I used to not ask them much. Some squid rings, some smoothies in the afternoon for the kids, a cold beer: not so long ago, that was all that was expected of beach inns. Until the gourmet sophistication that is permeating society also reached the arena. And it makes sense, given that more and more people enjoy going out to eat throughout the year, always in search of new gastronomic experiences and eager for new developments in the field. The holidays are an ideal time to deepen this. That foodie public this summer is congratulating: gourmet inns are beginning to be a trend and have populated the Pinamar and Cariló area.
BASED ON TRADITION
In the founding nucleus of Cariló, on the land of what used to be the Casa Grande of the Guerrero family, is located Divisadero, a parador that seamlessly combines tradition and avant-garde. The original building dates back to the 1970s, when the patrician family decided to entrust the architect Berro Madero with the project and construction of the Divisadero Coffee Shop, “in order to receive visitors interested in Parque Ca
riló”, detail the current managers. In a colorful fact, the work also included the remodeling of an old stable to adapt it to a grocery store and a pool with the dual purpose of entertainment and water reserve for firefighters in case of fire. “The name and the place for the construction was not capricious, it was done in the place par excellence to ‘see’ a unique view of the meeting of the sea, the beach and the forests framed on the left between Villa Gesell and Pinamar”, they point out from the spa, revealing the reason for the name.
Given the search for greater sustainability and beach space carried out by the municipality of the area, after many years the building has been intervened and enhanced, but respecting the original project and the functionality of the services to the maximum. Among other features, it was done through the incorporation of the Zur restaurant, “which came to offer a coastal cuisine fused with flavors from Peru in a relaxed atmosphere, which invites you to live an unforgettable gastronomic experience every day of the year”, describes Leandro Barroso, executive chef. In that sense, among its star dishes stand out the salmon and passion fruit tiraditos, sole ceviche, grilled octopus with quinoa and mushrooms and salmon in shrimp sauce and squid rings. And in pursuit of continuing to raise the bar, they also offer exclusive events with chefs, which in January included figures such as Gastón Riveira and Osvaldo Gross.
WITH SIGNATURE CUISINE
Towards the north of Pinamar, Rada Beach was born in 2016 with the premise of reviving a sector that did not usually have competition beyond the season and then become a point of reference in the territory. “When the entire new waterfront had to be built, we decided to take over this resort and create a sustainable and ecological one, combining good beach service with great cuisine,” says Walter Zenobi, founding partner. They did the latter with a building with an open kitchen, something new at the time, and through an alliance with chef Pedro Demuru, in order to bring his renowned signature cuisine to the beach. “This is how we stopped being the classic minute bar where you eat squid rings, loin sandwiches and some omelets, and we achieved a much broader menu,” Zenobi is proud.
With menus that vary during the day, at noon the hamburgers, generous salads and sandwiches stand out, such as the salmon gravlax or the “half a meter of bondiola”. At night, meanwhile, the restaurant dresses up and becomes a more than tempting option for a luxury meal, proving that paradors have life far beyond sun and sand. What to order then? The chef’s most classic and successful dishes are the venison pie and the lamb hock. “We have a loyal audience for many years, which is also sophisticated and demanding, so we feel the need to always be one step ahead and innovate with new alternatives every year”, describes the partner.
A few meters away, another spa seeks to stand out with its gourmet proposal. This is Casa Mar, created two years ago under the fundamental premise of offering “first quality food, good service and excellent cocktails”, lists Leonardo Palacios, manager. To give freshness to all this, they decided to vary the gastronomic proposal each season. In this, the chosen ones were the talents behind Niño Gordo, one of the star Asian food restaurants in Buenos Aires, and Tres Monos, a bar recently chosen among the 50 best in the world. “This achieved a great impact, both for the striking dishes and for the proposal of refreshing and innovative drinks, which for the beach comes in handy,” Palacios points out about the choice.
This union shines above all in dishes such as pasta or rice with seafood or chorizo steak with tonkatsu sauce, with a reduction of plums, garlic and ginger and accompanied with potato pie. “The idea is to have the imprint of sea cuisine with different culinary concepts”, they describe. With a service of loungers and tents for greater comfort in the sand, the proposal of dishes and drinks also reaches there, allowing the experience to be available to everyone.
Other spas that have joined this move to raise the gourmet bar are Renata Beach with the Nómade restaurant, in the Beyond area; Paradise Beach Club with Negroni Restó Bar and La Posta del Mar towards the center of Pinamar; and Hemingway, in Cariló arenas.
THE COMPLETE EXPERIENCE
For a long time, the only ones who returned to the inns at night were teenagers, summoned by those who organized parties and events. Today the gastronomic sophistication of this item has expanded the proposals and the age range, allowing many exponents to be a great option for more formal eating out. “The hostels are offering new proposals because they have evolved and grown over the years, adapting to survive. The tent service has become one more component, it is no longer the star of the offer”, reasons Zenobi from Rada Beach.
With sponsors that provide them with content in the form of all kinds of events, high-level signature cuisine, and sports and leisure activities during the day, it is clear that spas are today a space in which to spend the whole day, from tomorrow night. The experience has become more complete (and ambitious) than ever.
