40 cheap eats places in Buenos Aires, editor-picked. the best low-budget spots in Buenos Aires: the places editors actually return to. All Buenos Aires food.
Chori ★ 4.8
palermo-soho · Thames 1653, C1414 Buenos Aires
Pedro Pena and German Sitz upgraded the street choripan to chef-counter form: house-made sausages, ferments, pickled toppings and signature chimichurris.
Atelier Fuerza ★ 4.7
palermo-soho · Jose A. Cabrera 2912, C1186 Buenos Aires
Palermo flagship of Buenos Aires' sourdough revolution, with branches in Recoleta, Almagro, Nunez and beyond. Slogan: fewer croissants, more medialunas.
El Sanjuanino ★ 4.7
recoleta · Posadas 1515, C1011 Buenos Aires
Recoleta empanada institution since 1976. Salteña, tucumana and cuyana empanadas baked or fried, tamales and winter locro; family-owned three generations.
Salvaje Bakery ★ 4.6
palermo-soho · Avenida Dorrego 1829, C1414 Buenos Aires
German Torres's Palermo-Colegiales border bakery, standard-bearer for Argentine sourdough since 2016. Alternative flours, integral pastries, his book Pan.
Cocu Boulangerie ★ 4.5
palermo-soho · Malabia 1510, C1414 Buenos Aires
Three French entrepreneurs' Palermo Soho boulangerie, widely cited as the city's best croissant. Baguette, pain au levain, pastries; small cafe corner.
L'epi Boulangerie ★ 4.5
belgrano · Juramento 2527, C1428 Buenos Aires
Bruno and Olivier's Belgrano boulangerie: pain au chocolat, kouign amann and mille-feuilles, Argentine flour with French technique, plus a lunch counter.
Las Violetas ★ 4.5
almagro · Avenida Rivadavia 3899, C1204 Buenos Aires
Voted best Cafe Notable in Buenos Aires, opened 21 September 1884 at Rivadavia and Medrano. Belle-epoque stained glass, Italian marble, legendary merienda.
Feria de Mataderos ★ 4.5
mataderos · Avenida Lisandro de la Torre and Avenida de los Corrales, Mataderos, C1440 Buenos Aires
Sunday Mataderos fair on the old livestock-yard plazas. Provincial empanadas, asado off open coals, winter locro, tamales; gaucho displays alongside.
Chori ★ 4.4
palermo-soho · Thames 1653, C1414 Buenos Aires
Pedro Pena and German Sitz's choripan-focused Palermo counter, an upgrade of the street-food staple with house-made sausages and toppings beyond chimichurri.
Le Blu ★ 4.4
palermo-soho · Honduras 5482, C1414 Buenos Aires
Palermo Soho corner room turning out the city's most-photographed laminated pastries. Twice-baked almond croissants, kouign amann, medialunas queues.
Gran Cafe Tortoni ★ 4.4
microcentro · Avenida de Mayo 825, C1084 Buenos Aires
The oldest cafe in Buenos Aires, founded 1858 and on Avenida de Mayo since 1880. Cafe Notable, a Site of Cultural Interest; Borges and Gardel were regulars.
LAttente Caffe ★ 4.4
palermo-soho · Costa Rica 4863, C1414 Buenos Aires
Specialty Palermo coffee bar from the LAB Tostadores roastery, a standard-bearer for third-wave coffee in BA. Filter, espresso, baked goods; laptops welcome.
Choripaneros de la Costanera Sur ★ 4.4
puerto-madero · Avenida Tristan Achaval Rodriguez, Costanera Sur, C1107 Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires' classic choripan-cart strip along the Costanera Sur reserve. Open-flame grills, chorizo and bondiola sandwiches, paper napkins, cans of beer.
Chori ★ 4.4
palermo-soho · Thames 1653, C1414 Buenos Aires
Chef-driven choripan counter from Pedro Pena and German Sitz: house-made sausages, four pickles, three chimichurris; the cheapest meal at Palermo quality.
Pinta Pizza ★ 4.4
palermo-soho · Avenida Cabrera 3801, C1186 Buenos Aires
Palermo natural-fermentation pizza by the slice or full pie. Cheaper than a Don Julio steak, dialled-in dough, brings a small queue at lunch.
El Cuartito ★ 4.3
microcentro · Talcahuano 937, C1013 Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires' canonical pizza al molde pizzeria since 1934. Thick-crust mozzarella, fugazzeta and faina at stand-up counters; sit-down tables in the back.
Pizzeria Guerrin ★ 4.3
microcentro · Avenida Corrientes 1368, C1043 Buenos Aires
Corrientes pizzeria since 1932, cited with El Cuartito as a BA pizza al molde institution. Stand-up counter for cuarta-de-muzza, sit-down tables at the back.
Confiteria La Argentina ★ 4.3
caballito · Avenida Rivadavia 5969, C1424 Buenos Aires
Caballito panaderia opened 1907, one of the oldest active bakeries in the city. Pasta frola, palmeritas, alfajores de maicena and a full factura counter.
Bar El Federal ★ 4.3
san-telmo · Carlos Calvo 599, C1102 Buenos Aires
One of the oldest bar-restaurants in BA, opened 1864 as a general store and rebuilt as the present Italianate corner. Bar Notable, Site of Cultural Interest.
El Preferido (cafe service) ★ 4.3
palermo-soho · Jorge Luis Borges 2108, C1425 Buenos Aires
Pablo Rivero's Palermo bodegon doubles as a morning and aperitif cafe with the 1952 marble counter. Sit at the bar for vermouth and tortilla pre-lunch.
La Cocina ★ 4.3
recoleta · Avenida Pueyrredon 1508, C1118 Buenos Aires
Pueyrredon empanada counter known for tucumana-style empanadas, fried or baked. Famous picante (spicy minced beef with potato); Tue and Thu locro at the bar.
El Cuartito ★ 4.3
microcentro · Talcahuano 937, C1013 Buenos Aires
Stand-up pizza al molde since 1934. Order a cuarta de muzza or fugazzeta at the counter, fold and eat with a tin of moscato. Sit-down dining at the back.
Pizzeria Guerrin ★ 4.3
microcentro · Avenida Corrientes 1368, C1043 Buenos Aires
Corrientes institution since 1932 with two-tier service: stand-up counter slices for a few dollars, sit-down tables and full pies at the back.
El Obrero ★ 4.3
la-boca · Agustin R. Caffarena 64, C1157 Buenos Aires
La Boca bodegon since 1954. Soccer scarves on the walls, simple parrilla, daily specials chalked up; a famous Bono and Bourdain pilgrimage stop.
El Sanjuanino ★ 4.3
recoleta · Posadas 1515, C1011 Buenos Aires
Recoleta empanada institution since 1976. Order a dozen mixed (salteña, tucumana, cuyana) and take them away to the cemetery park for a working-lunch budget.
La Biela ★ 4.2
recoleta · Avenida Presidente Manuel Quintana 600, C1014 Buenos Aires
Cafe Notable opposite Recoleta Cemetery, on Quintana and Junin since 1850. Renamed La Biela in the 1950s for its racing-driver clientele; Borges wrote here.
El Gato Negro ★ 4.2
microcentro · Avenida Corrientes 1669, C1042 Buenos Aires
Cafe Notable since 1928 on Corrientes, half spice merchant and half cafe. Wood shelves of imported coffee and tea, marble counter, theatre lunch crowd.
La Cocina ★ 4.2
recoleta · Avenida Pueyrredon 1508, C1118 Buenos Aires
Pueyrredon empanada counter famous for tucumana-style and the picante (spicy minced beef and potato). Winter Tuesdays and Thursdays bring locro at the bar.
Miramar ★ 4.2
san-cristobal · Avenida San Juan 1999, C1232 Buenos Aires
San Cristobal Spanish-Argentine bodegon since 1948. Paella on Sundays, weeknight classics; one of the city's last big wood-panelled rooms at bodegon prices.
El Imperio de la Pizza ★ 4.1
almagro · Avenida Corrientes 3893, C1194 Buenos Aires
Almagro pizzeria on Corrientes, the kind of stand-up pizza al molde joint locals come to between subway rides. Bargain prices, classic fugazzeta rellena.
Panaderia San Antonio ★ 4.1
palermo-soho · Avenida Cordoba 4998, C1414 Buenos Aires
Classic Palermo Soho panaderia of the kind every porteno barrio has on a corner. Medialunas, vigilantes, sacramentos, full factura tray, bread by the kilo.
Cafe de los Angelitos ★ 4.1
microcentro · Avenida Rivadavia 2100, C1034 Buenos Aires
Cafe Notable at Rivadavia and Rincon, opened 1890 and rebuilt in 2007 after demolition. Gardel and Pugliese were regulars; upstairs tango show runs nightly.
Feria de San Telmo (food stalls) ★ 4.1
san-telmo · Defensa between Avenida San Juan and Plaza de Mayo, C1099 Buenos Aires
Sunday San Telmo fair runs the length of Defensa. Choripan grills, churros stands, empanada carts and tango buskers between Plaza Dorrego and Plaza de Mayo.
Albamonte ★ 4.1
chacarita · Avenida Corrientes 6735, C1427 Buenos Aires
Chacarita Argentine-Italian bodegon since 1953. Hand-rolled noodles, baked pastas and cheap Sunday family lunches under wood-beam ceilings on Corrientes.
El Imperio de la Pizza ★ 4.1
almagro · Avenida Corrientes 3893, C1194 Buenos Aires
Almagro pizzeria on Corrientes for the classic cheap-and-fast porteno move: a cuarta of mozzarella plus a slice of faina, eaten standing at the counter.
Havanna (flagship) ★ 4.0
microcentro · Florida 273, C1005 Buenos Aires
Argentina's most recognised alfajor brand, founded 1948 in Mar del Plata. Now in every airport; the Florida pedestrian-street store is the busiest outpost.
La Poesia ★ 4.0
san-telmo · Chile 502, C1098 Buenos Aires
Bar Notable on the Chile and Bolivar corner of San Telmo; a small bohemian room declared a Site of Cultural Interest. Worn wood, soft lamps, slow Sundays.
El Hornero Tucumano ★ 4.0
balvanera · Avenida Cordoba 1857, C1120 Buenos Aires
Balvanera counter specialising in the Tucuman regional canon: hand-formed empanadas of cuchillo-cut beef, humitas en chala and tamales. Cheap, fast, packed.
El Club de la Milanesa ★ 4.0
belgrano · Juramento 2995, C1428 Buenos Aires
Belgrano R milanesa hall: 20-plus toppings (napolitana, fugazzeta, calabresa), generous portions, beer-and-fries combos, packed with locals weeknights.
El Hornero Tucumano ★ 4.0
balvanera · Avenida Cordoba 1857, C1120 Buenos Aires
Balvanera empanada counter doing the Tucuman canon at lunch-budget prices. Stand-up service, half-dozen empanadas plus a humita at working-lunch cost.