Buenos Aires restaurants
Bengal
Retiro disctrict (downtown)
Cuisine: Indian, Italian and Argentine
Bengal is a sober and elegant restaurant, frequented by diplomats and politicians.
Distinguished and low profile, Bengal has achieved a perfect balance between market cuisine and traditional Indian cuisine.
Stepping into the wood-paneled dining room, with tables draped in white linens and a ceiling tented with a colorful carpet, you may feel like you’ve entered a British officers’ club from the late 1800s. During the day the clientele seem to be mostly embassy employees and foreign-service workers, which just adds to that atmosphere. At night it changes over to a mix of neighbors and tourists enjoying the offbeat menu that’s half Italian and half Indian. For those in the mood for spice, a half-dozen reasonably hot curries are on offer (the fish and prawn curries are the stars). For something milder, pasta is the thing, and the excellent lasagnas are the house specialty.
Sipan
Palermo district
Cuisine: Peruvian and Japanese
In Sipan, the mission is clear and compelling: seek to position Peruvian cuisine as one of the best cuisines in the world. The décor is urban, sophisticated and elegant, and the menu specializes in seafood dishes. Thanks to its location in an area surrounded by bars, pisco bar plays an important role in this space, where diners can choose from a wide selection of contemporary international cocktails, based on Peruvian pisco. Moreover, Sipan was recognized in 2010 as the best ethnic restaurant in Buenos Aires in the Cuisine & Vins awards, and in 2011 as the best Peruvian restaurant in Argentina by the Government of Peru. One of the most relevant dishes is the veggie roll, stuffed with smoked tofu, roasted cherrys and hakuzay leaves and topped with hot pepper guacamole and toasted almonds with Misorange sauce.
Tomo 1
Downtown district
Cuisine: Porteña (meaning “from Buenos Aires city”)
A strong contender for the city’s best Modern Argentinian restaurant and continuously one of Latin America’s highest-rated dining establishments, Tomo I has achieved long-standing success by sourcing high-quality ingredients and showing a healthy disregard for food fashion. But it’s not outdated: after a complete overhaul of the interior, you can expect the look of a modern classic, with creamy white cushioned walls, thick brown curtains and impeccable lighting. The restaurant is located inside the Hotel Panamericano and overlooks the world’s widest street, the Avenida de Julio. And if you’re looking for an extraordinary culinary experience, try the nine course tasting menu.
Tegui
Palermo district
Cuisine: Signature / Original
Tegui, loosely named after head chef Germán Martitegui, has become one of Buenos Aires’ cult restaurants, a reputation it has itself helped foster thanks to the graffiti-surrounded door that is its entrance. Once inside, the rather gritty first impression evaporates with a plush bar complete with comfortable sofas and a view of the impressive kitchen easing you gently into what will be an unforgettable experience.
The playing with perceptions continues once again at the table, however, with Martitegui continually changing his style of cooking in order to create an air of mystery about his establishment. One week his menu could resemble that of a European restaurant, the next it could take on a more diner-like feel, depending on which ingredients the chef has been seduced by. It’s an approach that not only keeps the kitchen – and indeed the diner – on its toes but ensures the cooking is as fresh and inventive as the day the restaurant opened its doors. Wine is an important part of the offer and each dish comes with a by-the-glass suggestion.
Chila
Puerto Madero district
Cuisine: Signature / Original
Opened in 2006 and located in Puerto Madero, Chila is considered one of the best restaurants in Latin America. Widely praised for its well-presented nouvelle Argentine cuisine, it remains an elegant favorite of business types, big-spending locals, and special-occasion visitors. Many of the dishes are beautifully presented. The restaurant’s décor is modern and upscale; it is not minimalist per se but they keep it simple and classy, paying attention to textures. Leather seats, bookcases, low couches, and warm lighting give the dining room a sexy librarian vibe; at the rear of the restaurant, a long patio overlooking the Rio de la Plata offers a darker, glossier option. The bold fare references French techniques in dishes like classic châteaubriand, and succulent duck magret with onion Tatin. But the kitchen also offers steak alternatives such as quail, rabbit, and deer loin, which are relatively uncommon in B.A. dining rooms. The real draw, however, may be the 1,200-bottle-capacity wine cellar, stocked with over 200 varieties from across South America. Share the impressive “chocolate tasting” dessert course to finish.
Osaka
Palermo and Puerto Madero districts
Cuisine: Japanese and Peruvian
Frequently cited as the city’s best restaurant, Osaka, part of a six-location chain that began in Lima, specializes in Peruvian-Japanese fusion of the highest order. (In fact, this was their first one outside of Peru.) Here you can expect exquisite presentation and execution — the philosophy of cooking as art. The menu emphasizes both ceviche and sushi, but you’ll also find dishes like ishiyaki, spicy sour shrimp, udon and seaweed salad. The decor at Osaka is sleek and chic and destined to impress. Advance booking is essential. Besides the Palermo location, you can get another helping of Osaka in Puerto Madero.
Gardiner
North Riverside
Cuisine: International and Porteña (meaning “from Buenos Aires city”)
Gardiner restaurant is located in the Northern part of Costanera Avenue, and it offers a wide variety of local cuisine dishes, where fish, meat and chicken are combined to delight diners with premium quality flavors.
The restaurant also features a bar at the entrance for those who wish to enjoy a drink while they wait to be served. The setting is pleasant, with scattered tables and ample spaces that favor relaxed conversations and a beautiful view of the river.
Targeted towards a young, restless public attentive to new culinary trends, the menu is eclectic. At night, the setting is warm and romantic, and it is chosen by young couples who then head to the hot clubs in the area.
Aldo’s
San Telmo district – 372 Moreno St.
Cuisine: Porteña (meaning “from Buenos Aires city”)
At this eaterie within a wine store within a hotel, sommelier Aldo Graziani has put plenty of emphasis on making wine the star of this show: bottles from more than 500 quality labels adorn the modern art-deco restaurant. A simple yet exquisite menu includes a juicy bife de chorizo, a fish of the day, and a delicious slowly-cooked lamb in wine sauce.
Duhau Palace – Park Hyatt Hotel
Recoleta district
Allow Park Hyatt Buenos Aires to introduce you to one of the world’s most stylish and cosmopolitan cities.
This visually arresting landmark holds its own in the eclectic Buenos Aires skyline by blending the 1930’s charm of the French Palace Duhau with contemporary design and décor. Here, belle-époque elegance meets tech-savvy modernity and comfort.
This hotel offers three different restaurants: Duhau Restaurant & Winery, Gioia and Piano Nobile.
Duhau Restaurant & Winery:
Cuisine: Local
This restaurant pays tribute to classic and traditional Argentinean dishes with grilled preparations, with an emphasis on fresh, seasonal local flavor, prepared and served contemporaneously with the excellence that characterizes the Hyatt service.
La Vinoteca has a “cheese cellar” with more than 40 varieties of artisan cheeses selected by the Maitre Fromager . This is a cozy place for wine tastings and meetings.
Gioia
Cuisine: Italian
Situated in the Posadas building, Gioia Restaurant and Terraces offers spectacular views of the Palace and the garden. Service is available throughout the day and an extensive seating area on its terrace provides for “al fresco” dining. The restaurant has a special feature in modern Italian cuisine. It serves breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner. Light meals and snacks are available during the day. Sunday brunch is served in the garden.
Piano Nobile Rooms
Cuisine: International
Located in the Palacio, these magnificent salons serve breakfast, small dishes, and elegant snacks throughout the day with special emphasis on afternoon tea. The rooms conserve their original painted “boisery” and offer a fireplace, and an elegant combination of low and high tables.
The magnificent outside terrace, accessible through both exits of the Piano Nobile Salons as well as the Oak Bar, enjoys magnificent views over the landscaped garden of the Palace. The total capacity for indoor dining is 43 seats; outdoor dining area is 30 guests.
Faena Hotel
Puerto Madero district
Founded by Alan Faena, Faena Group is a thriving pioneering business specializing in the creation of one-of-a-kind holistic environments anchored in cultural experiences and socially responsible projects, ranging from residences and hotels to art and cultural spaces.
2000, Alan Faena has partnered Len Blavatnik, -a business leader -, together they have transformed an abandoned stretch of property, the docklands of Puerto Madero, into one of the most valuable pieces of real estate in Buenos Aires.
This hotel offers two different restaurants: El Mercado and El Bistró.
El Mercado
Cuisine: Porteña (meaning “from Buenos Aires city”)
Loved and lauded. It is a stunning restaurant and no one can deny that Philippe Starck was at his most inspired when he put El Mercado together. Behind all the beauty, an open kitchen dishes up traditional Argentinian food. Enjoy traditional Argentinian cuisine from a rustic adobe oven in the warm intimacy of the restaurant. Inspired by the charm of European markets and the legendary cantinas of Buenos Aires, El Mercado’s fare incorporates the best in local cuisine in an inviting setting featuring exposed brick, wood tables and an array of antiques sourced from the nearby San Telmo district.
Bistró Sur
Cuisine: Signature / Original
Enjoy a meal worth remembering in one of Argentina’s most spectacular settings. Designed by Philippe Starck, Bistró Sur’s pure white décor and ultramodern design set it apart, while the food, a mix of European and South American influences, turns an evening at the restaurant into a special event. A new dining experience in which the very best cuisine from the region known as the end of the world merges with the traditions and typical flavors of those who came here from lands afar.
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