Cabana Las Lilas
Avenida Alicia Moreau de Justo 516
Tel. +54 (0) 11.4313.1336
www.laslilas.com
You really came to Buenos Aires for the beef. This may be the most "touristy" place in Buenos Aires, but so many deem their T-Bone second to none that the touristy aspect can’t hold you back. The skirt steak is excellent. Sit out back and people-watch portside. Enjoy delicious appetizers and ask the staff which Malbec will pair best with your steak.
Brasserie Petanque
Defensa 596
Tel. +54.11.4342.7930
www.brasseriepetanque.com
Parisian comfort food come to Buenos Aires in San Telmo area. Always a buzz!
Puerto Viejo
Pedro de Mendoza 2103 (La Boca)
Tel. +54 (0) 11.4301.0090
This is one fine and unpretentious parilla (steakhouse) that is close enough to the Camanito that it’s easy for tourists to find, but far enough (just two blocks away along the water) to be a local hangout. Visit in the afternoon, and you’ll dine amongst the Porteño (native of Buenos Aires) lunch crowd. The delicious and tender Medallon de lomo is worth trying.
Piegari and Piegari Vitello e Dolce
At Avenida 9 de Julio (Recoleta)
Tel. +51 (0) 11.4328.4104
Head to La Recova, a cluster of fashionable restaurants located under a previously derelict highway overpass where you’ll find these delightful Italian restaurants right across the street from each other. At the former, a more formal restaurant, you’ll find giant portions (made for sharing) of excellent Italian cuisine, from homemade pasts to veal scallops, along with an eight page wine list. The latter is a more casual parrilla, offering some of the same Italian dishes but incorporating a variety of local meat and seafood.
Plaza Dorrego Bar
Calle Defensa 1098 (San Telmo)
Tel. +54 (0) 11.4361.0141
Fun waiters, pictures of tango deity Carlos Gardel and antique signs give this place a kind of old-time authenticity that may be surprising considering its central location on the tourist map. (Their oddly translated slogan is "Timeless ageless, the date you can’t miss!") Established in 1891, it was the first bar in Buenos Aires, and maintains that simple charm. The menu offers a good selection of beers and coffees, that come served with peanuts or shortbread cookies. The patio is the perfect place to spend a warm afternoon.
Origen Bar
Humberto Primo 599 (San Telmo)
Have an espresso and cheesecake at this Scandinavian-looking coffee shop. The textural art on the walls and the mixed crowd of hip students and elegant older couples gives the place an eclectic, relaxed feel while the crystals dangling in the window add character.
La Biela
Avenue Quintana 596 (Recoleta)
Tel.+54 (0) 11.4804.0449
After seeing the cemetery and Eva Peron’s mausoleum, head to La Biela for a light bite and some great people-watching. Opened in 1850, this sidewalk café became a favorite haunt for Argentinean racecar drivers, whose pictures reside on the walls today.
LaDorita
Humboldt 1905 & 1892
Tel. +54 (0) 11.4773.0070
www.parrillaladorita.com.ar
This Argentine barbeque has been around for years; its great food keeps the locals coming back.
Havanna
www.havanna.com.ar
With two locations on Calle Florida and 46 others throughout the city, this dessert café offers you plenty of chances to enjoy a delicious dulce de leche cookie sandwich with an espresso. Teenage waiters in army fatigues embolden a theme of revolutionary Cuba. Boxes of these delicious dulce de leche (dulce de leche is the national sweet) sandwiches can be bought at the cafes or at the duty free shops at Eziza airport.
Jardin Japones Restaurant
Avenida Casares 2966
Tel. +54 (0) 11.4800.1322
www.jardinjapones.org.ar
Have some of South America’s Japanese cuisine at this restaurant in the city’s own Japanese gardens. Rumor has it that their sushi and sashimi rivals that of Nobu in New York. No comment on that one, but the food is exquisite all the same. Arrive early to stroll across the charming bridges and among the bamboo and fish ponds of the garden.
Dorrego
Between Libertador y Cerviño
Tel: +54.11. 6775.2222
http://www.dorregobuenosaires.com.ar
Local designer Pablo Chiappori has transformed a disused 1915 railway station down a dark and lonely street into BA’s hottest destination. The retro, ultra-white restaurant hosts a sexy dimly lit aubergine lounge, and the former ticket booth is now the bar, which serves incredible frozen Bellinis and Mojitos, which complements chef Rodrigo Toso’s modern Argentine fare.
