I LOVE eating out in Buenos Aires because the prices are so dang cheap ‘económico!’ Argentina has high merit for its culinary deliciousness, so we gotta take advantage of it!
In Argentina, a day’s meal plan (and average prices) is typically set up as such:
Breakfast (morning hours)
Breakfast is typically light, with toast being the popular pick with jam or cream cheese or medialunas (croissants). I absolutely LOVE the cream cheese here. The brand is called Casancrem and the texture is better than Philadelphia’s Whipped.
Many cafés offer SUPER deals! I came with a friend to Café Martinez and got a breakfast-for-two deal that came with 6 pieces of toast w/ a side of jam & cream cheese; 2 croissants; 2 cappucinos; 2 orange juices; 3 biscuits and 2 small waters. The total of this deal was about 330 pesos— $7 USD ($3.50 each)! There are also many other combination deals where a main breakfast dish is accompanied with a coffee drink AND orange juice for about 100-200 pesos ($2-$4).
Some cafés offer American-styled breakfasts with egg dishes, pancakes, french toast, the trendy avocado toast fad, waffles and even the magical duo of chicken & waffles!
Lunch (2-4pm)
Lunch is typically the biggest meal of the Argentine diet heavy on meat and carbs. Unfortunately, the CEA meal plan for homestays does not include lunch, so I am forced to explore various restaurants around (...oh no??). Though Argentina is known for its steaks, they are in fact very diverse in international cuisine. You can find many fast-food chains from the United States around: Starbucks, Subway, Wendy’s, Burking King, McDonald’s etc.
You will see a ton of cyclists carrying a large colored box filled with food on their backs— these are the people equivalent to our Uber Eats workers, only they work for Rappi, Pedidos Ya, etc. I have ordered from Pedidos Ya countless of times, with each time trying to get something different. There are tons of deals and— like I said— the food is cheap! My first meal was from an Arabic restaurant that consisted of 6 pieces of falafel, chicken shwarma, a meat empanada, 6 dolmas, and a chicken sandwich— I saved half for another day— all for about $4-5. You get the point about how freaking amazing these prices are.
If you are in Argentina please do try their empanadas! I am obsessed with them.
Hora de Té/Snack hour (4-6pm)
This may have been influenced by the British, but tea hour is a nice time of day for friends to get together or people coming home from a day’s work to a café to drink coffee/tea with a pastry or cookies. It also helps as a little snack to help you survive until the late dinner. I am actually writing this post in the café with a nice hot Americano— the coffee… not the Spanish word for an American guy.
Going to an heladería for gelato is also a perfect decision during this time! There are gelato shops on almost every block and the texture and flavor are decadent to the taste buds.
The sizes are very generous and the prices— I don’t even need to talk about prices anymore.
I have also seen people eat a plate of queso y fiambre, which is a plate of fancy cheeses, meats, and olives!
Dinner (8-10pm)
Dinner can be relatively filling too and can consist of the same foods as lunch. Argentina has high Italian influence, so some families cook pasta for dinner on Sunday evenings.
Eggs can definitely appear in these dishes! I have seen them on hamburgers, milanesas (delicious thinly-breaded meat), rice, savory pies, and pizza.
Family asados could be held during dinner (or lunch) on the weekend, which is a meat-lover’s heaven. So many different types of meats and parts...it could be best to not ask what you’re eating and just enjoy it!(:
Optional Going-out Meal (12am-4am)
I was walking home after midnight on a weekend and noticed how many bars and restaurants were open— and actually crowded with people (including little kids!) I saw a lot of people at the pizzerias eating a delicious $4-5 large pizza past midnight. The night life is busy and very alive I tell you!
Quick Tips with Restaurants:
If you are going out with a friend/group and want the bill split, make sure to tell the waiters in advance!
Filtered water is NOT free! If you want free water, it will be from the tap, so ask for agua de la canilla.
DELIVERY APPS HAVE SO MANY OPTIONS WITHOUT DELIVERY FEES! PedidosYa is the best app.
Unless there is a service charge 'cobertura' it is nice to leave a 15% tip... which to be honest is NOTHING over there. You may be giving the waiters the equivalent of 1 USD or less.
Just come in and find your own seat! They will bring you your menus once you seat yourself.
No matter if you are a meat-eater, vegetarian, vegan or a picky eater, you will find something here! (Argentina is a meat-lover's heaven)