Where to eat in Argentina: The recommendations of three famous chefs
Germán Martitegui, Narda Lepes and Gonzalo Aramburu tell us about the best places to taste the delights of Argentinian food.
When a person travels, apart from organizing their itinerary with destinations and activities, packing, and preparing their personal documentation, they have in mind something as basic as it is necessary: gastronomy.
When you arrive in a different place, trying different dishes and flavors awakens great curiosity in all palates. For this reason, the culinary offer is a fundamental aspect in the field of tourism. Year after year, cooking is renewed to improve its traditional virtues, which are a trademark in society. Tourists arrive eager to try that dish they heard so much about.
Argentina is known worldwide for the exquisiteness of its meats and the flavor of its wines. Any traveler who has set foot on Argentine soil and has not tasted a typical barbecue paired with red wines, will have a debt impossible to pay off in another part of the world.
However, each region of the country has dishes of excellent quality, which deserve to be tasted. The list of classics includes the emblematic empanadas, locro, tamales, fish from the Litoral and Patagonian seafood, among others.
Every place is extraordinary and unique. Fortunately, Argentinian nature gives the versatility of noble products that give rise to the creativity of magnificent recipes. It's time to sit down at the Argentinian table and prepare our palates to taste the delights of a different cuisine.
Read more: The 5 reasons that made Christina Sunae fall in love with Argentinian gastronomy
Germán Martitegui and his favorites
One of the most renowned chefs in the country joined a fun game of gastronomic favorites alongside @manuguija which you can see on the Visit Argentina media. And yet, when it came to choosing the best restaurant in Buenos Aires, Martitegui did not take a chance, he assured that "everything is fine with Aramburu, everything is good with Kona, but Gran Dabbang is spectacular".
To eat for less than 10 dollars, Germán recommends "there is a delicious vegetarian shitake ramen in Orei." To continue on a shoestring budget, he suggests Sarkis -of Arabic food- as a good, nice and cheap restaurant.
For Germán, the hidden gem of the Argentinian capital "are the Korean grills in Bajo Flores." Going south along Carabobo Avenue, in Flores neighborhood, leads you to Koreatown. This is an area where a large part of the Korean community settled in Buenos Aires some decades ago. The chef refers to this portion of Buenos Aires.
If the plan is to brunch, Martitegui boasts about his Marti restaurant: "of course, I love it", but he also recommends La Valiente in San Isidro –a town in the northern part of the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires, a few minutes from the city– and "a coffee in the afternoon in the garden of Casa Cavia".
For the evening, he recommends a few drinks in Kona "and if you get a karaoke reservation for me that’s the jewel of the night."
FAVORITES: Aramburu (Vicente López 1661, Buenos Aires), Kona (Castañeda 1899, Buenos Aires), Gran Dabbang (Av. Raúl Scalabrini Ortiz 1543, Buenos Aires)
UNDER 10 DOLLARS: Orei (Echeverría 1677 Store 8, Buenos Aires)
GOOD, NICE AND CHEAP: Sarkis (Thames 1101, Buenos Aires)
HIDDEN GEM: Korean Grills in Bajo Flores
BRUNCH: Marti (Rodríguez Peña 1973, Buenos Aires), La Valiente (Juan Bautista de LaSalle 433, San Isidro, Province of Buenos Aires) and Casa Cavia (Cavia 2985, Buenos Aires)
Follow the advice of Narda Lepes
Another great referent of Argentinian cuisine also participated in the @manuguija ping pong. To begin, she didn’t hesitate to state that "instead of the best restaurant in Buenos Aires, I'm going to tell you a classic: Oviedo. No matter how old you are, you'll have a good time there." If we talk about the best restaurant in Argentina, Narda goes with El Papagayo and La Toscana, in the province of Neuquén, in Patagonia.
Something cheap and enjoyable? “Paulin's sandwiches. You sit at the bar and eat a spectacular sandwich." Good, nice and cheap? "Parrilla Peña. It's the most authentic grill, like the ones you went to when you were a kid”.
For the hidden gem, Narda coincides with Martitegui regarding Koreatown: "many are very good, and some chefs worked with me and then opened great places" such as Fico and Parra.
To start the day, Narda says that there is nothing better than a delicious breakfast "in Comedor". When it comes to drinks, Kona is self-proclaimed: "you have to come to Kona, you can eat at the bar, which I highly recommend." Pinku Ball is her signature cocktail and she says that "you can't leave Kona without trying the Butter Shoyu squid".
FAVORITES: Oviedo (Beruti 2602, Buenos Aires), El Papagayo (Arturo M. Bas 69, Córdoba) and La Toscana (Juan Julián Lastra 176, Neuquén)
UNDER 10 DOLLARS: Café Paulín (Sarmiento 635, Buenos Aires)
GOOD, NICE AND CHEAP: Parrilla Peña (Rodríguez Peña 682, Buenos Aires)
HIDDEN GEM: the ones in Koreatown.
BREAKFAST: Narda Comedor (Mcal. Antonio José de Sucre 664, Buenos Aires)
The chosen by Gonzalo Aramburu
Aramburu is the only Argentinian restaurant to achieve 2 Michelin stars, and its owner does not lose his humbleness when it comes to joining the interview game. When asked about the best restaurant in Buenos Aires, he says "it's difficult to choose, there are many”, but he takes time to think and recommends Alo's. On a national level, he says "I go to Roux a lot, it's a great restaurant”.
"There are good croquettes, very good meat, great fresh catch of the day" Gonzalo sums up when talking about Bis, his good, nice, and cheap restaurant and adds that Sal is on his to-do list to visit.
If you plan to eat for less than 10 dollars, Gonzalo recommends Güerrín, a classic of the pizzerias of Buenos Aires, in the middle of Corrientes Avenue.
"A negroni, a gin and tonic" from Presidente Bar leads Gonzalo's preferences to live Buenos Aires nightlife, while he chooses Café Ninina for a breakfast of champions.
FAVORITES: Alo’s (Blanco Encalada 2120, Boulogne, Province of Buenos Aires) and Roux (Peña 2300, Buenos Aires)
UNDER 10 DOLLARS: Güerrín (Av. Corrientes 1368, Buenos Aires)
GOOD, NICE AND CHEAP: Bis (Vicente López 1661- Store 12, Buenos Aires)
PENDING: Sal (Thames 2450, Buenos Aires)
DRINKS: Presidente Bar (Av. Pres. Manuel Quintana 188, Buenos Aires)
BREAKFAST: Café Ninina (Gorriti 4738, Buenos Aires)
Read more: This is Aramburu, the impressive restaurant with 2 Michelin stars in Argentina