4 Best Restaurants in Recoleta, Buenos Aires

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.

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), lentils, and tamales, as well as delicious and iconic game dishes. Opt for the house vino served in pitchers, which is well-priced and drinkable. The waiters have fun with the crowd, and speak at least basic conversational phrases in a half dozen or more languages.

Having made a name with award-winning fine-dining establishment Tegui, which closed in 2021, chef-patron Germán Martitegui has taken a fresh approach with Marti. The discreetly signed entrance leads you to a stylish greenhouse complete with open-plan kitchen, where the team creates a delicious seasonal plant-led menu that’s leading the veggie pack. DInner starts at 7:30 pm.

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.