Mendoza Cuisine

For its moderate size, Mendoza still offers a fairly wide variety of gastronomic tastes and styles for fans of, you know, eating. You can expect plenty of asado and parrilla in true Argentinean style, as well as European influenced recipes and even some choice seafood options. All you travelers with a sweet tooth may also like hearing that this city prides itself on noteworthy pastries and “scraped cookies,” so indulge. Keep in mind that dinner gets started pretty late here, especially on weekends (think 10 or 11pm), so don’t shy away from filling up if lunch time for you is typically around 1 or 2pm.

Aristides Villanueva, the city’s most popular thoroughfare for entertainment, is a good place to start. It’s got everything from expensive to budget, and a pretty expansive selection of good restaurants (Carmela, Ph Public House, etc.) to choose from. For more upscale-ish, check the city’s Guia Mendoza Gourmet (guide to gourmet restaurants), or head north to Av. Sarmiento, which runs directly off of Plaza Independencia. You’ll find great outdoor seating, people watching, and eateries like Azafran abound here. Keep in mind all that atmosphere comes with an elevated price tag and you’ll be good to go.

If you’re on the lookout for good eats on the cheap, keep an eye open for Av. Juan Justo and then duck inside any of its unassuming store fronts you find packed with locals (La Flor de la Canela, for example, for you Peruvian food lovers). In fact, that’s a pretty good principal to keep in mind wherever you happen to be around town. This is Mendoza, after all, and all that critically acclaimed wine requires a ubiquitous dispersion of good restaurants to go with it. There are also plenty of areas outside the city center known for excellent grazing , including Godoy Cruz and Chacras de Coria a little further south. Plan ahead or try your luck ad-libbing and enjoy the experience of eating out Mendoza style.