46 Best Restaurants in Argentina

This remote part of western Mendoza Uspallata is home to Mendoza’s most elevated vineyard and winery, Estancia Uspallata at 2,000 meters above sea level (6,561 feet). Malbec, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc are cultivated in this seemingly inhospitable canyon, the driving force to the bodega’s restaurant, Fuegos en Altura. The lunchtime-only tasting banquet deals in various proteins such as as kid goat and lamb prepared over open fires, a show that adds to the remarkable ambience in the canyon. The wine pairing comes from the estate and El Enemigo.

These charming and handsome Colombian brothers ran a successful restaurant in Patagonia before moving to Buenos Aires, opening a new place, and receiving enthusiastic reviews. In an intimate space, Santiago Macias turns out some of the most creative, interesting Colombian-influenced food in the city. The prix-fixe tasting menu changes regularly. Flawless service is provided in the dining room under the direction of Santiago's brother Camilo. For something just a little bit different and off the beaten path, this is a don't-miss experience. Wine pairings are extra (230 pesos).

It takes a lot of moxie to open a restaurant not serving cordero, barbecue, or pizza in Patagonia, and former “fancy” chefs José and Leandro show they have just that with their homey restaurant, which uses vintage plow wheels to cook a traditional and ultimately delicious stew-style dish known as al disco. The al disco menu offers all sorts of meats and veggies cooked in beer, red wine, or white wine; more creative and quasi-modern options like Bife al Napolitana; or you can create your own. And you've got to love a restaurant that tells you not to bother with starters but rather just dunk your bread in the disco sauce. Great atmosphere, laid-back charm, and effortlessly tasty food have made this a popular spot in town.

Beautiful dishes and a contemporary twist on traditional Patagonian flavors meet at this funky little restaurant at the end of the world. Owner and chef Jorge says that recipes are inspired by his grandma's classics, but there is also a hint of Peruvian and Mediterranean with signature dishes like octopus ceviche, centolla, Beagle Channel mussels, and paella. The wine list has plenty of Patagonian wines to help you while away a couple hours at this slow-paced and charming restaurant.

The white picket fence, manicured lawns, and planter boxes play up the fact that this out-of-the-way restaurant used to be a family home. Inside, the star ingredient is centolla, best presented as chowder with a hint of mustard. Polished wooden floors, picture windows, and tables covered in wine glasses further the sophisticated dining experience with an intimate touch. This restaurant is on a steep ridge above town and offers good views, only a little bit spoiled by the radio antennae sticking up from plots next door. Still, it's seafood served with panache and warmth in a dining room that belies the status quo of the kitschy restaurants near the waterfront. But it can be hard to find; even taxi drivers get lost in the warren of streets above town.

This impeccably maintained riverside cottage is nestled in a verdant stand of lenga trees and overlooks the Beagle Channel and provides a warm, cozy spot for delicious loose-leaf tea or comforting snacks before or after a hike to the Martial Glacier (conveniently located at the end of the Martial road that leads up from Ushuaia). An afternoon tea with all the trimmings will satiate any peckish trekker, fondues are served at lunchtime, and at 8 pm in summer the menu shifts to pricier dinner fare with dishes like salmon in wine sauce (mainly for the guests at the adjoining cabin accommodation).

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. 

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.

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.

The locals crowding the tables at this bustling, family-oriented restaurant are proof of its reputation as the top seafood spot in town. The best dishes are the starters: think oyster platters, a decadent bowl of calamari, or the picada de mariscos, a sampling of hot and cold shellfish dishes. Follow up with the centolla (king crab) or stuffed salmon.

With its paneled walls, sleek black tables, and vintage photos, this retro Italo-Argentine diner is popular with locals and visitors alike for its pasta specialties. Try the stuffed gnocchi and the good prix-fixe menus.

Entering this café on the waterfront puts you in mind of a general store from the earliest frontier years of Ushuaia, which is why locals call it the viejo almacén (old grocery store). Burgers and picada platters are uninspiring; choose fresh-baked bread or scrumptious lemon croissants instead, and try the submarino—a mug of hot milk in which you plunge a bar of dark chocolate (goes well with a panini). As you walk from room to room admiring the relics (like the hand-cranked Victrola phonograph), the hubbub around the bar reminds you that a warehouse like this was not just a store to pick up supplies; it was also a place for isolated pioneers to socialize and gather all the latest news from the port.

On the street that runs right along the Beagle Channel, Tia Elvira is a good place to sample the local catch. Garlicky shellfish appetizers and centolla are delicious; even more memorable is the tender merluza negra (black sea bass). The room is decked out with nautical knickknacks that may seem on the tacky side for such a pricey place. The service is friendly and familial.

The matriarch who presides over the kitchen here, Mirna Jones, is a proud descendant of the first woman born in Gaiman. Her ivy-covered teahouse on the main square looks like a knickknack shop: it's stuffed with doodads and hung with crochet, and there are gramophones, carriage lamps, and antique radios on display above the four original chimneys, which date to 1890, although Formica paneling detracts slightly from the old-world style.

A giant king crab sign beckons you into this red-tin-walled restaurant, where the maritime bric-a-brac hanging from the ceiling can be a little distracting. The name means "return," and it succeeds in getting repeat visits on the strength of its seafood; the culinary highlight is the centolla, which comes served with a choice of five different sauces. Newspapers from the 1930s line the walls in this century-old home, and the service is friendly and relaxed.