Buenos Aires, called affectionately “BA” by the locals, is foodie heaven. Dozens upon dozens of joints, cafés, bars, bistros, boliches, restaurants, dinner clubs, and snack bars. It is stimulating—and overwhelming. Fortunately, I am blessed to live very close to BA and have an ongoing (business) excuse to travel frequently to stay up-to-date on the eating scene.
Like any major cosmopolitan city, restaurants come and go but there always seem to be a few that I always make a point of revisiting. Beyond amazing food (a given), it is also all about the décor, ambience, great service and beverages, and most definitely feeds my personal food hankerings.
This very brief selection is just a sampling of my personal short list for restaurants. Stay tuned for our Eat Wine Buenos Aires guide that will debut in early 2010 and will dive into BA’s restaurants, bars, shops, joints, markets, wine bars, and beyond.
And for those BA-goers, let me know what your favorite spots are. So many places to eat, so little time. That’s a good thing! Buen provecho.
Oui Oui
Nicaragua 6068 w/ Dorrego, Palermo Hollywood
Tucked away along the shady streets of Palermo Hollywood, the striped black-and-white awning on a scenic corner is your visual monicker that you are in Oui Oui radar. Every single time I am in town, I relish having a frothy latte, freshly squeezed OJ, and buttery, homemade croissants with sinful dulce de leche–usually with the Sunday paper. Local hipsters and families also adore this little bakery/restaurant so on the weekends by 11am it can be a mob scene. Grab a spot outside to people watch or settle in to the homey interior where a blackboard lists all the daily specials plus homemade soups and hearty stuffed sandwiches. Cozy yet cool and very French, everything about this place just works.
Gran Bar Danzón
Libertad 1161, between Santa Fe and Arenales, Barrio Norte
If you are a wine lover and are in BA, you must, MUST, hit Danzón. This is one of my regular places; a wine Mecca. The bar is full every single night of the week and an ideal venue to try a lot of different varietals from all over Argentina with smart food and an attentive sommelier. The industrial-meets-urban chic décor sets the tone and I have particularly fond memories of trying my first Torrontes here–paired with a crunchy octopus salad. Do note that you have to walk up the steps to the entrance (with Transylvania-type candles lighting the way). It is not very well marked from the street.
Sirop Folie
Vicente Lopez 1661, Unit 1, between Montevideo and Rodríguez Peña
Located in the oh-so-Parisian Pasaje del Correo right off Vicente Lopez (look hard it’s easy to walk by), this was my favorite find on a recent trip. The tall window panes filter in gorgeous daylight to luminously fill the space. The interior is retro intermingled with modern sophistication in a classic BA remodeled home from the early 1900s. I was in love with the sky blue leather benches! Oh yeah, food. The menu is clever and simplistic with well executed dishes like their homemade gravlax salad with roasted camembert on arugula which wilted the greens. They also put on brunch on the weekends. Fantastic venue.
Sudestada
Guatemala 5602, with Fitz Roy, Palermo Hollywood
Minimalist décor, white washed walls, with huge picture windows do not reveal the fragrant flavors that lie within. In a region like the Southern Cone that has an infamously low tolerance for anything spicy, this is a refuge for Asian food lovers that like it hot. I do!! A Vietnamese chef mans the kitchen and knocks out Pan Asian dishes from Laos, Thailand, Burma, and Vietnam—from curries to noodles to steamed dumplings, salads laced with peanuts, and Vietnamese lemonade. Inexpensive, fast, extremely tasty, and perfect for people watching, even writing this, I am totally salivating (at 10am) as I remember the dishes. The same owners opened Standard on the adjacent corner, a 180-spin, culinarily speaking—an Argentine diner.
Sottovoce
Libertador 1098, corner of Ayacucho, Recoleta
I cannot come to BA and not do the Italo-Argentinean thing. While, I also love doing the Sunday lunch dive jaunt down in La Boca at Il Matarello, this is my favorite refined spot sans the schlep. And I won’t lie—their house specialty is a heart-stopping bellini. Ching ching! The food at Sottovoce is in, a word, sublime. Although they opened a new location in Puerto Madero, I still prefer to go to Libertador to down plates of grilled calamari and melt-in-your-mouth prosciutto; mind-blowing fresh pasta like chicken agnolotti with sage and butter. And the wine list rocks and service feels old worldly. The perfect spot for an elegant yet relaxed lunch—or cozy dinner.
La Brigada
Estados Unidos 465, between Defensa and Bolívar, San Telmo
La Brigada is a somewhat more refined version of the classic San Telmo steakhouse (i.e. your steak won’t be shoe leather), but still complete with soccer paraphernalia covering the walls. The steaks are gargantuan, papas fritas provencal (laced with garlic and herbs) addictive, and the wine list is very complete (try the Achaval Ferrer Mendoza Malbec). Make a reservation the day before or be prepared for a long wait. I love starting with the grilled provolone to kick off this high protein feast. A general suggestion–eat light before because proportions are beyond anything any human stomach could possible digest at a single sitting (and the doggy bag concept hasn’t hit Latin America yet). La Brigada can get crazy packed so don’t mind rubbing elbows with your neighbors while you wait. If you flaked on the reservation front, just make sure to get there early to nab a table.
Cluny
El Salvador 4618
Another of my favorite stand-bys. It is simply divine Mediterranean food with no pretext. The cushy white sofas and lofty ceilings make for a relaxed environment with lots of texture, natural light, and color. Getting back to the food, everything my husband and I have ever tried on the menu has been superb—from salads to roasted salmon or seared steak. My freshest memory is of delicate pumpkin ravioli in an insanely peppery olive oil infused with perfumed basil and cherry tomatoes that bordered on tasting like candy with their sweetness. My husband swore his lamb ravioli was almost a religious experience. I would probably second that opinion.
