General Restaurant Reports

[Miami Bob]

A porteno business man took myself and my chica to dinner at a local restaurant half between where he lives in Palermo and where I was staying in Vicente Lopez. This is in a middle to upper middle class area on a main business street named Cabildo. Cabildo runs paralell to Liberador. We went there twice and both times there was a line and a 15-30 minute wait.

This is a traditional asador criollo: the meat is on swords and slow cooked circling around an open fire, guacho style. you can also order standard a argentine asado on the grill.

There is better meat in ba, but it's twice the price. A full bife de charizo[over one lb] is 13.5 pesos vs 24 pesos at Happenings or Mirasol All main couses come with a full salad bar at no additional cost. Bottles of wine sell for maybe 25% to 50% more than they cost in the supermarket. They also have free delivery from Palermo to
Vincente Lopez.

If you can read the menue in spanish on your own or come with someone who can, you will have no problems. The staff is gracious and professional. The location is in Nunez which is the next town out after Belgrano--8 peso taxi ride from Recoleta.

Bob

[Main Man]

There are several restaurants facing Cordoba next to the Galleria Pacifico. The two I tried were very good and inexpensive. Excellent steak, papas, and desert. The mushrooms didn't have much taste, though.

[Hunt99]

Based on the posts here and on a BsAs restaurant review site, I ate at Rio Alba in Palermo Soho the other day. While I thought it was good, I don't know what all the fuss is about.

It is a standard Argentine parrilla, there are hundreds of them in town. The price for two of us for lunch, which did not include wine, was 72 pesos. For Buenos Aires, it's hardly a bargain to spend this amount for a salad for two, an appetizer, two steaks, and two waters.

In short, if you're in the area (which means out by the hippodrome), certainly stop by. But I wouldn't make a special trip to eat there.

[JustGotBack]

Just to chime in with many of you. I ate at the Rio Alba the other night. An excellent restaurant. About the same cost as eating at Lola on restaurant row in Recoleta but so much better.

[Knuckhead]

On my most recent trip a few weeks ago, on the suggestion of sister Roxana, the two of us went to check out the restaurants at one of the new hotels in Buenos Aires. This hotel is called “Faena”, and is located at Martha Salotti 445. It is certainly a “new money” kind of place. There is no shortage of “wow” factor while visiting the ostentatious different areas of this converted old building.

Although in the interest of gastro-sex-journalism we checked out all three restaurant areas, we ended up eating at “el Mercado”. The room has an old Europe décor, and the waiters are white-apron clad with the thermometer sticking out of their front pockets. We started with an appetizer course of terrine for me, and an interesting block of a Fontina type cheese garnished with vegetables and sprinkled with balsamic vinegar for Roxana. Having been “carne’ed out”, I ordered a Ravioli dish, which was well done and well presented. Ours sister had a very tender, highly marinated, juicy steak which we shared. It was fabulous. The desert was a type of chocolate cake creation, which tasted great. Of course the wine was excellent as well. The service was attentive yet unobtrusive. The bill came up to about 150 Pesos for the two of us. Although pricey, the quality of food was excellent and the ambience was phenomenal. Once you are viewing the web page, click the links for “El Living”, and “El Bistro” to see the pictures of the other two dining areas. The latter looked all white, just like the picture!

The hotel and its restaurants are definitely worth a return visit. I didn’t see the inside of the guestrooms. I’m interested in seeing a report about the guestrooms in the hotels section.

[Crypton]

Thanks, Seismo and OTH. I am reassured now. Come to think of it - it may be a good lose a few pounds anyhow.

Cheers

[One Tree Hill]

As a vegetarian (don't ask) will I starve to death in Buenas Aires? I know Argentina is famous for its beef, but are there places one could get a vegetarian entre (something cooked - not a freaking salad). Thanks!

Crypton

Dont worry, all the steak houses have a myriad of ways to eat potatoes!

As a meat lover, at times I do yearn for a cooked veggie as opposed to potatos potatos potatos...lol. Do they eat green beans or broccoli in BA?

[Seismo]

I ,too, do not eat much meat as I find that it slows me down, especially in hot climates. You will find lots to eat there besides steak. There are a lot of buffets with a big selection of veggies,both cooked and uncooked. These all-you-can-eat restaurants are called "TENADOR LIBRES". There are lots of pasta houses and seafood places[in the event you are'nt a true vegan.]

Cocina Restaurante, Santa Fe 2461, tenador libre
Comer, Guido near cemetary,also tenador libre
El Salmon II, Reconquista 1014, fish and pasta
?????, Suipacha 1024, Chilean seafood

There are probably more restaurants per square mile in this city than anywhere else I have ever been, including New York, Mexico City,and Las Vegas! You won't go hungry.

[Crypton]

As a vegetarian (don't ask) will I starve to death in Buenas Aires? I know Argentina is famous for its beef, but are there places one could get a vegetarian entre (something cooked - not a freaking salad). Thanks!

Crypton

[JustGotBack]

What dating site?

I have been messing around with this amateur dating site and have lined up a couple of dinner dates for my BA trip next week--can't take them to Cafe Orleans, can anybody suggest a couple of romantic restauants nearby the Recoleta area?

Thanks, Butts

[Daddy Rulz]

I wouldn't call this a romantic destination more of an erotic one. I have seen two of the shows they do there an erotic spoken word, in Castillano but funny as hell, and the pornographic puppet show. Both were excellent and the food is very, very good.

If you want a good romantic restaurant I would recomend "Lomo" it is near the corner of Costa Rica and Armenia in Palermo Viejo Costa Rica 4661 - t:4833-3200. Make reservations on a nice night and ask for a seat on the roof. I would highly recomend the 7 hour braised pork, the seafood ravioli and one of their signiture dishes lomo ala lomo.

As for romance I went there one night when it was pretty fresco and asked for a seat on the roof, when we got upstairs this young couple was fucking in a booth. We ended up opting to sit inside but I reckon they thought it was somewhat romantic.

[MrBlue]

Probably not for a first date, but for a romantic outing I suggest Te Mataré Ramirez (www.tematareramirez.com).

2 locations, one in San Isidro and the other in Palermo.

Live music during slow summer months. I went on a Thursday night in mid Jan and there was a female singer that sang Nora Jones and the like. Also a bass and piano player. During peak seasons, there are suppose to be erotic shows.

Menu is composed of erotic titles and descriptions for their dishes. Food is average by BA standards. It has a very dim, romantic setting.

Cost with 1 bottle of Chadon champagne, 2 champagne cocktails, 2 appetizers, 2 entres, and 2 deserts was 120 pesos w/o tip.

No English spoken by any of the wait staff.

Check the package you get when you get the check. They expect you to use it after a night out at this restaurant.

[Stormy]

Mr. Butts, I assume you are looking for La Biela, the indoor outdoor Cafe on Quintana right in front of the church for the Recoleta Cemetery. It is close to the pathetic hotel Etiole. Any taxi driver will know La Biela or you can walk there on Quintana. It is not a place for dinner, but lots of fun at lunch. Primarily a tourist spot and one should be very cautious with valuables there.

For a romantic dinner you might want to do San Babila which is on the restaurant strip down from La Biela. It is decent Italian.

The best restaurant and one of the most romantic rooms in BA is Tomo Uno, which is not in Recoleta, but on the mezzanine of the Pan - American Hotel (not the hotel restaurant) at Pelligrinii down by the Obelisk. Many people including me think this is the best restaurant in BA.
Dinner for two with a nice wine will run you 200 - 240 pesos.

For seafood in Recoleta, there is Jose Luis at 456 Quintana (closed Sundays).

[Veterano]

I have been messing around with this amateur dating site and have lined up a couple of dinner dates for my BA trip next week--can't take them to Cafe Orleans, can anybody suggest a couple of romantic restauants nearby the Recoleta area?

Thanks, Butts

[Veterano]

This sounds like my kind of place--anybody know how to find it?

Thanks, Butts