La Brigada

La Brigada is the parrilla most people think of when they picture a traditional steakhouse in San Telmo. Hugo Echevarrieta opened it in 1992 as a small neighbourhood grill, and it soon became a destination in its own right. The city's tourism board highlights its best-known piece of theatre: the cuts are so tender that waiters can cut them with a spoon.

The menu is built around beef. Good choices include entraña (skirt steak), ojo de bife (ribeye), baby beef and the asado especial de centro, and adventurous eaters can try lamb chinchulines from the grill. Start with empanadas, and note that the grilled meats are served with generous side dishes, with a dessert selection to follow. The wine cellar is a serious one, with more than 60,000 labels according to the tourism board, so take the chance to ask for advice on Argentine reds to match your cut.

The dining room is as much a part of the experience as the food. Football shirts and pennants cover the walls alongside old photographs, while chandeliers and a stained-glass ceiling give the room a more formal edge. It is lively, traditional and very porteño, and it suits groups, football fans, families and anyone looking for a classic parrilla meal in the old part of the city.

The tourism board lists La Brigada as open from Tuesday to Sunday for lunch from 12:00 to 15:00 and for dinner from 20:00 to midnight. Booking is sensible for dinner and at weekends, especially on Sundays when the San Telmo fair draws visitors to the area. The restaurant can be contacted by phone or by email at [email protected]. Prices are at the upper-middle end for a parrilla, and portions are substantial, so sharing a cut or a couple of side dishes is a sensible strategy.

La Brigada is at Estados Unidos 465, in the heart of San Telmo. Lunch here fits neatly into a Sunday that starts at the Feria de San Telmo on Plaza Dorrego and the Mercado de San Telmo, whose wings open onto Estados Unidos, and it is just as well placed for dinner after an afternoon exploring the old quarter.