Argentine wines have undoubtedly consolidated the country’s status as a major producer on the global stage. But in addition, they have also provided extra inspiration for local cuisine.
The industry’s quality, diversity and wide range of varieties and styles have inspired chefs to enhance their output to match, offering enriching experiences in which wine takes center stage.
Buenos Aires boasts several classical, multi award-winning restaurants with prestigious cellars that contain some of the treasures of Argentine viticulture such as Don Julio, Oviedo, La Brigada, and Aramburu, among others, and it’s difficult today to imagine a high-end restaurant in Buenos Aires that doesn’t give local wine pride of place. Here, we introduce you to four more restaurants in Buenos Aires that pay homage to the local wine scene.
Restaurants in Buenos Aires
Franca
Franca is the second project of renowned chef Julio Báez, after he revolutionized the local gastronomic scene with Julia, his first restaurant.
At Franca, fire and wine are the main protagonists, with the grill sitting at the epicenter of an experience that is about much more than just meat. Julio and his team have thought long and hard about how best to use the ancient cooking method as a tool with which to interpret vegetables, fruit, fish and other delicacies.
Wine is extremely important at Franca and the list was carefully selected by sommelier Delvis Huck, one of the best professionals in the country.
Delvis has created an original and alluring list, inventing several new categories: “Expressive and nimble”, where the wines stimulate the senses with their vivacity, “Balanced and versatile”, which are suited to a range of flavors, and “Profound and broad”, which invite diners to explore some of the richest and most complex wines that Argentina has to offer.
The menu is always changing but ever-presents include: Oysters mignonette, verjuice and pickled blueberry (ideal with sparkling wine); Grilled squid, black bean, nduja, and squid ink stew with fermented lemon mayonnaise; and Aged rib-eye with smoked koji and black pepper accompanied by potato chips and gribiche, among others.
Franca. Darwin 1111. Monday to Friday from 7:30PM to 11:30PM.
Crizia
Since 2004, this restaurant specialized in oysters, fish and seafood has been a beacon of excellence among restaurants in Buenos Aires. Gabriel Oggero, one of the most respected chefs in the country, has focused on the diversity and quality of Argentine products – from different varieties of Jujuy potatoes to the different kinds of seafood found on the Patagonian coast.
Recently, the restaurant opened a three story, glass-clad cellar in the middle of the dining room that houses a vast range of wines, over 10,000 bottles, from different provinces and wine regions in the country.
A team of sommeliers ensures impeccable service, suggesting little-known labels and hidden treasures produced by small producers.
Crizia takes you on a sensory journey through the rich cuisine of Argentina accompanied by exceptional wines that speak to each region’s extraordinary diversity.
Crizia. Fitz Roy 1819.
Lardito
Located in a buzzing hotspot of restaurants in Buenos Aires, Chacarita, this space is both wine store and restaurant. Here, diners can enjoy a wide range of small plates of street food inspired by flavors from across the world served along fun communal tables.
Every layer of flavor is added with great care, featuring fermented, smoked and cured products that enhance the gastronomic experience.
The shelves are replete with carefully selected low-intervention, natural and organic wines that range from light reds to whites and oranges produced by young oenologists from across the country.
The well-trained staff is ready and waiting to offer interesting recommendation to adventurous diners.
Lardito. Jorge Newbery 3655.
Trescha
One of the more exclusive restaurants in Buenos Aires, Trescha offers fine dining by appointment for 10 people at a time with a 14-course menu and a few surprises that lasts two and a half hours. Recently opened and designed right down to the last detail by the twenty-five year old chef Tomás Treschanski, who in spite of his tender age has quite the global career under his belt, it has delighted the taste-buds of some of the most sophisticate palates in the city.
Here, everything is novel and the product of the chef’s personal, eclectic experiences. Influences come from Scandinavia, Spain, Asia and Argentina, and are combined through research and techniques honed at his state of the art laboratory.
Every dish is a masterpiece, a show and immersive journey that offers an unforgettable experience. The menu is served as a kind of performance in the kitchen/dining room where diners sit on comfortable stools along an irregular bar.
The restaurant has an underground cellar that can be seen through a skylight in the main dining room and there’s a separate space for whites. One thing that sets this most fascinating of restaurants in Buenos Aires apart is the range of drinks that accompany the menu, which include different pairings: non-alcoholic, mixed and two alcoholic options (each priced accordingly).
The Argentine collection has several Argentine labels (along with some from overseas, Belgian beer and other drinks). It’s very much worth a visit at least once in your life.
Trescha. Murillo 725, Villa Crespo.
