Best City Restaurants in Mendoza

Chef Vanina Chimeno recently debuted María Antonieta in downtown Mendoza. You’ll find grilled meat aplenty but also house-made pastas such as broccoli orecchiette Belgrano 1069, Ciudad, 54/(0) 261-420-4322. This appeared in the May 2013 issue.

Once a modest deli hawking local meats, Azafran has become a Mendoza staple with its extensive 300 bottle wine list. It’s still known for its cured meat and cheese plates, but also don’t miss the ahi tuna tartare appetizer. The restaurant has a casual vibe but it is on the pricier side. For a unique experience, reserve the large table in Azafran’s wine room, where the sommelier will help you discern the most palatable wine to go with your entrée or tasting menu. Av. Sarmiento 765; +54 261 429 4200

Chef Pablo del Rio blends traditional recipes and ingredients from Argentina’s seven regions under one roof at Siete Cocinas restaurant. The seven regions represented include: Noa and Litoral in northern Argentina; Cuyo, which includes the Mendoza province; Metroplitana is Buenos Aires; Mar Argentino, the country’s East Coast; Patagonia Andina and La Pampa. The elegant restaurant is a refurbished colonial home in downtown Mendoza. It has a minimalist design with an open kitchen that seats 70 guests. The menu features Patagonian lamb, rabbit, pork, trout and traditional Mendocenean empanadas. Work your way around the country with Siete Cocina’s seven region tasting menu: a pacu (fish) filet salad (Litoral); watermelon salad (Cuyo/Pampa); fried Atlantic pollock cheeks (Mar Argentino); veal tail with tortellini (Metropolitana); succulent goat roasted in a clay oven (Cuyo); red berry sorbet (Patagonia Andina); and sugarcane ice cream with almonds crisps and toffee (Noa). The wine list is extensive. For a memorable dining experience, book the private dining table in the wine cellar. If you’re leaning towards a non-alcoholic beverage, try the infused Tealosophy teas from the in-house tea sommelier’s personal brand. The restaurant is closed on Sundays.