7 Restaurants for a High-End Lunch in Buenos Aires

Since 1998, Estilo Campo has been one of the steakhouses that define the culinary identity of Puerto Madero, celebrating Argentine flavors in a warm, traditional setting. For those looking for a full lunch, the restaurant offers its reasonably priced “Lunch Menu” from Monday to Friday. It includes a starter, main course, drink, glass of wine and dessert or coffee, with several options for each course.

Starters include knife-cut beef empanadas, breaded mozzarella served over a pool of tomato sauce, and grilled vegetables. Main courses include grilled bife de chorizo with French fries or seasonal salad, spinach cannelloni with braised beef and Rossini sauce, and saffron risotto with vegetables and chicken. To finish, diners can choose homemade flan with dulce de leche and cream, dulce de leche pancakes served with ice cream, or artisanal ice cream. It's an experience that brings together Argentine cuisine, steakhouse favorites and classic Buenos Aires dishes in the heart of Puerto Madero.

Insider tip: The restaurant has been designated a Tourist Attraction of Interest. It's open for lunch from noon to 4pm and offers waterfront views.

Where: Av. Alicia Moreau de Justo 1840, Puerto Madero.

Having lunch at Evelia is a great way to experience one of Núñez's best-known restaurants without having to compete for a dinner reservation. The project by chef Máximo Togni —also the creator of Dogg, Togni's Pizza and Togni's Café— is named after his grandmother and showcases Italian-inspired cuisine, technical precision, quality ingredients and a personal touch. Recommended by the MICHELIN Guide, the restaurant is open Tuesday to Sunday from noon to 3:30pm and from 7:30pm to midnight. It's generally easier to get a table at lunchtime, while booking ahead is advisable for dinner, when the restaurant tends to fill up.

The dining room takes on a different atmosphere in the natural light, offering a more relaxed experience. The menu is exactly the same at both services, so diners can enjoy the restaurant's house-made charcuterie, its now-famous bread basket and an outstanding selection of handmade pasta at lunchtime, too. Recommended dishes include the charcuterie board with stracciatella and fried gnocco; fusilli al fierrito with Bolognese ragù and stracciatella; beef agnolotti with Parmesan cream and 24-hour cooking juices; and gnocchi with Evelia-style beef stew.

Insider tip: Save room for dessert. Try the profiterole with vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate, or one of the house-made ice creams prepared daily, especially the pistachio flavor.

Where: Campos Salles 1712, Núñez.

Visiting NESS at lunchtime is a great opportunity to discover one of Núñez's cult restaurants at a more relaxed pace. At the helm is Leo Lanussol, the chef who shook up Buenos Aires' dining scene with Proper. Here, he revisits that same restless, slightly punk spirit through a more mature cuisine focused on the quality of the ingredients.

The menu changes with the seasons, does away with the traditional division between starters and main courses, and allows diners to order many dishes in half portions—an open invitation to share and try more. To start, don't miss the wood-fired sourdough bread and the stuffed baby squid with Manchego cheese and lemon mayonnaise. Next, try the wreckfish with potato and mantecato, a seasonal vegetable cooked over the fire, and, to finish, the restaurant's now-famous halva flan.

Insider tip: Recognized by the MICHELIN Guide, NESS puts wood fire at the center of its cooking, using a grill, oven and griddle. The open kitchen is integrated into a spacious industrial-style dining room, where chefs work just a few feet from diners.

Where: Grecia 3691, Núñez, Buenos Aires.

Alcanfor proves that a high-end lunch can also be relaxed, efficient and enjoyable. Set in a welcoming house in Villa Crespo, chef Julián Galende serves seasonal contemporary cuisine rooted in relationships with small-scale producers and guided by a philosophy of making full use of ingredients. This commitment to sustainable gastronomy earned Alcanfor a MICHELIN Green Star in 2025 and 2026, in addition to a place among the guide's recommended restaurants.

At lunchtime, from noon to 3pm, the restaurant offers a rotating menu that changes daily. It typically includes a soup or salad to start, a choice of fish, chicken, another meat dish or a vegetarian option for the main course, and dessert. It's a particularly convenient way to discover Galende's cooking in a shorter, more accessible everyday format, while enjoying the same attention to detail that defines the evening service. Since the menu changes daily, it's worth letting the day's selection guide your choices. One recent combination included eggplant soup or chicken pâté with pickles; chicken with sesame sauce and stewed beans, fish with velouté and Brussels sprouts, or white polenta with Provençal-style oyster mushrooms; and quince ice cream with vanilla and cashew diplomat cream.

Insider tip: One recent menu featured eggplant soup or chicken pâté with pickles; chicken with sesame sauce and stewed beans, fish with velouté and Brussels sprouts, or white polenta with Provençal-style oyster mushrooms; and quince ice cream with vanilla and cashew diplomat cream.

Where: Aguirre 949, Villa Crespo.

On a corner in Belgrano, Corte Comedor brings a contemporary perspective to fire-cooked meat. The kitchen works exclusively with quebracho wood, highlighting classic cuts, dry-aged beef and artisanal sausages. At the helm is chef Santiago Garat, who trained in a rural setting and worked alongside Francis Mallmann. His approach revolves around the quality of the ingredients, open-fire cooking and making full use of the meat. The grill features entraña, rib-eye, center-cut short ribs, flank steak, bife de vacío and beef tenderloin paillard, alongside aged cuts such as half rib-eye and bone-in rib-eye.

The menu also features starters such as steak tartare, asado croquettes, provoleta and sweetbreads, along with vegetable dishes such as roasted carrots with smoked labneh and cheddar, and broccoli with fermented bean aioli. The dining room, with its high ceilings and bare tables, has a relaxed, contemporary feel. The wine list focuses on small wineries and less commercial labels, including Malbec Argentino by Catena Zapata, Pulenta Gran Cabernet Franc and Domaine Nico Grand Mère, as well as a selection of wines by the glass. Aperitifs and beers round out the offering, in an experience that celebrates meat, its origins and the craft of cooking over an open fire.

Insider tip: The kitchen works exclusively with quebracho wood, combining classic cuts, dry-aged beef and house-made artisanal sausages.

Where: Av. Olazábal 1391, Belgrano.

In Belgrano, Brava brings its world of meat, fire and wine to lunchtime with a well-priced executive menu. Available Monday to Friday from noon to 4pm, it includes a starter, main course, side dish, dessert, drink and coffee, offering a taste of this new restaurant specializing in meat. Starters include tongue with criollo-style aioli, a Wagyu brioche sandwich and clay-oven-roasted peppers and onions with goat cheese.

Main courses include an Angus strip-loin chop, lemon-tenderized matambre, clay-oven-roasted chicken and eye-of-round milanesa. The sides also get the fire treatment, with clay-oven-roasted sweet potato and squash, French fries and leafy greens. Everything is served in a contemporary dining room designed by Estudio Zunino Grillo, where a large wine cellar takes center stage and the open-fire kitchen is on full display.

Insider tip: Brava has around 130 wine labels, alongside cocktails and other drinks. This lunchtime menu goes beyond the standard office lunch, staying true to the restaurant's identity: quality ingredients, fire, wine and technique.

Where: Mariscal Antonio José de Sucre 676, Belgrano.

In the heart of Puerto Madero, Villegas Resto gives Argentine steakhouse cuisine a contemporary twist, focusing on carefully selected meats, premium cuts and a menu designed to pair fire-cooked dishes with excellent wines. The spacious, elegant restaurant has several distinct areas, outdoor seating and river views. The grill features classics such as rib-eye, bife de chorizo, flank steak and asado de tira, alongside specialty cuts including tomahawk, porterhouse, beef tenderloin skirt and picanha. The menu also ventures beyond meat with dishes such as burratina with smoked salmon, avocado cream and tomato pesto, potato mille-feuille with guacamole and grilled prawns, and house-made pasta.

For a leisurely finish, the cocktail menu includes classics such as Negroni, Aperol Spritz and Campari Orange. Meat, wine and a table overlooking the river: a plan that aims to take the Buenos Aires steakhouse experience to another level in Puerto Madero.

Insider tip: Wine plays a central role here. The restaurant has a temperature-controlled cellar with room for 1,600 bottles and around 300 Argentine labels. Options include Bramare Malbec, Gran Enemigo Agrelo, Angélica Zapata Malbec and Rutini Malbec, as well as a selection by the glass.

Where: Avenida Alicia Moreau de Justo 1050, Puerto Madero.