Buenos Aires Restaurants
Buenos Aires restaurants should be experienced if you travel to Argentina. This city has a fair amount of interesting ones and we have compiled a few here for you. One of the problems with restaurants in Buenos Aires is that the menu is repeated far too often and few establishments take chances on interesting cuisine. But we have left those off the list except for the more notable ones.
Thing to know about Buenos Aires Restaurants – you can often ask if they have a menu in English, sometimes there is a table charge or about 2-4 pesos. Tipping in Buenos Aires is generally small, about 10%. Although the tap water is safe to drink you will pay for bottled water at about 3-5 pesos per bottle. If you go to a popular restaurant, your waiter or waitress may speak a little English.
The restaurants vary a great deat from neighborhood to neighborhood. For example in San Telmo, the place will be old with lots of interesting stuff on the walls. In Puerto Maodero, the restaurants are new and modern with a very different kind of clientel.
Here are some excellent Buenos Aires restaurants that we have researched and tried. We are not affiliated in any way with any of these restaurants so this is not a commercial.
These Buenos Aires Restaurants are chosen based on menu, ambiance, service, and satisfaction and graded overall from G to GREAT
Buenos Aires Restaurants in The Centro
Café Tortoni – Avenida de Mayo 825, Traditional Argentina food –GREAT-Has been around since 1858 and famous for being a place for writers. IT is also famous for breakfast. Chocolate con Churros (hot cocoa and deep fried batter) are a traditional Argentine breakfast. A small coffee costs ARA2. You will find many tourists here because the Tango museum is located on top of the building. Also good pool tables in the back. The service may be slow because they are always very busy.
El Imparcial – Hipólito Irigoyen 1201 Spanish food -GREA-This is one of the oldest Buenos Aires restaurants in the city. Reservations for dinner are a good idea. This is a very popular traditional Spanish restaurant and a little expensive. Also good for lunch and the price is cheaper. – 2919
Club Espanola – 180 B. Yrigoyen on 9 de Julio. Medeteranian -GREA- This amazing building was once a private masion built a century ago. It is currently a private mens club and the downstairs is used as a fantastic restaurant. The decor is one of the most elbrate and ornate restaurants in the city. The food is all very good and runs about 25 pesos per person. A diverse menu. Be aware of the 4peso table tax per person.
Tomo Uno – Carlos Pellegrini 521, 4326-6698,International cuisine, -GREAT-The restaurant is on the mezzanine of the Hotel Panamericano. The service is fantastic. The menu is diverse and even has imported foods from Europe. This is a romatic place but not cheap. About 50 pesos per person but worth it. Reservations are advised.
Chiquilin – Sarmiento 1599, near Corrientes, 4373-5163, Porteno food – GREAT – This is a Tango themed restaurant that has been in exsistance for over 70 years. Locals love the Bife De Chorizo, the salad, and for dessert, the Don Pedro. The place has a city feel to it and a stylish decor. Lots of pictures of Tango on the wall. The price is medium here but a tad expensive. Main course is 20 pesos, you will need a side dish which is 10 pesos, and a drink so figure about 40 pesos per person without wine. Good idea to make reservations at night, and check out their brunch buffet in the mornings.
Buenos Aires Restaurants in San Telmo
Casa De Esteban De Luca Defensa 1000, Argentina menu – GREAT – This amazing restaurant is in the house of a man that fought in the British Invasions and the same man wrote the first Argentina National Anthem. It is a very interesting environment. Somewhat casual and nice at the same time. The bar is beautiful and the place seeps with history. The menu is resonably priced and good at about 25 pesos per person without drinks. The location of this Buenos Aires restaurant is perfect in the heart of San Telmo.
El Desnivel – Defensa 855, Buenos Aires menu, -GRE- If you want a busy and cheap but good Buenos Aires restaurant, this will do. The steaks are large and you can watch them being cooked. The menu is typical here and the service is fast paced.
Cancun – Defensa 680, 4343-9444, Mexican food -GREA- If you want authentic Mexican food while in Buenos Aires, this is a great little Mexican place to add to your diet here. About 15 pesos per person, the service is polite and quick and speaks great English. The decor is nice and very small. This is one of my personal favorites.
1880 – Defensa 1665, Porteno food, -GREA- This is another great local food stop with fantastic ambience which is historic, hence the name. The food is typical and fantastic, the decor even better, and the service is unpredictable. It is a bohemian crowd and the neighborhood can be rough late at night.
La Brigada – Estados Unidos 465 – Argentina Parrila. -GREA- This is one of the most interesting decorated parillas in Buenos Aires. There is stuff all over the walls. The service can be moody, but the food from the asado is great. This is a casual place and there are plenty of conversation peices to talk about. Price is about 15 pesos per person.
Mitico Sur Pasaje San Lorenzo 389, all types of dishes and Tapas, 4362-4750, – GREA – This Buenos Aires restaurant is extremly romantic and excellent. The menus alone are unique both indisde and out. There are only about 15 tables in the whole place, some downstairs and some on the upper level looking down. The service is warm and friendly. It is a causual yet nice place. Truely a good comfortable romantic dinner can be had here. The prices were a little high. A main dish runs about 30 pesos. But the food is excellent. You may also just want to share tapas and a bottle of wine. This is a great special occasion restaurant.
Buenos Aires Restaurants in Puerto Madero
Cabaña Las Lilas – Avenida Dávila 516 – Argentina food. – GREA- This has gotten excellent reviews recently as the best steak house in Buenos Aires. Which is not easy to achieve. It is modern décor somewhat relaxed. The steak is fantastic and the service is good. The price is about 30pesos per person and the menu is relatively simple. Open everyday from noon til midnight. No reservations needed.
Morena Beach – Ave Costenera 4899 , 4788 – 2511, International menu – GREAT – This is one of the best restaurants in Buenos Aires. It is situated on a pier over the water. It has one of the best and msot creative menus in the city. It is a very romatic situation with a great view. On a warm quiet night, you can sit on the patio. Price is a little high. About 4 pesos for a main dish. The sevice is excellent and very professional.
Azzurra – Yacht Club -Victoria Ocampo y Olga Cossettini- Meditterainian food – GREA – This is an amazing looking place on the water and with lots of glass and views. A turely romantic upscale dining experience. The menu it traditional Buenos Aires cuisine with a few nice additions. The service is great, and the price is decent. Expect about 40 pesos per person. 4314-9050
Asia de Cuba – Peirena Delessi 750 – International food. – GREA – This is an interesting place with a great decor and even better menu. If you are looking for something a little different and special, this will do it. The menu is international and Argentine, there is a DJ and sometimes a show. The price is about 40pesos or less per person. http://www.asiadecuba.com.ar/
Spell Cafe – Alicia Moreau de Justo 740 – Buenos Aires food – GRE – This is a typcial Buenos Aires restaurant menu but this place is on the more fun side of things and looks to be owned and ran by an American. They speak English and the menu is in English also. This is a good place to start. A great place for lunch. The price is medium. About 20 pesos per person. The staff here could be models. At night, it can be a great place for drinks and fun. http://www.spell-cafe.com.ar
Katrine -International food- Av. Alicia Moreau de Justo 138,At Thompson on Dique 4 – GREAT – This menu is fantastic. The service is amazing. The deocr is modern with a lively and playful environment. This is a great place to enjoy a great meal. The price is good too about about 30 pesos per peron.
Buenos Aires Restaurants in Palermo
La Cátedra -Cerviño 4699 – Mediterranean food – GREAT – Many important artists, sportsmen and musicians have dined inside its here. The decor is classically elegant, and the clientele tends to be a mixture of all types and ages. The menu is traditional and the prices are good. About 20pesos per person. The salad bar is 7pesos.
Cluny – El Salvador 4618 – Argentine and International food – GREA – The wine list is 8 pages. This is a new and trendy fun restaurant with lots of space. There is nice music played and an English tea for lunch. The menu can be very interesting with lots of things to expierment with. Reservations are recommended. Price is about 30epsos per perosn. Open until 2 am.
Te Mataré Ramírez – Paraguay 4062,At Scalabrini Ortiz – International food – GREAT – The name of the restaurant literally means “I am going to kill you, Ramírez.” It comes from playful arguments the owner would have with a friend who was a sort of Casanova. It’s an erotic restaurant, both in its food and decor.Sensual combinations include garlic and sun-dried tomatoes mixed with sweet elements and poured over sautéed or marinated meats with deeply embedded flavor. Great decor, sexy, fantastic menu detailed, good price 20 pesos per person. You can´t go wrong here. No reservations required. 4831-9156
Olsen – Gorriti 5870 – Seafood and Scandinavian – GREA – I liked this place a lot. The building used to be an old warehouse and has about 4 levels with open space. The waiters all wear white and many speak English. The service was great. Upstiars the seating is on cozy couches to snuggle with someone special. The menu is good and the bar is great. Lots of appetizers to share. Price is about 25 pesos per person. No reservations needed.
Buenos Aires Restaurants in Recoleta
La Biela -Avenida Quintana 600- Buenos Aires food – GRE – This is a historic outdor restaurant located on Recoleta Park Ander the giant Gomero trees. Once this is where automobile fanatics met on the weekends. Later used for high society types. This restaurant helped generate the restaurant boom in this area of Recoleta. La Biela is very pricey. Very. It is famous for the brunch and breakfast crowd. The menu is typical and all the food is excellent. The service is fantastic too. Appetizers and beer are a local favorite.
La Bourgogne – Av. Alvear 1891 – French food. – GREAT – At the Alvear Palace Hotel. Rated as one of the best restaurants in South America. To begin your meal, consider a warm foie gras scallop with honey wine sauce or perhaps the succulent ravioli d’escargots. Examples of the carefully prepared main courses include chateaubriand béarnaise, roasted salmon, veal steak, and lamb with parsley and garlic sauce. The kitchen’s fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs, and spices originate from Bondoux’s private farm. Formal. Reservations required. Dress code for men. The price is good too. About 40pesos per person.Mon-Fri noon-3pm; Mon-Sat 8pm-midnight. Closed in Jan.
Brut Nature Pena 2066, 4806-1237, International cuisine, – GREA – This is a great neighborhood Recoleta restaurant with an interesting menu. A classy place, small and intimite. Good service, stylish decor, this is the sure thing and good for just about any semi special occasion. A main dish is about 30 pesos.
El Mirasol -Posadas 1032- Argentina food – GREA – One of the city’s best parrillas, this restaurant serves thick cuts of fine Argentine beef. Like Piegari , El Mirasol is also located in La Recova, but in spite of this, its glassed dining area full of plants and trellises gives the impression of outdoor dining. Your waiter will guide you through the selection of cuts, among which the rib-eye, tenderloin, sirloin, and ribs are most popular. A mammoth 2 1/2-pound serving of tenderloin is a specialty, certainly meant for sharing. El Mirasol is part of a chain that first opened in 1967. Price is from 10 – 100pesos.
Buenos Aires Restaurants in La Boca
Don Carlos – Brandsen 699 – Spanish food – – GREA – Across the street from the soccer coliseum known as La Bombonera sits the classic Don Carlos where the waiters bring a seemingly endless variety of dishes, from spinach fritters to steak, and the only ordering you do is answering Don Carlos’s one question: “Meats or pastas?” Lunch comes to about 35 pesos a person; no credit cards. 4362 – 2433, (closed on Sunday and during soccer games)
El Obrero – Agustin R. Caffarena 64 – Buenos Aires food – GREAT – This old and rustic place is a tradition in Buenos Aires and worth taking a special trip by taxi to this neighborhood. Portions are huge and you can order half of many items. The service is great. This is a casual atmosphere and friendly. The price is amazing at about 15 pesos per person. Excellent steaks.
La Perla Cafe – Magallanes and Del Valle Iberlucea streets in Caminito. – GREA – It is an old and traditional cafe, with rustic wooden tables and where paintings from artists of the region are exhibited. It’s located at an area well-packed with art galleries, antique dealers and exhibition rooms. Right in the front of Caminito. A little pricey but the atmosphere is worth it. Very casual.
Buenos Aires Argentina Travel Guide 
The food was good, the salmon prepared well. The risotto thick and creamy. But for the price, the ambiance, and the over all impression that Cluny is trying to make: “Upscale, fine dining”. The food just doesn’t stack up. Total bill was about 170 pesos. This was with wine, and expresso. Yes, I am spoiled with the pesos here, but I’m thinking relative.
Cluny just comes off as pretentious. The clientele are business men who have wandered not far from their expensive hotels. They are what you call, “one time hitters”, restaurants without a local and returning client base.
I’m left to wonder about the reality of Buenos Aires and to day dream about meat. As, for sure the better restaurants are the mom and pop’s we passed by; with checkered table cloths, the smell of wood and something grilling in their small kitchen; the owners sitting and eating food with family. If I were a native would I be happy with my meal if I had to pay this much? Or, could I make this at home?
Brut Nature is a fabulous place with outstanding fresh and beautifully prepared food at very reasoable prices.