Vegetarian in Buenos Aires?
We all know Argentina is famous for a quality steak and a delicious red wine such as the Argentinian Malbec but what about if you are a vegetarian in Buenos Aires? I met quite a few travellers during my South America trip who told me the food in Buenos Aires was poor for vegetarians. I couldn’t believe this, as I simply did not have this experience while I was there. I was lucky enough to be shown around by my Argentinian friend who happened to be vegetarian herself and she took me to some high quality restaurants with a choice of delicious vegetarian options on the menu. I am therefore going to share some of the wonderful places I ate in this blog, for any vegetarian travellers who need a good restaurant recommendation in Buenos Aires!
Picaron.BA
Now the term ‘Picaron’ is common across South America for it is most well known as a Peruvian dessert ‘Picarones’ made with squash and sweet potato, deep fried and served much like a doughnut ring with syrup. I have tried these and they are very tasty!
This restaurant has its name for its signature dish, a variation of the Peruvian picarones, served in little balls. I actually had it as a savoury dish and it was utterly moorish! Definitely worth a try!
The way I enjoyed this restaurant with my friend, was to order a number of small dishes and share. This way you can try different things! There are many options for vegetarian and vegan dishes to chose from but there were a few stand outs on the menu for me.
Another delightful vegetarian dish to try here is ‘Coliflor Dorado’ - I promise it is not just a plain old cauliflower dish! On a bed of smoked cauliflower puree and sprinkled with roasted hazelnuts, this roasted cauliflower was delectable, full of flavour and different textures.
And lastly, one I recommend to try here at Picaron.BA, is the Palta Tatemada. This is in fact vegan and again simply delicious. Palta is the word for avocado in Argentinian Spanish and it is topped with a little mini naan, again a beautiful combination of textures and flavours.
Accompanied with a cold crisp glass of white wine these dishes couldn't have been better!
Don’t forget to order some bread on the side as it's freshly made and a great thing to pick at between courses.
Chui - Villa Crespo
Another great restaurant in Buenos Aires which is actually fully vegetarian is Chui. Set in a gorgeous outdoor setting (but with blankets and heat lamps if you need them), it has a hip atmosphere and a varied menu. Similarly here, with some friends we tried a variety of small vegetarian dishes to share, I cannot remember the names of them but my little video clip below will give you idea of what they were like!
Hong Kong Style.BA
Now. A bit of a different spin on vegetarian options, is this authentic Chinese restaurant Hong Kong Style that did excellent food! Don’t be put off by the thought of takeout Chinese food or anything, this was nothing like that, fresh ingredients, fragment and tasty. The food here was just divine.
The menu had strong options for vegetarians with dumplings, rice dishes, sea weed. See pictures below for some of the food we tried.
Don Julio’s (bonus item for non vegetarians)
On a last note, if you are not vegetarian in Buenos Aires and you want to make the most of having a steak, I have to recommend the all popular and renowned Don Julio's. It is well worth the visit.
Although busy with tourists, it does have a nice authentic vibe. If you haven’t booked in advance you must be prepared for a bit of wait outside but this is made very much part of the experience by the restaurant, as they bring you a glass of bubbly and mini warm empanadas while you wait. I got chatting to others in the queue and it went very quickly!
Top tip, Don Julio's sister restaurant El Preferido in Palermo did a great, light, veggie breakfast of asparagus and eggs. I was having a late breakfast at the time and ordered a cheeky Aperol Spritz on the side! Why not eh?
So if you are going to be a vegetarian in Buenos Aires anytime soon, I do hope this blog is of some use to you!
Happy Travelling!
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