Frequently asked questions about Buenos Aires:
RESTAURANTS IN BUENOS AIRES
TRENDY RESTAURANTS...
bradturn: Is there a good trendy restaurant?
I am having trouble deciding on a restaurant. We will be in BA five nights and I have decided we will probably try to dine at La Brigada, La Cabrera, Thymus, And Defensa al Sur. On the night I have left I want to go to a trendier place, but I have read good and bad reviews about most of them. I am considering Cluny, Bar Uriarte, Sucre, Gran Bar Danzon, Chila, Bobo. Which one should I choose? Should I go to La Brigada for lunch? (July 01, 2008)
dr__dawggy: Bobo lost their chef not long ago. Cluny looks great but the quality has declined over the past year or two. Bar Uriarte, Gran Bar Danzon and Sucre are all a part of the same restaurant group. I have been to them all, most often to Bar Uriarte, which has done what is arguably the best job of maintaining quality over the years.
If you are truly looking for trendy, there is an entire new wave of restaurants in Palermo Soho and Hollywood that you might want to consider....Osaka (Peruvian/Asian fusion), Azema (North African French/Argentine fusion), Mosoq (great martinis and interesting dishes), along with a handful of others... (July 01, 2008)
patitoaway: Azema serves arguable the best middle price food in BA (I eat there twice a week!, so I am a big fan). But I would not categorize it as trendy. How trendy do you want to go? If you want scene, flash decor and glizt, Casa Cruz is always a good bet. I know many people don´t like it, but my experience there has always been good. I don´t like Bar Uriarte (I go there just for cocktails), don’t think the food is that good. Gran Bar Danzon is a busy scene (slightly "suits" during the week) but I find it very noisy as it has very hard surfaces. Although Bobo lost its chef a while back, I don´t think that´s a bad thing, I did not think much of his food (tempura of shrimp with cream cheese?!!!!), I’ve heard better reports since the change. Sucre is impressive, but the service can be very arrogant!
Have not been to Chila.
My 2 cents... (July 01, 2008)
karmalaw: my advice:
Don't over plan your trip. Knowing where you'll have each and every meal is... well, a bit of a limitation isn't it?
Have a "free" night to wander and pick out a new place is refreshingly FUN -- it adds the travel to travel...the sense of exploration... after all, many of the places everyone hears about now were "discovered" by someone who wandered in and then raved about it to others...
But, if you must have a plan -- try Mosoq -- definitely "trendy" AND they serve up great food and a to die for pisco sour (as well as delectable martinis). (July 01, 2008)
karmalaw: oh and how I wish for an "edit button".
Just pretend I didn't get distracted during the time I typed that post...
P.S. Trendy is, a tad over-rated -- once something is "trendy" it automatically is not trendy... the only hope you have is to MAKE something trendy if you really want some points on your trendy scorecard. (July 01, 2008)
ScarlettO1: If anyone does gets a taste for very good authentic sushi/Japanese food.. go to Yuki on Pasco 740..Wonderful, just wonderful.
I always had good meals at Cluny but have heard complaints lately.. If you have lunch at La Brigada, my guess is you won't feel like having much dinner :)
Same with La Cabrera. (July 01, 2008)
Ilana123: La Brigada is great for a good steak, but not trendy. The other ones you said are trendy:
Sucre
Danzon
Uriarte
Others: Dominga, Olsen, Osaka, Standard, Miranda, Godoy, Rufino, Oviedo, Sudestada, Gout, El Mercado at Faena, and about 1,000 more!! (July 01, 2008)
patitoaway: Last night I ate in Standard (a very hip middle priced restaurnat in Palermo Hollywood). 4 people, 2 large starters, 3 main courses (1 to share as it is a 800gr steak), couple of side dishes, 4 coffees, 1 dessert, 8 mineral waters, 2 bottle of good middle priced bottles of wine (1 chardonnay 1 malbec). Total bill without tip 400 pesos (usd 130) plus a 14 dollar tip. Excellent meal.
Yesterday I had lunch at xxx (a bodegon in Palermo Hollywood, sorry but, I will never share the name!!!!) had:
1 milanesa a caballo (breaded meat, with fried eggs & chips), 2 mineral waters, 2 coffees. Enough for 2 to share. 30 pesos (10 dollars total bill).
Last week I ate in Maat in Belgrano (possibly one of the best restaurants of BA, in the very expensive bracket)
Had 6 step tasting menu (2 starters each, to mains each and 2 desserts each), bottle of very expensive wine (200 pesos), 2 glasses of white wine, lots of italian mineral water, 2 coffees. Total bill 600 pesos (200 usd). Total treat. I go there every couple of months.
Hope these specifics help. examples of a cheap place, a middle range place and a top place all consumed in the last week. (Aug 8,2008)
... AND COZY RESTAURANTS
Rehearsal dinner venue follylover: Rehearsal dinner venue. We are traveling to Buenos Aires for our daughter's wedding. We want to host a rehearsal dinner for the families, about 20-25 people. I was thinking of Cabanas Las Lillas. Does anyone else have an alternative suggestion? (August 26, 2008)
karmalaw: yes... anything BUT. Sorry, but Cabañas Las Lilas is widely known as one of the most over-priced "tourist trap" type restaurants in town -- I'm not sure you'd be sending the right message by selecting it. I'd choose a better regarded restaurant -- there are MANY to choose from -- do you wish to go with a parrilla style restaurant (just understand when it comes to family gatherings -- it is common for there to be parrillada -- so you'll likely be invited to partake in one or more held at people's homes while you are there).
Rehearsal dinners are also not commonplace -- but, I think you could definitely pull off something nice that will be appreciated. At least with 20 - 25 people it's very doable to go almost anywhere.
Lelé de Troya,at Costa Rica 4901 in Palermo Viejo is truly beautiful -- it's in an old house, and there are a number of different rooms to the restaurant -- so I think it might be easy to reserve an entire room.
For something else non-parrilla you may want to consider reserving the entire 2nd floor of Mosoq (the owners speak perfect english -- so it would easy for you to make plans with them) and hosting things more of a "private party' style -- drinks/hors d'oeuvres/dinner:
The long family-style tables at Hollywood Almacén would make for a nice dinner. Dorrego 1879, Tel: 4777 4281/4776 6482. They do not speak much english -- but the restaurant is an old italian market turned delectable home-style restaurant.
For a Parrilla style -- try: Anastasia, Bulnes 2593 (on the corner of Cabello ). Tel: 4802-8640 / 4808-0499. It's very upscale, and not touristed -- and perhaps in an area more convenient to many people. (August 26, 2008)
follylover: Thank you for your suggestions, I will look at the sites. I know that there are not rehearsal dinners in Argentina. I just used it as an expression because I thought people would understand the type of event I was thinking of. I really would like to do something non parrilla and non yuppie (I am so over mini towers of oddly concocted food on overly garnished dishes). I would love to find some place with a cozy, low key atmosphere and delicious food. (August 26, 2008)
karmalaw: Olsen is very nice.. but not a "warm, cozy" atmosphere. At least not by North American taste.
Try:
Desde de Alma (considered a very romantic restaurant by many) (August 26, 2008)
PuntaLugano: There's a place in Recoleta that seats about 25 people, max, that could be exactly what you want. It's an authentic French bistro called Granda Bistro ("Granda" is someone's name, not a screwed up French or Spanish). It's on Junin near Juncal. The owner is always there and runs it like a Swiss watch, but it's very intimate and cozy. Food is excellent, and authentic. You could rent the whole place for an evening. (August 26, 2008)
sylvie2: Posted on: 9:06 pm, August 26, 2008 Save Mediterranean inspired... they make everything fresh -- and you can see right into the kitchen... it's not a mundane menu at all -- they put a homemade fresh twist on most everything -- i.e. salmon ravioli, shrimp in citrus and ginger, and even the lomo is served in some interesting (for Buenos Aires) variations (i.e. "en crocante" with mushrooms and spinach). (August 26, 2008)
Gaucho100K: If you want a place where you can work with the Chef and actually have a say in the menu... plus host this dinner at a venue that is original, not a tourist trap and will charge you reasonable prices..... then your best choice is Pura Tierra.
Disclaimer: I am NOT associated with Pura Tierra, just a regular customer there and I know the Chef very well, etc. etc. etc. (August 27, 2008)
PuntaLugano: ...Rabelais, another Recoleta bistro that would make a good choice as well, although it's larger, shaped like an elongated L instead of square like Granda Bistro, and the group would be much more spread out than at Granda Bistro. Both serve good food, but I've found Granda Bistro consistently just a bit better, and the owner is always on site making sure everything goes just right. (August 28, 2008)
ScarlettO1: Sette Bacco on Aguero in Recoleta is a lovely restaurant.. not very large, but would seat all of your guests and delicious food..
The chef came out while we were having dinner and welcomed us .. he is an excellent chef and very charming.. the service was perfect ... (August 28, 2008)
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As I usually choose home for dinners I am always in problems for recommending restaurants. So I kept these posts also for myself, they have been posted in two different threads by people that I know very well on the screen, although I really met only a pair of them (August 31,2008)
gauchoretobado
Updated: September 2008