The best restaurants in Buenos Aires

One of the most important openings of 2024, and although it wasn’t selected by the Michelin Guide yet, everything indicates that could change in the next edition. The investment Esteban Cigliutti and Leo Lanussol made in Ness is impressive — and it’s not just about money. There’s thought, hard work, dedication, and long-term vision from this tireless duo, who transformed an old mechanic’s workshop in Núñez into a restaurant designed to last for decades.

The space is divided between a wine bar—with a quicker, casual menu—and the main restaurant, featuring soaring ceilings, communal tables, ovens and open flames in full view, and even an olive tree planted right in the heart of the dining room.

The menu bears Lanussol’s signature style, refined since his apprenticeship with Narda Lepes and Lele Cristóbal, through his first restaurant Proper, and his stints in kitchens across the U.S. and Europe.

Dishes arrive at the center of the table to be shared. Highlights include the chernia soufflé and chicken with orange sauce.

Pro tip: be sure to try the halva flan among the desserts.

Where: Grecia 3691, Nuñez.

You have to go at least once to Tintorería Yafuso, a place that defies all marketing rules. No social media. No interviews. The only way to book is by landline or in person. The space is tiny — just ten seats — so it’s usually booked up to two years in advance.

In the same location where his parents’ old dry cleaner operated, in Villa Crespo, Fabián Yafuso opened five years ago after returning from Europe, a restaurant as personal as it is unique.

There’s no menu or options: you surrender yourself to Fabián’s hands, who with technique and dedication prepares a sequence of bites using the freshest fish from the market. Sashimis, nigiris, grilled fish, and more. At the end, he’ll ask if you want to repeat any piece.

Pro tip: there’s no wine list, but you can bring your own bottle by paying a corkage fee.

Where: Juan Ramírez de Velazo 399, Villa Crespo.

A must-visit for locals and Latin American food lovers alike, Dabbang — as its regulars affectionately call it — just celebrated eleven years in excellent shape. Combining local ingredients with knowledge and techniques learned from travels across India, Mariano Ramón created a unique voice and one of the deepest, most flavorful, and relevant kitchens in Buenos Aires.

The advice: arrive early — no reservations — and come ready to try several small plates. The Swiss chard pakoras are iconic, but we also love the labneh with chutney and fried chickpea noodles, which Time Out selected as one of the best dishes to try in Buenos Aires, along with the pacú cooked in a clay oven and various curries, like duck or lamb. The place is simple but friendly, with bold colors and signs, a small kitchen at the back where cooks work fiercely, filling the air with wonderful aromas. You always have to go to Dabbang.

Pro tip: great spot to go Monday nights when many restaurants are closed.

Where: Scalabrini Ortiz 1543, Palermo.

Loved and hated, but never leaving anyone indifferent. Since opening in 2023, Ácido has made a big splash in Buenos Aires’ food scene. It was included in the first Michelin Guide (2024), and in the next edition, the French honored Nicolás Tycocki as Argentina’s best young chef.

Trained at Le Cordon Bleu and in demanding European kitchens, he chose the Chacarita neighborhood to open his first restaurant. Decorated with Ayrton Senna posters and kitschy grandmother-style objects, from the open kitchen come tteokbokki cacio e pepe, sardines with Russian salad, fries —some say the best in Buenos Aires— and a special daily dish.

“Don’t take us too seriously,” is Ácido’s mantra. Some days, in a different shift, they host Olla 7, a parallel project led by Dalila Vázquez — Nicolás’s partner — and chef Tadeo Pérez, focusing on classic porteño bodegón dishes: milanesa, sorrentinos, squid rings, tortillas, and croquettes.

Pro tip: Mondays are usually burger nights, the only dish served from 7:30 p.m. until sold out.

Where: Charlone 999, Chacarita.

Venezuelan José Delgado is a standout figure in the contemporary food scene. Tony Wu, the cantina that pays tribute to Chinese cuisine, is his latest successful creation. Opened this year, it quickly captivated a crowd that fills it every night from early on.

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Its escapist ambiance feels like a virtual passport — not necessarily to China, but to a Wong Kar Wai movie. But if it was just about looks, the charm would fade fast. It’s not: everything else is spot on.

Service is relaxed and efficient. The menu mimics those old photocopied neighborhood Chinese delivery menus, but behind it lies a carefully crafted, quality offer. Starters include Jing Sui Dan — a savory steamed egg flan with smoked shiitake broth and ikura roe, pure umami — and the beef salad.

There are a couple of soups, then mains like orange chicken, kung pao, steamed fish, Cantonese-style lacquered pork, and roast duck.

Pro tip: the bathroom, very theatrical with its aquarium full of colorful fish, deserves a photo.

Where: Loyola 851, Villa Crespo.

“Alive and kicking,” like the Simple Minds song. Twenty-six years after opening, Sudestada remains an unmissable restaurant in Buenos Aires. It found the formula for success and survived the fading hype to become a classic — not an easy feat.

Its austere, uncluttered, bright dining room was designed by Horacio Gallo and features a single large clock on the wall. Longtime regulars and new diners cross paths here.

Leo Azulay’s cuisine is inspired by Southeast Asian flavors and preparations: spicy Bali-style ribs, pork dumplings with black vinegar, Thai curries, Vietnamese-style sautéed chicken, and pad thai (vegetarian, with prawns, or chicken) are some of the dishes you can try at this corner.

Pro tip: they offer one of the best value-for-money lunch menus in Palermo.

Where: Guatemala 5602, Palermo.

Máximo Togni is a different kind of chef (check out our interview with this star). Trained in fine dining, at some point he shifted toward more everyday cooking without abandoning technical rigor or standards. Obsessive. Detail-oriented. Creative. He wanted to make the best burger — and he did. Then he ventured into pizzas and pastries. His latest project is Evelia: a restaurant where he cooks what truly moves him.

There’s a lot of his childhood in Maipú and his grandmother Evelia’s cooking. Everything is made with top-quality ingredients — some local, some imported — and with careful attention to detail. He arguably has the best bread basket in Buenos Aires (featured in our ranking of the best bread baskets).

Pasta is a highlight: don’t miss the fusilli al fierrito with Bolognese ragù and stracciatella, gnocchi with stew, and agnolotti with meat, parmesan cream, and 24-hour cooking juice. The milanesa de lomo (plain or napolitana) also shines, with several side options. Prices are very competitive. A must-visit.

Pro tip: Evelia’s ice creams, made by pastry chef Rosina Buetto, deserve their own chapter — exquisite, with flavors like zabaglione, pistachio, and always a special or seasonal one.

Where: Campos Salles 1712, Nuñez.

Still quite low-profile, it doesn’t regularly appear on lists, press notes, or influencer reels. It maintains a somewhat secret aura. But the restaurant of veteran chef Tatu Rizzi and his wife, Salteña Meme Saravia, is charming for many reasons. From the facade, it’s hard to guess the cozy decor reminiscent of an old house — checkerboard floors, antique furniture, mirrors, a plant-filled patio — the dining room is warm and inviting.

The heart of El Imperfecto is a clay oven that produces most of the dishes and perfect empanadas based on a recipe from a Salteña lady who once worked in Meme’s family home. They’re so good they had to open a separate spot nearby just for empanadas (some of our city favorites).

Another quirk: originally, there was no gas in the place, so almost everything was cooked over wood fire, from starters to some desserts. Braised pork belly, oven-baked eggplant, daily catch fish, flatbread tortillas cooked in embers with grilled sweetbreads or sweet chili prawns are some dishes. For dessert, try the warm cookie with dulce de leche sauce and ice cream — it takes about fifteen minutes to bake but is worth the wait.

Pro tip: good wine list featuring many Salteña labels.

Where: Gascón 1417, Palermo.

Chuí opened in 2021 in what was once a blacksmith’s shed, in a quiet area between Chacarita and Villa Crespo. It was renovated stylishly without losing its industrial vibe, and the garden was designed with native plants. At night, with trains passing by and tables lit among the trees, the place has a certain poetry.

Its owners — four friends including some gastronomes and architect Ivo Lepes — cleverly designed a vegetarian menu without emphasizing it, so no one feels excluded. And it worked.

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The current chef is young and talented Kenji Heanna. You can start with a drink at the entry bar, then move to the dining room, where a huge open kitchen previews what’s coming.

The offer includes small plates, main courses, and pizzas like sweet potato with pickled oyster mushrooms, basil pesto, and cashews, or the classic marinara. Many vegan and gluten-free options, such as mushroom pâté with celery pickles and house vinegar, or Calahorra peppers cooked over wood fire with harissa sauce and fried sage.

Pro tip: there’s a mushroom fruiting room on the side of the dining room where they grow the mushrooms used on the menu.

Where: Loyola 1250, Villa Crespo.

Korean cuisine is all the rage in Buenos Aires. With kimchi as its flagship, it has slowly but surely conquered the local palate. Today, the city boasts many Korean restaurants, many beyond their traditional neighborhoods — Bajo Flores and Floresta.

Una Canción Coreana is one of the most emblematic. Opened in 2012, in the same spot where a family bazaar used to be. Its owner, Ana Cheong, a lyrical singer, had a clear idea: create a “friendly” restaurant for Argentines, not limited only to the Korean community, as many such places used to be.

Waiters circulate with carts loaded with tempting dishes. The menu is extensive and almost everything works: a variety of soups (kimchi or oriental cabbage with ribs), bulgogi with or without broth, sautéed pork, Korean-style baby octopus, a variety of mandu, and many vegan and vegetarian options so no one’s left out.

Pro tip: they also offer banquet sets for 2 to 8 people, curated by the house. Ideal for beginners, the curious, or the undecided.

Where: Carabobo 1549, Bajo Flores.

One of the places tourists should be taken to get a quick glimpse of what — or what once was — porteño culture. La Sarita is not a classic bodegón but is inspired by them, recalling a golden era of bodegones or cantinas with long tables, professional waiters, and feasts lasting until the early morning. Florencia Estrella and Federico Otero fell in love with an old café from 1934 languishing on a corner in Florida and didn’t stop until they rented it. “We knew it was for us,” they say.

They created a retro dream, with photos of Argentine idols, colorful objects, ’60s music, and bow-tied waiters. It’s objectively beautiful — a passport to another era of Argentina. The kitchen also pays homage: spectacular pepper steak with fries, tongue in vinaigrette, mushroom chicken breast with noisette potatoes, and homemade ossobuco ravioli with pomarola sauce. Butter curls, vermouth, and flan. Beauty.

Pro tip: the popular milanesa napolitana is perfect for sharing between two or three.

Where: España 506, Florida.

After a four-year break, Don Carlos — or Carlitos, as many know it — made its much-anticipated return at the end of 2024. This iconic cantina of the Zinola family faces La Bombonera stadium and has hosted guests from Anthony Bourdain and Marta Minujín to the two Francises: Ford Coppola and Mallmann.

You have to know what you’re getting into: it’s not an ordinary restaurant. No menu, no staff, no formal service. There’s mom Marta in the kitchen, dad Carlitos in the dining room, and their daughter Gaby leading this new stage of the business, which opened in 1970 as a grocery store.

The experience feels like eating in a home with excellent cooking. From a small kitchen comes whatever Marta prepared that day, and you get to try a bit of everything. Depending on the moment, you might have fainá, fluffy Swiss chard fritters, tuna empanadas, ricotta croquettes, fried calamari... then pasta, always with delicate dough and tasty filling. Examples include spinach rotolos or crepes with perfect tomato sauce.

They keep bringing you food until you say “enough.” Everything is made with top-quality ingredients. It’s a unique spot in Buenos Aires where you can still eat Italian-rooted dishes with a view of La Bombonera — dishes that many households no longer make.

Pro tip: among Carlitos’s treasures is a mural painted directly on the wall by artist Marta Minujín, a regular there.

Where: Brandsen 699, La Boca.

Open for ten years, Casa Cavia has gone through different stages, and perhaps the current one is the best. Located in an impressive 1927 mansion in Palermo Chico, facing Plaza Alemania, the project is led by a group of very powerful women — a true dream team.

Head chef Julieta Caruso is talented, with years of experience at Mugaritz before returning to Argentina. In charge of the wine cellar is Delvis Huck, recently chosen by critic Tim Atkin as the country’s best sommelier. At the bar, Flavia Arroyo, one of the local scene’s top bartenders, creates subtle, minimalist cocktails. And running it all is the unstoppable owner, Lupe García.

The lunch menu is simpler and more casual than dinner, with dishes as beautiful as they are delicious: fried eggplant with yogurt, miso vinaigrette, and fresh herbs; semolina gnocchi with tomato, cheddar, and vinegar sauce. Dinner is more sophisticated, with less common ingredients and techniques, and prices go up a bit. Afternoon tea for two and the viral, super-chocolatey Bruce cake keep bringing new audiences to Casa Cavia.

Pro tip: pay attention to Arroyo’s alcohol-free cocktails — among the best in the city, alongside others we love.

Where: Cavia 2985, Palermo.

On a somewhat quiet street in Villa Crespo, behind a dark facade, hides one of the few fine dining restaurants left in Buenos Aires — Michelin-starred and fully legit.

Twenty-something Tomás Treschanski — check our interview — shook the scene when he opened Trescha in 2023: a high-end concept designed for high-end tourists and the few locals willing to pay a steep ticket.

The experience starts at the entry bar with snacks, then continues in the dining room, where the interaction between the ten diners per seating, the cooks, and the service team is constant. Everything happens in full view, with precision and elegance — like a ballet performance.

There are different menus (with or without pairing, including non-alcoholic pairing), the 14-course tasting changes periodically, and they added a quicker 9-course menu available Wednesday and Thursday in the first seating.

Working with about 500 producers across the country is key to securing exceptional raw materials. The same goes for wines, which include gems and special vintages stored in an underground cellar.

Pro tip: the experience lasts about two and a half hours and can continue afterward in the patio, at the bar, or in the test kitchen upstairs.

Where: Murillo 725, Villa Crespo.

Aramburu is the only restaurant in Argentina with two Michelin stars and a true fine dining reference. Gonzalo Aramburu opened it in 2007 after training in kitchens in the U.S. and Europe. In 2019, he moved it from Constitución to Recoleta, at the end of the charming Pasaje del Correo, which looks like a Parisian postcard.

The atmosphere is theatrical and sober: a nearly dark dining room with carefully directed spotlights that illuminate the food like a stage. The intense activity in the open kitchen balances the quiet room, where waiters move precisely to serve an 18-course tasting menu (with pairing option) that showcases the best Argentine terroir and ingredients. It’s a must.

Pro tip: one of the few restaurants in the country that belongs to the prestigious Relais & Châteaux league.

Where: Vicente López 1661, Recoleta.

MN Santa Inés is one of the most special restaurants in Buenos Aires. It operates in an old bakery in La Paternal, a huge space that once housed a baking room and three ovens. Since Jazmín Marturet arrived, she transformed it into something completely her own, personal, yet without completely erasing the traces of the past.

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You can choose a table in the first room — formerly the office — in the bright patio, or in what used to be the baking room. It only opens from Tuesday to Sunday at lunchtime, and it’s always full, even before it was recognized as a Bib Gourmand (good value for money) by the Michelin Guide.

Jazmín’s passions are many, but mainly revolve around Southeast Asia, where she frequently travels to explore markets, learn techniques, and bring back ingredients — many of them spicy — which she then incorporates into her dishes.

The menu is brief and changes every two weeks, so the many regulars always find something new. Desserts, however, remain consistent.

The tip: Jazmín makes one of the best pavlovas in the city, no question, decorated with the freshest fruits she can find. Her key lime pie is also a must-try.

Where: Ávalos 360, La Paternal.

Roux is the stronghold in Recoleta of one of Argentina’s best chefs: Martín Rebaudino. A classic porteño restaurant, a refuge for good eating and drinking, with a loyal clientele since it opened eleven years ago on a prominent corner in the neighborhood.

In a kitchen barely 16 square meters, Martín and his team create wonders, relying on the extraordinary diversity of Argentine products. There is a tasting menu and also an à la carte option. Among its most iconic dishes stands the suckling pig from Ranchos prepared in the new Segovia style, with chimichurri and sweet potato purée.

Each product’s origin is clearly indicated: kid goat sweetbreads from Quilino (Córdoba), goat ricotta from Lunlunta (Mendoza), venison from Sierra de la Ventana (Buenos Aires), or spices from Cachi, Uspallata, and San Rafael, to name a few. It holds a Michelin recommendation.

The tip: very good wine list, with labels from all over Argentina.

Where: Peña 2300, Recoleta.

Mengano is a fine dining restaurant built on a very creative idea: reinterpreting the dishes of the traditional porteño bodegón. Facundo Kelemen struggled to make the public understand his proposal; for several years, his restaurant in Palermo went relatively unnoticed. But sustained work, coherence, and the impact of a recommendation in The New York Times changed its course.

Objectively, the place is beautiful: an old house with high ceilings and wooden openings, very well preserved, with an intimate yet electric atmosphere. The kind of bistro that embraces you and acts as a balm against everyday reality. Good music, good lighting, good wines, and very good food.

The serving of dishes is sequential — they don’t all arrive at the same time as in other places — which allows enjoying without rush. Must-tries: juicy lamb empanadas, grilled bell pepper, lamb tartare with fried bread, chipá soufflé gnocchi cacio e pepe, and the wagyu milanesa sandwich.

The tip: more than a tip, a recommendation: for dessert, order the free-spirited and indulgent version of rogel.

Where: Cabrera 5172, Palermo.

This year it won its first Michelin star, but it is a restaurant that after more than twenty years of history is an undisputed classic of the porteño scene.

Although it moved to a larger and more impressive space, the focus has always remained the same: working with products from the vast and rich Argentine sea. Chef Gabriel Oggero and his wife, Geri, share the command of the kitchen and dining room, the latter known for professional and impeccable service.

They have a captive clientele who have followed them since day one. Oggero has long promoted oyster consumption, which are one of the highlights of the menu. They are harvested in the open sea of Patagonia, in the town of Pocitos (Bahía San Blas), and at Crizia they are served in different ways: raw with torrontés vinegar, shallots and fresh lemon; with yuzu; gratinated with parmesan; or fried, topped with marine caviar and horseradish cream.

Crizia’s dining room — with high ceilings, open kitchen, and an impressive wine cellar — combines elegance and warmth with unmistakable charm.

The tip: they also hold a green star for their sustainability efforts.

Where: Fitz Roy 1819, Palermo.

Many tourists come to Buenos Aires knowing that during their stay they will eat at Don Julio or El Preferido — many come especially for that. This latter also has a solid legion of local fans.

The story is well known: on one of Palermo’s most beautiful corners, a traditional bodegón operated since 1952, famous for its Asturian fabada. When closure was announced, Pablo Rivero decided to buy it, restore it, expand it, and turn it into what it is today: a must-stop for those seeking the porteño bodegón experience with a twist, excellent raw materials, and great service.

Among its hits are the fainá with provolone, the sirloin milanesa, French fries, and, of course, two exceptional products developed by chef Guido Tassi: the charcuterie and artisanal ice creams. There are classic flavors — like sambayón and pistachio — and seasonal ones.

The tip: the bread, the homegrown vegetables, and the spit-roasted meats complete a proposal that never tires and invites rediscovery time and again.

Where: Jorge Luis Borges 2108, Palermo.

Mishiguene is the creation of chef Tomás Kalika and the mother dough from which other projects were born: Café Mishiguene, Rotisería Mishiguene, and Obrador Mishiguene. “Mishiguene” means “crazy” in Yiddish, a name that well sums up the spirit of a proposal that, ten years after its opening, continues to surprise with a cuisine of strong identity and emotion in every dish.

The dining room is chic and elegant, with low lights, wood and leather textures, and an imposing bar at the entrance. You can opt for a six-course tasting menu or order à la carte.

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The mezze plates are a must: kabocha hummus, babaganoush, muhammara (roasted pepper purée)… everything is fabulous. The most ordered main is the famous pastrón with bone: beef ribs cured for ten days in spices, accompanied by truffled farfalaj risotto. But there’s much more: potato varenikes, potato and truffle burekas, or Moroccan chernia. For dessert, the leicaj is mandatory.

The tip: on Fridays, there is a Shabbat celebration with live klezmer music.

Where: Lafinur 3368, Palermo.

Many chefs and restaurateurs look to Japan. The other side of the world inspires and enlightens them in techniques, ingredients, presentations, aesthetics. Perhaps that, plus the proven fascination of porteños with sushi, has led to the flourishing of many omakase in recent years. Nika, whose kitchen was initially put together by Leo Lanussol (a Japan fan), is one of our favorites.

The room is comfortable and sober, with a prominent bar and several tables here and there. At lunchtime, they offer a very convenient menu that can include soup, a perfect chirashi with the catch of the day, and a glass of wine. Another option is to surrender to the omakase and the chefs’ discretion. Among the hot dishes are octopus cooked in a kamado oven, katsudon, or Japanese omelette (okonomiyaki). Everything here is gluten-free. Good wine list.

The tip: a favorite of rockers and actors, it is located on the first floor of a building in Palermo, somewhat hidden, revealing itself only to those who always look a little further.

Where: Nicaragua 5952, Palermo.

TV producer, successful gastronome, and now also a figure on Glup, Time Out’s streaming platform, Mena Duarte shows her talent in various fields. When she opened Tita La Vedette, in Chacarita, she hit the right spot with an underserved niche: pasta factory, but exclusively vegan or plant-based pastas, as they prefer to say. Soon the queues of regular customers were a sign that there was a market for more. That’s how the idea of opening a full restaurant in a beautiful corner of La Paternal came about. That happened in 2023.

Tables with checkered tablecloths, soda siphons, flowers, and a charming atmosphere mixing the traditional with the contemporary. Vegan pastas remain the big stars, but the menu also includes other worthwhile options.

The tip: they recently started opening on Sunday nights, a day when options are usually scarce.

Where: Paz Soldán 4993, La Paternal.

Julio Martín Báez is one of the most admired chefs by his peers and a benchmark of his generation. When he opened Julia, a few months before the pandemic, he caused a stir with a proposal that brought fine dining creativity and rigor to everyday people. With barely one employee — and the two of them even sharing the sink — they served the 20 seats of the small venue in Villa Crespo with a clear objective: to grow slowly, steadily, and without setbacks.

Today, already consolidated and with several distinctions (Michelin recommendation, inclusion in Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants), Julia is one of the best places to eat in Buenos Aires.

There is a tasting menu option and also à la carte. The tasting menu allows trying some of Báez’s signature ingredients — like cordyceps, in ramen or carbonara versions — alongside products like oysters, prawns, and wagyu, treated with delicacy and sensitivity. The à la carte repeats some dishes but is broader, with about 15 options.

The tip: the ice cream deserves a special mention. You can find, for example, a strawberry and red vermouth sorbet, or raw milk ice cream from El Abascay with chocolate and olive cream.

Where: Loyola 807, Villa Crespo.

Maximiliano Rossi’s two restaurants could be on this list. We chose Picarón instead of Ultramarinos because it was the first to open and because in only five years it has become one of the most interesting bistros on the porteño scene. Although young, Rossi trained with Mauro Colagreco in the rigor and demand of the old school; with both businesses, he already has Michelin recommendations and is surely heading towards more achievements.

Located in Chacarita inside a coworking space, Picarón’s room is sober and modern. Part of the kitchen is visible, and watching the team in action adds to the appeal. There are dishes that are already house signatures, like tonnato maiale, made since day one from smoked pork shoulder, accompanied by vitel toné sauce, capers, and lattice potatoes. The menu is divided into cold and hot sections, instead of starters and mains, and the proposal is to order several dishes to share: squid with piperrade and nduja, Jerusalem artichoke millefeuille, and marinated spider crab are some options. For sweets, there are usually two or three types of ice cream, like saffron with apricot and almond brittle.

The tip: the talented Diana Mejías, one of Buenos Aires’ best sommeliers, handles the wines.

Where: Dorrego 866, Chacarita.

Born in 1953 as a general store and Spanish bodegón, founded by Galician immigrant Jesús Perlas and his wife, doña Lola. A neighborhood classic where homemade cooking — the cured ham sandwiches and rice pudding were hits — mixed with a spirit of gathering. Jesús’s corner.

In the early 21st century, after a two-year closure, Lo de Jesús reopened with a renewed proposal, where meat took center stage on the menu. Today, the cuts are protagonists: they are aged between 15 and 21 days for greater tenderness, roundness, and flavor depth. Must-tries include ribeye, T-bone, and five-rib short ribs, three choices that sum up the place’s carnivorous identity.

The tip: Jesús’s historic deli counter still forms part of the decoration, a nod to its origins as a store and bodegón.

Where: Gurruchaga 1406, Palermo.

Few places in Buenos Aires are as intense and endearing as Sarkis. Founded four decades ago and now run by the second generation of the Katabian family, it remains a temple of gathering: long tables, loud conversations, and Armenian cuisine that never slows down.

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The parade starts with mezze, a combo of small dishes ideal for sharing — must-tries include hummus and jambra, that vibrant paste of peppers, garlic, and walnut. Then come hearty main dishes like grilled lamb with yogurt or mante, a kind of open ravioli with spiced meat and broth. A happy ending? The Sarkis dessert cup: sweet, abundant, and perfect to wrap up the meal.

The tip: they don’t take reservations, and yet, it’s always packed.

Where: Thames 1101, Villa Crespo.

It stands out among the options in Puerto Madero. Elegant, fancy, contemporary, well-thought-out and executed, Cauce earned a Michelin recommendation shortly after opening. The key is the obsessive search for top-quality products, across all categories on the menu: meats, cheeses, vegetables, fish.

The space is large, with well-differentiated areas: if the sun is out, the terrace by the dock fills up. At night, the dining room takes center stage with dark tones, English green, and golden accents.

The specialty is the grill, with cuts like five-rib Argentine short ribs, slow-cooked emperor ribs, or classic ribeye. For seafood lovers, there’s Spanish octopus, iron-grilled prawns, or Patagonian trout. For dessert, the house’s lava cake is a must.

The tip: the owners of Cauce are about to open a new restaurant, this time pasta-focused: Casa Veltri, in a historic Recoleta mansion.

Where: Alicia M. de Justo 440, Puerto Madero.

It opened this year near the Hippodrome and quickly became one of Palermo’s must-visit spots. Checkpoint Charlie takes its name from the border crossing between East and West Germany during the Cold War.

With a contemporary design, a 280-square-meter glass space where a bar plays a leading role, it welcomes diners early in the day.

As for the menu, created by chef Edgar Pronio, it includes nods to various European cuisines: Spain, Italy, Germany, all without losing the Argentine touch. Spaghetti carbonara, soufflé gnocchi, daily fish a la vizcaína, wiener schnitzel, or the classic fish & chips are some of the dishes, along with sandwiches, salads, and great pastries. All in all, the all-day dining spot Buenos Aires was missing.

The tip: offers valet parking.

Where: Dorrego 3590, Palermo.

The pasta renaissance in Buenos Aires came hand-in-hand with chefs Lucas Canga, Clara Corso, and Félix Balbini. During the pandemic, they began experimenting with different filled pastas and sauces — initially as a hobby, later for delivery sales.

The chance to take the next step came when they found a corner in Martínez where a previous project had failed. In just a few days, they gave it a facelift and opened Mad Pasta House, now one of the busiest restaurants in the northern suburbs (open for lunch and dinner).

Among the starters are small plates featuring seasonal vegetables — a perfect warm-up for the pastas. The Nino Bergese raviolone — with a filling and sauce that change seasonally — is a must, as are the linguini cacio e pepe with sirloin milanesa.

The tip: the menu changes with the seasons and can include caramelle, cappellacci, or other rarely seen pasta shapes in the city.

Where: Av. del Libertador 13797, Martinez.