116 Best Restaurants in Argentina

A short drive off RN 9, located in front of the Cerro Pollera de la Coya lies this impressive, wine-driven restaurant that opened in 2024. Elevated on a small hill and surrounded by Malbec vineyards and mountains, Inkillay is raising the wining and dining game in the Quebrada. Here, chef Florencia Rodríguez brings together regional ancestral cooking techniques and ingredients with haute cuisine. The four-course tasting is paired with Mallku, the house line of wines, as well as regional labels; do order the calapurca goat stew for its fiery preparation. If the elevation is hitting you, order the smaller tapas menu. There's also a wine bar should you simply wish to sample local vintages.

Embracing many aspects of Mendoza from terroir right down to the hard-carved wooden teaspoons, the lunchtime experience at Zonda—Bodega Lagarde’s Michelin-starred restaurant—is refreshing. Starting in the olive groves, the immersive orchard-to-table experience means you have to work, but only a little, picking salad leaves and herbs for your lunch. The nine-course regional tasting menu is paired with gems dating back to the 1980s selected from the cellar.

Airy and charming, this traditional eatery's classic Argentine fare is consistently delicious. You can snack on cheeses, olives, prosciutto, salami, and eggplant en escabeche (pickled). The bife de chorizo (sirloin steak), meanwhile, is perfectly juicy, tender, and flavorful, and all the more so when accompanied by wondrous french fries with basil. The country-store-meets-elegant-restaurant atmosphere is just right. No wonder locals and visiting porteños alike vie for tables—on weekends, reservations are essential.

A delightful al fresco dining experience located within the courtyard of an adobe home, Casa Mocha has put the rural village of Huacalera on the foodie map. The Manzur family, who opened the restaurant in 2024, also produces wines including Malbec, Criolla, and Sauvignon Blanc from the Quebrada de Humahuaca as Bodega El Bayeh. Sample these with the delicious lunchtime menu that draws from the family’s Lebanese roots, including bean hummus, quinoa tabulé, and empanadas baked in the clay oven. You can also buy their wines and own selection of goat cheeses from the little store.

Nestled between a golf green and tennis courts, Chez Gastón serves up unpretentious and fresh local cuisine in the smart Algodón Wine Resort. Surrounded by ancient olive groves and vineyards, you can sit outside on the brick patio where pine-log tables are surrounded by comfy couches with puffy white cushions. Many of the products used, such as the olives, fruits, and walnuts, are harvested on the property, and bread is baked daily in a clay oven. Ask about the Smoky tasting menu; Sunday lunch is dedicated to asado.

With a prime harborside location and a carefully curated tasting menu that delves into Argentina's abundant pantry, Chila is worth the splurge. Book a table on the water and allow the exemplary team (helmed by bright young culinary star, Pedro Bargero), to work its magic. The wine list is one of the city’s best; ask for the pairings.

This bright yellow corner storefront has given the humble sausage sandwich called choripán a radical and much-needed makeover, turning it from basic street food to a sleek fast-food meal. All the chorizos that are the base of the sandwich—from lamb to mushroom and even fish—are produced in-house, and there are side dishes such as sweet potato fries as well as beer, wine, and a few cocktails.   If you're after a sit-down dining experience from the same culinary team, try sister restaurant Niño Gordo, a fun, award-winning Asian parrilla. 

Warm up with a tasting of Uco region wines at Cundo’s cellar door before taking your seat at the table. Adhering to local terroir philosophy, chef Seba Juez prepares three- and six-course, paired tasting menus using only Uco Valley–sourced ingredients in his al fresco kitchen (even in winter), which sits neatly in front of Malbec vines. A wintry starter might include roasted beets with grilled ricotta, or seared mollejas (sweetbreads).

Good food and great music roll together at this peña, located in a traditional 19th-century casona that attracts cafayenteños and visitors. Start with tiny beef empanadas and lashings of spicy llajua tomato sauce then follow up with entraña steak with quinoa salad. Once the live music starts, the conversation stops flowing. 

The food, from steak to quinoa salad, is superb; the wine list is fairly priced; and the wooden floors, whimsical lights, and artwork make the space appealing. What's more, some evenings around 9:30 there's live music, generally performed by friends of the owners, award-winning chef Florencia Rodríguez. El Nuevo Progreso is right in the center of town, with windows looking out across the small plaza.

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.

A group of chefs launched a restaurant and catering service with high Andean cuisine as its goal—"high" referring to both the altitude and the gourmet techniques. The result is José Balcarce, in a brick-and-wood building with large windows just two blocks from bustling Balcarce Street. The menu is short, and the service can be slow, but the creative dishes—using local ingredients such as quinoa and llama—are delicious.

Enjoy a plant-led (but not exclusive) menu at this adorable bistro for just 22 diners, led by talented young chef Julio Martín who named it after his daughter. Low lighting creates an intimate atmosphere ideal for a date. Sample the tasting menu or go à la carte; the small culinary team enjoys playing around fermentations. Start with the apple, kiwi, and shiso salad before moving on to the Wagyu beef aged in barley koji.  If you can't get a reservation, try sister restaurant Franca, a contemporary steak house four blocks away. 

Daniel Ancina and his wife Graciela will greet you at this typical ranch house, about 20 minutes from town. Then they'll fill your wine glass, introduce you to the other guests, and seat you family-style at a long table. Regional cuisine rules. Little pots of sauces for spreading on pan casero (homemade bread) line the center of the table and out of the mud-brick oven comes a platter of crisp baked empanadas followed by a protein—goat, lamb, beef, chicken, or chorizo.

Although this family-run winery also cultivates peaches, plums, cherries, and apples, La Azul's boho restaurant is a go-to in this corner of Uco Valley, and especially busy on weekends. Sink into a cozy armchair or pitch up under the trellis vines to enjoy tasty empanadas, stews, and barbecue over three or five courses, accompanied by lovely views of the Andes. There's a small guest house with four rooms.

Hidden between the vineyards of Maipú is this historic manor, lovingly restored as an intimate restaurant, which serves a five-course tasting menu of farm-to-table Argentine cuisine (including recipes from a 19th-century cookbook found on the property) paired exclusively with Ver Sacrum wines. Tastings, cooking classes, and live art shows are all on offer, and the limited lunchtime reservations fill up fast.

This successful microbrewery is famous in the region for its brews and comfort food. Of course, it's not just the hops bringing in the crowds; they also cook up delicious soups, snacks, empanadas, pizza, pasta, and a great locro (hearty traditional northern Argentine stew). The owners of this restaurant and bar pride themselves on the handmade beers, with the stout or negra not to be missed.

This homey chalet serves up an excellent cross-section of Patagonian specialties, including trucha (trout) and ojo de bife (ribeye). You can also sample ham-and-cheese sorrentinos (pillow-like ravioli) and, if you catch it right, roast lamb. Prices are eminently reasonable for cooking of this caliber.

While almost every restaurant proudly serves up tiny, handmade, clay oven-baked empanadas, this casual spot is one of the undisputed champions in the city. A popular place located in a 100-yeard old casona, as noted by the lines to get in and online discussions where it regularly features in the top three, the menu is to the point: beef or cheese empanadas. Perfect repulgues (folds), pastry charred just so and tasty fillings make La Salteñeria a go-to. Just remember to bite open the most pointy end and drop llajua sauce in.

This trendy bistro is filled with seductive cocktails, colorful plates, and fusion flavors. It might be located in a rural Patagonian town at the end of the world, but these dishes could easily come straight out of a trendy Buenos Aires restaurant—served with edible flowers, spirit infusions, and plenty of attitude.

For a contemporary spin on regional dishes, head to Los Morteros. The llama in Malbec, squash and quinoa ravioli, and succulent lamb stew are all noteworthy picks; this busy spot also cooks up a sizzling barbecue worth ordering for its smell alone. Reservations are a good idea.  Check out Los Morteros' wine cellar—it mostly stocks regional wines made at high altitudes.

Although the all-female restaurant team caters breakfast for El Porvenir Wine Lodge’s guests, Pausa really comes to life over long lunches held next to the trellis vineyards and at dinner within the colonial-style salon. Salta-born chef Guadalupe Blanco naturally prepares excellent hen and beef empanadas, but also puts a spin on regional classics. Order tortilla, black sausage with free-range eggs, or lamb pie à la carte, or choose the five-course menu; regardless, kick back and savor the moment in this privileged location. The wine list is solely derived from the estate.  

In a charming and creative space that was once a private residence in Belgrano, chef Martín Molteni's dining room offers up a tribute to the lesser-known products of the region. Specializing in unusual meats—llama, wild boar, rabbit, and quail are regular offerings—as well as fresh fish, unusual grains and vegetables, and hand-crafted cheeses, Molteni brings his overseas training in France and Australia to bear on his Argentine heritage. The menu changes completely every two or three months to reflect the freshest seasonal ingredients. While the menu doesn't list vegetarian options, give advance notice when you reserve and the kitchen will turn out equally stunning vegetable plates. A chef's tasting menu is also available.

A haunt for foodies who adore the creative, contemporary Argentine cuisine and beautiful presentation, there's nowhere better in the neighborhood for lunch or an atmospheric dinner in the city's Architectural Association. The star of the lineup is the roasted, stuffed whole quail with squash. Service is very efficient and a top sommelier is in charge of the wine list and heads up the dynamic team.

One of the city's more sophisticated dining rooms, Tomo I is a bastion of modern French-Argentine cooking. Dishes lean towards less-is-more, and truly shine with updated versions of classic French dishes, like kid with broad beans.

Overlooking Tupungato volcano and the family vineyards, this small restaurant is the perfect spot for a lazy lunch in wine country. The colorful tasting menu is served with flair, from the assortment of starters to the juicy steak and hearty pasta dishes, and the final tasting platter of puddings. Order the well-priced three-course meal. 

The menu at this unassuming picanteria (restaurant specializing in spicy foods) has everything from trout to rabbit, but llama or quinoa are the dishes to try: give them a go as an empanada starter. Less adventurous eaters can sample one of the pasta dishes. Named after an Andean god, Viracocha has helpful staff, and the atmosphere amid the yellow walls and arches is happily relaxed.

“With the nobility of fire” is how this lively steakhouse styles itself, and for good reason—it offers a large menu of parrilla classics, in generous servings, as well as wood-fired pizzas. Fairy lights decorate the outdoor patio, while inside, the oak tables and low lighting give the restaurant an intimate feel.

Realizing that not every visitor to Buenos Aires has friends or family to invite them to an asado, the traditional backyard barbecue, Colorado native Kelly Brenner and Argentino Gabriel Aguallo decided to take the plunge. They threw open the doors to their charming home, where guests join them on the patio around a massive grill and then adjourn to the farmhouse-style dining area for a family-style steak or seafood fest. Plenty of grilled vegetable dishes, creative salads, and glasses of local wine accompany the meat. More wines are available from the short but well-selected wine list. The exact address is provided when you make a reservation.

In this boisterous wooden dining hall you'll share hearty steaks, warming soups, and wine poured from penguin-shaped ceramic jugs in a family restaurant that includes a hostel upstairs. The food is nothing spectacular, but the portions are big and just what a stomach needs after a long hike on the trail. It's also a friendly atmosphere in what is easily one of El Chaltén's most popular restaurants. They're consistently open for lunch and dinner in the off-season.