Restaurants
Meals are almost always accompanied with bottled water. You'll be asked
if you want con gas (carbonated) or
sin gas (un-carbonated). Bottled water
costs 3-4 pesos in restaurants. If you don't want to pay for bottled water,
ask for agua de la canilla, otherwise
known as tap water. To keep your water cold, ask for ice, which is only
served when specifically requested. You'll be presented with a silver bucket
filled with ice chunks and tongs.
In Buenos Aires, and in the rest of the country, beef is king, but it's
not your only option. Italian food is pervasive but in neighbourhoods like
Palermo, also popular are sushi, fusion, and even vegetarian bistros. Just
about everything can be delivered - including gourmet helado
(ice cream). If you're not vegetarian, try asado
(beef/steak barbecue) at a parrilla,
restaurants specializing in roasted meats. The bife
de lomo (tenderloin) is comparable to European cuts. Jugoso
means rare (literally "juicy"), however the Argentine concept of rare is
very different from that of someone from the States. Don't be afraid
to order azul (blue), you will not get
a blue steak, but rather more a medium rare preparation. For rare
steak ask your order to be prepared sangre
(blood), or tell the waiter "me gusta sangre"
(I like blood.)
Vegan food is available at these restaurants
- Artemisia - 3877 Cabrera
- Bio Restaurant - Humboldt 2199
- Bodhi - Chile 1763
- Granix - Florida 165 2nd floor
- Green Life - Paraguay 2743
- Los Sabios - Corrientes 3733
- Lotus - Cordoba 1577
- Prana Cocina Vegetariana - El Salvador 5101
- Sattva - Montevideo 446
- Siempre Verde - Arribeños 2127
Spanish food is also very common. Other popular meals are empanadas
(small pastries stuffed with a combination of cheese and meats). They are a
popular home delivery or takeaway/takeout option. Pizza comes al
molde (cooked in a pan, usually medium to thick crust), a
la piedra (baked in a stone oven, usually thin to medium crust),
and a la parilla (cooked on a parilla grill,
very thin, crispy crust). A delicious dessert is a cookie called the alfajor
which consists of two round sweet biscuits joined together with a sweet jam,
generally dulce de leche (milk jam, akin
to caramel), covered with chocolate, meringue or something similarly sweet.
Bars
Smoking was banned several years ago in nearly all enclosed public places,
including bars. The law is generally upheld, although larger bars ( more than
100 sq meters) are allowed to have separate smoking areas. The result is that
smokers have moved outside. Bars in Buenos Aires have a very European atmosphere.
They are the perfect place to read, surf the web, meet with friends, or just
be a people watcher.
Useful Addresses
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