Argentina, and especially Buenos Aires, is not only about steak, asado, empanadas, and pizza covered in cheese. The capital city is multicultural, with migrants and ex-pats mostly from South America, but also from the US and Europe.
For those who want to escape from red meat and have a break from traditional Argentinean food, Buenos Aires offers a great variety of options. And if you live outside the country, you can probably take advantage of the unstable economy and currency exchange, having high-quality food and wine for very cheap prices.
This is our selection, grouped by country/ region:
America / Canada
- Nola Gastropub: authentic Cajun cuisine, from Louisiana to Buenos Aires. Fried chicken, nuggets, gumbo, jambalaya, waffles and more.
- Kansas Grill and Bar: a very trendy and popular American restaurant in Buenos Aires. Steaks, Houston-style barbecue, club sandwiches, Arizona-style pasta and more.
- Sheikob’s: salt beef, smoked salmon and cream cheese, and many more bagels.
Armenia / Lebanon – Arabic / Middle Eastern
- Medio Oriente: Armenian food seems to be quite popular in Argentina. Medio Oriente is in the trendy Palermo Soho and offers Middle Eastern classics such as falafel, shawarma, hummus, grilled meats, baklava and more.
- Sarkis: another very popular Middle Eastern restaurant in BA. Good service, tasty food. It can get busy so better to book.
- Gusto Arabe: another Arabic corner, this one oriented to take away.
- Asociación Cultural Armenia: cultural space and restaurant of Armenia.
Bolivia
- My Bolivia Resto: they offer a good selection of traditional dishes such as chicharron de cerdo, salchipapas, lomo montado, Silpancho Cochabambino, planchita, charque and salteñas.
China
- Lai Lai: generous and tasty portions at affordable prices, Lai Lai is a good Chinese option in Barrio Chino.
- Bao Kitchen: another great Chinese option in the Retiro area, in particular, authentic Taiwanese. They serve the best Gua Baos and Niuroumian soup.
India / Pakistan
- Gran Dabbang: they offer Indian dishes but also fusion with Argentinean and other areas in Asia. Great variety of flavours.
- Kebab roll: all about kebabs. With an Indian a Pakistani twist, so also samosas, masala, biriyani, karahi and more.
Israel
- Mishiguene: full of recipes, aromas and traditions. Jewish traditions were brought to a restaurant in BA.
- Eretz Cantina: small, cosy and comfortable Israeli restaurant. Delicious hummus, tabbouleh, falafel, shakshuka, malabi, kepe and more.
Italy
- Oggi pasta e birra: moderates prices for authentic Italian pasta dishes that are served in bowls.
- Il Gran Caruso: in the health of the trendy Palermo Hollywood, Il Gran Caruso offers all the tasty Italian classics, some of them with an Argentinean twist. Pasta, salads, pizza, meats, and desserts. Don’t forget to try the tiramisu.
- Buono Italian Kitchen: this could be a good choice for a more sophisticated and smarter restaurant. It’s in the Sheraton Hotel in the Retiro area.
Japan
- Tori Tori: authentic and traditional Japanese food, brochettes their speciality. The food is properly cooked as in Japan, for instance, they use hot coals. They also offer miso soup, stuffed mushrooms, matcha flan and more. Reservations are necessary.
- Nueva Casa Japonesa: moderate prices for tasty Japanese food, including ramen, rice, noodles sushi and more.
- Osaka: this could be your place if you are looking for a more sophisticated option. Japanese and Peruvian fusion, with high-quality and modern dishes. Top-notch in BA, with high prices as well. Octopus tiradito, scallops with truffle oil, crunchy rice, and ceviches are outstanding.
Korea
- Una canción Koreana: authentic Korean food in BA. Bulgogi, bibimbap, soups, chicken katsu, kimchi and more.
- Don Fuu: a cheap and relatively new option in the centre of the city. All the portions are generous and can be vegetarian or with chicken, meat or salmon.
- Mr. Ho: another good value for money restaurant serving authentic Korean food. Good-sized portions as well.
Mexico
- Taqueria Diaz: busy Mexican restaurant in Caballito area. Tacos, burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, elote, pico de gallo and more.
- Che Taco: another popular Mexican option in the trendy and hipster San Telmo area. Expect all Mexicans classics. Delicious burritos!
Peru
- El Cocoroco: our favourite Peruvian restaurant in Buenos Aires. It is not fancy, but the portions are generous, the ingredients fresh and the food delicious. And it’s cheap as well. Great value for money.
- Contigo Peru: it is also not very fashionable, but generous portions and tasty food. Cebiche, Carapulcra, suspiro limeño, pisco sour, Jalea and more.
- La Causa Nikkei: if you want something more sophisticated, this should be your choice. Quinoa crusted sushi, salmon carpaccio, arroz chaufa, empanadas and more.
- La Conga: one more Peruvian option, delicious fish dishes.
Venezuela
- Araguaney Bistro: our favourite Venezuelan restaurant in Buenos Aires. Cosy, well decorated and well located (Las Cañitas). Cachapas, arepas, tequeños and more. (Check our post “Best Traditional Food in Venezuela” for more information about their food).
- Dulce y Salado Gourmet con Sazon Venezolano: this is a cheaper option, and still great value for money. Good service, ambience and food.
- RonConCon: for a more sophisticated and still affordable experience. Great cocktails as well.
- La Carbonera: authentic Venezuelan empanadas.
Thailand / Philippines
- Asian Cantina: a great variety of food that combines Filipino, Malaysian, Thai, and Vietnamese. A tasty and fresh fusion of these traditional cuisines. Pho, wontons, kao soi, shrimp okoy, roast pork with rice noodles and more. It is recommended to book in advance.
- Saigon: another great Vietnamese option. Bo bun, sriracha, spring rolls, Pho and more.
- Sudestada: another good option for Southeastern Asia cuisine.
Appendix: If you also want to make what Argentinean food is like, visit our post: Top 10 foods you MUST try in Argentina