223 Best Restaurants in Argentina

Serving a buffet of salads and starters followed by a main course straight from the grill, La Juntada updates the classic pulperia (tavern) atmosphere with a good wine list and a fresh lick of paint. Go hungry for the typical Argentine fare such as grilled goat kid that's well-prepared.

This bustling spot is where locals go for their pizza joint fix, thanks to the typical Argentine-style pizza of thick crust and layers with stringy cheese. Their empanadas are just as good—pick up a few and you have the perfect pastry pick-me-up during a long day of exploring. With two branches on the main strip (one with a kids' playground and the other for more Patagonian-style dishes), the secret is out, but stick with the original pizzeria, as the locals do. If it's not crowded, you're in the wrong one.

They've been serving homemade pasta at La Marchigiana since 1950, and many of the recipes were passed down from founder Nonna Fernanda; today her descendants carry on the tradition in the kitchen. Popular with Mendocinos looking for a reasonably priced meal (and a great lasagna), there's a second restaurant at Ruta Panamericana 3200 in Godoy Cruz.

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).

Slotted neatly into the tiny Plaza Peloc, La Picanteria’s streetside setting makes for a great lunch spot to watch people come and go about their business. You can, of course, also dine inside, and enjoy the simple yet cozy aesthetic. There’s a brisk business for those after the three-course lunch menu, which might include spicy vegetable soup, llama escalope with salad or delicious handmade pasta. Dinner consists of a decent pizza—and pizza only—menu.

This casual, family-run restaurant has been hamming it up in the valley for 30 years, serving pork cooked in every way imaginable. A surprising number of vegetarian options are also available, and all the wines offered are from local bodegas. A small shop on-site sells artisans' items, such as hand-knit sweaters, blankets, and artwork.  If you like this place so much you don't want to leave, check into a reasonably priced cabañas behind the restaurant.

Empanadas, llama dishes, and other hearty regional specialties dominate the menu at this eatery on the main square. Take a seat by the window and watch the scene at the market stalls outside while enjoying jujeño staples such as picante de pollo (spicy chicken) or regional stews, or avoid the bustle on the airy back patio.

This parrilla is so popular that it starts serving dinner at 6 pm—teatime by Argentine custom. The local beef isn't quite up to Buenos Aires standards, but La Rueda's perfectly cooked bife de chorizo is one of the best in town. Locally caught surubí is another house specialty, but skip the traditional Roquefort sauce, which overwhelms the fish's flavor. The surroundings stay true to the restaurant's rustic roots: hefty tree trunks hold up the bamboo-lined roof, and the walls are adorned by a curious wooden frieze carved by a local artist.

It's a couple of extra blocks from downtown and across a little white bridge, but this parrilla is where the locals go for a special night out to watch their food as it's cooking; Patagonian lamb and beef ribs roast gaucho-style on frames hanging over a circular asador, and an enormous grill along the back wall is full of steaks, chorizos, and morcilla (blood sausage). The whole place is filled with a warm glow despite the lackluster decor. It's slightly more expensive than other parillas in the center of town—and almost always fully booked—but has a classier atmosphere that will make you want to linger for dessert, if you have room.

This European-tinged eatery is one of the traditional high-end choices in San Martín, for locals and tourists alike. With tables scattered about the black-stone floor and barrels, shelves, and other surfaces stacked with foodstuffs (think pickled vegetables, smoked meats, cheese rounds, dried herbs, olive oil, and wine bottles), you might think you're in a Patagonian deli. Top choices include braised lamb and local specialties made from fresh-caught game; the La Tasca appetizer platter of smoked salmon, venison, boar, and trout pâté is especially good.

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).

A poetic narrative in the menu describes this place as "a haven for parched travelers," along the lines of the watering holes used for centuries by local shepherds. Top picks include empanadas baked in the clay oven at the entrance and a llama fillet served with orange sauce and colorful tiny Andean potatoes. They also cook up great asado (barbecue).

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.

A 102-year-old converted school building houses one of Cafayate's more ambitious regional food restaurants. Overseen by the friendly owner Matías, it has three dining rooms themed after the Nanni, Domingo Hermanos, and Etchart bodegas, with wine displays and special cutlery. The decoration is from all around the world, but the food is strictly local—llama, quinoa, rabbit, kid, and Andean potatoes lead the menu. A convivial wine bar stays open late to serve vino from every bodega in town. There's live music and dancing some weekends.

Ponchos on the walls, old paintings, native artifacts, stucco archways, and Andean background music are clues that this might be one of the best places to sample authentic Northwestern cuisine. Try the locro: a stew of maize, white beans, beef, chorizo, pancetta, and a wonderful red pepper–oil glaze, all of which come together in a mélange of savory, starchy flavors.  Ask for a table at the back for a more authentic and less-hurried dining experience.

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.

An expansive terrace overlooking the river is the appropriate backdrop for Tigre's best fish dishes. The kitchen favors elaborate preparations: some are so packed with unlikely ingredients that the fish gets lost; others, such as the sole in lemon-infused cream, are spot-on. Land-based offerings like pork belly braised in beer are equally well executed. Both the terrace and the sunny, peach-colored inside room fill up on weekends, when harried waitstaff often take a long time to bring your order or the check.

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.

Great spot to dine on the waterfront. They have an extensive menu but are most loved for the seafood and pasta dishes; the seafood pizza is a particular favorite.