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Argentines seem to live for their food. The dining experience is high on their list of daily activities, although most eat their main meal very late, usually at 2200 or later. Traditional and modern parrillia restaurants serve up a cornucopia of meats to a discerning clientele, while pizza and pasta restaurants are found on every street corner. But there has been a food revolution in recent years and many international influences have crept in, including modern Mediterranean and Asian food. Argentina also has some of the world’s best wines, which shouldn’t be missed. A service charge is not usually automatically added to the bill and a tip is appreciated. Price indicators below are for a three-course meal, without wine.

The restaurants below have been classed into four different pricing categories:
$ (up to US$5)
$$ (US$5 to US$10)
$$$ (US$10 to US$20)
$$$$ (over US$20)

Gourmet

Au Bec Fin
This elegant Recoleta establishment is considered the best French restaurant in Buenos Aires, although its menu does display some Italian and Argentine influences. Situated in a beautiful old building built in Argentina’s Belle Époque era, the three dining salons are warmly decorated with artwork and frescoes on the wall and glowing chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The rich and enticing food ranges from grilled lobster to lamb cutlets stuffed with olives, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes.

Vincente López 1827
Tel: (011) 4807 3765.
Website: www.aubecfin.com.ar
Price: $$$$

El Bistro
It would be worth visiting the new Faena Hotel+Universe just to experience the décor of this Philippe Starck designed restaurant. The bizarre interior is a dream world of pure white furnishings interspersed with unicorn heads mounted on the wall. No matter how odd this all seems, the surroundings cannot detract from the sophisticated international cuisine served up by attentive staff.

Martha Salotti 445
Tel: (011) 4010 9200.
Website: www.faenahotelanduniverse.com
Price: $$$$

La Bourgogne
The plush interior of the Alvear Palace Hotel flows flawlessly into the exquisite La Bourgogne. This is one of the best restaurants in town, where the city’s elite and VIP visitors from abroad come to dine. Executive chef Jean Paul Bondoux delights the most demanding gourmands with a refined blend of French and International cuisine, or diners can opt for meats cooked on the rotisserie grill.

Avenida Alvear 1891
Tel: (011) 4805 3857.
Website: www.alvearpalace.com
Price: $$$$

Business

El Faro
The smart, sizeable restaurant in the Hilton Hotel is convenient for business lunches and dinners. There is a wide choice of international dishes on offer in the stylish dining hall that is just minutes away from the financial district and the city’s key historic attractions.

Avenida Macacha Güemes 351, Puerto Madero
Tel: (011) 4891 0040.
Website: www.hilton.com
Price: $$$

Las Lilas
Located on the dockside at Puerto Madero, close to the city’s main business hotels, this restaurant is ideal for entertaining or being entertained. Based on a traditional parilla (Argentinian grill), this modern establishment serves quality meats produced in Argentine estancias in a smart, unpretentious environment. Red meat alternatives include grilled chicken or salmon with mushrooms.

Alicia Moreau de Justo 516, Puerto Madero
Tel: (011) 4313 1336.
Website: www.laslilas.com.ar
Price: $$$

Te Mataré Ramirez
This fun Palermo eatery claims to be an aphrodisiac restaurant. Perhaps a bit risqué, the dishes include such delicious concoctions as The Empire of Desires, which is a dish of noodles with chicken goujons and vegetables in a hot and spicy oriental marinade. Some evenings there are shows, including laid-back jazz performances and romantic cabaret.

Paraguay 4062, Palermo
Tel: (011) 4831 9156.
Website: www.tematareramirez.com
Price: $$$

Trendy

Baez
This is a sophisticated place, popular with the city’s young and fashionable crowd. The ultra-modern interior is complemented by delicious dishes, drawn from Mediterranean, Argentine and Japanese cuisine. Diners can enjoy a snack, such as a sushi dish, sipped down with a refreshing cocktail at the bar or sit down to something more substantial.

Baez 240, Las Cañitas
Tel: (011) 4777 1313.
Website: www.baez.restaurant.com.ar
Price: $$

Bo Bo
This sumptuous diner beneath the hotel of the same name is one of Palermo’s hotspots. Décor is warm and inviting, with dark wood finishes. Cuisine is a smart and well-presented mix of Mediterranean and Eastern influences fused with home grown favorites. Main course range from grilled salmon spiced with cinnamon to thrice cooked Patagonian lamb.

Guatemala 4883, Palermo
Tel: (011) 4774 0505.
Website: www.bobogourmet.com.ar
Price: $$$

Thymus
The inventive menu is international in flavor at this popular eatery located in the former home of famous Argentine sculptor Martín Vergara. The creative team has selected a unique set of dishes to wow a smart and fashionable clientele. Main courses include trout with lentil puree and cream of celery and coconut milk, and roast duck with a ’tian’ of potato, goat’s cheese and a pear and orange chutney.

Lerma 525, Malabia
Tel: (011) 4772 1936
Website: www.restaurant-thymus.com.ar
Price: $$$

Budget

Galerias Pacifico
Most shopping malls contain food halls where you can pick up cheap and simple rápida meals. At Galerias Pacifico there is a choice of parrilla cooked steaks, pastas and pizzas, deli salads, sushi and burgers. And the best part is that you can claim a free lunch if you spend US$150 or more in the shops.

Calle Florida and Calle Córdoba
Tel: (011) 5555 5110.
Website: www.galeriaspacifico.com.ar
Price: $

La Vieja Rotiseria
This is a fine place to taste quality Argentine meat at a low price. This parrilla café is extremely popular and atmospheric, where guests can taste a variety of cooked meats and steaks without breaking the bank.

Defensa 963, San Telmo
Tel: (011) 4362 5660.
Price: $

Social Paraíso
Social Paraíso is a popular lunchtime hangout in Palermo Viejo. With a menu del día under Ar$15, it presents one of the best budget options in the city. The small and friendly place has simple décor and a good atmosphere. The food is always delicious and dishes range from wholesome staples to more exotic combinations.

Honduras 5182, Palermo Viejo
Tel: (011) 4831 4556.
Price: $

Personal Recommendations

Artemisia
In a city of ardent meat eaters, vegetarian restaurants are few and far between. But in bohemian Palermo Viejo, there is this wonderful restaurant serving simple homemade natural cuisine. Pasta, rice and soup dishes are brimming with vegetable content, and all can be accompanied by delicious homemade bread.

Cabrera 3877, Palermo Viejo
Tel: (011) 4863 4242.
Price: $$

La Strada
Good honest Italian food is served at this smart modern restaurant in Recoleta. Complete with pavement café it is a good place to watch people come and go on one of the district’s main thoroughfares. The specialty of the house is, of course, pasta, which comes in many regional varieties. They also serve a knock-out tiramisú.

Vicente López 2028, Recoleta
Tel: (011) 4801 1771.
Price: $$

Sudesta
South East Asian food is available at this fashionable corner restaurant in Palermo. Tables are tended by friendly Argentine staff who serve up predominately Vietnamese dishes with Thai and Malaysian influences. There are plenty of noodle dishes to choose from, cooked with the freshest local ingredients. This is a fun restaurant, which fuels the clientele who invariably move on to the surrounding bars and clubs.

Guatemala 5602, Palermo
Tel: (011) 4776 3777.
Price: $$

Nightlife:

Buenos Aires’s nightlife is one of the most active in the world. Nightlife really is ’night’-life with the young and wealthy Porteños, as they usually only embark on their evening’s entertainment at 2200 with a meal. After satisfying an appetite, they’ll wile away a few hours in a bar or confiteria and won’t even contemplate entering a club until gone 0200 when partying will just be warming up. Drunkenness among the locals is almost unheard of as the Porteños only consume moderate amounts of alcohol. Dress is smart, but the extent of the formality depends on the club and the area. The legal drinking age is 18 years.

Palermo continues to be popular with the fashionable crowd, especially the areas of Las Cañitas and Palermo Hollywood, which are packed with trendy bars, clubs and restaurants. The streets surrounding La Recoleta Cemetery are also popular, especially at the weekends when the pavement bars and cafés remain busy until the action moves to the nearby clubs. A number of drinking options, including English and Irish pubs, exist on and around Calle Reconquista and Avenida 25 de Mayo, while San Telmo is a focal point for Bohemian bars and tango shows. Puerto Madero has become increasingly popular for sunset drinks and dining.

Nightlife is at its peak Thursday to Saturday but there’s always something happening throughout the week. Bars and clubs offer a range of music and entertainment options to meet all tastes, from tango shows to techno nightclubs. Admission charges range from $10 to $45. Some clubs allow women free entry on certain nights or offer a ’free’ drink as part of the admission charge.

Bars: Many bars offer food and live music so sometimes it is difficult to make a distinction between a place offering straightforward drinks and those pertaining to be restaurants or live music venues. La Cigale, Avenida 25 de Mayo 722, is a hip bar in the city center attracting the young with its promise of live music and DJs. Also in the center is Buenos Aires’ longest established wine bar Gran Bar Danzon, Libertad 1161, which is a fashionable place to sip Argentine wines and cocktails. A European-style pub can be found in El Verde, Calle Reconquista 878, which offers a wide selection of beers, whiskeys and Spanish tapas. If you want to be seen at a place to be seen, head for the Voodoo Bar, Calle Baez 340, to dance or just relax in the armchairs. Another fashionable and stylish place is Unico, Calle Honduras 5604, in Palermo Hollywood.

Casinos: The Casino Buenos Aires, Darsena Sur, Puerto Madero, is located on a Mississippi style boat and offers black jack, roulette, poker and slot machines. The minimum age is 18 years and dress is smart-casual.

Clubs: Buenos Aires News, Paseo de la Infantana Isabel, and New York City, Calle Alvarez Thomas, both in Palermo, are just two of the established clubs where you can dance to mainstream dance music amid a smartly dressed, wealthy set. Kika, Honduras 5339, Palermo Hollywood (website: www.kikaclub.com.ar) is the latest hotspot in this nocturnal wonderland, while Tequila, Costanera Norte, is one of the most exclusive venues in the city. For the super-club experience and the very best in national and international dance music DJs, head to Pacha, Costanera Norte and La Pampa (website: www.pacha-ba.com).

Live Music: A great many of the city’s bars and clubs offer live music as part of their menu, but good options include the Café Tortoni, Avenida De Mayo 829 (website: www.cafetortoni.com.ar). The most famous café in the city, it offers live tango and jazz in La Bodega downstairs. It’s easy to become sucked into the tango obsession that prevails in the capital and there are numerous venues to listen to, watch or participate in tango. El Viejo Almacén, Avenida Independencia and Balcarce, San Telmo (website: www.viejo-almacen.com.ar), offers a tango dinner and show. But for an economical taste of a tango, make your way to Bar Sur, Calle Estados Unidos 299, San Telmo (website: www.bar-sur.com.ar), where audience participation is encouraged. Tourists in search of live blues and rock should make a beeline for El Samovar de Rasputin or Del Valle Iberlucca in Caminito, La Boca. Jazz fans should try the Thelonius Bar, Calle Salguero 1884.

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