Restaurant Recommendations

[Stanexpat]

If you like beef B.A. is for you. The problem with food in B.A. is lack of variety. Most typical Argentine resturants(low to medium priced) offer basically beef, pasta and pizza. There is not much seafood or ethnic food for a city that size. If you stick with the high end eateries you can get good food(but not cheap). Be careful though there are a lot of overpriced places with bad food.

Besides beef, I would say Italian is your best bet in B.A. The best ones there are excellent but a lot of places there don't know how to do the sauces correctly.

One place to avoid is TGIF's in Puerto Madero. The wife and I ate a light lunch, with an appetizer, 2 soft drinks. The bill with tip was about $50(in the states the same meal is $20 at the same resturant). The service wasn't good and the bathroom was dirty. I went to another Fridays in another S.A. country 3 weeks later, good service, larger portions, 3 people, bill was only $30.

 

[Fettucini]

Yes i agree the beef and pasta gets pretty boring, but it is not all doom and gloom. I have found lots of nice restaurants serving good spicy and exotic food in BA.
For Italian food i would recommend Marcelo's which does an amazing seafood pasta, the best quality you can find, although it's really expensive - it's in Puerto Madero though not surprisingly where prices are all over the top.
Sarki's is one of my favorite restaurants which is in Villa Crespo where they serve very tasty and healthy Lebanese food at good value - you generally have to wait at least an hour to get a table here though as it's very popular.
For vegetarian healthy food i'd recommend Lotus which is near Cordoba and Parana - lots of very healthy salads, soya milanesas etc with delicious sauces. I am not vegetarian but i'd eat every day for lunch there if i could, and that's having been to hundreds of restaurants in BA.

 

[Ries]

I have found lots of variety in BsAs restaurants- just not the same variety you find in LA or London.

For instance, Peruvian food in LA is pretty scarce, but there is a fair amount in Buenos Aires. I hear there is a great one in Abasto right near the mall.
(SoloPescados, on Anchorena- gotta try it.)

For real BsAs food, I recommend doing your homework- here is your assignment-

First, read this blog, and try the ones she likes- Layne Mosler asks taxi drivers to recommend where THEY eat- and its not the usual suspects, thats for sure.
Go Where the Taxista Takes You

Second, buy this book, and work your way through it.
I have eaten at around a third of the places in it, and every one was great, in one way or another- not necessarily gourmet, but Porteno to the core, and usually wonderful authentic ambiance as well.
The Little Bookroom | The Authentic Bars, Cafes and Restaurants of Buenos Aires by Gabriela Kogan

and Third, read Dan Perleman's reviews.
I cant say I always agree with him- some restaurants he pans, I love, and vice versa- but he has a good knowledge of food, lives in BsAs, and tries a lot of out of the way places, as well as famous ones. There are a bunch of places I have to try, based on his reviews.
http://www.saltshaker.net/restaurant-reviews

Between these three sources, you can easily come up with a couple of hundred places to try, in all neighborhoods and all types of food.

 

[niceguypaddy]

you cant go wrong with Guía Oleo - Restaurantes de Buenos Aires if you have some spanish, even if not just order by mejor comida

 

[EliA]

As far as restaurants in the center, I really like Curama on Rodriguez Peña (1100 block). Excellent empanadas to start, as well as meats, "cazuelas," and pizzas. It is reasonably priced and has a nice atmosphere; there is often a long line of porteños waiting so avoid it on Fridays and Saturdays. (I think the restaurant next door is owned by the same people and is also supposed to be good if the wait is too long!) La Americana on Callao a block from the Congreso building has some of the best empanadas and pizzas in the city and is a great place to hang out in a bustling, local-filled environment to watch whatever game is on.

I disagree with people who recommend avoiding Palermo to eat - in my opinion that's the best place in the city! Try Bar Uriarte for a great price fixe lunch; Paraná for vegetarian food; and Cluny for a hot pre-dancing dinner on the weekends. The only place in Palermo I avoid is on and around Plaza Serrano, which is without a doubt the tourist hub of the neighborhood, and it shows.

 

[Ries]

EliA-

I think you mean "Cumana" on Rodriguez Pena.

Cumaná - Cocina Autóctona | Guía Oleo - Restaurantes de Buenos Aires

It is really good. Me, I like their Locro, and lots of empanadas, and, actually, their pizza isnt bad either.

 

[masol18]

try this one! Im argentinian and its the best of the best! very close to palermo hipodromo and gret meat! call Kansas!
http://www.kansasgrillandbar.com.ar/
and another one is in palermo call casa cruz or in san telmo its club 647 if u wanna have good time!
some of them are expensive but its really good!

 

[Conorworld]

There's a great restaurant a few blocks from Av. Entre Rios that's Japanese called Yuki. Very authentic Japanese food and there are always some Japanese people in there. They have a Japanese meal that is all in Japanese. Since I speak Japanese I was able to order some stuff from it and it was very good.

Katmandu that was mentioned here is pretty dire and over priced from what I remember (I was last in BA in August 2006 but back again in 3 months time).

Palermo Soho is tourist central but there are still good restaurants and I always liked Dom Julio on Gurruchaga. It seems the gentrification of the area has not reached that far down towards Santa Fe and it is pretty good.

God there are so many restaurants in BA. I spent in total about 10 months in BA and went out for dinner most nights and went to so many places. It will all come back to me.

On this point, does anyone know if the people behind the restaurant in Las Canitas that closed in 2006-La Corte-have a new restaurant. Is their furniture store on Honduras still open? I miss La Corte. Always liked that place to eat and when i was leaving the last time I heard they were considering reopening in a different location.

 

[vanessa]

I love Cheff Iusef.

http://guiaoleo.com.ar/detail.php?ID=1518

Best hummus I ever had. T

 

[Fernetlovva]

You should try MIRANDA in Costa Rica and Fitz Roy, thats my favorite. Also Greenbamboo, its in Costa Rica and Ravignani (or perhaps one block more).
For All you can eat Sushi, I go to ITAMAE in Palermo Soho, www.itamaesushi.com.ar , its not the best but its all you can eat !
In my opinion Nucha is the best for cakes and sweet things www.nuchacafe.com

WHOA WHOA WHOA.

You caught my attention with this all you can eat sushi.

How much?!