If you have spent any amount of time in Buenos Airs you will have realised that almost every menu is the same. The parilla restaurant is King. If you really like steak and chips then this shouldn't be a problem but if your used to a restaurant culture where you can have Mexican one night, Creole the next you might get bored very quickly.
You don’t have a hope of finding Creole but there are a few Mexican restaurants that will satisfy your craving for something different. It is no surprise that the greatest concentration of these restaurants are in Palermo where you will find the most expats looking for a spice fix. The Argentines aren’t big fans of spice so in almost all the restaurants the food is toned down or you will get a stern warning about how spicy (picante) the mild salsa is.
Here are four of the best in Palermo Viejo:
La Flor Azteca (Thames 1472): This place has atmosphere, good food, spice, and extremely friendly staff. The food is as spicy as you would expect from a Mexican meal. I particularly recommend the Tabla Mexicana to share between two as it comes with a side of refried beans and Mexican rice that are to die for. Depending on how busy it is the service can be slow but they are never rude. The décor is nice,the tables are well spaced and the music can range from Mariachi to Radiohead.
Averge Main Course: ARG$28-32 Drink: ARG$18-20
La Fabrica del Taco (Gorriti 5062): If you are looking for cheap and cheerful then La Fabrica del Taco is the place for you. Some of their menu is very expensive but if you stick with the basic tacos then you should be fine. They offer different combinations of beef, chicken, cheese, lettuce etc. served in a soft taco. They then provide you with bottled sauces of varying degrees of picante. Unlike some places the muy picante is indeed very spicy. Depending on your appetite two or three of these will fill you up.
The décor is great with a wall full of Mexican wrestling masks. You get plastic plates and cutlery but this fits in with the fast, young atmosphere.
Average Main Course: ARG$ 14-20 Drink: ARG$ 12
Cielito Lindo (El Salvador 4999): The staff are very friendly and will do their best to help you through your bad Spanish. It is quite expensive but they don’t hold back on the spice. If you have an Argentine friend they also do more traditional parilla style offerings. The tables are close together and it can be hard to get in without a reservation-literally as you are not allowed to go inside until they find you a seat/your reservation is ready.
Average Main Course: ARG$ 30-35 Drink: ARG$ 15-20
Xalapa (El Salvador 4800): If you want to eat here at the weekend you have to have a reservation. The line can be half a block long. It is extremely popular with the Argentines. One reason for this might be because they take the spice out of everything, not to mention serve everything quite dry. The only thing to fire up your taste buds is a small bit of sauce that is served with the nachos when you sit down. The qality of the food is excellent, however, so if you really need that spice fix I recommend holding on to the nacho sauce and using it as a sauce for your main dish. The staff can be very hit and miss but the décor is nice and the tables are well spaced.
Average Main Course: ARG$ 28-35 Drink: ARG$20
I've been to "Cielito Lindo" when i was staying at my brother's buenos aires apartment s , it a really nice place, as you said the staff there is really nice, and the help you a lot when you have to order, after getting some mexican food we also went to plaza serrano and got some drinks.
ReplyDelete