2 Best Restaurants in Recoleta, Buenos Aires

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Arguably Buenos Aires’ poshest neighborhood, Recoleta is the epicenter for high-end shopping, museum-going, and white-tablecloth dining. It’s home to most of the swankier hotels, and many of them house excellent restaurants, but it’s also home to a good number of classic spots that have been serving up high-quality fare for decades.

The somewhat touristy Village Recoleta area has a mix of old-time cafés like La Biela and Munich nestled side by side with family-friendly steak- and pasta houses. There’s also the city’s first microbrewery, Buller, and a few nightclubs for those who want a little late night fun.

Elena Restaurante

$$$$ | Recoleta

With a new name and a new chef, the Four Seasons Hotel's spectacularly renovated dining room serves creative fare that blends the traditions of Argentina with touches of the sunny Mediterranean. Don't miss the spectacular sweetbread and poached egg appetizer, and for a true taste of what the chef can do off the grill, order the parrillada (a sampler of various cuts of meat) or the mariscada, (a medley of grilled seafood), both in portions big enough for up to four people to share. If you're in a more casual mood, the Pony Line bar offers fantastic cocktails, great pizzas, and one of the best burgers in town. Weekend afternoons you help yourself to a brunch spread that's unrivaled in the city. A children's menu is available.

La Biela

$$ | Recoleta

A blast from the past, this historical café is one of the best spots in Recoleta for people-watching and celebrity-spotting. For the most part, it's a place to linger over coffee and a pastry, or perhaps a savory sandwich at midday, but there's also a full menu of local specialties, and it's open until 1 am. When the weather cooperates, locals and tourists mix and mingle at the outdoor tables—this despite the fact that there's a higher charge for the privilege. That leaves the dining room dominated by a local crowd.