Food and Drink Andrea González
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Gastronomy route through Palermo in Buenos Aires

Palermo Soho, the trendy neighbourhood in Buenos Aires, has become the epicentre of a delicious gastronomic phenomenon. With signature dishes and international influences that have led some of its restaurants to join the ranks of the 50 Best Restaurants in Latin America, the district has options for meat lovers at La Carnicería, fusion cuisine at Niño Gordo, reinvented classics at Mengano and the iconic choripán at Chori’s homage to street cuisine. Then the star of the classics is Don Julio. Take advantage of summer in the southern hemisphere to enjoy some of Buenos Aires’ top chefs with Iberia.

  1. 1 Niño Gordo

    In Palermo Soho – as its name indicates, the most cosmopolitan part of Buenos Aires – we find some of the most striking examples of Buenos Aires’ gastronomic scene. One standout is Niño Gordo, a viral social media sensation renowned for its spectacular décor and creative fusion cuisine. Niño Gordo defines itself as an “Asian grill that offers a mix of flavours from the East together with Buenos Aires-style food”. On its menu, you can find dishes from cuisines such as Japanese, with steak tataki, Chinese, with shrimp and prawn dumplings, or Indian, with beef curry. In addition, the menu changes relatively frequently, so you can also find dishes inspired by Korean, Thai and Vietnamese cuisines and a delightful selection of cocktails. On 27 November, its work – headed by Pedro Peña and Germán Sitz – was rewarded with Niño Gordo being placed 34th on the list of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants.

    Niño Gordo's outside dinning area, with its characteristic red furniture and its bright lamps in the shape of an adorable child

  2. 2 La Carnicería

    The Michelin Guide recommends this restaurant as a place that offers “impressively updated traditional cuisine”, highlighting, above all, the quality of its meats. La Carnicería, also owned by Pedro Peña and Germán Sitz, has a rather disruptive interior design, as it simulates the walk-in refrigeration rooms where beef is hung and boasts a wood-burning grill behind the bar. Here, Argentine-style cuts are grilled, always with some kind of twist: the smoked provoleta with pear, creole sauce and green leaves, or the rib-eye grill cut with squash and chimi. Critics admire the restaurant’s ethical stance on its raw materials – the chefs always ensure its meats are fully traceable. All the cuts come from the livestock of the Sitz family, which allows them to carefully choose the pastures where the cattle graze.

    Presentation of a grilled rack of ribs at La Carnicería, on a wooden board, accompanied by a still life of salt and charcoal.

  3. 3 Mengano

    Facundo Kelemen launched his project in 2018 with the aim of bringing the concept of the traditional Argentine restaurant – the kind where you always eat well, approved by grandpas – to the 21st century. At Mengano, traditional recipes and fresh produce reign supreme in reinvented dishes inspired by today’s gastronomy: spicy meat pies, Wagyu Milanesa sandwiches and panacotta with strawberries. The décor is also nostalgic, but with a well-curated vintage style that helps to create a bubble of cosy comfort. It is also sits in 82nd place on the list of the best restaurants in Latin America.

    One of Mengano's vegetable dishes, presented on an icy grey plate.

  4. 4 Chori

    Choripán is a symbol of Argentine street food, and Chori pays tribute to it in style. Everything that happens here is always fun (they even created their own yellow cartoon characters – the pibes choris – who represent the eatery) and this is very well reflected in its menu, with options such as rib chori with cheddar, pickles and their secret sauce, or the Chori-Changa by @brunhaze with coriander, pineapple honey, jalapeños, pickles and soya creole sauce. It also offers classic and vegetarian options and – although you can sit on the terrace – you can order a takeaway and enjoy the choris as you stroll the streets of Palermo.

    Front of Chori, on the corner of Thames Avenuenand Sta. Rosa street, with its characteristic yellow colour and diners crowding around the bar and tables on the terrace

  5. 5 Don Julio

    Don Julio received the honour of topping the ranking of the 50 best restaurants in Latin America on 27 November. This family grill is one of the most famous restaurants in Buenos Aires – it was the place chosen by Leo Messi to celebrate the last World Cup victory – and its menu, which is seasonal, is made up of traditional Argentine cuts, a passion that the chef, Pablo Rivero, inherited from his grandparents. The Michelin Guide defines Don Julio as “one of the best grills on the planet” and much of its success lies in the way the restaurant selects its meats, always from Angus and Hereford cattle from regenerative livestock. It also maintains an outstanding selection of Argentine wines to accompany the finest meats.

    Overhead view of a table at Don Julio, with wines, meats and roasted sweet potato, as well as soup and bread accompaniments

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