Places to Eat & Drink
Restaurants
Don Julio
Guatemala 4699, Palermo Soho
This is by far our favorite restaurant in Buenos Aires. The parrilla is the quintessential Argentinean restaurant, and this is, for us, the best parrilla in the city. The atmosphere is comfortable and casual. The walls are covered with wine bottles signed by the guests who drank them. The meat is out of this world. Our recommended meal: start with some chorizo and provoleta, then move to a bife de chorizo ancho with a side of papas fritas and a green salad, then finish up with some delicious panqueques de dulce de leche. You won’t regret it.
Casa Coupage
Acuña de Figueroa 1800, Palermo Soho
We haven’t visited this restaurant since its recent move to a new location, but if the food is the same, it’s definitely a great place to go for a splurgy dinner. This is one of Buenos Aires’ famous “puertas cerradas,” or closed-door restaurants, which basically means they are people’s homes that have been converted into restaurants. There aren’t really signs or anything…you have to know where you’re going. And reservations are a must. The thing to do is the tasting menu, which is expensive by Buenos Aires standards, but not at all by New York standards. The owner and sommelier pairs the food beautifully with local wines. Our dinners here have been really special.
Tegui
Costa Rica 5852, Palermo Hollywood
This is probably our favorite non-parilla restaurant in Buenos Aires. The chef, Germán Martitegui, is one of the region’s most famous. (He’s one of the judges on Masterchef Argentina.) The restaurant is swanky and modern, and the food is inventive and, most importantly, delicious. This is a tasting menu place, too. The chef does amazing, contemporary variations on classic Argentinean ingredients. They also have a great wine and cocktail list. If you’re willing to drop the $75/person for the 10-course tasting menu, it’s really a “can’t miss”!
La Baita
Thames 1603, Palermo Soho
Argentina had a huge influx of Italian immigrants at the same time as the United States. Given this fact, the Italian cuisine here is really great. It’s a bit different than the US—they focus especially on stuffed pastas like ravioli and sorrentini, combined with heavy sauces—but most Italian places here are pretty great. La Baita is our personal favorite. It’s an unassuming restaurant in Palermo Soho, but the pasta is fantastic. Our favorite is the grapefruit pasta, which sounds strange, but is pretty delicious.
Bernata
Uriarte 1610, Palermo Soho
A fancy, contemporary tapas place in Palermo Soho. They make great cocktails, especially gin and tonics. But they also have really nice food. We especially like their arroz negro, or rice with squid and squid ink.
Primavera Trujillana
Franklin D. Roosevelt 1627, Belgrano
The best Peruvian food we’ve found in Buenos Aires. Take a colectivo over to Belgrano and try this place out. The aji de gallina is amazing, as is the ceviche, but the real star of the restaurant is their self-named fish dish, the primavera trujillana. And, of course, they have amazing pisco sours to wash everything down.
Brasserie Petanque
Defensa 596, San Telmo
This is our go-to restaurant when we visit the Feria in San Telmo. It’s a beautiful and delicious French restaurant. The duck is to die for. Reasonable prices. Really great place for lunch, too.
Azema
Carranza 1875, Palermo Hollywood
This quirky joint is the passion project of the chef, whose portrait you’ll see everywhere. (He’s a little self-obsessed.) But that doesn’t stop us from continuing to come back to this place. It’s French-style cooking, but the chef takes inspiration not only from France, but all of the former colonies, as well. So you’ll find dishes from East and South Asia, as well as Louisiana. Really reasonable prices for the quality of the food. And it’s almost a guarantee that the chef will come to talk to you and take your order…he especially loves speaking to English-speakers in his flawless English.
Las Cabras
Fitz Roy 1795, Palermo Hollywood
Another great parilla to try. It’s no Don Julio, but the colorful décor and convivial atmosphere—not to mention the really well-cooked steaks—make it another great spot to try Argentina’s national dish. Actually, we also go here to order something other than meat: another national dish called locro. It’s a thick stew with corn and meat, and it’s especially wonderful on a chilly winter night. Las Cabras makes a particularly good version of it.
Basa
Basavilbaso 1328, Retiro
This restaurant with new Italian cuisine is a great option if you’re looking for a place to eat near Plaza San Martín or after walking down Avenida Alvear or walking up Calle Florida. Tibi especially recommends the gnocchi, which are not a permanent fixture on the menu. They also have a great cocktail lists…it’s one of the hottest happy hour spots in the city.
La Brigada
Estados Unidos 465, San Telmo
Another great parilla in the historic neighborhood of San Telmo. The walls of this multi-story restaurant are filled with soccer memorabilia, giving it a comfy and relaxed vibe. And, of course, the meat is cooked to perfection. One of the greatest.
Guatemala 4699, Palermo Soho
This is by far our favorite restaurant in Buenos Aires. The parrilla is the quintessential Argentinean restaurant, and this is, for us, the best parrilla in the city. The atmosphere is comfortable and casual. The walls are covered with wine bottles signed by the guests who drank them. The meat is out of this world. Our recommended meal: start with some chorizo and provoleta, then move to a bife de chorizo ancho with a side of papas fritas and a green salad, then finish up with some delicious panqueques de dulce de leche. You won’t regret it.
Casa Coupage
Acuña de Figueroa 1800, Palermo Soho
We haven’t visited this restaurant since its recent move to a new location, but if the food is the same, it’s definitely a great place to go for a splurgy dinner. This is one of Buenos Aires’ famous “puertas cerradas,” or closed-door restaurants, which basically means they are people’s homes that have been converted into restaurants. There aren’t really signs or anything…you have to know where you’re going. And reservations are a must. The thing to do is the tasting menu, which is expensive by Buenos Aires standards, but not at all by New York standards. The owner and sommelier pairs the food beautifully with local wines. Our dinners here have been really special.
Tegui
Costa Rica 5852, Palermo Hollywood
This is probably our favorite non-parilla restaurant in Buenos Aires. The chef, Germán Martitegui, is one of the region’s most famous. (He’s one of the judges on Masterchef Argentina.) The restaurant is swanky and modern, and the food is inventive and, most importantly, delicious. This is a tasting menu place, too. The chef does amazing, contemporary variations on classic Argentinean ingredients. They also have a great wine and cocktail list. If you’re willing to drop the $75/person for the 10-course tasting menu, it’s really a “can’t miss”!
La Baita
Thames 1603, Palermo Soho
Argentina had a huge influx of Italian immigrants at the same time as the United States. Given this fact, the Italian cuisine here is really great. It’s a bit different than the US—they focus especially on stuffed pastas like ravioli and sorrentini, combined with heavy sauces—but most Italian places here are pretty great. La Baita is our personal favorite. It’s an unassuming restaurant in Palermo Soho, but the pasta is fantastic. Our favorite is the grapefruit pasta, which sounds strange, but is pretty delicious.
Bernata
Uriarte 1610, Palermo Soho
A fancy, contemporary tapas place in Palermo Soho. They make great cocktails, especially gin and tonics. But they also have really nice food. We especially like their arroz negro, or rice with squid and squid ink.
Primavera Trujillana
Franklin D. Roosevelt 1627, Belgrano
The best Peruvian food we’ve found in Buenos Aires. Take a colectivo over to Belgrano and try this place out. The aji de gallina is amazing, as is the ceviche, but the real star of the restaurant is their self-named fish dish, the primavera trujillana. And, of course, they have amazing pisco sours to wash everything down.
Brasserie Petanque
Defensa 596, San Telmo
This is our go-to restaurant when we visit the Feria in San Telmo. It’s a beautiful and delicious French restaurant. The duck is to die for. Reasonable prices. Really great place for lunch, too.
Azema
Carranza 1875, Palermo Hollywood
This quirky joint is the passion project of the chef, whose portrait you’ll see everywhere. (He’s a little self-obsessed.) But that doesn’t stop us from continuing to come back to this place. It’s French-style cooking, but the chef takes inspiration not only from France, but all of the former colonies, as well. So you’ll find dishes from East and South Asia, as well as Louisiana. Really reasonable prices for the quality of the food. And it’s almost a guarantee that the chef will come to talk to you and take your order…he especially loves speaking to English-speakers in his flawless English.
Las Cabras
Fitz Roy 1795, Palermo Hollywood
Another great parilla to try. It’s no Don Julio, but the colorful décor and convivial atmosphere—not to mention the really well-cooked steaks—make it another great spot to try Argentina’s national dish. Actually, we also go here to order something other than meat: another national dish called locro. It’s a thick stew with corn and meat, and it’s especially wonderful on a chilly winter night. Las Cabras makes a particularly good version of it.
Basa
Basavilbaso 1328, Retiro
This restaurant with new Italian cuisine is a great option if you’re looking for a place to eat near Plaza San Martín or after walking down Avenida Alvear or walking up Calle Florida. Tibi especially recommends the gnocchi, which are not a permanent fixture on the menu. They also have a great cocktail lists…it’s one of the hottest happy hour spots in the city.
La Brigada
Estados Unidos 465, San Telmo
Another great parilla in the historic neighborhood of San Telmo. The walls of this multi-story restaurant are filled with soccer memorabilia, giving it a comfy and relaxed vibe. And, of course, the meat is cooked to perfection. One of the greatest.
Coffee, Sandwiches, Salads
Café Tortoni
Avenida de Mayo 825, Microcentro
Buenos Aires has a number of grand cafés from the turn of the 20th century, and this is probably the most beautiful. The food isn’t great, but the place itself is worth a visit for a coffee or a glass of wine. Probably the most beautiful café on the most beautiful avenue of the city.
Voltaire
Carranza 1946, Palermo Hollywood
Just a cozy corner coffee and sandwich shop in Palermo Hollywood. It’s one of our favorite lunch places. Great sandwiches and even better cakes and pastries. Also a good place just to grab a coffee.
Helena
Nicaragua 4816, Palermo Soho
Our favorite lunch place. I dream about their grilled vegetable salad. The other salads are also amazing. Save room for the Banoffee pie with dulce de leche. It is maybe the best dessert ever.
Café de Libros del Pasaje
Thames 1762, Palermo Soho
Libros del Pasaje is our favorite bookstore in Buenos Aires. And, since most bookstores in Buenos Aires also have cafes where you can sit and read, the café at Libros del Pasaje is our favorite bookstore café in Buenos Aires. It’s a wonderful place to grab a coffee, but what we REALLY recommend here is the chocotorta, a decadent dessert that usually serves as the birthday cake for kids when they’re growing up. It consists of chocolate wafers with a mixture of cream cheese and dulce de leche. And the version here is really spectacular.
Persicco
Honduras 4900, Palermo Soho
Buenos Aires has some amazing ice cream shops, and this is our favorite. It’s actually a chain with locations all over the city, but this is the one we’ll be visiting in a group on Thursday night. You can rest assured that Tibi and I will visit it at least half of the other days of the week, as well. Our favorite flavors: dulce de leche casero and crema de mascarpone.
Avenida de Mayo 825, Microcentro
Buenos Aires has a number of grand cafés from the turn of the 20th century, and this is probably the most beautiful. The food isn’t great, but the place itself is worth a visit for a coffee or a glass of wine. Probably the most beautiful café on the most beautiful avenue of the city.
Voltaire
Carranza 1946, Palermo Hollywood
Just a cozy corner coffee and sandwich shop in Palermo Hollywood. It’s one of our favorite lunch places. Great sandwiches and even better cakes and pastries. Also a good place just to grab a coffee.
Helena
Nicaragua 4816, Palermo Soho
Our favorite lunch place. I dream about their grilled vegetable salad. The other salads are also amazing. Save room for the Banoffee pie with dulce de leche. It is maybe the best dessert ever.
Café de Libros del Pasaje
Thames 1762, Palermo Soho
Libros del Pasaje is our favorite bookstore in Buenos Aires. And, since most bookstores in Buenos Aires also have cafes where you can sit and read, the café at Libros del Pasaje is our favorite bookstore café in Buenos Aires. It’s a wonderful place to grab a coffee, but what we REALLY recommend here is the chocotorta, a decadent dessert that usually serves as the birthday cake for kids when they’re growing up. It consists of chocolate wafers with a mixture of cream cheese and dulce de leche. And the version here is really spectacular.
Persicco
Honduras 4900, Palermo Soho
Buenos Aires has some amazing ice cream shops, and this is our favorite. It’s actually a chain with locations all over the city, but this is the one we’ll be visiting in a group on Thursday night. You can rest assured that Tibi and I will visit it at least half of the other days of the week, as well. Our favorite flavors: dulce de leche casero and crema de mascarpone.
Bars
Florería Atlántico
Arroyo 872, Retiro
A very cool cocktail bar. You access the bar by entering the ground floor flower shop, then walking through the flower fridge to go downstairs to the bar. Really great cocktails. They also make their own gin infused with yerba mate, which is Tibi’s favorite.
Negroni
El Salvador 5602, Palermo Hollywood
Right across the street from Las Cabras, this is a great little cocktail bar that specializes, of course, in Negronis. But their Old Fashioneds are really good, too.
Tesla
Gorriti 5801, Palermo Hollywood
A newer addition to the Palermo drinking scene. It’s a sparse, open bar with an industrial feel. They don’t do super fancy cocktails, but have a really well-priced, limited cocktail list. A nice place to hang out, especially late at night into the wee hours of the morning. They’re serving food now, but we don’t recommend it.
Rey de Copas
Gorriti 5176, Palermo Soho
The “King of Cups” is, for us, the “King of Bars” in Buenos Aires. The venue itself makes it worth a visit. The owner has decorated the bar with artwork and strange trinkets from all over the world. And the cocktails are just fantastic. The cocktail list changes with the seasons, so it’s always fun to visit and see what’s new. We can’t recommend this place highly enough. For those of you who are still in BsAs on Saturday night, we’ll be going here for farewell cocktails.
Plaza Serrano
Palermo Soho
This is a big spot for nightlife in Palermo Soho. We hesitate to even list it, because it’s really more of a spot for teenagers and twenty-somethings, but we have been known to stop at a bar here at 4 in the morning after a night of going to much classier places. Walk through it one night and you’ll know right away if you consider a place you’ll want to return to or avoid.
Arroyo 872, Retiro
A very cool cocktail bar. You access the bar by entering the ground floor flower shop, then walking through the flower fridge to go downstairs to the bar. Really great cocktails. They also make their own gin infused with yerba mate, which is Tibi’s favorite.
Negroni
El Salvador 5602, Palermo Hollywood
Right across the street from Las Cabras, this is a great little cocktail bar that specializes, of course, in Negronis. But their Old Fashioneds are really good, too.
Tesla
Gorriti 5801, Palermo Hollywood
A newer addition to the Palermo drinking scene. It’s a sparse, open bar with an industrial feel. They don’t do super fancy cocktails, but have a really well-priced, limited cocktail list. A nice place to hang out, especially late at night into the wee hours of the morning. They’re serving food now, but we don’t recommend it.
Rey de Copas
Gorriti 5176, Palermo Soho
The “King of Cups” is, for us, the “King of Bars” in Buenos Aires. The venue itself makes it worth a visit. The owner has decorated the bar with artwork and strange trinkets from all over the world. And the cocktails are just fantastic. The cocktail list changes with the seasons, so it’s always fun to visit and see what’s new. We can’t recommend this place highly enough. For those of you who are still in BsAs on Saturday night, we’ll be going here for farewell cocktails.
Plaza Serrano
Palermo Soho
This is a big spot for nightlife in Palermo Soho. We hesitate to even list it, because it’s really more of a spot for teenagers and twenty-somethings, but we have been known to stop at a bar here at 4 in the morning after a night of going to much classier places. Walk through it one night and you’ll know right away if you consider a place you’ll want to return to or avoid.