The Best Casual Restaurants in Buenos Aires

Offering an exceptional meat feast, Don Julio is known for its grilled sweetbreads and outside skirt. The restaurant also takes good care of its vegetables and offers a selection of Argentine wines. It's a welcoming place, decorated like a neighborhood restaurant, where families and individuals alike can enjoy a meal.

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Mitsuharu Tsumura

Chef – Lima, Peru

I love to go to Buenos Aires to have grilled sweetbreads. Don Julio is known for their sweetbreads, and actually the outside skirt is also very good. The wine cellar has maybe the best wines is Argentina.

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Offering a relaxed dining experience, El Preferido de Palermo serves a variety of dishes inspired by Argentina's multicultural cuisine. The restaurant's menu features traditional Argentine snacks, international main courses, and classic desserts like crêpes with dulce de leche. Visitors often leave satisfied, whether they're families looking for a nice lunch, groups of friends seeking a good time, or food enthusiasts in search of great food and wine.

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Pía León

Chef-Restaurateur – Lima, Peru

When in Argentina, I always go to El Preferido. It's a really nice and cool place. There you will find amazing dishes of vegetables and amazing Milanesas. The serve really traditional things, but the place is super nice. I always recommend El Preferido.

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With a focus on life-inspired dishes, Ácido is a place where good food is the priority. The menu, carefully curated by Nicolas who has worked at numerous Michelin-starred restaurants, is reminiscent of hearty, grandmother-style meals from around the world. One of the standout dishes includes the raw kibbe, a testament to Nicolas' Armenian roots and frequent visits to Sarkis, a well-known Armenian restaurant.

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Irina Widuczynski

Food blogger – Buenos aires, Argentina

Life inspired dishes in an unpretentious setting Nicolas worked at many Michelin stars around the world but when he came back to Buenos Aires he wanted to do one thing: good food. Inspired by his life and by the food of grandmas around the world he created Acido. Every dish is there for a reason and has been carefully thought out. “We’ve seen nicely decorated dishes, now it’s time to go back to eating good food,” he tells me. My current crush is the raw kibbe, inspired by the hundreds of times that he and his family visited Sarkis, an Armenian staple in the city.

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Anchoita Cava is a well-established restaurant, known for its impressive wine shop featuring wines from Argentina and around the world. The place also prides itself on offering more than 100 varieties of cheese from various regions, along with their own charcuterie and a selection of dishes showcasing the best of Argentina's produce. Despite its popularity, the restaurant offers impeccable service and does not require reservations.

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Irina Widuczynski

Food blogger – Buenos aires, Argentina

Wine & cheese bar with amazing produce Anchoita is a staple restaurant in Buenos Aires, that’s almost impossible to get a reservation to. And two years ago they opened their wine shop, one of the most spectacular places in the city. Wines of Argentina and the world by glass or bottle, more than 100 varieties of cheese from all over the country, charcuterie from their own production and others and a small selection of dishes that feature all of the best produce Argentina has to offer. On top of that, service is impeccable and no reservation needed!

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ApuNena is a cozy corner spot that specializes in Southeast Asian dishes with a strong Filipino influence. The menu offers a range of traditional to modern dishes, including standout offerings like a poke bowl featuring golden, lightly charred sweetbreads and classic steamed dumplings dusted with crispy shiitake shavings and green onion slivers. The restaurant is a collaborative venture between friends Christina Sunae and Flor Ravioli, who bring a refreshing touch to grandma ApuNena's recipes, blending national products with Asian flavors.

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Dan Perlman

Chef, Sommelier, Writer – Buenos Aires, Argentina

The casual off-shoot of Cantina Sunae, this small corner spot specializes in Southeast Asian, leaning Filipino, dishes with presentations and combinations that run the gamut from traditional to modern to new creations. Not to be missed is the poke bowl made with golden, lightly charred sweetbreads nor the classic steamed dumplings dusted with crispy shiitake shavings and green onion slivers.

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Specializing in fresh salads and falafels, Artemisia offers a delightful lunch experience. Their dishes are praised for their freshness and quality, with the dessert selection also receiving positive feedback. It's a place where you can enjoy a delicious, healthy meal in a pleasant atmosphere.

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Margaux Koopman

Foodie – London, United Kingdom

The best lunch spot in Buenos Aires. Really delicious salad plates with falafels, lovely fresh vegetables and good deserts too.

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Situated at the foot of a pedestrian bridge on a cul-de-sac, Cang Tin offers an interesting twist on Vietnamese and Thai street food for those who prefer dining in. The restaurant is known for its bright, vibrant flavors and friendly service, making every visit a delightful culinary journey. Don't miss out on their signature dishes - the drunken noodles and the banh xeo pancake.

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Dan Perlman

Chef, Sommelier, Writer – Buenos Aires, Argentina

It's an odd spot, at the foot of a pedestrian bridge on a cul-de-sac in Palermo, and nestled into the first floor of an apartment building. But set all that location, location, location stuff aside and dig into excellent Vietnamese and Thai street food reinterpreted for the dine-in set. Bright colors, bright flavors, and friendly service make for a tasty and fun eating experience. Not to be missed, their drunken noodles and the banh xeo pancake.

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Cang Ting is a vibrant restaurant that serves a mix of Vietnamese and Thai cuisine. The place is characterized by its colorful decor and an open kitchen where diners can watch their meals being prepared. It is recommended to try the grilled squid, yellow curry, veggie dumplings, and the fresh tamarind salad with mango and peanut for a unique culinary experience.

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Irina Widuczynski

Food blogger – Buenos aires, Argentina

Viet-Thai dishes in a colourful and eclectic spot. Jose, from Venezuela, and Thomas, from Vietnam, powered up to create an amazing and eclectic restaurant inspired by the flavours of Vietnamese and Thai cuisine. The restaurant is colourful with bold flavours and an open kitchen where the diner can see all of the action. I highly recommend the grilled squid, the yellow curry, the veggie dumplings and the fresh tamarind salad with mango and peanut. An amazing experience.

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Specializing in Roman-style, extra-thin crispy crust pizza, Soler Vino Pizza | Natural Wine & Italian Pizza offers a unique dining experience. They provide a variety of first-class toppings, either in preset combinations or a rare "build your own" option. Their perfect crust and delicious sauce are particularly loved by their visitors.

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Dan Perlman

Chef, Sommelier, Writer – Buenos Aires, Argentina

I love Roman style, extra-thin crispy crust pizza, and this place does it right. Perfect crust, delicious sauce, and an array of first class toppings, available in either preset combinations, or "build your own" - the latter a rarity for Buenos Aires pizzerias.

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Enjoy a laid-back dining experience at La Sorellina Pizza Bar, known for its exceptional quality Neapolitan pizza. The eatery is a venture by Carola and Victoria, who have already made a name for themselves with their first pizzeria in Adrogué. Their pizza dough, fermented for three days, is the highlight of their menu, earning them a spot in the list of the 50 best Neapolitan pizzas worldwide.

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Irina Widuczynski

Food blogger – Buenos aires, Argentina

Neapolitan pizza in a laid back setting Carola and Victoria opened their first pizzeria in Adrogué, a non touristy area of BA. They quickly became popular for their amazing quality pizza and a couple of months ago they opened their second location in Colegiales. Very soon, they landed a spot in the list of the 50 best neapolitan pizzas in the world. Their dough is the superstar of the product: it’s fermented for three days, which results in an airy and very light dough

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With a history spanning over a decade, Loreto Garden Bar is a cozy establishment known for its comforting homemade dishes. The restaurant, originally a neighborhood house, has a casual and unpretentious ambiance, with the owners often seen engaging in friendly chats with their long-time customers. Their signature dish is the milanesas with rice and creamed spinach, a staple recommended by many.

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Irina Widuczynski

Food blogger – Buenos aires, Argentina

Homemade food in a cozy neighborhood house Loreto has been in the city long before the food scene started to gain popularity. Their recipe is simple: filling, homemade and comforting dishes in a neighborhood house turned into a restaurant. Andres and Martin, the owners, are always around chatting with customers that have come here for more than ten years. An unpretentious setting with just really good food. The milanesas with rice and creamed spinach are a must.

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With a unique feature of a "magnetic-floating bar" used to serve tapas, Madrí mercado de tapas provides a remarkable dining experience. The restaurant offers a wide variety of delicious tapas combinations, which have been highly recommended for their quality and quantity. Despite its high-quality offerings, the prices are quite reasonable, making it a great place to enjoy a meal.

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Dan Perlman

Chef, Sommelier, Writer – Buenos Aires, Argentina

Set aside the gimmicky "magnetic-floating bar", used to send out random tapas on a fancy conveyor belt, and just dig into the tasty bites offered up. Surprisingly good and delicious combinations, and for both quality and quantity, quite inexpensive.

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Mengano is an exceptional eatery that takes traditional "bodegon" food, a classic Buenos Aires cuisine, and enhances it with a modern twist. The culinary expertise of Facundo Kelemen, who has worked in numerous global restaurants, shines through in every dish. Some standout items on the menu include the milanesa sandwich, the deer tartare, and the revuelto gramajo.

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Irina Widuczynski

Food blogger – Buenos aires, Argentina

Typical food from BsAs with a modern twist Facundo Kelemen worked in multiple restaurants all over the world and a couple of years ago he opened Mengano, an amazing restaurant where he takes typical “bodegon” food, which are places to eat traditional food from Buenos Aires, and elevates it with modern twists. Everything is breathtaking and I recommend the milanesa sandwich, the deer tartare and the revuelto gramajo

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Located at an unusual spot, MUDRÁ Plant-Based by Matthew Kenney is a hidden gem that you reach through a flooring design shop and a freight elevator. Once you're there, it's a beautiful oasis of glass, plants, and a lot of pink, with small terraces adding to the charm. The menu, a creative brainchild of renowned chef Matthew Kenney, features vegan twists on Latin American and Mediterranean dishes, with standouts like handrolls and a surprisingly good beet and coconut ceviche.

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Dan Perlman

Chef, Sommelier, Writer – Buenos Aires, Argentina

This is such a strange place to get to. On a major commercial avenue, at the confluence of several streets, and across the road from a huge medical center, and then, you have to enter through the showroom of a flooring design shop, where their security will show you to a freight elevator taking you up to the third story rooftop. There, suddenly, you're in a beautiful oasis of glass and plants and pink... a whole lot of pink... surrounded by a series of small terraces. The food, creative inspirations from the talents of internationally known chef Matthew Kenney, bring vegan twists to a mix of Latin American and Mediterranean dishes. Service is friendly and, for the most part efficient (we had the misfortune to dine there when the owner was hosting a table of guests, and he demanded a lot of attention from the waitstaff, taking them away from attending to other tables). The food ranging from very good to excellent. Standouts on the menu include their handrolls and a stunningly good beet and coconut ceviche.

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Neko Sushi is known for its creatively crafted and beautifully presented sushi. While the restaurant claims to use only sustainable and non-aqua-cultured fish, most of their sushi bar offerings are either classified as "avoid" due to unsustainability or are aqua-cultured. Despite this, the quality of the sushi is excellent, with particularly delightful combinations found in their nigiri presentations.

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Dan Perlman

Chef, Sommelier, Writer – Buenos Aires, Argentina

Creative, beautifully presented sushi. I was initially attracted to the place because of a claimed ethos to use only fish and shellfish that are sustainable, and non-aqua-cultured. And while the eschew the ubiquitous salmon here, all but one of the offerings from the sushi bar are either classified as "avoid" due to unsustainability or are aqua-cultured, so the salmon is a "protest vote" of limited import. That said, the sushi is of excellent quality, and the combinations, particularly of their nigiri presentations are delightful.

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Offering a creative blend of Latin American and Mediterranean cuisine, Picaron is known for its beautifully presented dishes. The menu, designed around the "small plate" concept, allows you to taste a variety of flavors or share them with friends. The chef's skill in handling vegetables is particularly noteworthy.

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Dan Perlman

Chef, Sommelier, Writer – Buenos Aires, Argentina

Creative, beautifully presented food that pairs ingredients and ideas from across Latin America with the Mediterranean. The chef is particularly deft with vegetables. The menu is entirely "small plate" style, allowing you to try various dishes or share with friends.

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Specializing in Peruvian and Nikkei cuisine, Quechua offers a unique dining experience in a casual setting with a beautiful garden patio. The restaurant is well-known for its seafood dishes, particularly the ceviches and tiraditos, as well as its arroz con pato. In addition to traditional Peruvian dishes, Quechua also boasts a sushi bar, offering a variety of extraordinary cuts prepared by their highly recognized chef.

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Dan Perlman

Chef, Sommelier, Writer – Buenos Aires, Argentina

Always one of our favorites for moderately upscaled Peruvian and Nikkei cooking. Casual room, pretty garden patio in the back. Great pisco sours. Occasional live entertainment. Specialists in seafood dishes and their ceviches and tiraditos are don't miss selections. Also not to be missed, the best arroz con pato we've found in the city.

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This cozy Korean cuisine spot, Una Canción Coreana 향가, is nestled in the offbeat neighborhood of Bajo Flores, known for its excellent Korean food. The restaurant offers all the classic dishes like bulgogi, tteokbokki, and mandu, providing a heartwarming, homemade dining experience. With impeccable service and extremely flavorful food, it's worth taking the time to visit.

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Irina Widuczynski

Food blogger – Buenos aires, Argentina

A family led cozy korean cuisine spot Una cancion coreana is a Korean restaurant located in Bajo Flores, a neighborhood off the tourist beaten path but characterized for having some of the best Korean food. They offer all of the classics: bulgogi, tteokbokki, mandu and I had truly a one of a kind experience. Heartwarming, homemade food that feels as if you’re dining at their home. The attention is impeccable and the food is extremely flavorful. I strongly recommend that you make some time to get here.

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This hidden gem offers creative reinterpretations of local Argentine food, done with flair and flavor. The chef, Javier Urondo, is known for making his own sausages and other cured meats, and the bread is highly praised. The dishes are enjoyable, the elements are well put together, and the wine list is reasonably priced.

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Dan Perlman

Chef, Sommelier, Writer – Buenos Aires, Argentina

This place is so far off the beaten tourist path that even locals don't know about it. Yet, for over a decade it's been my favorite restaurant in the city. Creative reinterpretations of local Argentine food, done with flair and flavor, and without the fuss of tweezers or other fancy plating gimmicks. One dish after another just has you wanting more, and ofttimes of dishes you were sure that there's non way someone could prepare it in a way you'd enjoy. Among the key elements are that chef Javier Urondo makes all of his own sausages and other cured meats, and the excellent breads. When you're doing "simple food", every element has to shine. Well put together and reasonably priced winelist as well.

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Offering a nostalgic dining experience, Viejo Mundo takes you back in time with a menu that has remained unchanged for decades. This place is known for its unique escabeches of various indigenous meats like caiman and jackrabbit, and a generous seafood platter that feeds more than the stated number of people. Another highlight is their mixed grills served with one of the spiciest chimichurri sauces around.

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Dan Perlman

Chef, Sommelier, Writer – Buenos Aires, Argentina

There's a class of restaurants in Buenos Aires called bodegones. Bodegon literally means a still-life painting, specifically one related to food and/or kitchens. True to the implication, these are spots that are "stuck in time" - a glimpse back to Buenos Aires of past days. This place is one of the most classic, with a menu that probably hasn't changed during the 70 years or so it's been open. Dishes not to miss are their escabeches of various exotic indigenous meats - yacaré (caiman), vizcacha (jackrabbit), nutria, and more. And a true crowd pleaser for the table is their "picada de mariscos", a whopping platter of fried, grilled, and sauteed seafood that will feed far more than the stated three people. Their various mixed grills from the parrilla, or parrilladas, offer different samplers of meats and innards, piping hot off the grill, served with one of the best (and spiciest) chimichurri sauces we've found in the city.

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