Food & Drink What's your favorite local dish, and where do you get it?

[mayer]

Hello everyone! As you know, I arrived in Buenos Aires a few weeks ago, so I'm excited and exploring places. I've read some recommendations on this forum, but I would like to know your opinions on the local dishes you like the most. I'll be staying for a long time, so I will need your advice. Thanks in advance.

 

[Sunny]

Traditional dishes:

Puchero (it's the Argentine version of the French pot-au-feu or the Spanish cocido). One of the best (if not the very best) places to have a great puchero is El Gobo.

Locro, guiso de lentejas, carbonada (traditional stews), Pal Que Guste, Pulpería Quilapán

Parrillada, empanadas, and guisos, Las Cholas

BTW, I think you said you live in the Parque Las Heras area? I meant to tell you the other day that there's a very nice Coto on French St. It's very large supermarket, with much better prices than the other supermarkets.

 

[legend]

I’m a fan of empanadas! I’ve been to several places, but the best ones I’ve tried were at El San Juanino in Recoleta. They generally have delicious northern regional food, as well as steaks and pasta. The prices are good too.

The beef empanadas were excellent. The filling is very tasty, and the dough is homemade, of course.

So, I highly recommend it.

El Sanjuanino · Posadas 1515, C1112 Cdad. Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentinien

âââââ · Argentinisches Restaurant

maps.app.goo.gl

 

[mayer]

Traditional dishes:

Puchero (it's the Argentine version of the French pot-au-feu or the Spanish cocido). One of the best (if not the very best) places to have a great puchero is El Gobo.

Locro, guiso de lentejas, carbonada (traditional stews), Pal Que Guste, Pulpería Quilapán

Parrillada, empanadas, and guisos, Las Cholas

BTW, I think you said you live in the Parque Las Heras area? I meant to tell you the other day that there's a very nice Coto on French St. It's very large supermarket, with much better prices than the other supermarkets.

Oh yes! I’m near Parque Las Heras. These days, I’m going to a Chino supermarket nearby. That’s very good to know!
And thanks for the recommendations on local dishes here. I'm really looking forward to trying locro; I'll definitely visit one of those places. Thank you so much!

 

[Larry]

I’m a fan of empanadas! I’ve been to several places, but the best ones I’ve tried were at El San Juanino in Recoleta. They generally have delicious northern regional food, as well as steaks and pasta. The prices are good too.

The beef empanadas were excellent. The filling is very tasty, and the dough is homemade, of course.

So, I highly recommend it.

El Sanjuanino · Posadas 1515, C1112 Cdad. Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentinien

âââââ · Argentinisches Restaurant

maps.app.goo.gl

Yes El San Juanino has great empanadas and other regional dishes. Been here for many years.

 

[Betsy Ross]

Most locals eat quite a bit of beef. Most here love an asado. Mi favorite dish is milenesa which is a breaded schnitzel that is made with either beef or chicken that is fried.. They have many types but it is delicious. Some love Milanese Napolitana (tomato sauce and cheese). Many here also love Choipan. It's a very popular street food here. Also, I love Provoleta which is fried cheese that is delicious.

Locals (as well as myself) love alfajores which are tasty sweet cookies filled with dulce de leche.

 

[Vero]

Oh yes! I’m near Parque Las Heras. These days, I’m going to a Chino supermarket nearby. That’s very good to know!
And thanks for the recommendations on local dishes here. I'm really looking forward to trying locro; I'll definitely visit one of those places. Thank you so much!

There is also a Coto at Charcas and Aguero which should be closer to you. Like many my favorite dish is beef. We eat more beef per capital than anyone in the world. Empanadas are also a favorite. @mayer you can do a search on the forum search and there are a few discussions on the favorite empanada places here.

You will also probably see many locals like drinking Mate. It is an acquired taste but we all love it.

Yerba

I'm not a mate person, but I'm trying to drink more water and sipping mate helps. Been using a yerba from a shop I discovered a few months back, Matería Premium. They have several flavors and the quality is very good (not too strong and the mate does not get lavado too soon), but they closed the...

www.expatsba.com

 

[JonJLA]

Traditional dishes:

Puchero (it's the Argentine version of the French pot-au-feu or the Spanish cocido). One of the best (if not the very best) places to have a great puchero is El Gobo.

Locro, guiso de lentejas, carbonada (traditional stews), Pal Que Guste, Pulpería Quilapán

Parrillada, empanadas, and guisos, Las Cholas

BTW, I think you said you live in the Parque Las Heras area? I meant to tell you the other day that there's a very nice Coto on French St. It's very large supermarket, with much better prices than the other supermarkets.

I have never tried Puchero @Sunny. I will have to try it. I honestly don't think Argentina has too many really local dishes. The most popular always seems to be asdado, empanadas, and a few other things mentioned here. When I am in town I get kind of tired of beef. Buenos Aires is very limited on seafood restaurants that are good which is my favorite. But I end up eating a lot of pasta there. They have some good pasta places there. I do have empanadas a few times a week.

 

[Blockchain]

I have never tried Puchero @Sunny. I will have to try it. I honestly don't think Argentina has too many really local dishes. The most popular always seems to be asdado, empanadas, and a few other things mentioned here. When I am in town I get kind of tired of beef. Buenos Aires is very limited on seafood restaurants that are good which is my favorite. But I end up eating a lot of pasta there. They have some good pasta places there. I do have empanadas a few times a week.

I honestly am very not impressed with the food here for the most part. I think it's hyped up. Just my opinion but I was expecting better on the food. I got a few suggestions of good places and I admit those places were good but I still think the typical high end Dallas steakhouse has much better steak than the typical Argentine steakhouse. I did try Don Julio and that was the best by far but also the same price as back home. I also tried El Preferido in Soho and it was ok. Everyone there was ordering the Milenesa. I will try that next time.

Pasta is popular here. I took some suggestions and Sotto Voce was by far the best pasta so far of my trip. Italpast was also good. But seafood joints here are mediocre to bad. I tried La Pescadorita and I didn't like it at all. The fish had a strange odor and was very dry and not flavorful. Why don't they have better seafood here? Maybe it's because so many love beef and not too popular. Sushi is horrible here except for one or two places.

Pizza here is terrible too. Not too flavorful and they bury the pizza in cheese at many places. Empanadas are a safe choice. I have had that the most on my trip. It seems hard to screw up an empanada. My best meals have been in higher end places.

Not saying all the places are bad but it's far from the foodie haven that some people post online.

 

[Uncle Wong]

I honestly am very not impressed with the food here for the most part. I think it's hyped up. Just my opinion but I was expecting better on the food. I got a few suggestions of good places and I admit those places were good but I still think the typical high end Dallas steakhouse has much better steak than the typical Argentine steakhouse. I did try Don Julio and that was the best by far but also the same price as back home. I also tried El Preferido in Soho and it was ok. Everyone there was ordering the Milenesa. I will try that next time.

Pasta is popular here. I took some suggestions and Sotto Voce was by far the best pasta so far of my trip. Italpast was also good. But seafood joints here are mediocre to bad. I tried La Pescadorita and I didn't like it at all. The fish had a strange odor and was very dry and not flavorful. Why don't they have better seafood here? Maybe it's because so many love beef and not too popular. Sushi is horrible here except for one or two places.

Pizza here is terrible too. Not too flavorful and they bury the pizza in cheese at many places. Empanadas are a safe choice. I have had that the most on my trip. It seems hard to screw up an empanada. My best meals have been in higher end places.

Not saying all the places are bad but it's far from the foodie haven that some people post online.

I had some good meals in Buenos Aires but I would agree with you the seafood overall there is just pathetic for a city of its size. I also went to Chinatown and although there were many Chinese restaurants overall they were not too great. I was surprised. I found the same thing with the sushi there. Osaka was good but everywhere else was terrible. Italian places were good. But if you aren't an absolute meat lover there I would say you may be disappointed.

I agree about the pizza. The worst thing is any time I complained about the pizza a local would tell me how their pizza is the best in the world. I think Argentines think their food is the best in the world. But I would say the same as you that high end steak houses in the US are just as good if not better.

But I did have many good meals there. But I know where you are coming from.

 

[Vince]

I had some good meals in Buenos Aires but I would agree with you the seafood overall there is just pathetic for a city of its size. I also went to Chinatown and although there were many Chinese restaurants overall they were not too great. I was surprised. I found the same thing with the sushi there. Osaka was good but everywhere else was terrible. Italian places were good. But if you aren't an absolute meat lover there I would say you may be disappointed.

I agree about the pizza. The worst thing is any time I complained about the pizza a local would tell me how their pizza is the best in the world. I think Argentines think their food is the best in the world. But I would say the same as you that high end steak houses in the US are just as good if not better.

But I did have many good meals there. But I know where you are coming from.

Funny about the pizza and I agree with you fellas on this. I'm from NYC and I met my Porteña wife in the States and she was telling me how amazing the pizza was in Argentina. She claimed it was the best and then I got here and I laughed. There are far more pizza joints here than before. When I moved here there weren't many at all. I just don't like pizza as much here compared to States. NYC pizza is much better and this is a hill I will die on.

Agree about seafood overall. A few good ones but I just don't think locals are too into it so not too much demand for it. And I agree about the weak Chinese food here. Amazing in NYC you can go all over the city and get great Chinese food. Although Chinatown has grown quite a bit I agree that the food here can't compare to Chinese restaurants in the States.

I'll disagree about the steaks. I love steak here more than the US but I'm not often dining out at steak places in the States. I think few do steaks better than Argentina.

 

[Sunny]

I have never tried Puchero @Sunny. I will have to try it. I honestly don't think Argentina has too many really local dishes. The most popular always seems to be asdado, empanadas, and a few other things mentioned here. When I am in town I get kind of tired of beef. Buenos Aires is very limited on seafood restaurants that are good which is my favorite. But I end up eating a lot of pasta there. They have some good pasta places there. I do have empanadas a few times a week.

Jon, I'm not sure where you are writing from.

Let's see... The typical ingredients in Argentine cuisine include wheat flour, fresh corn, dried white corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, calabaza (butternut squash), zapallo criollo (a less sweet variety of squash), mandioca (cassava), peppers (both bell and field varieties), tomatoes, garlic, beans, lentils, spinach, Swiss chard, zapallito redondo (a sweeter and tastier type of zucchini), and celery. Common proteins are eggs, chicken, beef, pork, lamb, goat, and offal (such as mondongo, tripa, cuajo, chinchulines, heart, kidney, liver, brains, and criadillas), and a diverse array of wild game. These days a lot more cheese is added to dishes (this trend is also observed in Asia, which is another discussion).

CABA is not at all representative of typical Argentine food. Generations of Porteños have grown up eating French, Italian, and Spanish (not Hispanic) cuisine, and they prefer these Southern European flavors. However, as you venture beyond CABA and further into Buenos Aires province, you'll encounter more cocina criolla, which blends native ingredients with culinary traditions brought by Spanish conquistadors.

Argentina is a country of immigrants but not like the States or Canada, and this is reflected in its gastronomy. The type of Asian and Mexican food we enjoy in Canada and the States is not found here or in Europe. Personally, I appreciate this, as Argentina has excellent food and quality ingredients, which do not have to taste like other countries' food.

But I digress...

I'll leave you a list of typical foods that can be found in CABA (yesterday I mentioned in another thread a couple of restaurants that serve them):

Revuelto gramajo
Picada (in the provinces it has different ingredients)
Locro
Buseca
Carbonada criolla
Torta pascualina
Humita en olla
Jigote catamarqueño
Mbaipy
Vizcacha en escabeche
Matambre
Vitel Toné
Chanfaina burguillana
Tomaticán
Chipá
Choripán

 

[GraceH]

Jon, I'm not sure where you are writing from.

Let's see... The typical ingredients in Argentine cuisine include wheat flour, fresh corn, dried white corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, calabaza (butternut squash), zapallo criollo (a less sweet variety of squash), mandioca (cassava), peppers (both bell and field varieties), tomatoes, garlic, beans, lentils, spinach, Swiss chard, zapallito redondo (a sweeter and tastier type of zucchini), and celery. Common proteins are eggs, chicken, beef, pork, lamb, goat, and offal (such as mondongo, tripa, cuajo, chinchulines, heart, kidney, liver, brains, and criadillas), and a diverse array of wild game. These days a lot more cheese is added to dishes (this trend is also observed in Asia, which is another discussion).

CABA is not at all representative of typical Argentine food. Generations of Porteños have grown up eating French, Italian, and Spanish (not Hispanic) cuisine, and they prefer these Southern European flavors. However, as you venture beyond CABA and further into Buenos Aires province, you'll encounter more cocina criolla, which blends native ingredients with culinary traditions brought by Spanish conquistadors.

Argentina is a country of immigrants but not like the States or Canada, and this is reflected in its gastronomy. The type of Asian and Mexican food we enjoy in Canada and the States is not found here or in Europe. Personally, I appreciate this, as Argentina has excellent food and quality ingredients, which do not have to taste like other countries' food.

But I digress...

I'll leave you a list of typical foods that can be found in CABA (yesterday I mentioned in another thread a couple of restaurants that serve them):

Revuelto gramajo
Picada (in the provinces it has different ingredients)
Locro
Buseca
Carbonada criolla
Torta pascualina
Humita en olla
Jigote catamarqueño
Mbaipy
Vizcacha en escabeche
Matambre
Vitel Toné
Chanfaina burguillana
Tomaticán
Chipá
Choripán

Someone needs to open a restaurant! I can tell you are a great cook! Thanks for this list. I heard they have amazing food in Salta. I haven’t ventured too much in Argentina besides Iguazú, Mendoza and Bariloche but I want to try traveling more and trying out different types of food.

 

[Sunny]

Someone needs to open a restaurant! I can tell you are a great cook! Thanks for this list.

You are welcome. Yes, I like to cook and do it rather well - I used to keep a food photography blog in the mid 2000s, where I'd also shared my own recipes and methods.

I heard they have amazing food in Salta.

Delicious food all over the country. In parts of the northwest the food is spicier.

I haven’t ventured too much in Argentina besides Iguazú, Mendoza and Bariloche but I want to try traveling more and trying out different types of food.

July and August are perfect months to visit the northwest. Maybe you can take a few days off? 🤞🏻 😀

 

[Betsy Ross]

Jon, I'm not sure where you are writing from.

Let's see... The typical ingredients in Argentine cuisine include wheat flour, fresh corn, dried white corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, calabaza (butternut squash), zapallo criollo (a less sweet variety of squash), mandioca (cassava), peppers (both bell and field varieties), tomatoes, garlic, beans, lentils, spinach, Swiss chard, zapallito redondo (a sweeter and tastier type of zucchini), and celery. Common proteins are eggs, chicken, beef, pork, lamb, goat, and offal (such as mondongo, tripa, cuajo, chinchulines, heart, kidney, liver, brains, and criadillas), and a diverse array of wild game. These days a lot more cheese is added to dishes (this trend is also observed in Asia, which is another discussion).

CABA is not at all representative of typical Argentine food. Generations of Porteños have grown up eating French, Italian, and Spanish (not Hispanic) cuisine, and they prefer these Southern European flavors. However, as you venture beyond CABA and further into Buenos Aires province, you'll encounter more cocina criolla, which blends native ingredients with culinary traditions brought by Spanish conquistadors.

Argentina is a country of immigrants but not like the States or Canada, and this is reflected in its gastronomy. The type of Asian and Mexican food we enjoy in Canada and the States is not found here or in Europe. Personally, I appreciate this, as Argentina has excellent food and quality ingredients, which do not have to taste like other countries' food.

But I digress...

I'll leave you a list of typical foods that can be found in CABA (yesterday I mentioned in another thread a couple of restaurants that serve them):

Revuelto gramajo
Picada (in the provinces it has different ingredients)
Locro
Buseca
Carbonada criolla
Torta pascualina
Humita en olla
Jigote catamarqueño
Mbaipy
Vizcacha en escabeche
Matambre
Vitel Toné
Chanfaina burguillana
Tomaticán
Chipá
Choripán

So very true about CABA not being typical of the country's food. So many great dishes @Sunny. Thank you for taking the time to post them. I'm not much of a cook. I admit I eat out too much. I will have to try some of these recipes. I have to admit I hadn't heard of some of them.

 

[Sunny]

I’m a fan of empanadas! I’ve been to several places, but the best ones I’ve tried were at El San Juanino in Recoleta. They generally have delicious northern regional food, as well as steaks and pasta. The prices are good too.

We had lunch there with friends from abroad last December, it was a weekend. The place opens at noon and by 12:30 there were people lining up outside already. Very popular place. We had locro, guiso de lentejas, steak, fries, empanadas and a couple of pasta dishes. Everything was very tasty, except the pasta (which our friends ordered and did not enjoy; it was overcooked and didn't look appetizing at all). The place is small, tables are very close to each other and it does get noisy.

 

[earlyretirement]

We had lunch there with friends from abroad last December, it was a weekend. The place opens at noon and by 12:30 there were people lining up outside already. Very popular place. We had locro, guiso de lentejas, steak, fries, empanadas and a couple of pasta dishes. Everything was very tasty, except the pasta (which our friends ordered and did not enjoy; it was overcooked and didn't look appetizing at all). The place is small, tables are very close to each other and it does get noisy.

El Sanjuanino is great for Empanadas and Milenesa and some other dishes like locro and guisos but as Sunny mentioned it's NOT the place for pastas. Instead go around the corner to Sotto Voce which has some of the best Pasta in BA. My favorite place. Been there literally hundreds of times as I would often times go a few times each and every week. I lived a few blocks away. Great food. Very popular place with the locals. Been in there a few times when a few Presidents and Mayors were there eating.

I agree with much of the discussion on foods discussed here. Buenos Aires has a lot of great restaurants but a lot of mediocre ones too. Just like any major city. I totally agree about seafood and Chinese/Asian restaurants there compared to other cities.

 

[Man of Steel]

I’m a fan of empanadas! I’ve been to several places, but the best ones I’ve tried were at El San Juanino in Recoleta. They generally have delicious northern regional food, as well as steaks and pasta. The prices are good too.

The beef empanadas were excellent. The filling is very tasty, and the dough is homemade, of course.

So, I highly recommend it.

El Sanjuanino · Posadas 1515, C1112 Cdad. Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentinien

âââââ · Argentinisches Restaurant

maps.app.goo.gl

Great to see this is still around! It's been here forever. I'm going to go tomorrow. Best empanadas!