158 Best Restaurants in Argentina

Known for its no-frills decor, this Palermo Soho stalwart is where generations of locals have been coming to dine. It's located inside a soccer club of the same name and draws its clientele from club members, neighborhood residents, and pretty much anyone who wants honest cooking that doesn't put a dent in their budget. While the menu features three different pastas and a dozen items off the parrilla (grill), your waiter will tell you what's actually available for the day.

For decades the Jones family, owners of this stately redbrick corner building, ran a hotel and bar (complete with a boxing ring in the basement) here, but switched to serving steaks, pizzas, and pasta in between the tea cakes. The decision has been a success: on weekends locals pack themselves around the wooden tables to devour the generous parilladas (mixed grills).

Cozy and colorful, Dadá Bistró has a short but sweet menu, including risotto and gnocchi and also serves classic cocktails. An eclectic mix of locals and visitors pop in for dinner, a drink, or both. Perch at the bar or grab a booth at the back for extra privacy.

An enchanting Italian/Spanish lunch spot at the confluence of two waterways. Take a water taxi for freshly made pastas, seafood and, of course, beef, and later, enjoy a glass of wine on the lawn surrounded by nature.

Don't expect any frills here, just great steaks, and side dishes such as the papas fritas provenzal, golden french fries tossed in fresh parsley and garlic. Take a table in the cavernous dining room, or grab something to go—steak sandwiches and empanadas fly out the door as fast as they can make them. The portions are huge and the prices are reasonable.

With a prime location right in front of the Boca Juniors stadium, this bodegón is an institution not only for soccer fans but for the likes of movie director Francis Ford Coppola and chef Francis Mallmann. Owner Carlitos Zinola basically chooses your Italo-Argentine menu for you, which could be steak, pasta, tortilla, pascualina tart, or a combination of them all. The neighborhood is dodgy, particularly at night—take a taxi to and from this restaurant.

This warm, festive, family-friendly locale serves dishes quite typical of Salta and the Northwest such as classics like humita (steamed corn husks filled with cheese) or the local locro stew, with beans and hunks of beef. You'll dine in a room steeped in local tradition, amid wine jugs and old wooden implements. Empanadas and meats are also reliable; the pastas are unremarkable, though. The location, across from Iglesia San Francisco, is very central. Open daily for lunch and dinner.

On a prominent corner of the downtown business district, Down Town Matías is the flagship of a group of Irish-themed pubs. Drop in at lunchtime for a simple steak with mushroom sauce, a well-prepared piece of fish, or a simple sandwich. Pints of ale on tap and plenty of noise, particularly at dinnertime, are the order of the day. Weekday evenings there's an early happy hour followed by live music, generally local rock groups, which can make dinner conversation a challenge. At the other locations outside of downtown, the ambience is a bit more laid-back, and prices are a touch lower.

This place may resemble a neighborhood coffee shop where folks are just sitting, sipping coffee, and reading the newspaper. But check out the long and narrow dining room at lunchtime, when the kitchen turns out some of the best pasta and fish dishes in the barrio. The menu changes daily, depending on the chef's whims, but you can count on ravioli showing up in a stunning variety of styles. There are also some excellent stir-fried dishes. Don't pass up dessert, which may include a "deconstructed" take on the classic arroz con leche.

An oasis of elegance and grace in the heart of Recoleta, flame-grilled cooking drives the menu, with standout dishes including butter-soft Angus tenderloin, crispy sweetbreads, and a decadent molten chocolate cake. If the weather is nice, ask for a table on the terrace overlooking the courtyard gardens. Don't miss a pre- or post-dinner visit to the wine-and-cheese bar with a fantastic array of each, and be sure to take an after-meal stroll through the hotel's underground art gallery.

When a top Buenos Aires restaurant moved to the northwest, salteños couldn’t believe their luck. Taking their concept of cooking exclusively with Argentine ingredients, chef Fernando Rivarola and sommelier Gabriela Lafuente now focus on giving  contemporary identity to the northwest’s abundant pantry, while illuminating alternative proteins; you can only order the tasting menu. There’s also a fantastic vista thanks to its location at the top of Cerro San Bernardo; taking the cable car up adds to the magic.

Leather placemats, calfskin menus, and the smell of wood-grilled asados leave no doubt regarding what's cooking at this popular steak house. And indeed, El Boliche has some of the best bife in Bariloche. Grilled steaks, chicken, lamb, and chorizo all arrive sizzling on a wooden platter, accompanied by empanadas, provoleta (fried provolone cheese), salad, fried potatoes, and chimichurri sauce (be sure to slather some on the bread). There are three locations: those at Elflein 158 and Villegas 347 specialize in barbecue dishes, while the one at Elfein 143 also does pastas.

This steak house perfectly captures the vibrancy of Las Cañitas—even on weekdays, when you can see couples and groups heading in the door as late as midnight. They come for the juicy cuts of beef and flavorful achuras (organ meats), all of which are grilled over an open fire by a professional staff. Grab one of the tables on the open second floor and you'll get an even better view of the parrilla and the action outside. Ask for your favorite steak vuelta y vuelta (extra rare) for best results.

An homage to the rugged terrain of the Argentine wilds, every surface in this downtown eatery seems to be rough wood or tanned leather. Chef Paula Comparatore turns out modern twists on classic regional dishes, often making use of rarely seen ingredients. Her tehuelches, a type of Patagonian empanada named after a near-extinct southern tribe, are among the best in the city, and her classic slow braises of lamb, goat, and beef are simply divine. For those with something lighter in mind, there are indigenous fish preparations and even a vegetarian dish or two.

Much like the neighborhood in which it resides, El Globo is touristy but good. Hearty pucheros (mixed boiled meat dinners), roast suckling pig, squid, and other Spanish-Argentine fare are served in a large dining area, as they have been since the restaurant opened in 1908. The cazuela de mariscos (seafood stew) is another specialty.

This is the city's oldest restaurant, dating back to the 1860s. The name, which translates as "impartial," was meant to offer up neutral territory for various Spanish and Basque factions that emigrated to the city during the mid-19th century. The menu is a mix of local Argentine fare and classic Spanish dishes. You're not necessarily going to be wowed by anything, but you're also never going to be disappointed. The paella and other rice dishes, particularly those with seafood, are the way to go. At lunchtime there's a three-course prix-fixe menu that comes in at less than the price of an à la carte appetizer. Don't miss the natilla madrileña (custard with caramel) for dessert.

No frills doesn't mean no charm at this longtime porteño favorite. Steaks, pastas, and salads are the draw, but don't miss the papas soufflés, meaning puffed-up french fries. If you want to go full-tilt local style, order them à la provençal and they'll arrive at your table tossed with minced garlic and parsley. After all, this place and the other three branches around town (Palermo, Recoleta, and another in Centro) aren't called the Palace of the French Fry for no reason.

With three dining rooms, a patio out back, a location just yards from the central plaza, and well-priced regional cuisine, El Patio is one of Tilcara's most popular restaurants. Anita Ponce's menu is an unpretentious yet delectable mix of dishes using locally sourced ingredients such as llama fillet, quinoa risotto, and tamales, and service is friendly. Order beef empanadas to start, and slather in llajua spicy sauce.

Though it was recently overhauled by the Parrilla Don Julio team, much care has been taken to retain El Preferido de Palermo's authentic and traditional character. Order a plate of cold cuts—the charcuterie cellar is on display—and savor them at the kitchen counter. 

Secreted away about 10 minutes north of town, on a stream known as Arroyo del Medio, this rustic country kitchen is the primo place to try the local delicacy known as cordero patagónico al asador (lamb roasted on a cross-shaped spit over a fire). Sizzling platters of beef and vegetarian options are also available. The parklike setting near Cascada Mallín Ahogado is as delectable as the food. From El Bolsón, take Ruta Nacional 40 north, getting off at the left exit for the Circuito Cascada Mallín Ahogado. You'll see signs marked "El Quincho"; the restaurant is 500 meters (1/3 mile) past the waterfall.

This spit-and-sawdust-style eatery has monster-size steaks, irresistible BBQ smells, and cheap wine by the jug. If you've had a long day in the mountains and need a place to refuel, old-school El Rancho is open daily for lunch and dinner, it also serves coffee and snacks outside of mealtimes.

Facing the main plaza, this big barn of a restaurant serves regional specialties (like tamales and cabrito al horno), as well as pastas and classic Argentine steaks. Expect generous portions, a bustling atmosphere, live folk music, and wines from the owner's Bodega Río Colorado, just a block away.

This eatery's design aesthetic—a bare, unadorned space illuminated with industrial lighting—doesn't translate to the dishes, which, while not fancy, include hearty portions of grilled and fried Argentine dishes and a smattering of Spanish specialties. At lunch it's packed with Palermo office workers, and at dinner there's a mix of locals and tourists, all tucking into the well-seasoned and properly cooked steaks and chops. Don't miss the boquerones (marinated anchovies) as an appetizer. The entraña, or hanger steak, particularly when accompanied by the excellent papas a la crema (creamed potatoes), are a don't-miss main course perfect for sharing. While the menu might look pricey at first glance, most of the steaks easily serve more than one person. There are also inexpensive prix-fixe lunch options.

With a new name and a new chef, the Four Seasons Hotel's spectacularly renovated dining room serves creative fare that blends the traditions of Argentina with touches of the sunny Mediterranean. Don't miss the spectacular sweetbread and poached egg appetizer, and for a true taste of what the chef can do off the grill, order the parrillada (a sampler of various cuts of meat) or the mariscada, (a medley of grilled seafood), both in portions big enough for up to four people to share. If you're in a more casual mood, the Pony Line bar offers fantastic cocktails, great pizzas, and one of the best burgers in town. Weekend afternoons you help yourself to a brunch spread that's unrivaled in the city. A children's menu is available.

A 20-minute drive from San Salvador, this Italian restaurant is a welcome addition to the city’s dining scene. After many years working in Buenos Aires, chef Daniel Hansen returned to his native Jujuy and opened Flor del Pago in the family home in Lozano. Part of the stunning colonial mansion lends itself to three dining rooms, where diners can savor risotto, solid homemade pasta, and a wine list focusing on Northwest Argentina labels.

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.

Priding itself on cooking dishes like your Italian nonna would make, Fuente y Fonda offers hearty Argentine fare in family size portions that are designed to be shared by at least two people. Expect deep dishes filled with stuffed cannelloni, milanesa napolitana (topped with cheese and ham), or roast meats.

Homemade pastas are the specialty here, but locals also tuck into hearty dishes of grilled steak, pork, and chicken at this lively restaurant with exposed brick, low lighting, wooden booths, and a traditional pub-like atmosphere. Some come just for a beer, while others come to dine.

When Iñaki first opened its doors, it was one of the city's more expensive Basque eateries. Over time it's kept the price increases to a minimum, and today it's one of the most reasonable spots to enjoy this spectacular Spanish cuisine. Killer paella and fried calamari—not the usual battered version, but a much more elegant dish dusted in herb and pepper flour and flash fried—are among the must-try choices. If you want something a little spicier, order raxo, a delicious pork dish in a red chili sauce that's paired, strangely enough, with french fries. The service is cheerful and helpful.

It's an honest little restaurant in Seclantás, with some fine old photos on the walls and good, oven-baked empanadas. Other attractions include a delicious goat stew, corn-based dishes, regional breads, and a warm welcome from your host, Alejandro Díaz.