The City of Buenos Aires has a great offer on an idea that was born in Europe but that for years has been installed more and more in Buenos Aires and its visitors: tapas. And there are all kinds and for all tastes. That is why we leave you a selection of places whose menu focuses on small dishes to take to the center of the table and share with craft beers, selected wines or signature cocktails.
With draft beers
The combination of a simple and tasty snack with a beer could be said to be the original idea of the tapas concept. Luckily, this good Spanish custom came to the city and today there are many beer bars that focus their gastronomic offer on small dishes to try between pints. One of the first was junkyard (Gorriti 4295, Palermo) that burst onto the scene in 2017 with a very careful selection of craft beer producers and a menu focused on homemade tapas. The jewels of its menu were and still are the vegetable fritters with aioli, the fried lamb ravioli, the ossobuco or mushroom empanadas, and the potato omelette with or without red chorizo. growlers (Cuba 2022, Belgrano, among other venues) is another benchmark in terms of pints and good cuisine. Today, in its six branches they offer classic and innovative styles accompanied by a tempting menu specializing in artisanal hamburgers and tapas a little more “gourmet”. They have just incorporated new recipes such as focaccia with black pudding, pears, Gruyère cheese and honey; the raw ham dish with pears, figs, cherry tomatoes and olive confit; the grilled sausage with beet puree, alioli, grilled peaches and sesame; and roasted cauliflower with mashed carrots, sriracha, and mango oil. Most recently opened Beerhof (Nicaragua 4427, Palermo), a beer garden that, between snacks, pizzas and sandwiches, presents an original series of small dishes with a Latin American imprint. Here, the piqueo can be made with cheese fingers (also called “tequeños”), fried cassava sticks, arepas with tasty fillings, and patacones (crushed and fried green plantains) with different toppings.
With selection of wines
Bread and wine, a duo that is as Christian as it is infallible when it comes to going out for tapas. If a couple of years ago the breweries gained ground in the city, today the winebars are doing it with proposals for all audiences. Aldo’s Wine Bar (Syrian Arab Rep. 3037, Palermo) is a classic in the hands of the renowned sommelier Aldo Graziani where wines from its own curatorship are enjoyed with Mediterranean portions. Labels by the glass or bottle from more than 300 winemakers throughout the country are paired with Catalan fuet and marinated olives, nduja with pickled peppers and sourdough bread, leber with cucumber pickles and toasted bread, raw ham with whipped butter and brioche, mushrooms with kale and putanesca, and many more options where the quality of the product prevails. In wine house (Cabrera 5300, Palermo) the plan is more relaxed and the idea is to get carried away by sensations and not by labels. White, rosé and red varietals and blends are served only by the glass, drawn directly from the barrel to share along with signature tapas with surprising flavors: braised ossobuco croquettes with torrontés cheese and mayo-miso; risotto and torrontés pine mushroom croquettes; bean kebab with heirloom tomatoes, figs and salsify puree; sausage with babaganoush, green leaves, zucchini and coconut milk; among other station options. On the other hand, in Trashumante(Chile 499, San Telmo) the talented Fernando Rivarola and Gabriela Lafuente –chef and sommelier, respectively– take you on a sensory journey through high-flying gastronomic preparations based on raw materials from small producers, collectors and local fishermen. With a very interesting selection of wines, you can enjoy small dishes such as pickled sardines, Pil Pil shrimp, cassava and spinach fritters, the classic Fish & Chips and much more.
Accompanying with signature cocktails
If the idea is to share dishes and cocktails, Ronconcon (Beauchef 527, Wheelie) is a great coordinate. In a refurbished house in Caballito, small and medium-sized dishes of fusion cuisine inspired by recipes and native ingredients from countries such as Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Mexico. To put in the center and share, the cured fish ceviche with yellow chili, chuspillo corn, mango and chips stands out; the shrimp patacones with marmitako, avocado, yellow pepper and pickles; the braised pork tacos with bean puree, mayo-chipotle, onion, cilantro, sour cream and lime; and other portions that are paired with innovative cocktails with a Latin accent. For lovers of Italian cuisine, in the elegant Recova de Posadas is located Il Giardino Romagnoli (Carlos Pellegrini 1576, Recoleta) that offers a wide variety of traditional antipasti with a strong presence of fish and shellfish. Between reversals of classic cocktails and others that refer to different Italian cities, you can nibble on some exclusive oysters au gratin, grilled scallops, Roman squid rings, salmon and mushroom croquettes, or cheese and sausage boards. Y greenbamboo (Costa Rica 5802, Palermo) is an icon of Vietnamese cuisine in the city and a great plan for curious palates. The invitation is to travel through the exotic flavors of Southeast Asia through snacks such as grilled wontons stuffed with pork with herbs, soy sauce and coriander; the baos of bacon with tamarind sauce, pickles, cilantro and peanuts; the rice dough rolls with shredded meat, mushrooms, “nouc cham” sauce and fried shallots; and the baby squid in tempura with tamarind sauce. All this is enjoyed between own cocktails designed to enhance the flavors of the menu.
by RN
