is an excellent place you should go there too.
if you go to an estancia for the day you will eat every 2 hours. i dont think you will be able to eat sth else for dinner, a tea will do!
last night then: take a boat in Madero again and have dinner while you see the city at night. worth!!!
Lunch: 1.-Cantina in La Boca.
2.-Restaurant with a good wine in Palermo.
3.-Try to go to the Tigre Delta excursion and have lunch on an island. worth!
That is enough!!!!

Big Mamma,
We had several meals we greatly enjoyed. We liked the scene at Novocento and in the area around it which was hopping at 1am!

We were staying at a lovely B and B Posada Palermo and enjoyed a very memorable meal at a place called De Olivas i Lustre on Gascon(reviewed in Frommers). The food was like tapas reinvented as a servies of amusee bouche. 13 small but exquisite bites an unbelievable bargain for $11 US for two!!! One of the most enjoyable meals I've had in some time.

We enjoyed BA very much but weren't wowed by the parilla. I hope you have a great trip.

I will add my comments to this discussion.

1. Cabana las lilas is a very good parrilla....but not all critics consider it the best. I picked up the 20004/05 edition of a well known local restaurant guide on my trip. This book rates several parrillas above Las Lilas....la Cabrera in Palermo Viejo, El Mirasol with several locations around the city, and la Brigada in SAn Telmo. Still, it is hard to go wrong at Las Lilas...the location on the water, the location in an old building with exposed brick walls, the quality of the service and the wine list combine to make Las Lilas an excellent choice.

2. Sucre and it's sister restaurants, Bar Uriarte in Palermo Viejo and Gran Bar Danzon on Libertad in Barrio Norte, are all very good choices...although I would not consider Sucre a parrilla in the traditional sense...It is one of my favorite restaurants in the city....trendy, excellent food, extensive wine list, fantastic service.....phone ahead for a reservation, some nights are very crowded. 4782-9082.

3. Piola (Libertad 1078)between Santa FE and Marcelo T. de Alvear, is an outstanding choice for pizza!

4. I literally went to a restaurant by accident this time (the taxi driver dumped us off at the wrong restaurant by mistake) that turned out to be another very good choice if you like seafood....Puerto Cristal, in Puerto Madero...sorry, I did not come away with the address, but it is on Alicea M. de Justo, the restaurant row of Puerto Madero....the grilled merluza negra was fantistic!


Enjoy your trip......

We loved La Estancia ( touch of olde world BA) for its fab steaks and old guys wait staff. The place has so much atmosphere and is cheap. US35 for 3 courses for two of us and a bottle of fine Argentine vino. We also loved La Biscotte in Palermo near Evita Museum. La Belle Italian is not open for lunch at present. 1880 Parilla in Defensa was fabulous for Sunday lunch (rec by dr dawggy). BA is a foodies delight. We are in Mendoza. Do not miss this lovely little city and its famous Escorihuela winery in Godoy Cruz. We are so enjoying Argentina. The people we have met have been a delight and so helpful. The hostel confluencia in Espana is great value and so clean at 38 pesos a twin.

Glad you enjoyed 1880 Parrilla. I ate there last Sunday, along with a travel writer for another travel guide. I always have good experiences there....

Glad you found a good Italian restaurant in Palermo. About Bella Italia.....it is kind of confusing, so I should have explained before: There are two locations...Bella Italia restaurant is only open for dinner.....Bella Italia Cafe and Bar is open for lunch....The Cafe is just a block away from the restaurant, toward Libertador......

Thanks for the recommendations. So many restaurants and so few days.

Go to Puerto Madero for dinner. Three great restaurants (if you eat red meat) are Los Mirasoles, La Caballeriza and Las Lilas.

Check out www.guiaoleo.com.ar

Buenos AIres has several Japanese restaurants. I know most people don't think sushi when they think Buenos Aires but I always consider sushi to be an expensive treat so when I was on vacation I ate whatever I wanted and had lots of Argentine wine with dinner. I love chicken teriaki and tried out all kinds of sushi. Anything with salmon in it was delicious. My favorite BA restaurant is Bokoto it's in Bokoto. The food was good. I ate good for under 30 pesos by myself this included a small bottel of wine. The staff was nice and most of them spoke english. And it's really great for single diners because they have magazines you can read they're in spanish but you can usually make out the headlines and look at the pictures. I was stuffed and ready to blow because of all the sushi. The only restaurant I visited twice during my trip. I wouldn't recommend the pizza there though. I didnt' care for it at all. But whereever you go eat well and drink well. Please have a bottle of wine or champagne with every dinner (unless you just dont' drink) Argentina is too cheap not to.

Speaking of good dinning recommendations without any commercial interest I have recommended in the past and will do it again:

Simple buy for $6 or $7 dollars a little Red Book
(its text is both in Spanish and English) called
Los recomendados. This book has been written by two indepent journalist who have impecable taste.
I have found it a small jewel . It has been edited by Libreria El Ateneo, the most important bookstore in Aregentina. Its main store is in itself very nice. Set up in an old theatre in calle Santa Fe near calle Callao.\
Let me tell you I have no interest in this book and I do not know the authors although I wish I knew them because they must be very nice people.

Umm. Just what I need. Another set of restaurants to try in Buenos Aires. Thanks for the recommendation. I will buy this book on my next trip.

So much good food, so little time.