Restaurant Survival Guide

[PhilipDT]

I´ve found that there is quite a bit of fine dining here with excellent food and service, and generally a bit cheaper than the US. I´m not talking huge value but more like a $70 dollar quality meal for $50.

I´ve also a fan of the a lot of the cheap little parillas like those you will find along the costanera sur (5 peso chorripan and a million condiments). And I love empanadas, ARS 2.50 for a delicious little pocket of goodness! Can´t go wrong...

Where I think this city lacks is decent mid range restaurants. As far as I´m concerned most of the parrillas are just garbage, and the million and one confiterias that all have identical 20 page menus are generally awful. I haven´t gone out and ordered in one of these kind of restaurants in forever. I´d rather cook at home.

I´ve never gotten parrillas anyway. I like going out to eat because I like experiencing new sensations, dishes crafted like art by the chefs, things I probably would never cook or think to cook en casa. At a parrilla they cook the food the same way I would at home, the only difference is at home I can actually make my steaks rare unlike in most parrillas where every word for rare (vuelta y vuelta, muy muy jugoso, casi crudo, etc) seems to mean slightly pink. The quality of a grilled steak dish has nothing to do with the preparation and everything to do with the quality of the meat, all the chef has to do is not screw up the cooking. So if you have a good carneceria and a parilla, why go pay a lot of money for someone to do exactly what you could do better at home?

 

[Zissou]

Normally very poor? Seriously? While I have had a few uninspired meals here in BA, I've had very few I would qualify as poor. Same goes for service - sometimes a bit slow, but not always terrible. Obviously there have been a few (recently at La Rosalia in San Telmo, first time I thought steak was not great. teaches us to hit a tourist joint!)

Is the issue that I'm good at picking restaurants - don't ONLY eat in touristy spots - or something else? I will grant that exotic cuisine tends to disappoint (Sarkis, Sudestada, Lotus Thai, Sushi Club, etc) however even that is rarely BAD - just not particularly GREAT. At much pricier restaurants I am rarely disappointed although I may not be blown away, that's a far cry from bemoaning that virtually nothing in the city is edible.

Then again, if you are listing CBC as a somewhere good, we assuredly don't have the same preferences. To me those are food court quality. A nice change, healthy enough, but not something I get bc I think it's a fantastic meal. Also, since many of your suggestions are in Palermo/Hollywood - perhaps you have not ventured away from more touristy spots?

 

[nikad]

Typically if you avoid the Palermos, food and service improve substantially, that is my experience. All the good restaurants are out of that overrated area.

 

[mhenna11]

For Vegans, Buenos Aires Verde, original and creative. I love this place and will eat only there, I tried all of the vegan and vegetarian places, and I found them to be boring and uncreative. There is one other place, but a mess, filthy as all hell,but good if you want some greece, It's Taiwanese vegan restaurant in Chinatown. I go to this place if I am with a meat eater. It seems to satisfy them, (the portions). The Mayacau juice is the best. And for people on the go, go to Angel Gallard stop get off and look for a green Nature sign, it's open 12-2 pm, and it's buffet food, but the best. I have been to all of them, and this only buffet food I will eat. It doesn't look clean in the back, but the food is good, and they have fruits and salads, not organic, to my understanding. But if I had a choice to go anywhere, I would stick with Buenos Aires Verde, you will always get the best food from these guys.

 

[PhilipDT]

4 posts about buenos aires verde in one day? I smell a shill

 

[mhenna11]

4 posts about buenos aires verde in one day? I smell a shill

I disagree, when I love a place, especially after I have been there, I promote it, because that is what we do where I am from. Sorry. There are many places here that people mention, many times, and that is okay? Hmm. Is it because it's a vegetarian place? Is that why? I am also tired of not being able to find great places to eat for vegans, so I am putting the word out there, and when there is a good place I will tell the world, especially in a meat eating country, where people like me, expats, who are also nonmeat eaters, who are struggling with the same struggles as everyone else here and then , being vegan, please, let me share my info, it's a forum, and one thing I look in forums are the food places. And this one was meat based one. So if it's okay with you, I will like to continue participating in this public forum, being a vegan, I will like to give my suggestions, too.

 

[Quinn]

Hi all,

Lets just say that in my opinion the food in BsAs is at best indifferent and normally very poor.

So I wanted to share with you some places that are expat friendly and offer some kind of eatability. All of this research conducted on a trial and error basis List is in NO particular Order and has a dish which is perfectly passable and at push enjoyable!!!

Venue 1 - Taco Box - Mexican - Palermo Hollywood - Chicken Fajitas with the hot sauce, cocktails are ok too

Venue 2 - Tandoor - Indian - Recolleta - Chicken Tikka Masala

Venue 3 - Bakano - Pizza - Palermo Hollywood - Any Calzone and Pizzas are thin

Venue 4 - California Burrito - Mexican - Palermo Hollywood - Burritos your style

Venue 5 - Parilla La Gran Hollywodd - Argentine - Palermo Hollywood - All the meat fab as are the fries

Venue 6 - Las Cabras - Argentine + Mexican - Palermo Hollywood - All the meat, Quesadillas with chips and salad, casseroles meant to be good

Venue 7 - Olsens - European Brunch - Palermo Hollywood - All good in a great environment

Also try Yankee for Chineese delivery, Paraguay y Humboldt and Green Bamboo is meant to be good but personally not been


Approvechar!!!

Love these types of posts...always so helpful. But I gotta ask, generally to the entire community: there's a great Food forum on this site, yet people seem to post food/restaurant related items pot-luck style (pun intended) in the general "expat" forum. I'm guessing it's just a matter of not being aware the forum exists

 

[nikad]

I disagree, when I love a place, especially after I have been there, I promote it, because that is what we do where I am from. Sorry. There are many places here that people mention, many times, and that is okay? Hmm. Is it because it's a vegetarian place? Is that why? I am also tired of not being able to find great places to eat for vegans, so I am putting the word out there, and when there is a good place I will tell the world, especially in a meat eating country, where people like me, expats, who are also nonmeat eaters, who are struggling with the same struggles as everyone else here and then , being vegan, please, let me share my info, it's a forum, and one thing I look in forums are the food places. And this one was meat based one. So if it's okay with you, I will like to continue participating in this public forum, being a vegan, I will like to give my suggestions, too.

You have to try Los Sabios on Corrientes near Medrano

 

[rihornos]

Hello
For those living in Monserrat or San Telmo I recommend a parrilla I have near home "Parrilla Guijòn" on Chile and San Josè has excellent meat and fries and not expensive(by the way is always crowded and closes on Sunday) , for Peruvian food I also agree than Chan Chan is really good and non expensive.

 

[Philsword]

Sorry to hear you have only experienced food here that you rate poor or at best indifferent. I’ve had some fantastic meals here in the past 14 months and I wish I’d paid more attention to the names and addresses of all of these places to recommend them to you and others. I’ve listed a few below, off the top of my head. Hopefully others will suggest more to you.
I do get home sick for food too and so I can see where some of the negativity towards food here comes from. On the occasions I have searched for a curry or noodle soup fix I have been very disappointed at the quality and the prices. Coming from London, I miss having an incredible variety of restaurants on my doorstep. I try to stick to the food that is best here, the amazing meat but now and again I fancy a change from Milanesas, various cuts from the parrilla and empanadas etc. But, there really are some great places around and I love eating out here.
So to add to the list you have already started…

-Chan Chan, Hipolito Yrigoyen 1390, (Peruvian). On Saturday I enjoyed Ceviche and a lamb curry with rice that had a really good kick to it.
-Hola Luis, Conde 802, (Armenian). This is around the corner from me in Colegiales and it has a parrilla with all the usual stuff but on the other side of the menu there is a great selection of shish kebabs, humous, falafels, cous cous etc. Most people recommend Sarkis if you like this sort of food, it’s pretty popular.
-El Establo, Paraguay 489, very traditional, the best steak I have ever eaten, I prefer it to La Cabrera and always take our visitors here. The scruffy curtains and dated interior add to the charm.
-Giuliano, Av Elcano 2756, does a good thin pizza (a la piedra/artesanal). I like the Pizza Piola chain also. There are quite a few pizza places around with proper wood fired ovens and pizzas that are not covered in cheese.
-Las Cholas, Arce 306, has a good selection of food from the North, some great stews and big platters of salmon, vegetables or meat with salad, fries and wraps and of course it has a parrilla with all the usuals.

I’ve had good and bad service here, just like many other cities. Service is slower but I have got used to it. I love the fact that I can sit with a cup of tea for 2 hours in peace to watch the world go by without being hurried along by the staff.

I don't want to start a fight with the Brits but I guess assessing the food here depends on your point of reference. Frankly the worst food in Europe can be found in the U.K. in my opinion, in fact its reputation is notoriously bad. It's no wonder folks from there find food in B.A. an improvement. For people from just about everywhere else the food is a step down, lack of taste, lack of imagination, poor quality, poor service. I think Perry's post pretty well sums it up. There are a few exceptions and you can get a good meal in B.A. but 95% of the eateries are just awful.