Another vote for La Brigada in San Telmo.
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Another vote for La Brigada in San Telmo.
La Cabrera, excelent steak and excelent service but my favourite is Las Lilas in Puerto Madero.
[QUOTE=BadMan;443445]Or maybe they realized they werent homosexuals?[/QUOTE]Also likely.
Cabana las lilas is also a good option but its not really much better than places like La Cabrera or El Mirasol. On the contrary, I particularly find El Mirasol to be of better quality and the general atmosphere isn't as stuffy or pretentious. Its still a very good steak though and if you're in the neighborhood, its definitely worth a visit.
[QUOTE=BadMan;443477]Cabana las lilas is also a good option but its not really much better than places like La Cabrera or El Mirasol. On the contrary, I particularly find El Mirasol to be of better quality and the general atmosphere isn't as stuffy or pretentious. Its still a very good steak though and if you're in the neighborhood, its definitely worth a visit.[/QUOTE]I did recommend Le Grill, but I also enjoy eating at El Mirasol. Their Lomo Entero is awesome!
For Category 2, El Estrebe would be a good recommendation.
And thanks Joe for for including the "value" option. I just got off a plane, dropped my bags and am sitting in one of those tourist Parillas on Junin in front of the cemetery. Can't believe they turned La Loreenza into a burger joint (for many reasons). Most of all, because that was the spot where I met Exon and Flexible Horn 12-13 years ago; they had me pegged for a monger and it was all downhill from there. It was called El Parillon de Recoleta in those days, and they had a counter where you could sit and watch your meal being cooked. The grill-man sold nasty brown weed, and it was nothing but good times.
Now both places have been replaced by a fucking touristy burger joint. I bet you they even make their ketchup in-house, those fuckers!
Anyway, times have changed, and not necessarily in a bad way. In fact, the Rutini Cabernet / Malbec that I just ordered cost the same today, dollar for dollar, as it did three years ago, so I can't be all bad. Now I'm waiting for my Bife chorizo, arugula salad, Provoleta and all the rest. I decided to splurge at a touristy place just to set a baseline. I'll check in later with the report.
But I appreciate all of you guys checking in with your recommendations -- if I have time I'll go to all of them. Cheers!
[QUOTE=Joe23;443482]I did recommend Le Grill, but I also enjoy eating at El Mirasol. Their Lomo Entero is awesome!
For Category 2, El Estrebe would be a good recommendation.[/QUOTE]
Hey TL, what's your opinion of the best steak place?
[QUOTE=RainGrown;443543]Hey TL, what's your opinion of the best steak place?[/QUOTE]Rain Grown!
Hola!
I have been running some of the guys all over town since well before Christmas almost non-stop and this is what my opinion is:
La Brigada -.
3 times in 14 days.
They cut their Rib Eyes from a different part of the cow so it's almost fat-free. I thought they brought me the wrong cut the first time.
Second time it was the Waiter's choice and I was not impressed. (Bife Especial?).
3rd. Time was the Skirt Steak and it was excellent! Entrana with a Spanish " n " unmarinated fajita to you.
Cabana Las Lilas -.
3 times in 1 week.
T-Bone Baby! Excellent service. Excellent meal. About $4 k for 3 people. (they had wine).
"You can beat their Prices but you can't beat their Meats!"
La Cabrera -.
3 times in 3 days.
Always good.
Large Rib Eye. Medium RARE.
40% OFF if you dine between 6:30 and finish by 8 pm. I mean Leave the table!
Parrilla Pena -.
Neighborhood Parrillla near all the shit we do. Very good.
Large Rib Eye.
Entrana is best when it's rare.
Come on Down!
TL.
This is one of those places that everybody [I]used[/I] to say was a must-visit! I've always been on the fence, mostly due to the crazy prices. I have to say I've had more excellent meals here than anywhere else in town. And while it's generally geared towards tourists, it still attracts a ton of locals. When I first starting coming to Buenos Aires, I'd stay at the Hilton, which made CLL a no-brainer. I'm interested to see what their regular cut of Bife Chorizo is going for these days. Do you happen to remember, TL?
The food and service were always nearly flawless, until my last couple of visits. And during those last couple of visits, the quality of meat had dropped significantly. I mean, for that money, the steak better be cooked perfectly. Maybe they were going through a rough patch, who knows? It's a massive operation and watching the grill-men work behind the plate-glass windows is impressive. They make their own breads and the Cubierto included that as well as a plate of 6-7 different antipasti. The portion size for that appetizer platter is the same for 1 or 2 people, so if you're dining alone (which I occasionally do there), it's a nice bit of food. And if you know how to navigate that phone book-sized wine list, you could actually find a bargain or two. But their top-end stuff is way expensive.
All that being said, I plan on making a return visit over the next week or two, along with El Mirasol and La Grill. Thanks to some suggestions on this thread.
I had a perfectly cooked Ojo de Bife cooked by a friend of ours at The House last night. And it really was fucking perfect. I know inflation has been kicking the shit out of locals recently, but meat from a retail shop is still a bargain compared to the States.
[QUOTE=TejanoLibre;443550]...Cabana Las Lilas...
T-Bone Baby! Excellent service. Excellent meal. About $4 k for 3 people. (they had wine).[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Chezz;443552]And if you know how to navigate that phone book-sized wine list, you could actually find a bargain or two. But their top-end stuff is way expensive.[/QUOTE]If things have not changed since my last visit a few months ago, there are two someliers working at CLL. Eduardo, the older looking one, really knows all the wines that are listed. You can tell him the type AND price range of the wine that you're looking for, and he'll find the closest one possible. Just ask the waiter or waitress to call Eduardo and he will be at your table to help.
[QUOTE=Chezz;443552]This is one of those places that everybody [I]used[/I] to say was a must-visit! I've always been on the fence, mostly due to the crazy prices. I have to say I've had more excellent meals here than anywhere else in town. And while it's generally geared towards tourists, it still attracts a ton of locals. When I first starting coming to Buenos Aires, I'd stay at the Hilton, which made CLL a no-brainer. I'm interested to see what their regular cut of Bife Chorizo is going for these days. Do you happen to remember, TL?
The food and service were always nearly flawless, until my last couple of visits. And during those last couple of visits, the quality of meat had dropped significantly. I mean, for that money, the steak better be cooked perfectly. Maybe they were going through a rough patch, who knows? It's a massive operation and watching the grill-men work behind the plate-glass windows is impressive. They make their own breads and the Cubierto included that as well as a plate of 6-7 different antipasti. The portion size for that appetizer platter is the same for 1 or 2 people, so if you're dining alone (which I occasionally do there), it's a nice bit of food. And if you know how to navigate that phone book-sized wine list, you could actually find a bargain or two. But their top-end stuff is way expensive.
All that being said, I plan on making a return visit over the next week or two, along with El Mirasol and La Grill. Thanks to some suggestions on this thread.
I had a perfectly cooked Ojo de Bife cooked by a friend of ours at The House last night. And it really was fucking perfect. I know inflation has been kicking the shit out of locals recently, but meat from a retail shop is still a bargain compared to the States.[/QUOTE]CLL -.
Lomo - (Filet Mignon) $439.00 Pesos 400 grams. Large.
Bife de Choriza (NY Strip Steak, Sirloin) $400.00 Pesos, large.
Ojo de Bife (Rib Eye) $419.00 Pesos, large.
The Appetizer is still served freely. Very nice butter / blue cheese spread, prosciutto, egg plant, fish parts. Et cetera.
We had 3 rounds of that stuff.
We asked the Wino to pick a bottle of wine.
I think it was a 2008 model. I don't drink anymore and I was Not paying for it so I did not care.
Reminds me of a Chica the other night at The House.
She was Complaining because the bottle of wine that we offered her was from 2014 !
Ex Dancer from Black!
Almost funny but not quite.
Anyway,
The older female waitress at CLL will go Out of her way to handle your requests.
TL.
Overpriced.
They have good beef and the prices are comparable to many restaurants in Puerto Madero but I agree it's overpriced. But if you are a tourist and are only in town for a week or two you can afford 70 bucks for a nice dinner. Just like spending 200-300 dollars for a good looking girl. Thats why there is a tourist market. Tourists like being pretentious in foreign countries and there are plenty of women and businesses who make a living servicing that crowd.
Now if you are a local, spending 1000 pesos per meal very often just doesn't make much sense. Especially if the same quality beef can be bought at Jumbo or Piaf for 180 pesos a kilo of Lomo.
[QUOTE=Thomaso276;443570]Overpriced.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=BadMan;443571]They have good beef and the prices are comparable to many restaurants in Puerto Madero but I agree it's overpriced. But if you are a tourist and are only in town for a week or two you can afford 70 bucks for a nice dinner. Just like spending 200-300 dollars for a good looking girl. Thats why there is a tourist market. Tourists like being pretentious in foreign countries and there are plenty of women and businesses who make a living servicing that crowd.
Now if you are a local, spending 1000 pesos per meal very often just doesn't make much sense. Especially if the same quality beef can be bought at Jumbo or Piaf for 180 pesos a kilo of Lomo.[/QUOTE]OK, one of the most expensive steak houses in Argentina is selling a large NY steak for $34 USD. I [I]still[/I] don't think that's horribly overpriced compared to western standards. And I don't think it's pretension that makes people want to go there. Sometimes you just want a nicer experience. And when you don't, there's still plenty of Parrillas in town where you can get a great steak for less than $10 USD. That's what I was shooting for when I originally asked the question; both ends of the spectrum.
And you're right, Jumbo is selling top quality beef at about $5.00 USD per pound, about half of what it costs in the States. I find myself grilling a steak at the house nearly every day while I'm in town.
Went last night again for dinner. Ojo de Bife madurado was the best choice. 330 pesos for the steak.
Their starters were also pretty good.
Had a bottle of Andeluna Chardonnay Reserva to start with and then 2 bottles of Trapiche Fond de Cave Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon with the steak. Excellent wines.
We were a group of 6 and paid about 700 pesos per head including tip. Not a cheap place but the meat is surely one of the best.