Restaurant list- BA
Jan 24th, 2010, 04:28 PM
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Restaurant list- BA
Below is a list of restaurants I gathered from postings and different boards, especially Dr. Dawggy's great list and those that contributed to it. The food mentioned on here just things I thought I'd want to try. I have copied them from the original posts that I thought sounded great. I tried to organize by neighborhood so I'd have a list when I was in an area. If the location or address is wrong- my apologies- that is all me. This is the list I brought with me and carried with me as I toured- this way no matter where I ended up- I'd have options. Traveling with kids, I wanted sure things as opposed to just wandering and see what I would find (as I used to be able to do). Below it is the list of places I ended up going. This list is also in my extensive trip report but I thought I'd put it here as well to keep it in one place. Since I was traveling with young kids, unfortunately I didn't get to as many places on my initial list b/c they were either not as appropriate for kids, more dinner oriented (lunch was much easier for us) or we just weren't in the area at the appropriate times. Make sure you check to be sure if restaurants are open all day or just lunch & dinner times and many aren't open on Sundays.
I tend to want to eat what an area is known when I travel. There are many additional types of restaurants listed here since I was here for a month and I figured I would need variety from steak (though my DH was eating it twice a day in the end).
Those I didn't make it to but would have really wanted to: Oviedo, Social Paraiso, Restaurant at the Japanese Gardens, Parilla 1880, Juana M, Centro Vasco Frances, a Peruvian restaurant (they are supposed to be great in BA- we were going to go to one in Palermo Soho- but never made it there- inside walls were painted purple- looked cute), Las Pizarras, ah the list goes on and on...
To look up their ratings by diners, address and mapping them- this site is a great resource (I used google translate often to see what some diners were raving about in Spanish for words I was unfamiliar with):
http://www.guiaoleo.com.ar/detail.php?ID=183
Here's my list of restaurants I brought with me in no particular order and organized by neighborhood.
Recoleta:
* Rodi Bar- Vicente López 1900- Especialidades: Peceto al horno con papas, bocadillo de acelgas con papas fritas, merluza a la gallega, higos rellenos con nueces. Papas Fritas (french fries) – (especially the provencal ones)
* The Balcony Steak House - in the Recova del Posadas, right across from The Four Seasons hotel, typical Argentine food- some unusual items- sesame-crusted baked Camembert, salmon carpaccio, and a platter of grilled wild mushrooms and a plate of pasta smothered in small, whole clams.
* Susina on Vincent Lopez- great bread, the Brie/Dried Fruit appetizer and a heavenly Rack of Lamb entree; same alley as Nectarine ~ you can eat at Susina twice or three times based on Nectarine's pricing (great food by the way, but a lack of ambiance for their prices and attitude, and everyone eating there seemed to be from New York or London, no locals that we noticed)
* El Cuartito- pizza- old school- fugazetta- w/onion
* El Mirasol
* Oviedo- great seafood restaurant recommended by many
* Florencio
* Avoid restaurants on "restaurant row" without a recommendation. If you must eat here, try Munich... Avoid the strip that starts w/Cafe Biela & ends w/Lola (drugstore is good)
Palermo:
* Evita Museum cafe
* Don Julio- Parilla
* Grappa- El Salvador 5802- Pizza- recommended- arugula good
* Angelin- Córdoba, Av. 5270- Pizza- mixed reviews- local place
* La Cupertina has great empandanas and good lunches.
* Las Pizarras-Thames 2296 (Thames and Charcas)- ask chef to choose- beet salad, fish, homeade pasta- chef handpicks veggies, fruit, fish. This meal will be remembered forever. We had been to this restaurant twice before but each time we ordered from the menu.
* Crizia
* La Parolaccia, fixed price lunch is reasonably priced
* Casa Coupage- www.casacoupage.com.ar; Güemes 4382 1° piso por escalera
Palermo Viejo
* Plaza Serrano, also called (Cortolozar). the best part is the terrace- you can look down on the plaza, people watch, and have a cold beer.
Palermo Hollywood:
* El Trapiche on Paraguay iit's hard to beat this place for price/quality ratio and I had to do a double-take at the size of the two pork chops they put in front of me. Huge and delicious, with home-made warm apple sauce. Great service and a great Avocado/Shrimp/Hearts of Palm appetizer that is not to be missed
* Sudestrada on Guatemala if you are in need of a spice fix (Malaysian-ish in nature, but with influences from China as well), this is the place. The spiciest dishes we had by a long shot. And pretty good, too. Sit by a window and watch the world go by as you clear out your sinuses.
* Dominga
* Azema Exotic (if you must go for fusion)
Palermo Soho:
**Social Paraiso- very small and good idea to have reservations
* Berreber, Armenia 1818 between Nicaragua and Costa Rica. 54-11-4833-5662. Palermo Soho. North African- need reservation after 8:30, hummus & spice olives to start, vegetarian- when you've had enough meat
* Maria Fulo on Cabrera Exceptional. The clay pot Sea Bass in a Thai/Brazilian coconut broth was heavenly. The Passion Fruit Mousse was singularly the best dessert we had over two weeks and 25 restaurants
* El Preferido, (do not expect great decor, just good food).
Palermo Botanico- On Sante Fe - Hermanns .. a great locals place also FISH & CHIPS
Barrio Norte:
* Bar Norte- next to El Cuartito on Talcohuano near Marcelo T Alvear- LUNCH ONLY OPEN TILL 4- Garlicky- pollo a la cabreza- 1/2 chicken w/fries- line turnover is quick
* El Palacio de las Papa Fritas- a great one in our neighborhood in Barrio Norte on Laprida just a block off Sante Fe. Place was filled with locals --we were the only tourists. The service was excellent. There are four in town.
San Telmo:
* Parilla 1880- HUGE portions- beef empanadas good, lasagna & ravioli w/pesto good; chorizo & dulce de leche- cheap
* La Brigada
Puerto Madero
* La Bisteca- $58 pesos all you can eat- quality incredible
* Happening- can eat on the dock- parilla & salad bar
* Juana M on Carlos Pelligrini- parilla & salad bar
* Siga la Vaca- parilla & salad bar all day
* Central Market - great on Sunday brunch- lots of strollers http://www.icentralmarket.com.ar/
* Sottovoce Madero- Italian- Moreau de Justo, Alicia 176 - great food & service- Sunday brunch good
Belgrano
* Sucre- good food- chocolate volcano, al dente Risotto with super-fresh sauteed squid, a super-fresh Salmon tartar appetizer with delicate hints of lemon and tarragon, bowl-licking desserts and a wine list to die for,.the location and noise level questionable, but there is no doubt these chef's can cook.
* Centro Vasco Frances is a great place especially for seafood and paella. Three of us shared 2 appetizers, rabas (fried squid slices) and chiparones (stuffed small squid, 42 pesos), and a main course of cazuela de mariscos for 2, a delicious dish (84 pesos). All were abundant portions. Trapiche Sav Blanc was excellent. Friendly and efficient service. 20 % discount for La Nación card or cash. Superb; Lula (squid) in its own tinta, fried squid, boquerones, and torta española all were first rate. A mixed paella (of which there were several varieties) billed as enough for 2 or 3 was sufficient for 4 after the 4 appetizers, especially as it left room to share an almendro ***WE TRIED TO GO HERE ON A SUNDAY- BUT IT CLOSED AFTER 2:30 and we never made it back
Abasto:
* Solo Pescado-Anchorena 533- great for seafood
Almagro
* Damblee- Rivadavia, Av. 3402; fish
Centro:
* Guerrin- Pizzeria- Corrientes, Av. 1368- old school pizza- thin crusted- you must have a fugazzeta, a thick crust pillowed over with mozzarella and a dense tangle of onions; or arugula
* Dora
Boeda
* Miramar- San Juan, Av. 1999- pulpo a la gallega, or boiled octopus with potatoes in olive oil and pimenton — a sort of paprika — and tortilla a la Española, an omelet-like dish with a spicy salami. W mejillones a la provenzal (mussels, white wine, garlic) and gambas al ajillo (shrimp, garlic, dried chili), all of it richly drenched in olive oil. we moved on to centolla (king crab)
Ice cream
* Freddo
* Un'Altra Volta in Almagro- SUBTE A- to Castro Barros- for tea or bakery/snacks- beautiful stained glass windows
* Las Violetas- Copa de Helado de Las Violetas- Rivadaia & Medrano
* Scannapieco- Córdoba 4826- Stroll out of Palermo’s center toward Villa Crespo — a barrio that has nobly rejected the label ‘‘Palermo Queens’’ — and you come upon silent cobblestone streets canopied by oaks and rosewoods. Out on the main avenue is Scannapieco, a 71-year-old heladaría that serves the best ice cream a dulce de leche the consistency of melted cheese; crema armenia with figs and anise
Cheesecake- Exposition Bakery on Juncal & Libertad- ricotta chesecake as good as NY style cheesecake
Chocolate w/churros- Cafe Tortoni- Avenida De Mayo 825- also hot chocolate; 8 am - 2 am- gets crowded late at night
A Few others- I didn't get to add to the neighborhoods:
Cluny for lunch, Casa Cruz for dinner (beautiful restaurant), Novcento for lunch (great spot in a wonderful neighborhood) Amici Miei and Soberbia22 in Palermo Hollywood (excellent place at Fitz Roy and Guatemala in Palermo Viejo). Had cocktails, etc at Bar 6, Bar Uriarte, Home Hotel, Mott, etc. We all loved every one of the above-mentioned-great atmosphere, good food and fabulous design
************************************************** *********************************************
LIST OF RESTAURANTS I VISITED:
These are not in ranking order- but in the order I ate them.
Puerto Madero- we stayed here so we tried MANY of the restaurants here. Note that all restaurants are closed if you are looking for dinner between 3 and 8 p.m.
Il gato- a bit of an overpriced tourist trap- italian- food wasn't great.
Xcaret- in Puerto Madero- ok pizza- nice staff- spoke English- only place that was open on a Saturday at 7 p.m.
Sottovoce- great bread basket & plate with garbanzos, sundried tomato, spaghetti tomate was good, gnocchi just ok
Central market- great sandwiches and very nice brunch- a great breakfast special (for the area) a very pretty plate of mini medialuna (croissant sandwiches), some with meat, some fruit or chocolate tarts, orange juice, fruit cup & tea or coffee for about $10 US. We ate here often- I think there is a 2 for 1 happy hour drink special as well during the week.
Pizzeria Pirilla- our favorite find Indpendencia & Defensa (it was not on the corner- I think it was a few doors in on Defensa)-HIGHLY RECOMMENDED- the best pizza - no place to sit- you get it by the slice and wait for more to come out. It was really great.
Guerrin- 1500 block of Viamonte- really great pizza- one of our favorite old school pizzas- highly recommended- we got the especialidad of the casa pie which was good- ham, cheese, tomato; you can get a slice or two at lunch time at a table and they are filling- we got the grande size and it was too much for two- but did have some leftovers
La Bistecca- Dique 4- 1800 Block of Alice M Justo- parilla/buffet- very reasonably priced- good with kids- waiter came over with a balloon- food was pretty good- meet, pasta, pizza, salad bar
La Estancia- Santa Fe- Parilla- had a good value lunch special- was pretty good (though we ended up having to take ours to go since our boys acted up)
Spell Cafe- Alice M. Justo- possibly worst meal i've ever had- ordered a grilled fish sandwich - received "chicken"- it was inedible- as was my husband's nachos. So disappointing as it was the first meal in a long time that both boys were sleeping at. Terrible service as well. Avoid.
La Despensa- Barracas neighborhood- outside of the main city area- great local place that Avrooster took us too- great steaks!
Las Cuartetas- 800 block of Corrientes- great deep dish pizza- we got El Especial w/champinones (mushrooms) had ham & olives- delicious- toss up whether we liked Guerrin or Las Cuartetas better- this had a bit more space
Rodi Bar- papas fritas provencal- a must, w/garlic & parsley, merluza lunch combination #9 was very good- like fish & chips, DH liked the lomo sandwich
Grappa- nice lighter lunch - grilled pizza & salad- a bit out of the way in Palermo Hollywood but we enjoyed it
Las Cabras- we had walked by this restaurant in Palermo Viejo when we went to Grappa and it was always packed. We were excited to try it. Good humito empenada- we had quesadillas (came with fries, guacamole and caesar salad). It was a bit disappointing- the salmon was terrible- very tough- and lomo just ok.
El Palacio de Papas Fritas- in Barrio Norte- had a good lunch special- nice lunch- "papas souffle" was not what I expected- I was thinking more souffle- was just airy fries
La Bougogone- we did have a great meal here though the service was terrible starting with the making of the reservation. We got called back the day after reserving telling us they overbooked and it took a few calls to change to another day. We were seated 15 minutes before getting menus or anyone to come over and never received a wine menu. Asking what the menu was for the tasting menu caused another 10 minute disappearance and still no real answer. We did do the tasting menu- substituting more seafood for game and we had the wine pairing. The food was excellent- thoughtful and beautifully prepared and presented. I did not really enjoy the wines and would have been happier with just a bottle of wine (and would have saved a bit of money). My husband did not wear a jacket and he was never given one. About half of the males in the restaurant did not have jackets though we saw one unhappy man returning one to the maitre de. The restaurant was just a stuffy hotel dining room. The food can't be faulted, but it is expensive and service was really poor for a five star restaurant. If you only have one or two special meals- I would go elsewhere.
La Placere- part of a chain- good empanadas and light fare
La Vineria de Gualterio- 15 course tasting menu for 150 pesos- very fun playful menu with a lot of molecular gastronomy used; this meal would have cost 2 to 3 times as much in NY. Everything very creatively prepared. Some courses were better than others- but they were all small but you will leave stuffed after your 3 hour meal. It is a very small restaurant- we sat downstairs but would have preferred to have been upstairs. They give you the menu with the breakdown of what everything is when you leave. A fun meal (not really traditional foods- but a unique experience)
ICE CREAM- Helado- I was in LOVE. Ice cream is one of my favorite things and we made it my quest to find the best. We sampled many places and found we liked some that haven't gotten as much play on these boards. (Also loved a haagen dazs flavor at our little market here of Midnight cookie- never saw at home- YUM!). Most deliver depending on where you are staying- definitely fun to try. We ate helado almost every day we were here. My son seems to miss his helado afternoon snack - now he's only getting pretzels! Many of those I tried came from saltshaker.net. He also has lists of best empanadas, etc. Great site to check out.
TIP- you queue up to pay (don't bother telling your flavor- just the size) then you go to another area to order flavor (it took me a few times to realize this as I stood by while others were getting ice cream in front of me
Many give free toppings
Rankings: (Keep in mind that once we found chocolate amagro & fruitilla de agua- we didn't experiment as much and stuck with them)
1. Cadore, Corrientes 1695, Centro Heladaria- Dark chocolate chocolate amagre was amazing as was the granazida (chocolate chip)
2. Persicco- one opened in Microcentre- chocolate amagre & fruitilla great, chocolate w/almonds & chocolate chip good- but not as good (had several times), there's even one at the airport on the 2nd floor- many locations
3. Un Altra Volta= there are several locations- very good at the Liberatador location, fruitilla and chocolate w/almonds were favoritesa at Recoleta- chocolate amarge & fruitilla good
4. La Venciana- got delivery helado- very good chocolate amargo & fruitilla- I highly recommend getting delivery- we waited till the end when I felt more confident in my Spanish to order- we should have tried earlier on. You can get as small as a 1/2 kilo.
5. Froilan- in Puerto Madero on Dique 2- pretty good- free toppings of nuts & candies
6. Scannapieco- I was very excited for this one as I thought it would be be best- but was very disappointed- out of the 3 flavors- only one ended up being the one we ordered- Sandia- watermelon- it was not great; we had 2 other chocolates & they were not as intense in flavor
7. Freddo- decent but flavors were not great- chocolate, vanilla, mint chocolate chip (tasted like toothpaste)
8. Ice cream in puerto madero outdoor kiosk- our least favorite- but highest points for ambiance on the harbor; chocolate w/almonds- very few almonds
Las Violetas- we took a VERY long walk here (didn't look so far on the map) not the best ice cream but wins for presentation- Copa de Helado Violetas- is a gigantic sundae; they had plates of assorted pastries that looked very good
Bon Appetit!
I tend to want to eat what an area is known when I travel. There are many additional types of restaurants listed here since I was here for a month and I figured I would need variety from steak (though my DH was eating it twice a day in the end).
Those I didn't make it to but would have really wanted to: Oviedo, Social Paraiso, Restaurant at the Japanese Gardens, Parilla 1880, Juana M, Centro Vasco Frances, a Peruvian restaurant (they are supposed to be great in BA- we were going to go to one in Palermo Soho- but never made it there- inside walls were painted purple- looked cute), Las Pizarras, ah the list goes on and on...
To look up their ratings by diners, address and mapping them- this site is a great resource (I used google translate often to see what some diners were raving about in Spanish for words I was unfamiliar with):
http://www.guiaoleo.com.ar/detail.php?ID=183
Here's my list of restaurants I brought with me in no particular order and organized by neighborhood.
Recoleta:
* Rodi Bar- Vicente López 1900- Especialidades: Peceto al horno con papas, bocadillo de acelgas con papas fritas, merluza a la gallega, higos rellenos con nueces. Papas Fritas (french fries) – (especially the provencal ones)
* The Balcony Steak House - in the Recova del Posadas, right across from The Four Seasons hotel, typical Argentine food- some unusual items- sesame-crusted baked Camembert, salmon carpaccio, and a platter of grilled wild mushrooms and a plate of pasta smothered in small, whole clams.
* Susina on Vincent Lopez- great bread, the Brie/Dried Fruit appetizer and a heavenly Rack of Lamb entree; same alley as Nectarine ~ you can eat at Susina twice or three times based on Nectarine's pricing (great food by the way, but a lack of ambiance for their prices and attitude, and everyone eating there seemed to be from New York or London, no locals that we noticed)
* El Cuartito- pizza- old school- fugazetta- w/onion
* El Mirasol
* Oviedo- great seafood restaurant recommended by many
* Florencio
* Avoid restaurants on "restaurant row" without a recommendation. If you must eat here, try Munich... Avoid the strip that starts w/Cafe Biela & ends w/Lola (drugstore is good)
Palermo:
* Evita Museum cafe
* Don Julio- Parilla
* Grappa- El Salvador 5802- Pizza- recommended- arugula good
* Angelin- Córdoba, Av. 5270- Pizza- mixed reviews- local place
* La Cupertina has great empandanas and good lunches.
* Las Pizarras-Thames 2296 (Thames and Charcas)- ask chef to choose- beet salad, fish, homeade pasta- chef handpicks veggies, fruit, fish. This meal will be remembered forever. We had been to this restaurant twice before but each time we ordered from the menu.
* Crizia
* La Parolaccia, fixed price lunch is reasonably priced
* Casa Coupage- www.casacoupage.com.ar; Güemes 4382 1° piso por escalera
Palermo Viejo
* Plaza Serrano, also called (Cortolozar). the best part is the terrace- you can look down on the plaza, people watch, and have a cold beer.
Palermo Hollywood:
* El Trapiche on Paraguay iit's hard to beat this place for price/quality ratio and I had to do a double-take at the size of the two pork chops they put in front of me. Huge and delicious, with home-made warm apple sauce. Great service and a great Avocado/Shrimp/Hearts of Palm appetizer that is not to be missed
* Sudestrada on Guatemala if you are in need of a spice fix (Malaysian-ish in nature, but with influences from China as well), this is the place. The spiciest dishes we had by a long shot. And pretty good, too. Sit by a window and watch the world go by as you clear out your sinuses.
* Dominga
* Azema Exotic (if you must go for fusion)
Palermo Soho:
**Social Paraiso- very small and good idea to have reservations
* Berreber, Armenia 1818 between Nicaragua and Costa Rica. 54-11-4833-5662. Palermo Soho. North African- need reservation after 8:30, hummus & spice olives to start, vegetarian- when you've had enough meat
* Maria Fulo on Cabrera Exceptional. The clay pot Sea Bass in a Thai/Brazilian coconut broth was heavenly. The Passion Fruit Mousse was singularly the best dessert we had over two weeks and 25 restaurants
* El Preferido, (do not expect great decor, just good food).
Palermo Botanico- On Sante Fe - Hermanns .. a great locals place also FISH & CHIPS
Barrio Norte:
* Bar Norte- next to El Cuartito on Talcohuano near Marcelo T Alvear- LUNCH ONLY OPEN TILL 4- Garlicky- pollo a la cabreza- 1/2 chicken w/fries- line turnover is quick
* El Palacio de las Papa Fritas- a great one in our neighborhood in Barrio Norte on Laprida just a block off Sante Fe. Place was filled with locals --we were the only tourists. The service was excellent. There are four in town.
San Telmo:
* Parilla 1880- HUGE portions- beef empanadas good, lasagna & ravioli w/pesto good; chorizo & dulce de leche- cheap
* La Brigada
Puerto Madero
* La Bisteca- $58 pesos all you can eat- quality incredible
* Happening- can eat on the dock- parilla & salad bar
* Juana M on Carlos Pelligrini- parilla & salad bar
* Siga la Vaca- parilla & salad bar all day
* Central Market - great on Sunday brunch- lots of strollers http://www.icentralmarket.com.ar/
* Sottovoce Madero- Italian- Moreau de Justo, Alicia 176 - great food & service- Sunday brunch good
Belgrano
* Sucre- good food- chocolate volcano, al dente Risotto with super-fresh sauteed squid, a super-fresh Salmon tartar appetizer with delicate hints of lemon and tarragon, bowl-licking desserts and a wine list to die for,.the location and noise level questionable, but there is no doubt these chef's can cook.
* Centro Vasco Frances is a great place especially for seafood and paella. Three of us shared 2 appetizers, rabas (fried squid slices) and chiparones (stuffed small squid, 42 pesos), and a main course of cazuela de mariscos for 2, a delicious dish (84 pesos). All were abundant portions. Trapiche Sav Blanc was excellent. Friendly and efficient service. 20 % discount for La Nación card or cash. Superb; Lula (squid) in its own tinta, fried squid, boquerones, and torta española all were first rate. A mixed paella (of which there were several varieties) billed as enough for 2 or 3 was sufficient for 4 after the 4 appetizers, especially as it left room to share an almendro ***WE TRIED TO GO HERE ON A SUNDAY- BUT IT CLOSED AFTER 2:30 and we never made it back
Abasto:
* Solo Pescado-Anchorena 533- great for seafood
Almagro
* Damblee- Rivadavia, Av. 3402; fish
Centro:
* Guerrin- Pizzeria- Corrientes, Av. 1368- old school pizza- thin crusted- you must have a fugazzeta, a thick crust pillowed over with mozzarella and a dense tangle of onions; or arugula
* Dora
Boeda
* Miramar- San Juan, Av. 1999- pulpo a la gallega, or boiled octopus with potatoes in olive oil and pimenton — a sort of paprika — and tortilla a la Española, an omelet-like dish with a spicy salami. W mejillones a la provenzal (mussels, white wine, garlic) and gambas al ajillo (shrimp, garlic, dried chili), all of it richly drenched in olive oil. we moved on to centolla (king crab)
Ice cream
* Freddo
* Un'Altra Volta in Almagro- SUBTE A- to Castro Barros- for tea or bakery/snacks- beautiful stained glass windows
* Las Violetas- Copa de Helado de Las Violetas- Rivadaia & Medrano
* Scannapieco- Córdoba 4826- Stroll out of Palermo’s center toward Villa Crespo — a barrio that has nobly rejected the label ‘‘Palermo Queens’’ — and you come upon silent cobblestone streets canopied by oaks and rosewoods. Out on the main avenue is Scannapieco, a 71-year-old heladaría that serves the best ice cream a dulce de leche the consistency of melted cheese; crema armenia with figs and anise
Cheesecake- Exposition Bakery on Juncal & Libertad- ricotta chesecake as good as NY style cheesecake
Chocolate w/churros- Cafe Tortoni- Avenida De Mayo 825- also hot chocolate; 8 am - 2 am- gets crowded late at night
A Few others- I didn't get to add to the neighborhoods:
Cluny for lunch, Casa Cruz for dinner (beautiful restaurant), Novcento for lunch (great spot in a wonderful neighborhood) Amici Miei and Soberbia22 in Palermo Hollywood (excellent place at Fitz Roy and Guatemala in Palermo Viejo). Had cocktails, etc at Bar 6, Bar Uriarte, Home Hotel, Mott, etc. We all loved every one of the above-mentioned-great atmosphere, good food and fabulous design
************************************************** *********************************************
LIST OF RESTAURANTS I VISITED:
These are not in ranking order- but in the order I ate them.
Puerto Madero- we stayed here so we tried MANY of the restaurants here. Note that all restaurants are closed if you are looking for dinner between 3 and 8 p.m.
Il gato- a bit of an overpriced tourist trap- italian- food wasn't great.
Xcaret- in Puerto Madero- ok pizza- nice staff- spoke English- only place that was open on a Saturday at 7 p.m.
Sottovoce- great bread basket & plate with garbanzos, sundried tomato, spaghetti tomate was good, gnocchi just ok
Central market- great sandwiches and very nice brunch- a great breakfast special (for the area) a very pretty plate of mini medialuna (croissant sandwiches), some with meat, some fruit or chocolate tarts, orange juice, fruit cup & tea or coffee for about $10 US. We ate here often- I think there is a 2 for 1 happy hour drink special as well during the week.
Pizzeria Pirilla- our favorite find Indpendencia & Defensa (it was not on the corner- I think it was a few doors in on Defensa)-HIGHLY RECOMMENDED- the best pizza - no place to sit- you get it by the slice and wait for more to come out. It was really great.
Guerrin- 1500 block of Viamonte- really great pizza- one of our favorite old school pizzas- highly recommended- we got the especialidad of the casa pie which was good- ham, cheese, tomato; you can get a slice or two at lunch time at a table and they are filling- we got the grande size and it was too much for two- but did have some leftovers
La Bistecca- Dique 4- 1800 Block of Alice M Justo- parilla/buffet- very reasonably priced- good with kids- waiter came over with a balloon- food was pretty good- meet, pasta, pizza, salad bar
La Estancia- Santa Fe- Parilla- had a good value lunch special- was pretty good (though we ended up having to take ours to go since our boys acted up)
Spell Cafe- Alice M. Justo- possibly worst meal i've ever had- ordered a grilled fish sandwich - received "chicken"- it was inedible- as was my husband's nachos. So disappointing as it was the first meal in a long time that both boys were sleeping at. Terrible service as well. Avoid.
La Despensa- Barracas neighborhood- outside of the main city area- great local place that Avrooster took us too- great steaks!
Las Cuartetas- 800 block of Corrientes- great deep dish pizza- we got El Especial w/champinones (mushrooms) had ham & olives- delicious- toss up whether we liked Guerrin or Las Cuartetas better- this had a bit more space
Rodi Bar- papas fritas provencal- a must, w/garlic & parsley, merluza lunch combination #9 was very good- like fish & chips, DH liked the lomo sandwich
Grappa- nice lighter lunch - grilled pizza & salad- a bit out of the way in Palermo Hollywood but we enjoyed it
Las Cabras- we had walked by this restaurant in Palermo Viejo when we went to Grappa and it was always packed. We were excited to try it. Good humito empenada- we had quesadillas (came with fries, guacamole and caesar salad). It was a bit disappointing- the salmon was terrible- very tough- and lomo just ok.
El Palacio de Papas Fritas- in Barrio Norte- had a good lunch special- nice lunch- "papas souffle" was not what I expected- I was thinking more souffle- was just airy fries
La Bougogone- we did have a great meal here though the service was terrible starting with the making of the reservation. We got called back the day after reserving telling us they overbooked and it took a few calls to change to another day. We were seated 15 minutes before getting menus or anyone to come over and never received a wine menu. Asking what the menu was for the tasting menu caused another 10 minute disappearance and still no real answer. We did do the tasting menu- substituting more seafood for game and we had the wine pairing. The food was excellent- thoughtful and beautifully prepared and presented. I did not really enjoy the wines and would have been happier with just a bottle of wine (and would have saved a bit of money). My husband did not wear a jacket and he was never given one. About half of the males in the restaurant did not have jackets though we saw one unhappy man returning one to the maitre de. The restaurant was just a stuffy hotel dining room. The food can't be faulted, but it is expensive and service was really poor for a five star restaurant. If you only have one or two special meals- I would go elsewhere.
La Placere- part of a chain- good empanadas and light fare
La Vineria de Gualterio- 15 course tasting menu for 150 pesos- very fun playful menu with a lot of molecular gastronomy used; this meal would have cost 2 to 3 times as much in NY. Everything very creatively prepared. Some courses were better than others- but they were all small but you will leave stuffed after your 3 hour meal. It is a very small restaurant- we sat downstairs but would have preferred to have been upstairs. They give you the menu with the breakdown of what everything is when you leave. A fun meal (not really traditional foods- but a unique experience)
ICE CREAM- Helado- I was in LOVE. Ice cream is one of my favorite things and we made it my quest to find the best. We sampled many places and found we liked some that haven't gotten as much play on these boards. (Also loved a haagen dazs flavor at our little market here of Midnight cookie- never saw at home- YUM!). Most deliver depending on where you are staying- definitely fun to try. We ate helado almost every day we were here. My son seems to miss his helado afternoon snack - now he's only getting pretzels! Many of those I tried came from saltshaker.net. He also has lists of best empanadas, etc. Great site to check out.
TIP- you queue up to pay (don't bother telling your flavor- just the size) then you go to another area to order flavor (it took me a few times to realize this as I stood by while others were getting ice cream in front of me
Many give free toppingsRankings: (Keep in mind that once we found chocolate amagro & fruitilla de agua- we didn't experiment as much and stuck with them)
1. Cadore, Corrientes 1695, Centro Heladaria- Dark chocolate chocolate amagre was amazing as was the granazida (chocolate chip)
2. Persicco- one opened in Microcentre- chocolate amagre & fruitilla great, chocolate w/almonds & chocolate chip good- but not as good (had several times), there's even one at the airport on the 2nd floor- many locations
3. Un Altra Volta= there are several locations- very good at the Liberatador location, fruitilla and chocolate w/almonds were favoritesa at Recoleta- chocolate amarge & fruitilla good
4. La Venciana- got delivery helado- very good chocolate amargo & fruitilla- I highly recommend getting delivery- we waited till the end when I felt more confident in my Spanish to order- we should have tried earlier on. You can get as small as a 1/2 kilo.
5. Froilan- in Puerto Madero on Dique 2- pretty good- free toppings of nuts & candies
6. Scannapieco- I was very excited for this one as I thought it would be be best- but was very disappointed- out of the 3 flavors- only one ended up being the one we ordered- Sandia- watermelon- it was not great; we had 2 other chocolates & they were not as intense in flavor
7. Freddo- decent but flavors were not great- chocolate, vanilla, mint chocolate chip (tasted like toothpaste)
8. Ice cream in puerto madero outdoor kiosk- our least favorite- but highest points for ambiance on the harbor; chocolate w/almonds- very few almonds
Las Violetas- we took a VERY long walk here (didn't look so far on the map) not the best ice cream but wins for presentation- Copa de Helado Violetas- is a gigantic sundae; they had plates of assorted pastries that looked very good
Bon Appetit!
