Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
408
tablecloths. S pecialties ar e the seafood casser oles (kno wn as
cazuelas
), most of which
come with fresh king crab (all for $16/£11). There's a delicious Hungarian-style
cazuela
with king crab, tomatoes, cream, and mushrooms; a long list of fish pr epared many dif-
ferent ways; and, of course, grilled chicken, tenderloin, and the v ery interesting pickled
Patagonian rabbit, for the adventurous. For dessert, try the homemade almond ice cream
or luscious lemon sorbet. Service is refined, if slightly aloof, and the diners tend to be on
the older side.
Gobernador Godoy 15.
&
2901/432444.
Reservations recommended for dinner in high season. M ain
courses $12-$28 (£8.20-£19). AE, MC, V. Daily 11am-3pm and 7pm-midnight.
Tía Elvira
ARGENTINE BISTRO Tía Elvira is par t restaurant, part mini-museum,
with walls adorned by antique photos of the region and various artifacts collected by the
owners during their 30 years in business. The menu features fairly straightforward Argen-
tine dishes such as grilled meats, but the restaurant serves mostly simple seafood prepara-
tions, including king crab , tr out, sea bass, and cod in a v ariety of sauces, such as
Roquefort or Parmesan. Homemade pastas include lasagna and stuffed cannelloni. The
restaurant is on the water front, with up-close vie ws of the canal and the pier . It caters
mostly to foreign tourists.
Maipú 349.
&
2901/424725.
www.tiaelvira.com. Main courses $14-$28 (£9.45-£19). MC, V. Daily noon-
3pm and 7-11:30pm.
Volver
ARGENTINE It is worth stopping by just to see this crazy, kitschy restaurant
on the waterfront. Volver is inside a centur y-old yellow tin-pan house. O ld newspapers
and signs wallpaper the interiors, which are also packed with oddball memorabilia, pho-
tos, football shirts, gadgets, spider crabs swimming in a tank, trinkets, and antiques. The
food is pr etty good, and includes r egional dishes such as tr out, crab , and lamb , plus
homemade pastas. King crab comes a doz en different ways, in soups, casseroles, or with
a side sauce. Desserts are primarily crepes with local fruits such as
calafate.
Service is a bit
hit-or-miss, and the toilets ought to be better cleaned.
Maipú 37.
&
2901/423977.
Main courses $15-$24 (£10-£16). MC, V. Daily noon-3pm and 7:30pm-
midnight. Closed for lunch Mon.
WHAT TO SEE & DO IN & AROUND TOWN
Because Ushuaia rests on a steep hill, most businesses, traffic, and people seem to con-
verge on the main str eet that lies at the bottom, A venida San Martín. You will soon tire
of walking up and down this busy thoroughfare, however, so it's worth making the effort
to climb up and explor e the city's other streets. The best way to get a feel for the land-
scape is to walk to the city park and up to the
Punto Panorámico,
a great lookout point,
from where you get sweeping views of the city and the channel. The trail, which begins
at the southw estern end of A venida San Martín, is fr ee. Constr uction is under way to
improve the por t and the coastal str
13
etch, making it mor e pedestrian- and tourist-
friendly.
Acuario de Ushuaia
Finds
If the idea of jumping into the frigid waters of the
channel is out of the question, visit this basic but highly interesting aquarium on the east
side of to wn for a look at what it 's like under the sur face of the B eagle Channel. B e
warned: You might be charmed by the king crabs and refuse to eat one again. It's a little
expensive, but the aquarium gets top mar ks for environmental awareness, and was born
from local, grass-r oots effor ts, r eceiving no go vernment funds; and ex cept for injur ed
