Destination
Type of Restaurant
Type of Meal
Editors Pick
Photo by Peter Schlesinger, courtesy IndagareRead MoreAnafe
B.A’s culinary “it couple” Mica Najmanovich and Nico Arcucci opened Anafe as a showcase of their love for travel and combining global influences with Argentine heritage into showstopping dishes. A menu that’s designed for sharing features ever-changing, always-delicious items, like...
Read MoreAramburu
Gritty Constitución would seem an unlikely incubator for molecular gastronomy. Your taxista may need some reassuring, but don't let the dubious neighborhood deter you. Gonzalo Aramburu's kitchen turns out some of the city's most imaginative, sophisticated fare. His twelve-course tasting...
Read MoreCabaña Las Lilas
Porteño power lunchers in suits sit next to American tourists plotting their itineraries on large city maps at this traditional Argentine parrilla. Even the most discriminating meat-loving locals are willing to turn a blind eye toward Las Lilas’ touristy reputation...
Read MoreCafé La Biela
What better way to soak up the local culture than to enjoy a coffee in this historic café with its large outdoor terrace overlooking a Recoleta park. This corner coffee shop is over 150 years old, and on Sundays, it...
Read MoreCafé San Juan
This family-run San Telmo institution, helmed by the rakish Leandro Cristobal, has a great bistro vibe. Waiters scurry back and forth across the black and white checkered floor, ferrying chalkboard menus scrawled with Cristobal's winning interpretations of Argentine staples. Café...
Read MoreCafé Tortoni
Yes, it is always filled with tourists but locals also adore Café Tortoni and the grand interiors are virtually as they were a century ago—and decades ago—when this was the haunt of the city’s great intellectuals. Founded in 1858, Café...
Photo by Peter Schlesinger, courtesy IndagareRead MoreCasa Cavia
Inside a stately 1920s townhouse fronting a leafy park in Palermo Chico, Casa Cavia is a top spot in Buenos Aires for contemporary Argentine cuisine in gorgeous surroundings. It attracts a stylish “ladies who lunch” crowd during the day (sometimes...
Read MoreChila
This award-winning Italian eatery in Puerto Madero is a good choice for an elegant dinner. Take a walk along the docks after dinner for a romantic end to the evening.
Read MoreClub Francés
Locals rejoiced when Club Frances reopened, on the promenade in Recoleta. The menu features traditional French cuisine, and well-heeled locals laud the professional wait staff and spacious layout of tables. Perfect for an older couple, less so for cool hunters.
Photo by Peter Schlesinger, courtesy IndagareRead MoreCrizia
Buenos Aires is one of the world’s culinary meccas, and restaurants like Crizia help explain why. The menu here lets patrons travel across all of Argentina over the course of a single meal, sourcing ingredients and inspiration from every region...
Read MoreCumaná
This Recoleta standby specializes in the earthy cazuelas (casseroles) and locros (stews) of northern Argentina. Given its relaxed atmosphere and convenient location within walking distance of many of the city's best hotels, not to mention the extensive selection of empanadas...
Read MoreDadá
Dadá’s martinis are the best in town and draw a young, cool crowd. The food is also good but the drinks and the scene are the real draw.
Read MoreDon Julio
Travelers in search of an authentic parrilla, Argentine barbecue, should stop by Palermo’s Don Julio. Away from the tourist crowds, this low-key grill has excellent meat, well-trained waiters and huge wine list.
Read MoreEl Cuartito
El Cuartito's crusts are thick and doughy, draped unapologetically in dense, oozy mozzarella and liberally spangled with jamón (ham) and morrón (roasted red pepper). Authentic Neapolitan pizza this is not, but you're unlikely to find a slice—or a setting—that's more...
Read MoreEl Desnivel
For a down-and-dirty, authentic Argentine parrilla experience (and the least expensive meal you’ll ever buy on vacation), do lunch or dinner at El Desnivel. It’s crowded, hot, badly lit and can be a bit rowdy, but you’ll enjoy some delicious...
Read MoreEl Obrero
Locals and in-the-know tourists (plus the occasional celebrity) flock to this old school eatery in La Boca. Owned and managed by the waiters, El Obrero is a good stop for an authentic lunch after seeing the neighborhood’s famous painted houses....
Read MoreFervor
This elegant, European-style bistro in Recoleta attracts an affluent crowd of locals, from bespoke-suited businessmen and bejeweled ladies at lunch to couples and families at dinner. Walking distance from the Recoleta hotels, Fervor is also a great option for visitors...
Read MoreFlorería Atlántico
This subterranean restaurant is one of the hottest - and most hidden - cocktail bars in Buenos Aires. Access to La Florería is through a flower and record shop, via a door in the rear of the store, and the...
Read MoreGuido’s Bar
One of the most memorable meals I ate in Buenos Aires was at Guido’s, a colorful café just across the street from the zoo and a few blocks from the lush Botanical Gardens. When I asked my taxi driver to...
Read MoreLa Bourgogne
Considering the Alvear Palace Hotel’s posh decor, it’s surprising that its French-influenced dining room, the Relais Gourmand–rated La Bourgogne, is modernly designed with clean lines, track lighting and bright yellows and whites. If you have the time (a meal here...
Read MoreLa Brigada
Tables aren’t easy to come by at this classic steakhouse in San Telmo. Reputedly a favorite of Francis Ford Coppola, the meat is excellent and the atmosphere authentic. Says an Indagare member: “This is a delicious restaurant. The steaks were...
Read MoreLa Cabaña
This is Buenos Aires’ version of the 21 Club in New York, and in fact, both were at one point owned by the Belmond Hotels company. So, yes, there is something historic and traditional about it but also a bit...
Read MoreLa Cabrera
Widely considered to be a less commercial alternative to the parrilla experience at Las Lilas, this perennially packed Palermo restaurant serves all the same parts of the cow, minus a bit of the theater. Go early as both locations (they...
Read MoreLa Calle
You have to know about this speakeasy to find it: The bar, boasting great music and drinks, is hidden behind a pizza and empanadas restaurant in Palermo.
Read MoreLa Rambla
If you're looking for an authentic porteño café complete with locals reading the paper and old-school waiters wearing bow ties, La Rambla should not be missed. It’s a great spot for a quick bite in between touring the surrounding neighborhood...
Read MoreLas Pizarras
Las Pizarras, which describes itself as "a warm place stripped of all artifice", has a cozy, unpretentious ambience and a menu to match. Beloved by the residents of greater Palermo, it has managed to become a neighborhood institution without conceding...
Read MoreLittle Rose
Between the eerie, spot-lit paintings of little girls, entirely black walls, beveled mirrors and clandestine entrance (you have to ring a buzzer and wait for a staff member to let you in), this restaurant feels downright scary at first. Never...
Read MoreMaru Botana
In addition to sweets, Maru Botana's bakeries offer salads and savory tarts, but to eat here without ordering dessert would be missing the point. It would also require superhuman restraint. The celebrity pastry chef is famous for her indulgent tortas,...
Read MoreMunich
The most old school of the Recoleta restaurants, Munich has no tables outside and is barely marked as a restaurant (just a brass plate and polished wood doors), which is the way the locals like it. Tourists tend to go...
Courtesy Amelia McGoldrickRead MoreNola
This Cajun eatery brings the Big Easy to Buenos Aires with its flavorful food, beer and laid-back vibe. Expect a combination of French, Spanish and Caribbean influences in a menu featuring seafood, rice and pork.
Read MoreOak Bar
With its antique oak paneling, wood-burning fireplace and brown leather chairs, the Park Hyatt’s clubby bar lounge is a great place for an aperitif or nightcap.
Read MoreOsaka
Considered by many to be the most stylish place in the city to eat Japanese and Japanese-Peruvian food, Osaka has locations in both Palermo and Puerto Madero. The newer Puerto Madero location tends to be more formal - a business...
Read MoreOui Oui
This tiny French-inspired, expat-adored café is Palermo's uncontested Gringo brunch darling. Order a revitalizing mint lemonade to mitigate the weekend wait for a table on the sidewalk.
Read MoreOviedo
Between its old school dining room—crown molding, octagon-tiled floors, and lots of bronze and wrought-iron accents—and its waiters dressed in black vests and bow ties, this traditional Spanish restaurant looks fresh out of 1930s Madrid. And Oviedo’s authentic tortilla, cod...
Read MorePatagonia Sur
Argentine chef-restaurateur darling Francis Mallmann lives part-time on the third floor of his tiny La Boca restaurant—a short block from Caminito. Designer Laura O. produced the loft-like, narrow dining room’s shabby-chic look, with leather walls, heavy velvet curtains, paintings, objets...
Read MorePersicco
The scene at Persicco is a bit more chic than most ice cream shops, so you’ll probably want to linger awhile. Pay for your ice cream, grab a number and ponder the flavors (banana split and maracuyá—a type of passion...
Read MorePiano Nobile Salon at Park Hyatt
The Park Hyatt’s elegant Versailles-style salon serves pastries and light meals throughout the day as well as five o’clock tea—a tradition Argentineans take very seriously. Book a table on the outside terrace, which overlooks the property’s garden.
Read MorePulpería Quilapán
Pulpería Quilapán is a no-frills but decidedly atmospheric lunch spot set in a restored colonial era house. The restaurant features a whimsical and nostalgic aesthetic, but that is not all that shines; the food is classic and tasty and includes...
Read MoreSiamo Nel Forno
Most everyone in Buenos Aires seems to have an Italian grandparent—and a favorite pizza joint. And yet, it can be surprisingly (and frustratingly) difficult to find a perfect, chewy crust. The family-run Siamo Nel Forno is one of few establishments...
Read MoreSintaxis
This gluten-free restaurant and bakery is a haven for travelers to Buenos Aires with a restricted diet, serving salads, empanadas, meats, pastas and desserts.
Read MoreSottovoce
This family-style Italian restaurant was opened in Recoleta by two Argentine brothers, Alejo and Tomas Waisman, after Alejo apprenticed in such locations as the Ritz in Paris and the Cipriani. Porteños come for the homemade pastas and traditional dishes like...
Read MoreSucre
This popular restaurant in Belgrano draws a trendy crowd to dine on Nouvelle Argentinian cuisine. The industrial design, with its mix of concrete and exposed beams, manages to create a surprisingly warm atmosphere.
Read MoreSudestada
When it comes to spice, the Argentine palate is notoriously heat-averse. Chic, minimalist Sudestada is where the savviest (and most courageous) porteños go for bright, tangy Southeast Asian flavors. It is one of the only restaurants in the city serving...
Read MoreTegui
The hottest restaurant in BA’s hip Palermo Hollywood serves up delicious food and a stylish crowd. Though it is tucked behind a graffiti-scrawled wall, it has won a design award from Wallpaper magazine, which dubbed it “a place to seek...
Read MoreThe Harrison Speakeasy
Located beneath a sushi restaurant, this speakeasy is one of the buzziest bars in Buenos Aires. This cocktail hotspot is an ode to the infamous Harrison family of New York, who ran a speakeasy beneath their family business during the...
