Food & Drink in Buenos Aires

To speak of Buenos Aires without speaking of its food and drink is almost a sacrilege. Porteño gastronomy is a fascinating synthesis of immigrant traditions — Italian, Spanish, Arab, Jewish, Japanese — that merged with local flavours and produce to create a unique culinary identity, recognised throughout the world today.

The asado is Argentina’s most sacred gastronomic institution. It is not merely a way of cooking meat: it is a social ritual, a celebration, a philosophy of life. In Buenos Aires, parrillas are ubiquitous and cater to every style and budget. From the neighbourhood grill with its Formica tables to high-end open-fire restaurants such as Don Julio, El Pobre Luis or La Cabrera, Argentine beef — raised on the pampas to an incomparable standard — is an experience to be had at least once.

But Buenos Aires goes far beyond the asado. Pasta is an Italian heritage that porteños embraced wholeheartedly: the gnocchi of the 29th, Sunday lasagne, ricotta and spinach ravioli at any neighbourhood trattoria. Empanadas — filled with beef, sweetcorn or ham and cheese — are the perfect snack at any time of day. And porteño pizza — thick, generously mozzarella-laden, a curiosity for Italians — has its temples at Güerrín, Las Cuartetas and El Cuartito.

The signature cuisine scene has exploded in Buenos Aires over the last decade. Chefs such as Narda Lepes, Donato de Santis, Germán Martitegui and a new generation of young cooks have placed Buenos Aires firmly on the world gastronomic map. Restaurants like Mishiguene, Elena, Tegui and Gran Dabbang represent the very best of contemporary porteño cooking, with tasting menus that are genuine works of art.

In terms of drinks, Argentine wine — and particularly Mendoza’s Malbec — is the undisputed protagonist. The wine bars of Palermo and San Telmo offer extraordinary selections, and the prices, compared with Europe, are a genuine bargain. Craft beer has also experienced an impressive boom: there are microbreweries in almost every neighbourhood and specialist bars where you can sample dozens of different styles.

Mate is the national drink par excellence and, while not served in traditional restaurants, it is part of the city’s everyday landscape: in parks, offices and on park benches. If someone offers you a mate, accept it — it is an invitation to friendship.

Markets and gastronomic tours are the best way to understand the culinary diversity of Buenos Aires. The Mercado de San Telmo, the Mercado del Progreso, the Mercado de Belgrano and the producers’ markets in Palermo are spaces where food, culture and everyday life blend irresistibly.

And to round off the day beautifully, nothing beats a good glass of wine at a Palermo bar, a vermút at a San Telmo bodegón, or a craft cocktail at one of the rooftop bars overlooking the city. Buenos Aires knows how to close a day in style.