Top Restaurants in Buenos Aires 2015

Grilled Lomo with Chimichurri Sauce - Elena Restaurant 

The steak is great, of course, but Argentina's capital also has atmospheric local pizza joints, fine-dining and Latin fusion restaurants. We round up the best places to eat out.

A fresh breed of chef is taking Argentina's national cuisine to new heights, as seen when the country scooped 15 entries on the Latin America 50 Best restaurant list. But at the other end of the culinary scale, travellers should not miss the classicparrillas (steakhouses) that have served the same menu for generations – huge slabs of steak, thick-cut chips, and cheap red wine topped up with soda water. If you love big slabs of meat La Cabrera, La Lechuza, La Brigada and Lo de Jesuss hould be on your list.

But for a mix of experiences, read on. This list brings together not just the best steak and fine-dining establishments, but also some of the best experiential choices, from supper clubs to pizza joints, offering an alternative slice of the city's increasingly diverse food scene. And be sure to let us know your own favourites, in the comments section below. Note that all prices are in pesos, but at the official conversion rate. Travellers working to the parallel "blue rate" get much more food for their money.

I Latina - Appetizer - Ceviche with avocado and goat cheese

I Latina, Villa Crespo

This relative newcomer began as a puerta cerrada (closed-door restaurant) in Palermo and then word quickly spread, encouraging them to get more permanent premises. The three siblings behind it hail from Colombia, but their food draws on influences from all across South America. A sample menu might include white-corn arepas (flatbread) with anise, pork braised in coffee and sugar cane, and avocado and aguardiente ice-cream.

• Murillo 725, +54 11 4857 9095, ilatinabuenosaires.com; Open for dinner only, reservation required.

Avocado icecream, pop corn and aguardiente. 

La Bourgogne, Recoleta

“Just… excellent”

French cooking in Argentina? How much do Argentines know about French cooking? But actually, Argentina has always been very receptive to French influences in terms of everything from fashion to intellectual currents, especially during the first half of the 1900’s (but even today), as France was considered the center of cosmopolitanism and culture. Somehow, then, it seems fitting that the supposedly “best” restaurant would be French, given France’s influence on the growth of Argentine culture. Moreover, La Bourgogne is run by a true Frenchman ( Jean Paul Boundoux ) and is given accolades for its unmatched quality of food year after year, so it has a reputation for consistent excellence. Each and every dish, each is outstanding, which is all the more surprising because each is so unique and is inspired by a different cuisine, really showing the depth of the restaurant’s culinary expertise.

Dessert at La Bourgogne - Dessert Tasting Party

The service is exceptional, as it excelled in nearly every way, from the promptness to the professionalism to the friendliness and finally to the care taken to guarantee that everything is going well. 

La Bourgogne, Avenida Alvear 1851; Phone: +541148082100, labourgogne@alvear.com.ar

Osaka 

Another Peruvian import, Osaka is nevertheless one of the best - if not the best - place to get Japanese food in Buenos Aires. It specialises in raw fish dishes, serving fresh sushi and sashimi alongside Peruvian ceviche, and the two contrasting cuisines of Japan and South America infuse and inform each other in innovative ways: ceviche is available flavoured with wasabi cream or sesame oil, and salmon nigiri comes with passion fruit.

Osaka, Soler 5608, Buenos Aires, Argentina, +541147756964

Elena

Never one to rest on its laurels, The FS Buenos Aires has just completed an impressive 40 million dollar renovation. Embracing the roots of long–held Buenos Aires traditions, a theme of polo and porteño decadence now runs cohesively throughout the hotel. As for eating, the Four Seasons Buenos Aires has toned down the formality, and now offers two distinct restaurants. Elena (named for Elena Peña Unzué, the bride who was presented La Mansión as a wedding gift in the 1920s), is rooted in the ways of the Argentinian family kitchen — slightly bustling, yet comfortable and energetic. The abundant hotel breakfast takes place here, open–kitchen style. Elena is spacious, and offers fresh takes on traditional Argentine foods, important in the hotel's new embrace of Argentine traditions. A spiral staircase leads up to a balcony level perfect for private dinners or events, and the wine cellar offers an impressive offering of local wines.

ELENA selection; Kobe Bresaola, Cured Duck Breast, Camembert Cheese, Aged Cheddar Cheese

  Elena 

  Posadas 1086/88, Buenos Aires; Phone: +54 11 4321 1628

Chila, Puerto Madero

From the moment we were greeted at the sleek front door until we exited with satisfied grins we were treated like royalty by the staff. They were continuously warm, welcoming, polite and made the greatest effort to see that we were comfortable throughout the meal, including introducing the menu in English for my parents who barely know how to say ‘Hola’. The smallest details are taken care of in Chila; the atmospheric lighting, the chic furniture, the table modern settings, the lavish flowers and the amazing open windows revealing a stunning river view, all screamed exclusive. Even though ambiance, comfort and service are all exceptionally beneficial to the overall concept of a restaurant, the most important element will always be what you put in your mouth.

The head chef of Chila is the wildly talented and young Maria Soledad Nardelli, rather a well-known chef here in Buenos Aires for her television show on the Gourmet channel. Her menu changes regularly and always pushes the boundaries of experimentation with colour, texture and flavour and is never your average Argentinean scrum, in fact a lot of the dishes are influenced by French cuisine. The portions are small but all presented with such passion and beautiful precision that you might believe you are looking at a piece of artwork.

Address: Av. Alicia Moreau de Justo 1160, C1107AAX Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Phone: :+54 11 4343-6067

Tarquino - Pizza comes in foam form served in a Martini glass;

Tarquino, Recoleta

The Michelin-star system doesn't stretch to Argentina, but what you do find is chefs who have perfected their skills alongside some of the world's greatest, and then come back to put a spin on their national cuisine. Dante Liporace is one such shining light, having completed stint under Ferran Adrià at el Bulli. Liporace now heads this relatively new restaurant, in a converted colonial mansion at luxury hotel Hub Porteño. You enter through an opulent hallway, with walls of white marble, before coming to a contrasting galpón (outhouse), with a fig tree growing through its middle. Dishes found on the playful, seven-course tasting menu could include deconstructed pizza or a molecular take on Argentina's beloved flan. See also: Paraje Arevalo, El Baqueano and Aramburu .

• Rodríguez Peña 1967, tarquinorestaurante.com.ar. 

Tegui

From the outside, Tegui is low-profile: just a graffiti-covered wall and almost-blank door amidst the showier restaurants of Palermo. Within, however, is a sophisticated and modern restaurant that blends chef Germán Martitegui’s experience of Mediterranean food with more basic Argentine fare. The intricate, fixed price menu shifts weekly with the season of its ingredients, though dishes will reappear in time: it has served, for instance, cow-brain pie with prosciutto, or tuna in an almond gazpacho.

Tegui, Costa Rica 5852, Buenos Aires, Argentina, +541152913333

Floreria Atlantico, Recoleta

This is another choice for night owls (if you're not a night person, you may be in the wrong city). It is currently BA's hippest cocktail bar and you find it by entering a "secret" doorway at the back of a potently scented flower shop, which is open late into the night and has a sideline in selling vinyl records – obviously. A gimmick? You'll dispel all cynicism once you taste the quality of the cocktails. The drinks at this sophisticated, low-lit speakeasy are clearly the mainstay here (the cocktail list takes you around the world), but there is also a fine food menu. Most plates are made for sharing, including a plate known as "Atlantic beasts", featuring langoustines, oysters and prawns.

• Arroyo 872, +54 11 4313 6093, floreriaatlantico.com.ar.

Floreria Atlantico 

Join us for a guided culinary experience in one of Argentina’s most exciting foodie cities. Each week we feature different establishments for Coffee and Chocolate Tasting, Cocktail Tasting, Happy Hour Bar Crawls, A Taste of Boulder Dining Tours, as well as private tours and events.

Tours Make a Great Gift!

A tour makes a great gift for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, showers, or any special event.  If you are interested in giving a gift certificate of a tour, please contact Valeria at tours@ideasturisticas.com