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Dickhead
05-13-06, 04:21
Ate here tonight and it was my second visit. As is well known, I don't favor expensive places. However, I do recognize the relationship of value = quality / price. If you throw price out of the equation, this may be the best place I have eaten in BA. If you leave price in, it still rates very highly. And thank you very much to both of my monger friends who picked up the tabs so that I could step outside of my middle class box for a change.

Sinclair is on the street of the same name just east of Dorrego off Del Libertador. I hopped off the train at Lisandro de la Torre, sauntered past the Hipodromo, and would estimate it to be about a mile from Lisandro. I think you could also walk it from Retiro and the distance would be similar.

I was met at the door by a very attractive 30ish (read 36 or 37ish) slender piece of work that immediately made me bone hard. Rebar. She informed me that my friend and benefactor was already there and showed us to a table upstairs. Let me say that I am not necessarily a fan of intimate dining and in Sinclair, there is a good amount of space around your table. Not like say Los Chilenos which I also like. We were on the balcony looking down on the main dining room. Immediately I noticed an advantage to this in that I could look directly into the cleavage of a nicely endowed yet unsuspecting diner below me. This led to a seque from rebar to outright pup tent.

The bread basket was warm but not hard or stale. Very good. Some variety too. Looked like maybe some date or banana bread but I didn't try that. We were offered English menus which might be construed as a plus, and was done with a fair amout of elan as in "just a suggestion." We don't need them so fine. A small amount of excellent pate was served along with the menus and wine list.

The menu has a nice variety: red meat, seafood, a few chicken dishes. My companion has a known fondness for rabbit. I like rabbit too but I am weird in that I will not order the same entree anyone else orders. I often try to maneuver myself into position to order last for that reason. However, that was not necessary in this case as we know each other well enough to discuss the situation frankly. If he wants the salmon, I will order the rabbit, and if he wants the rabbit, I will order the salmon. Unless I get a hair up my ass and order the half chicken with steamed vegetables, because steamed vegetables are hard to come by.

As a precaution, we inquire as to the fish of the day but are not really overwhelmed. We share an appetizer of crab stuffed mushrooms. They are excellent and not too pricey but I would have preferred them to be served a bit warmer. They were just above body temperature. The sauce involved saffron. My friend declares his intention to go for rabbit again as it will be hard to find back in SP and I reject my thoughts of chicken and decide on the salmon.

A minor disappointment ensues when Rutini Sauvignon Blanc is not available. Eschewing Rutini Chardonnay, we sally bravely forth into some other Sauvignon Blanc. As stated numerous times, my wine knowledge would fit in a thimble. It has alcohol in it and I therefore drink it reflexively, appreciatively, and without hesitation. I do prefer red to white, such as in Pagan Pink Ripple vs. Apple Ripple but I always defer to my companions in matters of wine. My companion tested the proferred Sauvingon Blanc with a minimum of pretense and we proceeded to enjoy its crisp and delicate bouquet. Or some shit. It was a good wine and I enjoyed it. Beyond that I cannot comment.

My salmon entree was perfectly cooked. Could not have done better myself. It had a nice sauce and the three plump shrimp that accompanied it were marvelous. The accompanying baked and quartered potatoes were underdone as is, alas, frequently the case in Argentina. When the waiter arrived with the entrees, he asked if we wanted pepper. My friend declined and I said, yes, a little on the potatoes but not on the fish. He took a bit too long to arrive with said pepper and then did a bit of a sloppy job, getting some on the fish and too much on the potatoes. But not terribly so. Like a B minus in that department.

Ambience: 9.5. Really nice. Soft, well selected music. Plenty of space between tables. Handsome decor. Nice bathrooms.

Food: 8.75. Entree was a 9 and app was an 8 so weighting the entree more heavily I think this is a fair mark.

Service: 8.25. I wish I could go a bit higher. A few too many different folks. Someone has to take the blame for not knowing they were out of the wine we originally ordered. Also right after we sat down we were presented with bottles of water, gasificada or not. Maybe this is normal but it seemed just a tad fast and aggressive to me. Otherwise excellent, unobtrusive (very important) and well-timed. The waiter did a great job of explaining the fish of the day and exactly how it was prepared. Minor subtraction for not offering coffee after we declined dessert.

This is a very fine restaurant!

Moore
05-13-06, 04:51
Also right after we Sat down we were presented with bottles of water, gasificada or not. Maybe this is normal but it seemed just a tad fast and aggressive to me. That's the way they do it at a Cabana Las Lilas. I like it, we all drink water. I think the couvert (sp?) comes very quick and automatically there as well. Nice touches IMHO.

Dickhead
05-13-06, 05:17
"we all drink water"

I am Irish and fish fuck in that stuff. Bring me a beer. Also CLL sucks so why use that as an example?

Moore
05-13-06, 05:26
I also have Irish blood/beer in my veins but water is standard fare with a meal that is not eaten with your hands. CLL is way overpriced for Argentina but it does not suck. I used it as an example because its the only place I remember that brings the bottles of water almost as soon as you sit down. Like Sinclair, apparently.

I would wager that 1000 people could review Sinclair or CLL and you would be the only one offended by having water served quickly.

BTW I'm more Russian than Irish. We drink straight vodka and don't bother with bubble gum, baby food, or beer.

El Aleman
05-16-06, 11:43
Inspired by Dickhead's description, and a pm of the guy who was with him, I paid Sinclair a visit last night, in the company of a beautiful lady.

Yes, it is arguably the best restaurant in Bs. As. It is at least the best I have been in so far. At European standards, they are cooking close to one Michelin star. Maybe a very little bit below.

Address is Sinclair 3096, corner to Demaria. Phone 4899-0283. I made a reservation, but on a Monday it turned out not necessary.

Enjoy,

El Alemán

Jaimito Cartero
05-16-06, 14:23
What's the price range of items when dining here?

Hobby Fan
05-16-06, 15:11
Jaimito:

Check the place out for sure, Sinclair is not all that expensive. I have eaten there a few times and while it is towards the top of the BA scale it is certainly still super cheap by US standards. Maybe 20 pesos for first courses, 25-40 pesos for entrees. Like Sucre, which is also great. Dickhead, did you notice?

I do recommend that one be careful ordering potentially fatty or rich sauces if you are not used to them. I had indigestion after eating a Brazilian seared tuna dish drenched in clarified butter. They cooked it all so well that I did not taste the butter, and probably ate more of it than I can handle. My fault, unless it was the fish.

The fruit soup for dessert was just outstanding. Capt Dave agreed.

I do not recall them tracking water consumption or charging for it separately. They walk around with bottles of water con why sin gas like US restaurantes walk around with jugs of tap water. Maybe included in cover charge. I vote with the majority, I think this is plain old good service.

I will return.

Bon Appetit!

Dickhead
05-16-06, 15:42
Those prices are in the ballpark, HF. Can't say as to the water as I did not see the bill. Thanks, Stormy.

Moore
05-16-06, 16:11
I recently tried Sinclair and have the following fucking comments. As soon as I sat down, this faggoty waiter instantly brought two bottles of Evian water, one gasificada (500ml) and another sin gas (490ml). Strike one. This was a very aggressive and offensive transgression. After berating the waiter in Castellano and English to ensure he understood me, I accepted the sin gas bottle but was not given a 2% discount for the reduced literage even though the water was free. Strike two. My salmon dish was decent, but the server dropped 2 grains of pepper on the asparagus when he should have only dropped the optimal 23-26 grains on the salmon and none on the asparagus. Strike three.

I took a piss and there were only 4 scent pebbles in each urinal when ideally there should be 6. Also the urinals were not spaced properly - there should be 8 inches space between each one but there were only 5.25. Already struck out at this point, so I'll give them a D minus in this department. I did strike up an interesting political/racial conversation with a 57ish Porteno in the men's room, though. There was a nice looking gal sitting on the ground floor and I saw clevage from my seat via a 3-way mirror that was not correctly Windexed and got an instant boner.

Regardless, I wouldn't piss in their mouth if their teeth were on fire.

Hunt99
05-16-06, 16:40
ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stormy
05-16-06, 18:14
The stuffed mushroom appetizer which we split was 25 p. The roasted rabbit was 30 p and the Salmon was 32. The sauvignon blanc was Luigi Bosca Reserva at 50 p. They charged 8 pesos for two bottles of water, one with and one without gas. There was a complementary glass of champagne while I waited. Thus the total without tip was 145. We did not have dessert. I have eaten at Sinclairs about 6 times plus at a corporate event there that took over the whole place. It has been uniformly excellent and in my view a very good value.

El Aleman
05-16-06, 18:23
To answer a few questions out of fresh memory:

Prices are in the A$R 20 to 45 range for starters, 25 to 50 for entrees (with I think one exception of something exotic for 80) and 12 to 20 for desserts. The wines cost the same as at all other restaurants, impressive list ranging from about A$are 30 to 300.

I can confirm what spomebody said earlier, expect spending about A$are 100 per person, 3 courses, plus the wine.

And the water is not Evian, but Villavicencia, and as I would have ordered some anyway, I don't care if it is included in the cpoerto, or not, or whatever.

And, Moore, you are a ******* *******.

El Alemán

Moore
05-16-06, 18:41
And, Moore, you are a ******* *******.

El AlemánI hope that was a compliment that was edited above. Some people are so sensitive - I try to make a good natured joke and am already getting hate mail. I recommend a 30 minute "lighten up" session every morning.

Coach 245
09-10-06, 21:50
Based on DH and Stormy's posts here, I accepted an invitation to try out Sinclairs. I went in a group of 5 of us and had a very pleasant time. I enjoyed the rack or lamb with my date for the evening having the same. I must say it was not real pricey and we found the food and wine to be very good. The chef, Sinclair himself came out to greet and welcomed us. His very large portrait was hanging in the foyer as we entered. I was told by my host and invitee to dinner, that he is a famous Argentine chef. I have to recommend Sinclairs to anyone wanting a mid-priced dinner and pleasant dinner surroundings.

Coach

MiddleAgeGuy
09-11-06, 11:38
I have eaten here a few times and my observations would be:

Fairly Expensive.

High Quality.

Non- Argentine in nature.

The Chef is well renowned from the Gato Duma cullinary school. A good place to go if you are getting tired of or want a change from the typical Argentine grill fair. The lamb is my favorite.

MAG

BadMan
02-11-07, 06:58
After Hunt highly recommended this place, I had to give it a try since all his other suggestions were on the mark. Anyhow, I went here with a friend last night around 9 pm. We were seated by the chef, and were almost instantly offered water by our waiter. My guest asked for a Coke, they brought Pepsi, and I had the water. The only gripe I have at this point is, when I asked the waiter for a Mijito bez alcohol, I was told that they didn't have a full bar, they had liquer but no bar for mixed drinks, no big deal, so I drank water for the rest of the night. Though they did seem to have a large wine card, but the Dom Perignon was overpriced at 770 AR.

Well now onto the food and service. The service was great, very european, they don't hang over you but the moment you need something, they are always within earshot. For starters I ordered the Italian salad 22 AR, that had arugula, mozzarella, eggplant, tomatoes, parma ham and drizzled with olive oil, simple and well done, and as an entree I ordered the Patagonian rack of lamb in a mild curry with fried potatoes and sweet potatoes and my friend had the Grilled chicken with lemon and some other stuff, I forget, My dish was 36 AR and my friends was 22 AR. My food came out about 25 minutes later and it was delicious. Perfectly cooked and flavored. To be honest, I wanted more. For dessert I had the fruit soup 20 AR I think, which was amazing and a perfect ending to a perfect meal. My guest had the chocolate souffle with rasberry sorbet also about 20 AR, I didn't try it but it looked good. All total we paid about 137 AR with tip 157.

Excellent food, real top quality, great service, good looking location and not at all overpriced or expensive. A similair meal in the US would set you back at least 120 US. I think I have found a new favorite, it is only about a 6 peso taxi ride from my house and there are still many things I want to try on that menu. Thanks Hunt for recommending this place.

Bad

Exon123
02-11-07, 14:55
Quite possibably the best restarunt in Buenos Aires.

Exon

BadMan
02-15-07, 18:44
Went here again the other night.

The food was again amazing. Three of us ate, we all shared the stuffed mushrooms, we all had salads. I tried the Taste of Florence salad, and it was delicious. I had the Rib Eye this time and was glad I did, One of my guests had the Salmon and I was told it was also very well done. We all had desserts and a bottle of Malbec. Total price was just about 300 AR. But what a meal. Gourmet appetizers, salads, entrees, desserts and a nice bottle of wine.

Here is the website for more info on the menu, location, reservations, or the chef.

http://www.sinclairresto.com.ar/

BadMan
03-04-09, 13:45
Sadly I went here the other day with a friend only to find out it had closed.

There is a very good restaurant (Francesco) in it's place, but I will miss this place. It is (was?) one of my favorite restaurants in Buenos Aires.

I will make a new thread in order to review the new place.

Regards,

BM

JuanCaminante
03-04-09, 15:36
Sadly I went here the other day with a friend only to find out it had closed.

There is a very good restaurant (Francesco) in it's place, but I will miss this place. It is (was?) one of my favorite restaurants in Buenos Aires.

I will make a new thread in order to review the new place.

Regards,

BM.Strangely, the web site is still working.

BadMan
03-04-09, 16:04
This gives me hope they have moved somewhere else and I just don't know about it or they plan to in the near future.

But for the moment Sinclair is no more.

Regards,

BM.
Strangely, the web site is still working.