Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 4772-2230;
www.unik.pro
; Soler 5132; mains AR$135-190; 8:30pm-midnight Mon, 12:30-3pm &
8:30pm-midnight Tue-Sat)
For a splurge night out, you can't do much better than Unik. Start
with an appetizer of roasted beets with goat cheese and walnut-truffle vinaigrette
(AR$90), then move on to the main courses: rabbit with eggplant purée, suckling pig with
grilled apples in Dijon mustard sauce or Patagonian lamb with pickled figs and a tagine
sauce. Unik indeed.
GREEN BAMBOO $$$
MAP
VIETNAMESE
GOOGLE MAP
( 4775-7050;
www.green-bamboo.com.ar
; Costa Rica 5802; mains AR$115-160; 8:30pm-1am Sun-
Thu, to 2:30am Fri & Sat)
This sultry Vietnamese eatery offers just a small selection of dishes,
but all are well prepared and flavorful. Sample things like seafood curry, marinated sirloin
in lemongrass and 'traditional'
pho
(well, Argentine-style - so don't expect much tradi-
tion). The atmosphere is dim and romantic, with a few low tables, and the tropical cock-
tails are excellent. Reserve on weekends.
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
A very popular Buenos Aires culinary offshoot in the last few years are 'closed-door restaurants', or
puertas cerradas
. These places are open only a few days per week, have timed seatings and are gener-
ally prix fixe (and mostly cash only). They're not marked with signs and you have to ring a bell to
enter. They won't even tell you the address until you make reservations (mandatory, of course). But
for that tingly feeling brought on by discovering something off the beaten path - with some of the
city's best food to boot - these places are for you.
There are two kinds of
puertas cerradas:
the first is where you dine in the chef's actual home, and
usually sit at a large communal table. This is a great way to meet other people, often interesting travel-
ers or expats; it's ideal for folks traveling alone. The second kind has more of a restaurant feel and
tables are for separate groups - just like a regular restaurant, but not open to walk-ins. Many
puertas
cerradas
are located in Palermo.
Some of BA's best
puertas cerradas
include
iLatina
(
www.ilatinabuenosaires.com/en
)
, serving ex-
quisite Colombian food;
Casa Saltshaker
(
www.casasaltshaker.com
), where you'll sample ex-New
Yorker Dan Perlman's culinary creations;
NOLA
(
www.nolabuenosaires.com
)
, home to New Or-
leans-fusion dishes;
Casa Felix
(
www.colectivofelix.com/casa-felix
)
, a pescatarian's delight; and
Co-
cina Sunae
(
www.cocinasunae.com
)
, for near-authentic Asian-fusion meals.
