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Dining in Buenos Aires.

Unless you're a vegetarian, you would have to try hard to starve in Buenos Aires. There's no other place I know of that's so replete with excellent, inexpensive food. You've probably never had Argentine food before, but it's still some of the best food in the world. My goal is to keep this section focused on restaurants and not get into the foods themselves. For that information, see our page about Argentine food.

What's For Dinner?
The simple answer is beef. In 1999, the average Argentine consumed 140 lb. of beef, nearly twice the per capita consumption of the United States in 2nd place. With this much beef being consumed, it's no surprise that the beef is considered the best in the world. It's so good that they don't usually put anything on it (like BBQ sauce); you just eat the meat by itself. If you're not a red meat fan, your trip to Buenos Aires will probably cure you of that. But if beef still doesn't appeal to you, don't worry. Argentine cuisine also features some of the best chicken, pork, pastas, breads, and desserts you'll ever try.

Cafe in Buenos Aires
Click to Enlarge Cafes
In Capital Federal, there is literally a cafe on every corner. The larger cafes are found at the larger intersections. But whether they are large or small, all of them offer the same basic menu with roughly the same prices. You will find extensive selections of beef dishes and good selections of poultry and pasta dishes. The food is generally excellent and filling. A main course (always served with bread), a soda, tax, and tip will cost each person about AR$10. Do a currency conversion and you'll see what a great deal this is.

Grilling at a Parilla
Click to Enlarge Parillas
One experience every visitor to Buenos Aires should enjoy is a meal at a parilla (grill). This is basically the only way a visitor can try asado, Argentina's signature meal, without building your own grill or knowing somebody who has one. Parillas don't usually serve a wide range of cuisine like cafes, but their offering of grilled beef, pork, and chicken will make your mouth water. Some parillas, such as La Estancia (located at Lavalle 941, Capital Federal), cook their meat where you can watch how it's done. Most parillas offer asado meals for two to five people for around AR$15 per person, and I highly recommend this if you're eating with others. Note that some parillas require reservations (although I've never seen one full), so plan ahead.

Puerto Madero
Click to Enlarge Fine Dining
Buenos Aires has a good offering of upscale restaurants that feature local specialties as well as foreign foods. They are mostly concentrated in two barrios: Recoleta and Puerto Madero. The entire "cemetery district" of Recoleta is surrounded by restaurants ranging from cafes to shirt-and-tie establishments. In general, Recoleta is a diner's paradise regardless of budget. However, most of the upscale restaurants are located on the east side of the cemetery. In Puerto Madero, fancy restaurants line the waterfront East of Avenida Paseo Colon around Dique #2. Eating on the waterfront overlooking the yacht club at sunset is a breathtaking experience that you'll never forget. And you will be pleasantly surprised to find that most upscale restaurants are not as expensive as you would imagine. However, it's important to remember that dinner happens late at night in Argentina and nice restaurants usually aren't open except during peak hours. I recall a time when I took my wife out "late" one night for a nice dinner in Puerto Madero. We arrived, starving, at 8:00, only to spend an hour walking up and down the waterfront because none of the restaurants even opened until 9:00.

Helpful Tip: Don't ask for water at a restaurant in Buenos Aires thinking you'll get a glass of water before your meal. You'll get a bottle of water, probably carbonated. The only drink you get is what you order off the menu. You won't find free refills anywhere either. And if your soda happens to be not as cold as you'd like, don't bother asking for ice. All you'll get is a laugh from your waiter.

Helpful Tip: If you pay with a credit card, don't plan on charging your tip. I've tried this in what seems like hundreds of restaurants, even in American ones like the Hard Rock Cafe and T.G.I. Friday's, and every single time I've been met with angry looks, muttering, or bad language. It's just not an easy thing for them to do the way the system works in Argentina. It's best just to plan on charging your meal and leaving your tip in cash.

Table of Contents

Visiting Buenos Aires: Main Page
Where To Stay
Where To Eat
Things To See & Do
Shopping
Transportation
Paying
B.A. Today
Useful Phrases

*The LDS Mission Network does not endorse, nor post advertisements for any specific company or service. The webmaster of the Argentina Buenos Aires West Mission Alumni Site has chosen to list information gathered as a service only. The information here is not intended to be all-inclusive, and it is not necessarily up-to-date.

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