Buenos Aires Food: The Best Lunch Spots in Recoleta and Palermo

Buenos Aires has a food culture that rivals the most enthusiastic French or Italian gourmands. Argentinians like to savour their food, particularly if it's a steak sourced from the vast grasslands that surround the city.

The lunch tradition is one I'm more than happy to indulge. With a couple of weeks in central Buenos Aires, I made a point of getting out to eat my main meal at lunch. I chose spots around Recoleta, where I was staying, but I was open to locations in trendy Palermo too.

Here are six personal lunch picks in Buenos Aires - a taste of something fresh and local, plus a couple of familiar flavours for a steak-loving Irishman.

1. La Cholita for Argentinian Steak

La Cholita, Rodriguez Pena street - (c) Patrick Hughes

Rodríguez Peña 1165, C1020 CABA, Argentina

While 'La Cholita' might be a controversial term for a person of mixed heritage, it has been reclaimed as a badge of honour and used here to name a steak restaurant on Rodriguez Pena street, right in the heart of the Recoleta district.

The roughly 4/5 stars this place gets online convinced me it would be just right for lunch. First impressions are good - this is a long, high room with warm colours. The cubierto (cover charge) includes a fluffy bread roll, but it's the pinguino (a penguin-shaped wine jug) that marks this out as a Buenos Aires restaurant.

The pinguino wine jug - a Buenos Aires dining classic - (c) Patrick Hughes

Since this was my first day in Argentina, I ordered steak. The meat smelled great and had the kind of char that I love. If I'm being critical, the cooking was over for my taste, but the seasoning and quality were both top notch. This is a good-value restaurant open for lunch and dinner, and friendly to both diners on their own and families.

2. Cumaná Restaurant for Argentinian Empanadas

Empanadas at Cumana - (c) Patrick Hughes

Rodríguez Peña 1149, C1020 CABA, Argentina

Argentina is famous for its empanadas. It charms me that the term 'empanada' comes from the Spanish verb empanar, meaning 'enbreaded' or wrapped in bread.

And of course this is just what they are: little turnover pies stuffed with a tasty filling and wrapped in pastry before being baked or fried. I chose one beef and one stuffed with cheese and ham as my starter. The beef was lightly spiced and was by far my favourite. With a heavy starter, I chose a chicken salad for my main - which might have been a mistake. The salad was not dressed and the chicken was topped with a "spicy mix" that was some raw onion and tomato, more akin to a salsa. The chicken itself was excellent and properly seasoned.

Worth knowing: Cumaná is not just a full-service restaurant, but also offers take-out pizza. The delivery drivers roared up outside on all kinds of motorbike like they were film stars.

3. Quotidiano for Italian Food

Tortellini in fresh herb butter at Quotidiano - (c) Patrick Hughes

Av. Callao 1299, C1023 CABA, Argentina

Argentina is famous for Italian restaurants, not least because so many people of Italian heritage settled in Buenos Aires. My expectations for Quotidiano were high - a charming mid-range Italian place set up for quick lunches at a shared table and longer dinners.

Quick smart, my tortellini stuffed with chicken arrived in a waft of savoury umami scents. The dressing was the most delicious fresh herb butter. For some the seasoning might have been a little too high, but for me this was just about perfect. A large piece of crusty bread would have been the ideal complement to soak up those juices, but sadly was not on offer.

The portion size here is just big enough to fill one person. A perfect, rich bowl of carbs to power you through the afternoon.

4. Le Pain Quotidien for Sandwiches and Free WiFi

Le Pain Quotidien, Palermo - (c) Patrick Hughes

Armenia 1641, C1414DKI Cdad. Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina

Sometimes only a big sandwich packed with flavour will do. I came across Le Pain Quotidien while walking through Palermo - a chain familiar for its tartines (open sandwiches).

The room is laid out in refectory style with smaller cafe-style tables, good for a little work on their free WiFi.

My choice was a lightly dressed chicken salad tartine on rye bread with sparkling water and fresh lemon, served with an unexpected side of pomegranate molasses. The addition of molasses didn't make sense to me, but if that's your thing, go for it.

An international chain like Le Pain Quotidien may not win prizes for innovation, but this hit the spot for a light lunch in a lovely part of Buenos Aires. I tied this in with a visit to El Ateneo Bookshop, considered the world's most beautiful bookshop by National Geographic.

5. Burger 54 for Local Fast Food

Burger 54 - the fries come topped with a fried egg - (c) Patrick Hughes

Av. Santa Fe 1946, C1123 CABA, Argentina

Burger 54 is a popular Buenos Aires staple for burgers and fries and charges quite a premium price. The layout is modern with big chunky shared tables. I ordered a burger with salad and bacon. The meat was flavourful but the advertised 'brioche' bun was perhaps a little too damp to be the perfect holder.

My fries came topped with a fried egg and I wondered why this isn't a regular topping elsewhere. I liked it.

This was a mid-range burger joint with pretty good service at the counter and a solid set of choices. Some minor tweaks - turning over used tables more frequently and that specific bun - would push the rating higher. Even so, I enjoy trying out local fast food instead of the same global names.

6. Pani Recoleta for Bread

Pani in Recoleta Mall - (c) Patrick Hughes

Vicente López 2056, C1128 ACF, Cdad. Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina

Pani is a cafe in Recoleta mall, the perfect stop-off location if you've been for a walk around Recoleta Cemetery. The layout and interior design is charming, but I've saved my least favourite of these six lunch spots for last.

Service is glacially slow, so I was getting a little hangry by the time my order showed up. My chicken sandwich came with unexpected potato wedges, which are always welcome. The chicken was nicely cooked and had a bit of crunch.

However, the bun was kind of damp - maybe like a steamed bao bun - and in this setting that was unpleasant.

Summary: Lunch in Buenos Aires

Most visitors to Buenos Aires stay in Microcentro, which includes Recoleta and Palermo, and there is really no shortage of options from the very expensive to everyday neighbourhood joints. I hope my picks have given you some inspiration to try empanadas, local steak and possibly a little pinguino jug of wine.

If you are planning your trip, read my guides to two of the most popular stops: Teatro Colón and the magical El Ateneo Bookshop. For where to base yourself, see my Buenos Aires accommodation guide.