The Argentine Experience has been listed among the most popular dining experiences in Buenos Aires for years.
What makes up the experience and is it worth all the hype?
It’s a social dinner party in the heart of Palermo Soho, serving up all of the most important dishes in Argentine cuisine while the charismatic servers provide context and history to the dishes and wine.
If you want to try a variety of local dishes and boutique wines with fellow travelers then keep reading this honest review of The Argentine Experience.
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The Argentine Experience: An Honest Review
The Argentine Experience is your invitation to a dinner party in Buenos Aires.
Diners are seated around one large table in the kitchen and conversation flows. The night started off with a sparkling wine and appetizers like buñuelos, chard fritters just like abuela makes.
And while this is dinner, not a cooking class, you do get to try your hand at a few things.
After a brief lesson on how to properly close an empanada (an underappreciated art, really), we had a go at it ourselves. With meet and dough, we all tried to re-create the classic closure for the empanada that would be among our starters.
Then we followed their chimichurri recipe from the ingredients on the table, blending it all in a mortar and pestle. This isn’t your classic chimi recipe, it’s a fancier spin but it was so delicious that I definitely took that recipe home with me and slipped it into my recipe book.
The servers were charismatic and kept the group entertained throughout the night.
It’s a full night and the three hours we were there flew by.
What’s on the menu
The menu includes 16 different dishes celebrating Argentine culture. Some dishes are straight from the asado – like chorizo, matambre, morcilla, and of course, steak.
You’ll try the empanada you expertly closed at the start of the night. And other dishes are straight out of abuela’s kitchen – like chard fritters or roasted eggplant.
And if you’re concerned about 16 dishes – the portions are all perfectly set to allow room for the star of the show – a beef tasting of tenderloin and a slow-braised osso buco.
And the steak is great (it always is), but you won’t find an osso buco like this on many menus in Buenos Aires so please, save room for it! For me, was the highlight of the night.
Dessert, coffee, and mate scattered across the table, the night was over.
We all left with new friends and a new appreciation for Argentine cuisine.
The wines are all boutique selections paired with each course. You’ll try unique bottles so if you’re a wine lover, take a photo of each label to remember later.
For dessert we were served a tasting of traditional Argentine desserts, of which there are many. Argentines have a sweet tooth.
We tried a bite of flan and chocotorta, panqueques with dulce de leche, and alfajores de maicena (the last one we assembled ourselves).
We were given the cookies, the dulce de leche and the coconut – putting together our alfajores while listening to a lesson on how to prepare Yerba Mate like a local.
And while it must be said that yerba mate is not typically drank at night or after a meal, this is a great opportunity to learn about a major pillar of Argentine culture. I noticed a lot of guests’ attention waning at this point in the meal but pay attention, listen to what your server says about mate as it really is fundamental in Argentine culture.
You’ll be given the opportunity to try it for yourself, take it. Keep an open mind, it’s bitter but it will grow on you if you let it.
Should you book the Argentine Experience?
My friend and I both really enjoyed our night at the Argentine Experience and I highly recommend it.
It’s more than just a great meal, you’ll learn about the dishes you’re trying and make friends with fellow travelers along the way.
This is a great dinner option for solo travelers, couples, and friends alike. Afterwards you’ll have time to go out for a drink to extend the night in Buenos Aires’ most popular neighborhood.
If you’re interested, click to book your Argentine Experience.
RESERVE THE ARGENTINE EXPERIENCE | Thanks to The Argentine Experience for inviting me to try this unique Buenos Aires food experience. As always, all opinions are 100% my own. Click here to reserve your asado.
Read More about Eating in Buenos Aires
- Fogon Asado: Another incredible dining experience by the same people who created The Argentine Experience
- Unique Buenos Aires Food Tours
- What and Where to eat in Buenos Aires
- Popular Foods to eat across Argentina
- A Guide to Eating Steak in Buenos Aires
- The Buenos Aires Empanada List
Argentina Travel Resources
- BOOK A CONSULTATION | I offer one-on-one travel consultations to help you plan your trip to Argentina. Pick my brain to get a local’s insight. Click here for more information.
- MY MAP | Buy my interactive map with 300+ pins to have access to the city as I see it. It is an invaluable resource. See more here about how it works.
- AIRPORT TRANSFERS | Having a driver waiting for you is ideal for a stress free arrival, Welcome Pickups is the best option for a driver from Ezeiza or Aeroparque.
- TRAVEL INSURANCE | Always travel insured. Anything can happen anywhere and it is scarier and costlier in an unfamiliar country. SafetyWing’s Essential Plan covers unexpected travel and medical emergencies and even offers add-ons like electronics theft or adventure sports. It is the best if you’re coming on vacation. If you’re coming as a digital nomad or an extended stay, you need their Complete Nomad Plan which also covers routine check ups, maternity, mental healthcare and more. Read more: Health Insurance in Argentina
- PHONE PLAN | These days, traveling with data is essential. Especially in Argentina where everything is managed on Instagram and WhatsApp. I recommend this E-SIM card. It’s hassle-free and affordable, for more read how to get an Argentina sim card.
- ACCOMMODATION IN ARGENTINA | booking.com is the most common hotel site used in Argentina and it’s where you’ll find the most options.
- RENTAL CARS | I love using Discover Cars, it is a great platform to compare different rates and providers and I find they have responsive customer service.
- BUS TICKETS | Check Busbud for long distance bus routes and tickets.
- VPN | If you’ll be using a public WiFi connection and want to secure your data, I highly recommend using a VPN, I personally use and have had a good experience with ExpressVPN. I also use it to access Hulu and American Netflix from Argentina.
- FLIGHTS | Always check Google Flights and Skyscanner for flights to and within Argentina. Aerolineas Argentina is the local airline with the most routes. FlyBondi and Jetsmart are two budget airlines with dirt-cheap prices (but expect to pay for every add-on like luggage).
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