What to Eat in Buenos Aires: 7 Best Food and Dishes to Try

When a porteño mentions asado they could be speaking of gathering around a barbecue with friends and family or the cooking method. The marvels of a Buenos Aires asado stem from the multi-step grilling process that can last hours.

The asado cooking style embodies the spirit of Buenos Aires and the country by bringing people together with food. You can find incredible asado in any steakhouse in Buenos Aires, whether hidden gems known only to locals or famous restaurants during a customized parrilla tour of the city.

In Buenos Aires, these cookies are as much about porteños’ sweet life as they are about the culinary traditions locals hold dear. The outer layers are similar to shortbread, with dulce de leche stuffed between them.

The recipe dates back to the Spanish Moors. They are customarily eaten for breakfast, dessert, or as a snack, and are often accompanied by coffee. Gain an understanding of their popularity in the famous cafes and bakeries in the city.

Bondiola is one of Buenos Aires’s most popular street foods. It has its roots in the working-class and Italian cucina povera. The dish is typically found at mobile grill carts or kiosks, where flaky, soft bread is filled with slow-cooked pork shoulder. If you order the dish completo a caballo, you’ll find ham, cheese, and a fried egg.

The decadent chocotorta, or “chocolate cake”, with its simple, but delicious flavor, is a traditional Argentinian dessert. The cake is not baked, but chilled in a thin pan filled with chocolinas cookies soaked in coffee.

However, chefs and home cooks also use Kahlua. Layer upon layer of soaked cookies is topped with dulce de leche and a mix of cream cheese and sour cream. You can sample chocotorta in cafes, restaurants, and bakeries across the city.

Empanadas are a staple in many South American countries, but Argentinians, specifically those who live in Buenos Aires, have their own twist on the doughy pockets that are stuffed with a variety of ingredients, traditional or exotic.

You will find empanadas in stalls all over the city, but when searching for the best, head for restaurants and cafes or bakeries which fill their display windows with a wide selection daily.

The traditional choripan is one of the city’s most popular street foods. The most common choripan consists of chorizo sausage, caramelized onions, pickled eggplant, and green peppers. The bread is often flavored with simple, but delicious, chimichurri.

Choripan is not the most sophisticated dish in Buenos Aires, but its simplicity and accessibility make it one of the most popular, with restaurants, carts, and cafes attracting locals eager to sink their teeth into deliciousness.

Provoleta consists of a slice of pungent, sharp cheese seasoned with oregano and chili flakes, before it is cooked on the grill. The cheese melts easily, quickly becoming crispy when drizzled with olive oil, which helps accentuate the natural oil.

The cheese normally cooks until the outer layer hardens into a crispy shell, with a hot, molten interior. Cheese lovers and vegetarians are guaranteed not to forget provoleta, with certain restaurants specializing in the dish to showcase its splendid layers of flavor.

Each neighborhood in Buenos Aires tells a unique story, but the food speaks of the city as a whole. Culinarily, Buenos Aires steps beyond the flavors of food by establishing a treasured ambiance in which to enjoy them.

Find inspiration for your culinary adventure with our Argentina tours and vacations or when discovering our Argentina travel guide, before speaking with a local travel expert.