4 Best Restaurants in Buenos Aires, Argentina

In a city filled with Spanish and Basque restaurants, there's not much of a tapas bar scene in Buenos Aires. El Burladero provides a mix of bar seating and communal tables, along with a more formal dining room, where you can mix and mingle with other diners. It serves up not only the best tapas selection in town, but also some of the best Spanish food. Don't miss one of the city's most satisfying versions of chipirones en su tinta (baby squid in its own ink), or the mouthwatering conejo en sidra (rabbit braised in cider). And speaking of cider, the bar pulls pints of the stuff to start off or accompany your meal. At lunch there's a fantastic three-course menu that costs less than a main course off the à la carte selection.

Much like the neighborhood in which it resides, El Globo is touristy but good. Hearty pucheros (mixed boiled meat dinners), roast suckling pig, squid, and other Spanish-Argentine fare are served in a large dining area, as they have been since the restaurant opened in 1908. The cazuela de mariscos (seafood stew) is another specialty.

This is the city's oldest restaurant, dating back to the 1860s. The name, which translates as "impartial," was meant to offer up neutral territory for various Spanish and Basque factions that emigrated to the city during the mid-19th century. The menu is a mix of local Argentine fare and classic Spanish dishes. You're not necessarily going to be wowed by anything, but you're also never going to be disappointed. The paella and other rice dishes, particularly those with seafood, are the way to go. At lunchtime there's a three-course prix-fixe menu that comes in at less than the price of an à la carte appetizer. Don't miss the natilla madrileña (custard with caramel) for dessert.

The heart of Catalán beats at this popular tapas bar. Grab a seat at the counter—this one of the few food bars in the city—or snuggle in at one of the cozy, romantic tables. Tancat features Spanish cooking at its best: simple, well-flavored, and expertly cooked. The stars here, besides the array of tapas, are the paella and other stellar seafood dishes. Best yet, this is one of the most reasonably priced Spanish restaurants in the city, especially for the quality.