Argentina is renowned world over for its meat and sumptuous meat dishes. It is therefore not surprising that you will find many steakhouses in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires and other cities in the country. In fact, a visit to steakhouses tops the tourists’ priority lists. You will find numerous parrillas or Argentinean grill restaurants spread across the capital city of the leading Latin American nation catering to both well-heeled clients and budget conscious tourists.
While taking a culinary tour of Buenos Aires you will discover that the city has plenty of authentic, high quality parrillas serving popular meat delicacies such as chinchulines (cow small intestines) and morcilla (blood sausage). Take your family and friends along with you to one of the many parrillas to savor these delectable cuisines. Let us embark on a Parrilla Tour to sample a wide range of local cuisines.
How culinary-themed walking tour started
Local resident Santiago Palermo and American expat David Carlisle got together to start a culinary-themed walking tour in May 2012. Two routes are offered in this walking tour. The first route will take you through the traditional San Telmo, the oldest barrio (neighborhood) of Buenos Aires where you will discover a number of decades-old family-owned restaurants. The second route will bring you to the restaurant and nightlife neighborhood of Las Cañitas. Both the walking tours will begin with a visit to a local parrilla where you will enjoy some traditional Argentine street food such as choripan (a type of sandwich with chorizo). The best of the best traditional cuisines are only to be found at these local parrillas.
Enjoy visit to a pizza and empanada restaurant
After you have completed a walking tour of both the routes, your next stop will be at a pizza and empanada restaurant. Here you will get to see and enjoy a handmade empanada de carne (dough pastries filled with meat, egg and olives). The tiny pizza and empanada restaurant are integral to the Argentine dining scene and commonly found in all parts of the city. These joints are found either in the form of smaller takeout stalls or sit-down eateries. If you are looking for a quick inexpensive lunch then empanadas are surely the best place to visit. The empanadas are most commonly served stuffed with cheese, ham and ground beef, cheese and onion or chicken.
Stop by a “secret parrilla”
A visit to a “secret parrilla” is the most essential part of the walking tour. You can look forward to enjoy a wide range of traditional parrilla cuts, such as matambre de cerdo (pork flank steak) and bife de chorizo (sirloin strip steak), accompanied by wine and salad. Finding these parrillas is difficult as you won’t find any sign outside. Moreover, these remain hidden and closed from the street. However, when you enter these “secret parrillas” you will be amazed to discover a whole restaurant brimming with in-the-know locals.
Finish walking tour with a visit to a heladería
Your walking tour will conclude with a visit to a heladería (ice cream parlor). Argentina is hugely popular for its ice cream. You will be able to taste some of the best artisanal ice cream at the heladería in Buenos Aires. The chocolate amargo (dark chocolate) and dulce de leche (milk caramel) are among the popular ice cream flavours that are great favorites with the tourists.
The walking tour is conducted every Tuesday and Wednesday in Las Cañitas, while the tourists are taken on a walking tour in San Telmo every Friday and Saturday. The walking tours for both these places begin at noon and usually last for around three hours. You will be required to make reservations in advance and the meeting point would be provided only during the time of booking.
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