100 Best Restaurants in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Sure, this family-style restaurant can be chaotic, but it's the place to go for great Middle Eastern food. You could easily fill up on several of the small dishes from the expansive selection of mezes, which are the restaurant's best work. The lamb kafta completo is the most memorable item on the menu, but there are also great options for vegetarians. Be sure to leave room for one of the honey and nut pastries. Most nights there are belly dancers and coffee-ground readers wandering through the dining room. Arrive early or expect to wait for a table. The place is technically in Villa Crespo, but it's only about a block from Palermo Soho, across Avenida Córdoba.

After spending a year studying traditional techniques in Naples, pizzero Néstor Gattorna imported a wood-burning oven, specially milled flour, and extra-virgin olive oil to reproduce the best Neapolitan-style pizza. Italophiles looking for an alternative to cheesy pizza porteña jam into the place for his smoky, perfectly charred pies and equally good calzones. End your meal with a "white pie" filled with Nutella. Service can be abrupt, and you may have to wait in line, but it's worth it.

This Mediterranean-style bistro is wildly popular at night, and reservations are recommended if you're intent on sampling the creative fare. At lunch, when most of the same menu items are available, it's far easier to snag a table. Enjoy a risotto or pasta dish from the à la carte menu, or opt for the great value two-course lunch special. You can practically sit inside the open kitchen and watch the young cooks work their magic on a range of dishes, including many vegetarian choices. If you prefer dining alfresco, there's a small garden patio with a couple of tables and sidewalk seating out front.

"Cavernous" may be the first word that comes to mind upon entering this multilevel concrete-and-metal space with a backlit bar taking up an entire wall, an open kitchen dominating the rear, and a hulking glass wine cave smack in the center of the dining area. Sucre was and is the cutting edge of cuisine in Bajo Belgrano, and though it's off the beaten path, it's well worth the trip. Enjoy the delicious and creative appetizers, but save room for a main course straight off the wood-fired grill: spit-roasted bondiola (pork shoulder) and melt-in-your-mouth Patagonian lamb are among the stars, but any meat or fish coming off the parrilla is going to be a winner and be accompanied by something far more creative than the ubiquitous french fry guarnición. Locals and tourists alike fill the room, and with no soft surfaces it can get loud.

Buenos Aires is home to a large Basque immigrant population, and if there's anywhere in town to turn to for Basque cooking, it's this place. You can expect friendly, efficient service from waiters who know their stuff as they work the antiques-filled dining room. Although the extensive menu may look pricey at first glance, it's really not at all. Most of the plates are big enough to share, and many can be ordered in half-size portions. Top recommendations include the various stews, particularly the spicy cazuela de mariscos (seafood casserole). Another don't-miss option is the gambas al ajillo (large prawns in garlic and chili sauce).

The heart of Catalán beats at this popular tapas bar. Grab a seat at the counter—this one of the few food bars in the city—or snuggle in at one of the cozy, romantic tables. Tancat features Spanish cooking at its best: simple, well-flavored, and expertly cooked. The stars here, besides the array of tapas, are the paella and other stellar seafood dishes. Best yet, this is one of the most reasonably priced Spanish restaurants in the city, especially for the quality.

A favorite of the local Indian community, Tandoor is a destination for embassy officials who want a food fix from home. It's no surprise that it's also a winner with American expats, many of whom are looking for something a little spicier than the local fare. When the place first opened the chef went full tilt on the picante, but he eventually toned down the spices a bit to appeal to a local clientele. You can always add in more chilies, available on request. The room is chic and sleek, and the service is polished. At lunch there's an inexpensive prix-fixe menu option.

When you step behind the red velvet curtains you'll feel like you've wandered into a carnival, because that's kind of where you are. Part restaurant, part cabaret, part sideshow, this exotic place is designed to distract your attention and separate you and your cash—although it's all in good taste and good fun. Bizarre names for dishes meant to invoke sexual situations are just a smokescreen for creative and interesting-sounding ideas—they don't always live up to the billing. The cabaret shows, a mix of sleight of hand, a teasing level of stripping, and sometimes even puppetry, are fun, but expect a modest charge on your bill.

Casual style, fantastic service and atmosphere, and a prime location in Palermo Botánico make this a preferred Italian restaurant. Open for lunch and dinner, try the Argentine spin on surf and turf of gamberi e animelle (perfectly grilled prawns and sweetbreads), or guanciale (braised pork cheeks). The multilayered house lasagna is also fantastic. There's a great wine list too.

One look at the frozen margarita machines and bags of supermarket corn chips and you'll know what you're in for at this colorful dining room. But strangely enough, this is where you'll find some of the city's better Mexican food—it's reasonably authentic and comes truly spicy if you request. Don't expect to be wowed, but an ice-cold beer with a plate or two of quesadillas or the delicious tacos al pastor (stuffed with sliced pork) may just hit the spot.