Restaurant
Don Julio
Palermo's celebrated parrilla, holder of a Michelin star and Green Star, serving dry-aged Angus and Hereford beef from a cellar-backed corner house.
A Puerto Madero steakhouse opened in 1995 beside the old docks, serving beef from its own estancia's herds in a converted grain-silo building.
Good to know
Cabaña Las Lilas has been one of the flagship steakhouses of Puerto Madero since 1995. It sits in a converted grain-silo building beside the old docks, with a terrace over the water, and it was created through a partnership between the Las Lilas cattle business and the Iglesias family, owners of the Rubaiyat restaurants of São Paulo. The beef comes from the company's own herds: Las Lilas says it has more than 90 years of experience in genetic selection and was a pioneer in packaging selected beef cuts in 1987.
The Michelin Guide's round-up of the city's best meat restaurants paints a picture of a polished, classic experience. Meals start with a bread basket that includes chipá and Brazilian pão de queijo, and the knives come with wooden handles. The headline dish is a chuletón of around 1.5 kilos, flambéed with cognac at the table, while other cuts include picaña, entraña and both Angus and wagyu ojo de bife. A small cow-shaped pin on each steak shows the doneness you asked for, and a cheese trolley and a grill visible behind glass add to the sense of occasion.
The restaurant's own website says that The New York Times once included it among the ten best restaurants in the world. Wine is taken seriously. The restaurant has received Wine Spectator awards since 2007, and the cellar is large, so ask for guidance if you want to explore Argentine bottles beyond the obvious. Service is used to international visitors, which makes Las Lilas an easy choice for a first night in the city or for travellers who do not speak Spanish.
It suits business dinners, celebrations and visitors who want a comfortable, upmarket parrilla in a waterfront setting. Prices are at the top end for a steakhouse. Book through the website, by WhatsApp or by phone, and ask for a terrace table in good weather. The restaurant also has private rooms for events, including a VIP salon.
Cabaña Las Lilas is at Avenida Alicia Moreau de Justo 516, in Puerto Madero, overlooking the canal. The Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur, on the eastern side of the district, makes a good morning outing the next day.
In 1995.
From the Las Lilas company's own herds, bred from its own genetic lines.
According to the Michelin Guide, a chuletón of about 1.5 kilos flambéed with cognac at the table.
Yes, with views over the Puerto Madero docks.
Through the website, by WhatsApp on +54 9 11 3559 9199 or by phone on +54 11 4313 1336.
It has received Wine Spectator awards since 2007.
Yes, it has event spaces including a VIP salon.
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