Best steak house in Buenos Aires
 

Can anyone recommend their favorite/the best place to get an Argentinian steak? This is my first trip to Argentina and I recall the steaks in Brazil being excellent. Thanks

Steaks and beef products are beyond excellent in Buenos Aires. Once you get to Patagonia, lamb is incredible. If you are a little adventurous, I would try more than just steaks. Kidneys, sweetbreads, blood sausage, chorizos, bull balls, intestines are all yummy.
You will get a lot of advice on high end steak places. My 2 favorite places are La Estancia (LaValle 941 in the downtown area) and across from that is El Palacio de las Papas Fritas. The latter has great meat, steaks and other dishes and the most amazing fried potatoes called papas souflee which are puffed fried potatoes.
Both places are very reasonably priced, they are in the "tourist area" but they have been there for at least 40 years and still going strong.
By the way, make sure you order Charlotte almendrado for dessert. An iced desert cake with crunchy almonds and chocolate.

Before I give you a list of some places to consider... perhaps you can explain what you expect from a Steakhouse? The reason I ask this is that in Argentina, we dont really have Steakhouses (outside of those created for the tourists), simply because beef/meat/steaks are served at just about every restaurant and every street cafe.

If you want a US-style Steakhouse experience, as in a relatively upscale establishment, with service on the formal side, etc.... then I would come up with one list... now, if you just want to eat the best beef, and are flexible on ambiance/decor and how elaborate the service is... then the list would be completely different.

Please give us some feedback and I will join others in listing their favorite locations...

That answer for me please, for a 4-day trip to BA in April.

Thanks for your response. I simply want the best cut of beef/quality of steak. That is much more important than the decor or even the service. Thanks for your help.

Also if you could direct me or offer suggestion as to where some of the better places to get Cuban cigars may be I would appreciate it. Thanks for your help.

As I'm sure Gaucho100K will point out, there are oodles of good steak restaurants in BA. I'll just name one well-known favorite which is Cabaña Las Lilas, in the old docklands of Puerto Madero. Food is all-round excellent, good ambiance, prices high by BA standards but reasonable by international standards. Expect a pretty touristy experience as most of the customers will likely be English-speaking foreigners. Reservations recommended in my experience unless you're arriving before 21:00 or after midnight.

but I am will to bet that he doesnt say it is the "best" Most expensive, most touristy but not the best.

You probably can't go wrong in BA anywhere when ordering beef.

The menus intrigued me. Pictures of the cows first on the outside, then sketches of where various parts are located, then pictures of the raw meat, and finally pictures of the cooked products. I grew up on a farm so was OK with the detail, but thought I'd mention it so you aren't surprised.

I also learned the hard way that when I asked for a glass of "cold" milk, they heard "calde" and I got a glass of milk heated to near boiling, served on a plate with a doily. And the waiter had a very puzzled look as to why I should want such a thing.

Romelle

Don Julio's just down the road from where we were staying at the BoBo Hotel in Palermo, ate there three times last year, the service, the wine, the steaks were exceptional.

http://gridskipper.com/travel/buenos...lio-309689.php

http://www.fodors.com/world/south%20...ty_193580.html

Without discussing the relative merits of steaks at El Palacio de las Papas Fritas (they really are good) I would be remiss if I did not mention this: there are two different Palacios on Lavalle, one is the above mentioned on the 900 block but in my experience the other one on Lavalle 735 is unquestionably superior. And while the Charlotte almendrado is certainly beyond reproach, that dessert pales in comparison with the world famous Panqueque de Manzana Quemado al Rhum. Try that and tell me you won't soon be back for more!

I will come back later today and post more details... but for now, I will point out that Cabaña Las Lilas is IMO one of the places that I suggest avoiding like the pest.

Some reasons for this include:

- food & service quality is very volatile (inconsistent)

- if you go there during peak hours on a busy day, you are almost assured rushed & impersonal service, with your beef many times arriving cold

- very impressive wine list (in its printed version, a-la-telephone book), but they fail to deliver the correct vintage more times than not as their cellar has a huge turnover and the wine list is never updated. prices for wines are highway robbery

- prices are crazy (i.e. very expensive) for EZE standards

- its not an authentic Argentine experience.... its like a transplanted New York Steakhouse in the middle of Puerto Madero

Many folks ask me.... why is the place packed all the time...? Well, the management that runs the restaurant is very shrewd, they have all the concierge & front-desks at the major hotels properly greased.... so anytime a distracted and ill-informed tourist walks up to a concierge or front desk, they get sent to Las Lilas like cattle. Also, they have a very aggresive media & advertising agency that makes sure that all the journalists coming to EZE to write some piece on the city gets a meal there and will review/write about it.

While I actually like Cabana Las Lilas, maybe it's because I'm a gringo :)

One of my favorites is Parilla 1880, on Defensa in San Telmo...Man I'm jealous. Nine months without leaving India is leaving me drooling for beef.

I've only been to the other Cabaña - the one in Rodríguez Peña near Avenida Alvear. How do the two compare?

It is rated far below the other one, The Guía Oleo is a pretty decent on line ratings service for dining in Buenos Aires. Better used as a guide rather than gospel but a good place to start.

http://www.guiaoleo.com.ar/detail.php?ID=620

My two cents is take a pass on both of them. Cabaña Las Lilas used to be just overpriced but offering good food and service, now it is overpriced with so so food and poor service.

Sam

Cabaña Las Lilas is way over rated. Their cubierto, which includes some appetizers, many that I would never buy, is way expensive for EZE. I often find many small and medium places that are much better.

Among these: Yugo's in Recoleta, and l'Alliance on Cordoba near 9 de Julio (almost next to the to be avoided Chacra). At both of these places, you can find a nice big steak in the 20 peso range, or low 30 pesos.

Unfortunately, I have been in Cabana at Rodríguez Peña. It is one of the worst restaurants I have ever been: bad food, bad service, expensive. I believe it belongs to the Orient Express Group

I liked this

http://www.guiaoleo.com.ar/detail.php?ID=1399

....

Cabrera and Cabrera Norte

Check it out at the link samftla posted.

FT members like also
El Establo
Paraguay 489 - Ciudad de Buenos Aires
Tel: 4311-1639

I checked it out. Very friendly and helpful staff, pretty good steaks, not expensive .. actually pretty cheap
http://www.guiaoleo.com.ar/detail.php?ID=886

BTW, I still don't know which is the best beef to order .. something like Baby*** or Lomo?!?
Any idea why Argentina beef is (mostly) *NOT* tender?

we just had a great lunch,,,, proveleta, ensalda and lomo and malbec at Yugo and sadly getting ready to return to states tonight,,, will pass on AA' s "dinner" in J.. not worth anything after late lunch in BA.... I will just ask for wine and to be left to sleep..

For those that want to have a real Argentine beef experience... here are some cuts that you need to try. Please note that Im sticking with regular cuts of beef, no kidneys sweetbreads and other specialties... although I think they are great... most visitors have trouble with straying too far away from the more traditional cuts.

1) Asado de Tira. Argentine style short ribs.
2) Vacio. Not sure what the US name for this is.
3) Entraña. Similar to what Mexicans call Arrachera.
4) Matambre. Not sure on name either

Please note that the above cuts are for serious carnivores... focus is on flavour, not tenderness... and some of the cuts can tend to be chewey. If you are the beef eater that thrives tender tender tender, then you must tread these waters with care.

Ft member Saltshaker has an excellent guide on his website based on cut of meat:

http://www.saltshaker.net/restaurant...ate-parrillada

Very informational!

My favorite was El Establo followed by Rio Alba. Please note though that I have only visited one time and have yet to make may way to many of the places that come recommended.

Ft member Saltshaker has an excellent guide on his website based on cut of meat:

http://www.saltshaker.net/restaurant...ate-parrillada
http://www.saltshaker.net/restaurant...aurant-reviews

Very informational!

My favorite was El Establo followed by Rio Alba. Please note though that I have only visited one time and have yet to make may way to many of the places that come recommended.

Most of what I have read recently has been negative. It seems at one time it might have been good but has turned into mostly a tourist trap now.

Let me add a vote for La Brigada:
Estados Unidos 465 (at Bolivar) in San Telmo

I also second the suggestion of Cabrera and Cabrera Norte (service, atmosphere and price are all a bit more polished here - and it has more of a yuppie crowd...not that that is necessarily a bad thing). One thing we liked about Cabrera was that the steaks were served with a bunch of side dishes (think tapas) that were quite good.

If you get tired of Steak check out Nemo for some rocking good seafood.


Ahh....I can't wait until I go back in August!

Great thread. Now I have a lot of new places to check out in my month's vacation in EZE that starts in 2 weeks! :)

Excellent recommendation by VPescado... ^

Nemo is the place for relatively inexpensive seafood in Buenos Aires, menu updated daily based on what is delivered fresh to their establishment.

For a high end option... Oviedo is IMO the best top end choice for Fish & SeaFood. They also have one of the best wine lists in EZE, with rotating specials of top wines of previous vintages at reduced prices.

I really like the Rio Alba. (Palermo) Not far from the US Embassy, but not many tourists this far out. Very near the Chistopher Columbo Apt. Hotel. Very good food, reasonable prices, great service, and authentic.

Also lots of great, but non-tourist restaurants in the Las Colinas (sp?) area on Baez Street. Super area for drinks, food, and getting the local atmosphere.

list of meats
 

Not sure where I go this from.

BEEF - CARNE DE RES
Aguja - Chuck, Chuck Roast from immediately in back of neck (cogote)
Asado / Asado de Tira - Rib Roast, Short Rib Roast
Azotillo - a Shoulder cut
Bife Ancho - Rib Eye Steaks, Prime Rib, Rib Eye Roast,
Bife Angosto - Strip SteakPorterhouse Steak
Bife a la Rueda - Round Steak
Bife de Alcatra - Sirloin Steak
Bife de Costilla - T-Bone Steaks
Bife de Chorizo - like a Strip Steak
Bife de Lomo - Tenderloin / "filet mignon"
Bofe - Lungs
Bola de Lomo - Sirloin Tip Roast
Carnaza - Stewing Beef
Carne Picada - Ground Beef
Chinchulín - upper segment of the Small Intestine
Chorizo - Spicy Sausage
Cogote - Neck
Colita de Cuadril - Rump Steak
Corazón - Heart
Costilla - Rib
Criadilla - Testicle of young beef
Cuadrada - Bottom Round-Stewing or Strogonoff Beef
Cuadril - Rump Roast, Rump Steaks
Entraña - Skirt Steak
Escondido -
Falda - Skirt Steak (diaphragm)
Falda con hueso - Skirt steak with bone
Hígado - Liver
Lengua - Tongue
Lomo - Tenderloin
Marucha - Short Ribs
Matambre - Flank Steak
Milanesa - Minute Steak
Mollejas - Sweetbreads
Mondongo - one of the stomachs
Morcilla - Blood Sausage
Nalga - Round Stewing Beef, standing rump
Ojo de Bife - Ribeye
Ossobuco - Shin
Paleta - Shoulder Roast, blade steak
Palomita - Butterfly Cut near Shoulder Roast
Peceto - Round Steaks, Roast Eye of Round
Pecho - Brisket
Rabo - Oxtail
Riñones - Kidneys
"Ros Bif" - Roast Beef (you'll sometimes see on menus)
Sesos - Brains
Tapa de Asado - Rib Cap Roast
Tapa de Nalga - Cap of Round Roast
Tapa de Cuadríl - Cap of Rump Roast
Tortuguita - a portion of the Rump
Tripa Gorda - Large Intestine
Ubre - Udder
Vacío - Flank Steak

OTHER MEATS
Cabrito - Goat
Cerdo - Pork
Cordero - Lamb
Lechón or Lechoncito - Suckling Pig
Pato - Duck
Pollo - Chicken
Ternera - Veal

The above list is from one of the BsAs threads. IIRC it was provided by JDiver and requires some corrections - in particular chorizo in Argentina is not spicy.

A couple of useful links to add to the discussion however:

Gaucho waxes poetic about steak. I believe this post convinced me I needed to visit BsAs

Argentina on two steaks a day

I would suggest their second location La Brigada on Peña 2475 (Barrio Norte/Recoleta), much smaller, less tourists, much better service and I think better steaks all around.

Sam

We just returned from BA and had terrific steaks, everywhere. Not a bad one in the bunch and all were cooked to order; "jugoso" as medium rare. Our "favorite" spots were:

La Cabrera - everything was great, including a half order of sausage to start. However, they've changed the way they cook their provelta, I think I preferred the former method. Overall the spot is superb, and very crowded. We arrived at midnight and the restaurant was packed.

La Brigada, on Pena. Excellent also. Yet, some seemed to like the entrana better than the bife de chorizo. Good service, enjoyable atmosphere, great salads too.

El Establo. Some thought the steak here had the most flavor. A bit less expensive than some of the other spots. Good atmosphere, nice mixed salad and very good service.

Also, don't miss El Sanjuanino, on Posadas, for absolutely the best empanadas we've had anywhere, though there's a debate, as always, as to where the absolute "best" empanadas can be found in BA. About $1 an empanada and we ordered more than a dozen for four people. A great spot.

Also, the wines lists in BA obviously have more Argentine selections then you will ever find elsewhere. Many from vineyards I had never heard of. If there's a sommelier at the restaurant, or someone who knows more than the waiter, he is worth searching out.
Have fun. BA is a terrific city.

sam,,,,shame on you...now it will be packed..and as in all recommendations of La Brigada do not forget to mention no hats..

Great catch, VPescado!!! Thanks for bringing back that thread from so long ago... ^ :D

Too late...:(

thanks.
I had saved it on a word document for my travels to buenos aires and could not remember where it came from.

La Brigada was closed when I went by yesterday. :( Possible remodeling? It said it was closed until March 23 or 24.

I have enjoyed several of the other recommended places, though. Great thread!

Wirelessly posted (Palm TX: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows 98; PalmSource/Palm-D050; Blazer/4.3) 16;320x448)

deleted

I made a reservation at San Telmo La Brigada prior to arriving in BsAs. After reading the posts in this thread, I decided to switch to the other La Brigada.

At my request, the hotel concierge called Hugo (owner of La Brigada) to change my reservation from one restaurant to the other, but was told that the Barrio Norte (BN) restaurant is permanently closed. Hugo had asked his daughter to run the BN restaurant, but he ended up taking care of both restaurants. The stress led to some health issues for Hugo and he decided to close the BN restaurant. He is currently planning on expanding the San Telmo one.

This information is current as of March 18, 2008.

Hello everybody, I'm new to this forum. I've been reading comments from all of you and it's very educational and encouraging. Many people here in this forum including Gaucho 100K have been stating La Brigada is the best steak house in Buenos Aires. I have a plan to visit there in upcoming August. Anyway I've found that their el 'corte especial' has been mentioned numerous times as their best as well as the kind of top secret cut. I'm wondering if any of you tried it there before and will really appreciate if somebody posts the description and the picture of it.

I was by there last weekend - it looks like a major expansion is going on, but the San Telmo one was open with quite a Sunday afternoon crowd out in front waiting.

The cut is indeed a sort of mystery... but if you ask me, its basically a rib-eye cut differently and with sides of additional cuts in the same general area of the animal. Also, please note that this mystery cut changes from cut to cut (if you ask me thats why they like to make it a secret). One additional issue to consider is that depending on who is at the helm of the grill the day you visit, this special cut may only be available in the super rare version that La Brigada is known for. This is usually OK with serious carnivores, but folks that like their meat (over)cooked had better ask if you can order this cut to your liking.