Gaucho100K

For high end Cow.... Le Grill in Puerto Madero has been getting very good reviews.

jason8612

I went to Aramburu. The food was amazing. Well worth it.

boar

Any suggestions for decent lamb restaurants?

Cheers

Gaucho100K

Many places have lamb on the Menu.... most high-end dead cow (parrillas) will have various lamb options.... and some non parrilla places will also feature Cordero Patagonico.

You looking for something specific (cut)....?

Eastbay1K

This time of year, the spring lamb probably all comes from Congelado Farms. That isn't to say it can't be good, but if it hasn't been stored properly, it may not be.

boar

Cheers. I was after Cordero Patagonico. Was just wondering whether any restaurants had a reputation for it.

Gaucho100K

Cordero Patagonico (prepared in different ways) will be on the Menu at various locations. I would suggest the following locations:

- Pura Tierra
- Le Grill
- La Cabania
- Chila
- Las Nazarenas
- La Brigada

Eastbay1K

After being pestered for some time by someone who has been wanting to eat at Aramburu, I finally gave in and went on this trip. http://www.arambururesto.com.ar/

It is one of the finer Buenos Aires tasting menu restaurants. On the "world stage," it wasn't that expensive, but for here, it was not inexpensive.

My verdict, 24 hours later, is that I enjoyed my meal, it was fun, but nothing much was memorable. Presentation was excellent. Dishes were creative in appearance, but tastes overall were ok to good, but other than the crispy piggy skin, there weren't a lot of "this is really yummy" bites. The vegetable purees, while I'm sure came from the finest of vegetables, made me think that Gerbers is missing a jar or two somewhere. I didn't mind anything about dinner, and had a good time. I actually ordered a bottle of French wine, as the "price was right" and it seemed like it would go well with the expected meal, and it did (as no menu is presented, but she described that only the last 2 courses would be meat.) So, the white lasted through most of the meal, and we each ordered a glass of red to tide us through the end. A wine paring was available for AR$250 each, which seemed steep, but may or may not have been.

Service was acceptable, polite, but not polished.

To put it best, it was as if this well-executed and pretty food lacked alma.

I have now been to 3 higher-end tasting menus in this city, in the eternal search for something more interesting than the standard porteńo fare.

My verdicts are as follows:
(1) El Baqueano. I've been 3 times. Or is it 4 times? In any event, this is my favorite. From service, to food, to the soul in the food (even if I don't love every course), it is a pleasure to eat there. And drink there. Note - this restaurant is not for everyone.
(2) Pura Tierra. I've been 2 or 3 times. Only once did I have the tasting menu. I like the space. It is a decent place. I don't love the place. I wouldn't hesitate to return if someone wanted to go.
(3) Aramburu. I wouldn't avoid the place, but I'd be hard pressed to return (unless someone insisted, and took me as a guest) given the price, and given that I would pass right by El Baqueano on the way.

HIDDY

Why do you say that Eastbay1K? Forewarned is forearmed.

Good reviews. ^

SoFlyOn

Nothing ventured, nothing gained! And I did persuade you to return to El Baqueano earlier in the year (and it's so close to you, but not so much for me).

Aramburu's location is not the best, and the interior space is OK but not nearly what you'd expect for this type of restaurant or the price. Presentation of the food was excellent and innovative, but a little too "precious" in my opinion. While you won't go hungry, I think a lesser number of courses where you could have had more than a bite or two would have been more satisfying. But it was a very interesting experience, and I'd also happily return if someone else was paying for it

The wine was a Melon de Bourgogne, which was excellent. I suspect that the matched wine pairings would probably be good, given the quality of the wines by the glass.

Service was good but unpolished, and given that they obviously have a significant number of English-speaking tourists, they should have been better at describing the courses (they would mix up English and castellano).

El Baqueano wins hands down in comparison (and especially in value). If El Baqueano served quail, I'd expect it to have the same alma as Tita's Codorniz en salsa de Pétalos de Rosa, or maybe Babette's Cailles en Sarcophage

SoFlyOn

The restaurant specializes in cocina autóctona ... so if you're not game ...

HIDDY

Ah.....cannibal food. Do portenos taste good?

SoFlyOn

Methinks more like roadkill. Which is quite apropos given the driving habits of the locals

Eastbay1K

Yes, a couple other notes on that point. Some areas could have used a serious paint job and wall repair, and the men's room toilet did not flush. Fortunately, there was just a lot of "#1" in there when I walked in so I didn't need to toss my "precious" cookies.

The wine list was interesting but had quite a few of the known local labels. Contrast this with El Baqueano, which, unless one has a degree in ArgEnology, one would have likely never encountered any of the wines on the list.

HIDDY

^

Good observation. Most restaurant/cafe toilets in BA I've been in leave a lot to be desired. (no pun intended).

Alto Palermo shopping centre toilets are to be applauded however. ^