Restaurants in Palermo

[Lanick]

La Mar in Palermo has always been a favourite place for me. Been there last week and paid 100K for 2 with 2 margaritas and 3 mains to share and a dessert. This used to be max $35. They make great food but the prices gone up unbelievably. On the other hand; Oligario in Belgrano; two of us, very neat Belgrano parilla. Elegant. Great food. Meat coming out of our ears and some take back home. 30.000 for 2. Argentina getting more and more expensive for sure but still it’s a lot more affordable than anywhere in the first world. My tennis coach; best best best, USD 8.50. Massage at home usd 6.50. Spanish lessons 1 on 1 usd 6.00.

 

[mikic007]

La Mar in Palermo has always been a favourite place for me. Been there last week and paid 100K for 2 with 2 margaritas and 3 mains to share and a dessert. This used to be max $35. They make great food but the prices gone up unbelievably. On the other hand; Oligario in Belgrano; two of us, very neat Belgrano parilla. Elegant. Great food. Meat coming out of our ears and some take back home. 30.000 for 2. Argentina getting more and more expensive for sure but still it’s a lot more affordable than anywhere in the first world. My tennis coach; best best best, USD 8.50. Massage at home usd 6.50. Spanish lessons 1 on 1 usd 6.00.

Price of services are lagging way behind general inflation, where it's not fueled by tourists or have some advantage, like some places in Palermo. More so outside of caba. I pay more for 4 rolls of toilet paper, than for good pizza. Yesterday I bought 1 kg of vacío in local parilla, very good piece, for 14k. Papas fritas, amazing hand made stuff, 1500 pesos...

It's quite simple actually, until someone is paying, you can charge whatever. It's time to go to search outside of Palermo, I guess. It's tourist trap.

 

[Ries]

The owner of Don Julio bought El Preferido in late 2018 or early 2019, and during the pandemic, completely rebuilt it, all new kitchen, staff, menu, and purveyors. Whether you like it or not, its not the neighborhood bodegon any more it was for over 60 years. I would agree a 39,000 peso milanesa is ridiculous, and having eaten there since the new ownership, I was not impressed, but it is competing with other michelin named restaurants, not bodegons. When I ate there, certainly there were tourists who read about it in the NYT, or, basically every article about dining in Buenos Aires in the last 5 years in European or North American food press. But there were also plenty of the wealthy Argentines who wear rolexs and drive range rovers.

 

[Stevied]

I just returned from BA and Pinamar - my first trip in 2 years. Were the prices higher - sure, but still relatively cheap compared to the US. We didn’t eat at super fancy restaurants, but had some great meals - two that stood out were Roldán and Quaotidiano. I never paid more than $20 per person ( and for pasta it was more like $10-12 a head). Quality and portions were great (portions in particular are huge in BA - I think they are generally meant to be shared). Groceries were definitely higher as well - but still cheap compared to the US. That said - for the average middle class Argentine - these increases have reduced their quality of life relative to salaries and what it was before. We have seen our family struggle - but despite that, they all agree that change is necessary, and it’s time to “pay the piper” so to speak for years of an unsustainable economy. They remain optimistic that with proper leadership; an economy that isn’t driven by government handouts; a more aligned budget - investment will flow and things will get better. I would argue that a $7 milanesa was just borrowing from future generations- and now that credit card has been declined.

 

[sergio]

The owner of Don Julio bought El Preferido in late 2018 or early 2019, and during the pandemic, completely rebuilt it, all new kitchen, staff, menu, and purveyors. Whether you like it or not, its not the neighborhood bodegon any more it was for over 60 years. I would agree a 39,000 peso milanesa is ridiculous, and having eaten there since the new ownership, I was not impressed, but it is competing with other michelin named restaurants, not bodegons. When I ate there, certainly there were tourists who read about it in the NYT, or, basically every article about dining in Buenos Aires in the last 5 years in European or North American food press. But there were also plenty of the wealthy Argentines who wear rolexs and drive range rovers.

To me it's a tourist trap.

 

[Jtee125]

Is this not just supply and demand? Somewhere that charges 39000 for a Milanesa with queues of people willing to pay that has few qualms nor worries about continuing to increase the price beyond the rate of inflation. I expect the headline inflation in touristy areas far outpaces less touristy areas in recent months.

And agree with Stevied. I had a solo dinner at Quotidiano last week and I found it extremely reasonably priced, particularly for Palermo.

In any case, there’s plenty of great food to be had outside of Palermo and Puerto Madero. I wouldn’t regularly eat in Palermo or Puerto Madero at their prices but elsewhere it’s still not seemed anything towards unreasonable.

There was even Chorifest at the hippodrome at the weekend and that was reasonably priced and sublime.

Wherever you are top tier restaurants can command a high price while punters are willing to pay it

 

[Ries]

To me it's a tourist trap.

me too, as is Don Julio. But some of those tourists are from NorDelta. I have eaten at Mallman's restaurant in Garzon once- and its waaay more expensive than El Preferido, and most of the diners are very wealthy Argentines. Lamborghini SUV with Argentine plates. Tourist traps catch locals, too.

 

[Reply Guy]

You can't really blame these restaurants that are booked out for months to keep raising prices until demand starts to dip.

Fortunately there are hundreds of other restaurants that have never been mentioned by the NYT that are just as good or better for a fraction of the price.

 

[Rich One]

Price of services are lagging way behind general inflation, where it's not fueled by tourists or have some advantage, like some places in Palermo. More so outside of caba. I pay more for 4 rolls of toilet paper, than for good pizza. Yesterday I bought 1 kg of vacío in local parilla, very good piece, for 14k. Papas fritas, amazing hand made stuff, 1500 pesos...

It's quite simple actually, until someone is paying, you can charge whatever. It's time to go to search outside of Palermo, I guess. It's tourist trap.

Prices outside Palermo may be cheaper but quality may be lower? and if you add minimum $ARG 5000 round trip taxi fare. Maybe not competitive with my Recoleta Cafes that have Menu Ejecutivo (Main Course, dessert and Drink or wine) for $ ARG 6000.

 

[sergio]

Prices outside Palermo may be cheaper but quality may be lower? and if you add minimum $ARG 5000 round trip taxi fare. Maybe not competitive with my Recoleta Cafes that have Menu Ejecutivo (Main Course, dessert and Drink or wine) for $ ARG 6000.

Which Recoleta cafes / restos do you recommend?