100 Best Restaurants in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Located alongside the Hipódromo, the city's hottest horse-racing track, this eatery has great views. Boisterous definitely defines the ambience as diners tuck into barbecued ribs, chops, steaks, pastas, and salads, all washed down with copious amounts of beer and iced tea. There are plenty of options for children on the menu. This is the top of the heap for diners searching for a U.S.-style chain, and it attracts local business executives during the day and families at night. Reservations recommended, especially for dinner, and there's almost always a wait for a table.

Sophisticated, elegant, and cozy all at the same time, this cozy corner spot in Palermo Soho offers a combination of classic dishes and modern creations. A favorite of Italophile locals, it's the perfect location for a romantic night out, perhaps with a reenactment of the famous scene from Lady and the Tramp. Housemade pastas are the stars here, topped with sauces so vibrant you know they were made the same day. The kitchen sometimes has a heavy hand with salt, so if it's an issue let your server know when you order. Service is friendly and efficient. The wine list, while an excellent selection, is a tad on the pricey side, but you're paying for the atmosphere as well.

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.

Huge slabs of Hereford and Aberdeen Angus steaks for sharing are cooked to perfection at this classic parrilla, and they're always accompanied by a variety of small side dishes, so there's little need to order anything other than french fries, though provoletas (gooey, crispy on the outside, grilled-cheese rounds) are a must as a starter. The same menu is served down the block at La Cabrera Norte, at 5127 Cabrera, which handles the overflow.  There's also a storefront in departures at Ezeiza International Airport for one last meaty bite. 

Don't let the small tables or surly waiters put you off—the signature chocolate con churros (hot chocolate with crisp cigar-shape doughnuts) at this bar notable are to die for.

With a prime location in front of the Boca Juniors stadium, this bodegón is an institution for soccer fans, who pack it out on match day and a perfect pitstop after visiting Museo de la Pasión Boquense. Take a seat at a wooden table and order a choripán or a lomito steak sandwich; beer is more expensive than french fries.

Local office workers know where to find the best lunchtime empanadas. Vintage adverts, 1960s LPs, and photos of late, great Argentine celebrities are hung so close together you can barely see the walls.

A family-run and family-friendly Italian trattoria of the sort you might find in any big city, La Parolaccia stands out for its excellent homemade pastas—particularly good are the hand-rolled fusilli. And don't overlook the three-course lunch specials, which can be a great deal. The staff is happy to prepare half portions of pasta dishes for kids. You'll be greeted with a complimentary cocktail and sent off with a digestif of limoncello at the end of your meal.

This colorful old-time café is the place for a licuado (milk shake) or tostado mixto (a local croque monsieur).

While the city's Chinatown is not all that big, it does have its fair share of notable eateries. Lai-Lai stands out for its varied menu, combining not just the more usual Taiwanese cuisine, but also spicier dishes from the Hunan and Szechuan provinces. Not to be missed are the Szechuan dumplings in broth (empanaditas chinas picantes, in Spanish), tofu in a fiery red sauce, and the big-enough-to-share half duck glazed in honey and tea.

Not known for its decor, this simple spot with tightly packed tables and fluorescent lights is filled with locals who love the coal-fired deep-dish pizza—a style you don't find frequently in this city. It's a great place to go on your own, as solo diners aren't uncommon. Not to be missed is the spinach and white-sauce pizza, a neighborhood favorite. For meat eaters there's the española layered with longaniza sausage, the city's answer to pepperoni. It can take awhile to get the staff's attention, and friendliness is not the first order of the day, but the wait and the attitude won't matter once you sink your fork into one of these slices.

The chalkboard-covered walls (las pizarras) at this appealing spot list the market-driven menu of a dozen or so creative dishes. The wine list is equally intriguing. Pricing is civil and portions are huge, though service can be a bit slow.

"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" seems to be playing in the background as you enter this boldly colored space. Five rooms—four of them decked out in yellow, red, blue, or green, the fifth in an odd combination of cantaloupe and purple—make up the salas of this converted home. Every surface, right down to painted speaker covers, screams each room's hue. In the yellow salon you'll find the open kitchen, where a variety of breads is baked daily for the great sandwiches, bruschettas, and other dishes. The theme is "Ring Around the Mediterranean," with dishes reflecting the flavors of coastal Spain, France, Italy, and Greece, as well as the Middle East and North Africa. Delicious pastas are favorites, as are the spicy seafood dishes (if you like heat, don't miss the papillote del mar, a fiery shellfish stew in a phyllo pastry nest).

Like the proverbial tortoise, Buenos Aires's first Thai restaurant has kept a slow, steady pace and outlasted all its Southeast Asian competitors. Huge glowing flowers dominate the decor, and there's perhaps a bit too much incense filling the air. While the food here won't amaze anyone who knows Thai cooking, it's a great change of pace for locals looking to try something different or travelers who are tired of steaks. The options are fresh and tasty, particularly the curries, though if you want any heat, don't forget to ask for your dish to be served picante. Portions can be a bit skimpy given the prices, though there are lunch prix-fixe options that are more wallet friendly.

The porteño aversion to anything spicy means there's just not a lot of demand for authentic Mexican fare. But María Félix probably comes the closest, serving an array of Mexican dishes with a touch of Tex-Mex. The food is fresh and vibrant and the flavors are remarkably varied, if lacking in that hit of heat. Asking for hot sauce doesn't result in anything much stronger on the table. Still, it makes a nice change from the usual local fare, and when you wash it down with a reasonably good margarita you won't leave with any complaints. Thursday through Saturday evenings there's a wandering mariachi band.

When you hear the term deli, you may think double-decker sandwiches laden with smoked and cured meats, but this place is more California than New York. Look for huge salads with an array of fresh ingredients, inventive sandwiches on excellent housemade breads, delicious pastries, and just-brewed coffee. Sit on the patio outside and you may as well be in a scene from The O.C., right down to the slow service and snooty attitude. Still, this is a great choice for a casual lunch or brunch. The kitchen stays open until early evening, so if you're looking for a quick, casual bite in Palermo Soho, it's a decent choice.

Opening in 2022, the Carriages Market is seen as Buenos Aires’ answer to Chelsea Market in Manhattan. With more than 40 store fronts housed at this refurbished 19th-century carriage house, this gourmet food and retail marketplace aims to help bring the city center back to life. Stop by for coffee at Martinelli, a quick bite at La Cabrera steak house, or a glass of wine at Vico, and soak up the atmosphere.

Long before grilled pizza became commonplace elsewhere, it was already part of the local tradition, where pizza dough was tossed on the grill, cooked quickly like a flatbread, and then topped with fresh, favored ingredients. The best place to sample grilled pizza is Morelia, which has a popular branch on the trendy restaurant row of Calle Báez. Choose your favorite combination of toppings, though a perennial favorite is the montecattini with prosciutto and arugula. In nice weather grab a seat on the rooftop terrace, one of the best spots in town to eat pizza.

A cheery spot that has lifted Centro’s dining options, this family-run restaurant serves up delicious and authentic Korean dishes. First-generation migrant Martín Ho cooks while daughter Abi runs front of house, and together they run an efficient K-food ship, serving well-priced soups such as budae jjigae as well as the popular meaty main bulgogi. There’s also a wide and tasty selection of veggie dishes, too. This is an ideal spot for early eaters as dinner starts at 6 pm and ends at 9:30 pm.

The checkered floors and glossy black tables of Museo Evita Restaurante are as stylish as the great lady herself. Sticky and flaky, the medialunas here are some of the best in town.

One of the city's best known and beloved pulperías, Ña Serapia (local slang that means the "Martyred Lady") is tiny, with only a dozen seats wedged into a space big enough for half as many. Grab some cheap eats, including great empanadas, local stews like locro or lentil, or even small pizzas.

When you're searching for creative Argentine tapas, look no further than the eclectic selection of dishes off the rambling menu at this longtime favorite. Don't miss the perfectly poached eggs with bacon and grilled cheese, served up in a cocktail glass for dipping, nor the perfectly smoked fresh fish. Formerly Freud & Fahler (the NC stands for Nueva Casa), they took over the space vacated by the much-lamented loss of La Cupertina, everyone's favorite empanada shop. By turns coffee and pastry shop and evening tapas bar, with a few solid main courses thrown in, as well as a selection of prix-fixe and tasting menu options, this is not the place you'll remember if you visited the old location. Best bet, a bottle of wine and a selection of tapas from the ever-changing menu.

New Orleans is where chef Liza Puglia grew up, and she brings her passion for the flavors of her early years to the table at this puertas cerradas, one of the city's famous "closed door" eateries. It's the only place in town to find Cajun and Creole cooking. Puglia doesn't stint on the spice, and also likes to add some flavors from Mexico. Using locally sourced ingredients to stand in for those she can't get from home, she turns out delightful, rustic dishes, including a superb gumbo. The dining room and its communal table are attended to by partner in life and work, Francisco "Ticol" Terren, who pairs some of his favorite local wines with the four-course menus.

This elegant chain was a successful attempt at bringing Argentine food to the U.S. When the first branch opened at in Buenos Aires, it shifted into reverse and focused on North American specialties like burgers, sandwiches, and salads, along with a few local favorites like empanadas, and, of course, meat off the grill. Novecento is known in the expat community for serving up one of the city's best norteamericano brunches around. On weekends crowds flock in looking for a taste of home, mixing it up with neighborhood families checking out dishes from north of the border

French-cute is one way to describe the baby-pink tables and the blackboard filled with quirkily named dishes at Oui Oui. Chef Rocío García Orza achieves a rare thing: homemade breakfast, lunch, and tea that are so much better than anything you could make at home.

This old-school pizzeria empire, which now has outposts in a dozen countries, made it big by turning out tasty pizzas, one after another. It's not Argentine-style pizza—the crust is too thin, the sauce too plentiful, and the cheese too sparse—more like an echo of the pizza from the chain's home base in Treviso, Italy. It attracts locals looking for something different and visitors from afar who recognize the name. There's a second branch at Gorriti 5751 in Palermo.

Gorgeous port views await here along with fresh juices, smoothies, salads, and pastas.

In a beautiful tri-level space overlooking Plaza Armenia, chef Daniel López Martitegui serves up the most creative food in the area—do your best to get a table beside one of the tall windows. In general, the fare tends toward lighter, healthier options, with a good number of vegetarian dishes. The food is delightfully spiced with blends from China, India, and wherever the chef's mind wanders. Cocktails and teas are tasty, but tend to be made on the sweet side unless you ask for them otherwise. The vegetable carpaccio salad and various wraps are the best dishes on the menu.

This venerable steak house has waiters in bow ties and vests who maneuver around the farmhouse-style dining room, serving flavorful, tender cuts of meat including entraña (hanger steak) and matambrito (pork flank). Although the menu appears pricey, portions are massive, and they know it: the steaks are set atop small hibachis to keep them hot. Your best bet is to order one steak for two to share and a platter of the papas rejillas, and thick waffle-cut chips.

A cozy corner bistro, Roux is a fantastic spot for relaxed lunches and special occasions. Try the Patagonian king crab ravioli or perfectly cooked venison steak, paired with recommendations from the sommelier. Chef-patron Martín Rebaudino used to lead the kitchen at Oviedo, so fish and seafood is always a solid choice.