Before we begin exploring the best restaurants in Buenos Aires, we should familiarise ourselves with a little of the Argentine history, thanks to Lonely Planet.
Like all Latin American countries, Argentina has a tumultuous history, one tainted by periods of despotic rule, corruption and hard times. But its history is also illustrious, the story of a country that fought off Spanish colonial rule and was once among the world’s economic powerhouses. It’s a country that gave birth to international icons such as the gaucho, Eva Perón and Che Guevara. Understanding Argentina’s past is paramount to understanding its present and, most importantly, to understanding Argentines themselves.
Although the banks of the Río de la Plata had been populated for tens of thousands of years by nomadic hunter-gatherers, the first attempt at establishing a permanent settlement was made by Spanish aristocrat Pedro de Mendoza in 1536. His verbose name for the outpost, Puerto Nuestra Señora Santa María del Buen Aire (Port Our Lady Saint Mary of the Good Wind) was matched only by his extravagant expedition of 16 ships and nearly 1600 men – almost three times the size of Hernán Cortés’ forces that conquered the Aztecs.
Best Restaurants in Buenos Aires
In spite of his resources and planning, Mendoza, unfortunately, arrived too late in the season to plant adequate crops. The Spanish soon found themselves short on food and in typical colonialist fashion tried to bully the local Querandí indigenous groups into feeding them. A bitter fight and four years of struggle ensued, which led to such an acute shortage of supplies that some of the Spanish resorted to cannibalism. Mendoza himself fled back to Spain, while a detachment of troops who were left behind retreated upriver to Asunción (now the capital of Paraguay).
Restaurant Guide to Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires knows food. From their traditional parrillas to trendy American inspired cuisine they have something for everyone. As avid foodie wannabes we couldn’t wait to taste it all. Below are some favourites from our tour of the Buenos Aires Restaurant scene.
Get them everywhere you can! And you will find them literally everywhere. They are cheap and delicious. One of our favorites was Brozziano. This no frills joint pumps them out and they are perfect to grab on the go. There is also an abundance of medialunas and stuffed croissants in Buenos Aires. These are super delicious too! What are they? Empañadas, of course.
Best Rooftop Bars in the Best Restaurants in Buenos Aires
The diverse neighborhoods of Buenos Aires can each necessitate a day to explore, meandering old streets and the architecture driven by the city’s history as a hub for immigrants. The first thing you’ll learn here is that this is a city worth walking. There’s a lot to see, a fact that tends to leave visitors thirsty.
The ideal way to solve this is to vertically remove yourself from the bustling neighbourhood streets, swapping the street level views for panoramic shots of the city from above. Rooftop bars are located at old iconic buildings throughout the city, ranging in ambience and style from backpacker hostels to high-end hotels and restaurants. Across that spectrum, these are the best rooftops to pop into for a drink in Buenos Aires.
Best Food Hotspots
Tea and cake in a good cafe is one of my favourite things, and during my time in trendy Palermo in Buenos Aires there was no shortage of options to choose from.
This is a round-up of my favourite 10 cafes in Palermo in no particular order. All have wi-fi and vegetarian options. I’m focused on cafes in Palermo because that’s where I lived, but I also think it’s definitely home to the best cafes in Buenos Aires. I think that you will agree, these are contenders for the best restaurants in Buenos Aires
A Day for Food Lovers
On our first visit to the city we randomly chose the San Telmo neighborhood as our base for exploring. Little did we know it would quickly become our favorite place to eat as we sampled some of the best food in Buenos Aires!
The San Telmo food scene is unique, flavorful, and had us drooling at every turn. From bustling morning cafes to the popular San Telmo Market food, we’ll take you to all the great spots we found in this part of Buenos Aires. Here’s the best restaurants in Buenos Aires and what to order when you get there!
Where to Eat in Buenos Aries
Do you need some tips on where to eat in Buenos Aires? You’ve come to the right place!
Last time we visited Buenos Aires (2016) we looked around for ideas on where to eat in the city. We wanted a mix of porteño (typical Argentinean) places to eat but modern places as well. We left home with quite an extensive list, not to go to all of them, but, in case we where in the vicinity, we knew where to go.
Great Restaurant Experiences in Buenos Aries
In a city as sprawling and cosmopolitan as Buenos Aires, in Argentina, you’re sure to find an incredible array of delicious food. That’s what we set out to do during our 5-day stay in the city.
After having spent a few days soaking up the delicious wine and food in Mendoza, we were ready to see what Buenos Aires had in store. We knew we would find incredible food there, and we absolutely did.
How to Experience Buenos Aries like a Local
Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina, a country I visited very briefly during my 10-month trip in South America, and I didn’t even make it to the incredible capital city. I am fascinated by Argentina, and for my future travel to Buenos Aires, I asked Bernard from GuruWalk to share his tips for the best things to do in Buenos Aires, to experience this fabulous Argentinian city like a local.
Buenos Aires Argentina is one of the most vibrant cities I’ve known in Latin America, especially because of its characteristic bohemian aura and for being one of the cities with the most important cultural offering in the continent.
Related Posts
Best Restaurants in Berlin Germany
Best Restaurants in Hamburg Germany
Best Restaurants in Vienna for Unique Austrian Food