Argentina has some of the best restaurants in South America, including 1 in the top 15 restaurants in the world. Most of them are in its capital, Buenos Aires.
This is list includes the best restaurant in Buenos Aires.
Don Julio
Don Julio has become the most popular restaurant in the capital, and probably in the country. Local and international celebrities and politicians have helped to build its reputation. So they serve the most traditional, acclaimed food in Argentina, beef. But they bring it to a different level, reaching the taste of different cultures altogether.
All the meat is meticulously selected from grass-fed Aberdeen Angus and Hereford cattle, raised in controlled fields outside Buenos Aires. It is then matured in a refrigerator for at least 21 days to reach optimum quality. Then, it’s passed into the hands of Guido Tassi, their charcuterie specialist.
Bife de cuadril (rump steak), entraña (skirt steak) and rib-eye are some of its specialities. And they also offer an extensive range of top-quality wines, stocking over 14 thousand Argentine labels.
It was also ranked as the number 14 restaurant in the world’s best 50 restaurants award.
La Cabrera
La Cabrera is probably the second most popular steak house in Buenos Aires, after the internationally acclaimed Don Julio. It is also a traditional Argentinian restaurant specializing in grilled meats, with wood-lined decor and a somehow relaxed ambience.
The staff is friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. For instance, waiters have a picture showing 5 or 6 different cooking levels for the meat, so you can choose exactly the right one for you. The meat is cooked to perfection, the portions are generous and they give you a variety of mini-side dishes to go with your meal, such as cheese dip, pumpkin, mashed potatoes and a corn casserole.
Salads are also huge, so I would say all dishes are to share. Some of their signature dishes are the authentic bife de chorizo and T-bone, as well as entraña and achuras. The wine selection is up to the level as well.
Aramburu
Aramburu, named after its chef last name, is one of most acclaimed restaurants in South America, listed a number of times as one of the top 50 Latin American Restaurants.
It is a chic, romantic, sophisticated and vibrant place offering a fine experience to all diners. They capture the Latin American cuisine in an exotic and creative way, serving a fantastic 12 or 17 course-tasting menu.
Additionally, guests can also booked a personalised experience in which they seat at the Chef’s Table where they can watch their dishes being prepared in front of them.
Some of their dishes include salmon, quali and lamb. And on the sweet side they sometimes offer eucalyptus ice cream, white chocolate truffle, marshmallow and more. Last but not least, the wine menu has more than 120 entries.
Chila
Located in one of the most exclusive areas of Buenos Aires, Puerto Madera, Chila is considered one of the best restaurants in the country.
Its chef, Pedro Bargero, designs the food menu throughout the seasons to make unique and unforgettable dishes. Their 7-course tasting menu with wine pairing has become a classic in the high-end range of restaurants in the capital.
Every single ingredient is interpreted to another level and each course has incredible thought, from the presentation to the taste.
The ambience in the restaurant is also original, with dimmed lights and a stylish interior, including a wooden table with integrated plants.
Mishiguene
By reimagining Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Israeli, and Middle Eastern cuisine, Mishiguene—Yiddish for “crazy”—honours Argentina’s Jewish immigration past. Here, traditional dishes are updated using cutting-edge methods and the best ingredients.
Many of Mishiguene’s dishes, such as Russian-Polish borscht and spit-roasted Moroccan lamb, were inspired by personal experiences in chef Tomás Kalika’s life. Kalika spent years mastering the flavour profiles of Middle Eastern cuisine.
They also celebrate Shabbat every Friday, and a klezmer band playing live music leads a song and dance party that involves the entire restaurant.
A different and intimate experience can also be booked, with a special tasting menu and a seat at the chef’s table inside the kitchen.
Anafe
Anafe is one of the trendiest restaurants in the capital. Its menu shows Eastern European, Italian, and Middle Eastern influences emphasizing freshness and flavour.
It is not cheap at all by local standards. But the food is simple, yet delicate and tasty. They offer some classics like the paté and the Girgolas, and some specials like Tartar de Ciervo, Pesca Curada and Carpaccio Vietnamita. For dessert, one of the stars is the Profiterole.
Their chefs have also cooked for Ruda Cocina and Bodegas Riccitelli in Mendoza.
Elena
Elena is another restaurant that made it to the Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants list. It is located in one of the most prestigious hotels in the city, The Four Seasons Hotel, which also hosts a popular cocktail bar called Pony Line.
It’s a modern and stylish restaurant serving an impressive selection of Argentina’s finest meats and some other dishes like the octopus of the picture above.
One of its most popular dishes is the dry-aged T-bone steak, weighting 950 grams and cooked to perfection. It is ideal to share given its size. Other popular dishes are the grilled sweetbreads with lemon emulsion, the truffled casarecce pasta, the camembert cheese with wagyu and duck prosciutto and the traditional panqueque con dulce de leche.
Trashumante (El Baqueano)
Located in San Telmo, an area more on the alternative side, Trashumante is a modern and original restaurant which also made it to the top 50 in South America.
Its chef Fernando Rivarola makes sure to bring together ingredients provided by small producers from all parts of the country. Its menu changes quite often and stands out by its colors and originality.
Expect to find and taste very thoughtful and innovative dishes like crocodile/alligator empanada, pacu choripan, carpaccio with three-colour quinoa or alligator gyoza on the menu.
Julia
Julia, located in the now trendy are of Villa Crespo, is a small an independent restaurant which offers an “Indie cuisine”. They define themselves as independent in terms of influences, adopting a philophy based on high quality ingredients, craftsmanship and sensitivity in terms of work culture and responsibility.
They offer a 7-course tasting menu with wine pairing, which includes amazing dishes like Shio Koji cured shrimps, seabass escabeche and Cordyceps Ramen; and also a la carte menu with great options as well like loin tartar, carbonara mushrooms and mackerel escabeche.
This restaurant is considered a rising star in Buenos Aires.
Casa Cavia
Casa Cavia, located in Palermo, and directed by Julieta Caruso, it’s a elegant restaurant offering simple but profound dishes which are designed based on local ingredients.
It is hosted in an historic Buenos Aires building dating back to 1927, and features an stunning courtyard garden.
Some of their signature dished include bone marrow with yua fries, drilled radicchio and endives with blue cheese, wheat noodles with tempura shiso, marinated short ribs and smoked meat. Additionally, they also offer a Sunday brunch and breakfast.
Gran Dabbang
Gran Dabbang may seem like another little shop in the busy Palermo area, but it is actually a sophisticated restaurant with style and originality.
Chef Mariano Ramón shows Indian influences and combines ingredients from Latin America with flavours from Asia to create a colourful and tasty new genre.,
a few Bollywood posters are hung on the walls. Chard pakora, rica-rica marinated quail and smoked lamb curry are highlights from a short menu of around 10 small plates that are designed for sharing. There are no reservations so get there early, although, with dishes flying out of the kitchen, the queue moves fast.