One of the last nights of summer provided just the right setting. Among palm trees, and a live band playing, the waiters tempted the attendees. Prawn empanadas, choripanes in brioche bread and shots of beef broth: The cocktail gave the first clues about the shared feast. The date was at Nuestro Secreto, at the Four Seasons Hotel, and the proposal was to invite the Uruguayan restaurant Manzanar to join forces on a special night. More than a specific invitation, he condensed a way of doing it that is repeated: kitchens that travel, restaurants that welcome and a scene that finds a way to renew itself.
Five star strategy
In many luxury hotels, these crossings are part of a sustained schedule. In the same Four Seasons usually integrate the kitchens of Nuestro Secreto, Elena and Pony Line and invite chefs from the region to build proposals that expand the experience. “We are interested in sharing our passion with other cultures, chefs and cooking styles. and what we do here in Buenos Aires, but also enrich ourselves with what they bring,” explains Juan Gaffuri, executive chef of the hotel.
The logic is clear: constant rotation, diversity of origins and an agenda that is renewed. In the coming months, the programming includes the arrival of Huniik, the project of Mexican Roberto Solís, which arrives in Elena on April 28; a cross between two references of Peruvian cuisine, Maido and La Mar, on May 29 in Elena; and two strong names in Colombian cuisine in June: Laura Espinosa with Sala de Laura at Pony Line on the 18th and Leo Espinosa with Leo at Elena on the 19th.
According to Gaffuri, the response from the public (both local and guests) is immediate: the events fill up, generate expectations and function as an attraction in itself. But there is something else: “In recent years, a very strong bond has been generated between chefs in Latin America. Being able to meet and cook together is a way to continue strengthening ourselves as a region.”
A few blocks away, at the Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt Buenos Aires, the pop up format has been in the works for some time as part of a broad strategy to renew the gastronomic proposal. Its programming combines interventions by guest chefs, festivals and activations, and the last event was on March 7, when the pâtisserie crossed paths with the Coronado restaurant.
“Pop ups are especially interesting to us because they allow us to keep a proposal alivein constant dialogue with the current gastronomic scene, and offer unique experiences to both our guests and the local public,” explains María Eugenia Motter, deputy director of Marketing. She says that it is the hotel’s own chefs who promote these actions, choosing and convening colleagues and taking into account the profile of each restaurant. At Gioia Cocina Botánica, for example, although they do not necessarily have to come from vegan or vegetarian cuisine, they must be encouraged to leave their comfort zone and create dishes with a botany.”At Duhau Restaurante & Vinoteca, on the other hand, the curatorship is oriented towards fine dining experiences.in line with the spirit of the restaurant and with a clear focus on the product: premium meats, cheeses and excellent raw materials, which form a central part of its proposal.
Cross tables
If in hotels the format is organized as an agenda, in restaurants the movement is more organic and constant.
Aramburu was one of the first to take that dynamic to the extreme with “SWITCH”, when he exchanged restaurants with El Papagayo, in Córdoba.and moved equipment, menu and dynamics to another city in a total context shift. Then came more concentrated crossings, such as meetings with chefs from the region or specific visits. In April, for now, it will welcome an Italian restaurant with 3 Michelin stars.
Crossings are also beginning to be thought of in a round-trip format. This is the case of the exchange between Osaka and El Papagayo, which unfolds in two stages: first with Osaka’s visit to Córdoba and then with El Papagayo disembarking in Buenos Aires. Osaka has also been consolidating its own Guest Chef cycle, with guests such as Gabriel Oggero and Martín Rebaudino..
More intimate but just as active, Norimoto began opening his bar to guests. First with specific editions (such as Women’s Day with Tefi Russo, Calu Corso and Anshi Shimabuku) and then with a more sustained format, which already had its first edition in 2026 with Edgar Kuda.
And the trend even reached the end of the world: in Ushuaia, Kalma has been putting together a calendar of guests who dialogue with the Fuegian territory. Gonzalo Aramburu, Alejandro Féraud, Julián Galende and Maximiliano Rossi, among others, passed by in meetings where the local product (crab, fish, lamb) intersects with external views. And there are new confirmed dates that include Tomás Treschanski, Pablo Bonilla and Tassia Magalhães.
In everyday key
But the phenomenon also gains space in more relaxed formats. At Mago Parrilla de Mercado, for example, pop-ups appear as a way to get out, even for a while, from the usual structure. “There is something unique and unrepeatable that is attractive. It allows us to try ideas, move around the scene and meet new audiences,” says chef Débora Abrea. In that spirit, on Saturday, April 11, there will be a meeting with Malcom Lancioni around signature burgers and wines.
While, At Sifón Sodería, collaborations function as a pause within the daily operation. “It takes you out of the routine, the teams can think about particular things and the client enjoys it,” says Juan Manuel Bidegain, partner. Here the crossovers range from alliances with similar cuisines to more relaxed activations, even with network figures.
And with the same objective of renewing, the Enero group developed a system where collaborations are part of a strategy. “Today we understand gastronomy as a platform to create dynamic proposals“explains its executive chef, Gastón Di Giorgio. Tastings, theme nights or meetings with brands and guests work as an excuse to generate constant novelty, expand audiences and sustain interest. The result? The construction of experiences that go beyond the plate.
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