The cost of eating out in Buenos Aires

There are 30 replies in this Thread which has previously been viewed 4,486 times. The latest Post (November 26, 2025 at 10:51 PM) was by Rice.

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    Last weekend I treated Adriana to dinner down at the old port/marina in Olivos and we were going to visit our old haunt, The Mirador, which we've been going to since 2005 and it hold a certain sentimental value for us.

    Unfortunately it was all closed up when we arrived, with a sole guard sitting inside with the lights on and drinking mate. It turns out that it's now been closed for seven months and there may be a dispute about ownership.

    Anyway, we then headed to The Nelly, a renowned parrilla close by in the port and since it was still warm, we chose a table outside. Table service was very polite and efficient and there wasn't much of a wait for the grub to arrive, which was very good quality.

    However, when the bill arrived, it was a shock to the system.

    A small Stella and a water to start

    A bottle of rosado wine with the meal

    Two main courses - nothing outrageous.

    AR$1750 thank you very much.

    I'm sure they make the prices up as they go along, which is one of the main reasons that we rarely eat out nowadays. It's just too frigging expensive.

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    Last Monday we were looking for a place to go out with a couple of friends in San Isidro.

    Being a Monday evening, there wasn't much choice, so we headed for El Ñandú (Sebastián Elcano 648, B1641 Acassuso, Buenos Aires) in the bajo. It was a cheap eat when we first moved here in 2014. My husband's family treated themselves to Friday dinner there. It was a ritual.

    Then they stopped going, we stopped going.

    I ordered the same dish I used to order back in the days since I hardly have seen it elsewhere (matambrito de cerdo).
    Plus point: no cubierto.

    We ordered water (4 half liter bottles), one salad, one portion of batata frita, three meat dishes with sides included, one mixed veggie grill, and one flan.

    The bill was 2140 pesos.

    The service was very attentive and polite, there is a wide selection of dishes.

    Meat dishes with sides were from 320 to 500+ pesos, the flan was 90 pesos.

    The beer 'Andes' was 176 pesos per bottle, it is sold for 85 pesos at the Carrefour.

    That said, I remember it being quite cheap, whereas now it is more of a treat rather than a once-in-a-while spot.

    I have mixed feelings because obviously a restaurant has to make money on food and beverages, however translating the bill in EUR it comes out not that cheap as it used to be. Maybe it is more gut feeling than actual money science, but in 2014 we used to think we could go there if we didn't want to cook, while now we would give it a second thought before spending that kind of money.

    Also seeing bills in the order of thousands of pesos is something I am still not used to and it looks 'more expensive' than in the past regardless of the equivalent in EUR.

    Although cheaper out here in the sticks we rarely eat out. Mainly because it ends up being no better than what we can rustle up at home for half the cost. We're usually knackered around 9pm so it's just not worth the effort.

    In times of greater than normal (? Normal? Did I just say that?) inflation in Argentina, we don’t even go into a restaurant until thoroughly reading the outdoor menu, to decide if it’s worth the splurge. And we find ourselves reading the wine list from right to left.

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    Quote from Richard Pedersen

    I converted 1750 pesos to US dollars and came up with 38.88. That doesn't sound bad to me but maybe my numbers are wrong?

    I agree Richard.

    US$40 for a meal for two isn't too bad, but when placed in the context of 55% inflation and salaries that don't rise in line, eating out is unaffordable for many of us now.

    For example AR$1750 will buy about 11 gallons of petrol or 8 bottles of decent wine (AR$200 each). Or a shopping trip in the supermarket for a few essentials.

    It's certainly cheaper to eat at home.

    That bottle of wine on our restaurant bill for example. They charged $388 and I can get the same for between $128 and $175. I know restaurant mark up wine, but heck.

    I'm afraid prices here are now totally out of control, but if you have USDs, you're laughing, especially since today the dollar went up to 47.50 pesos.

    Funnily enough over the last couple of weeks due to arriving later home in the evening than the usual we've been buying more ready made food in. It can work out not too bad value wise and saves time having to make it yourself.

    One place in particular which is owned and run by the brother of a friend of ours is more expensive than the rest but the quality is guaranteed. We spent 600 pesos last week for that we got 4 beef empanadas (the best in town), 2 large round spinach and cheese ones for the wife, a tray of potato salad as well as three 1'' thick slices of their chicken matambre. That did us two days running as we were full after the empanadas.

    The other night we went to a parrilla and bough half a chicken as well as a tray of salad and that cost about 260 pesos. It was okay but nothing great...although I doubt I would have saved money I could definitely have made better myself.

    Last night we ate out for the first time in ages and while we both enjoyed it, it's hardly surprising that we don't eat out very often.

    An empanada each followed by a medium sized pizza to share, both of which were delicious.

    Adri ordered a glass of rosado which ended up as just half a glass - cost $5000. You can buy a whole bottle for that.

    I had a Bacardi and Coke - cost $7500

    The total cost of the meal was $45.000. Although we enjoyed ourselves because we walked into La Lucila and Tilos is a quality place, it's an expensive pastime.

    We don't eat out very often here. Mainly because we can't be arsed getting dressed to go and eat mediocre food you can make yourself for half the price. My biggest gripe is the choice of dishes available. No matter where you go the menu is always the same.....pastas,pizzas and milanese. Fish dishes which I love are practically non existent.

    Quote from Rice

    UK Man , this is definitely :offtopic: but what kinds of fish dishes do you enjoy making at home? And are there particular fish dishes that you don’t make at home, but you miss having?

    I rarely bother making fish dishes now as the quality and variety of fish here is awful. I will only buy prawns.

    We haven’t been out in a while, too. In part because of the outrageous prices for mediocre food, lack of variety and the random food poisoning or hard to digest food that will ruin my night’s sleep. We used to go have something at one of the local pubs in the past, but the food quality is really awful, except at Desarmadero, which is usually jam packed for good reason. However, looking at their online menu, I don’t think we will visit again soon… or ever. Half a portion of fries is $9100 or 6.40 USD.

    Coffee is also expensive, add a pastry or a slice of cake, and you are easily above 20k for a breakfast for two. Therefore, also our Sunday morning brunch is gone.

    I think the only reason I would go eat out right now is if I want to eat something special that I can’t do at home. We used to go out a lot in the past, just to get out from the house without having to fix dinner. However, the place worth visiting are lesser and lesser, either because distance, quality or price.

    Eating out has always been one of our great joys in Buenos Aires. I’m afraid those days are over, as prices in BsAs restaurants seem even higher than in US Cities.

    It has been so hard for us to be away from Argentina this Spring, but even if we were able to be there, we wouldn’t be able to do so many of the things we’ve always enjoyed. I do hope that the immediate pain of belt-tightening promised by President Milei will produce the desired effect of turning the economy around before too many more years.

    Truth to be told, in Italy we don’t eat out as much as they do in the Americas. But the solutions are many as supermarkets sell a large variety of fresh food, ready for consumption. Here, certain large supermarkets have a section of ready meals, but tower of foods let out in the open in a supermarket for hours don’t look appealing to me. I am thinking about empanadas, meat or vegetable mixes that have been sitting in trays all day, and that people could touch.
    If they were in sealed portions, refrigerated and wrapped, it would be different. The quality would be still low in comparison, but at least the hygiene would be preserved. It is not unusual to spot half eaten stuff among the shelves. I remember a piece of cheese with huge bite marks that I found in a frozen sections, or the half eaten fruits in the veggie section. Hard pass.