Welcome
Try traditional foods, discover secret restaurants, immerse yourself in the cuisine and culture of Argentina, and meet interesting people on our fun, relaxed and social food tours
The Parrilla Tour
Parrillas are Argentine restaurants offering the most traditional cuisine. Most visitors to Buenos Aires only dine at the most touristy parrillas published in guidebooks and sadly miss out on some of the city’s most delicious gems.
To experience and taste authentic Porteño flavors, join us on our Parrilla Tour, to discover hole-in-the wall restaurants where the locals go, learn about Argentina’s culture and traditions, and meet others during the relaxed and social tour.
The Parrilla Tour includes:
- Walking tour of 3 different authentic local restaurants
- Tasting traditional foods at each stop and excellent Argentine wine
- Finish off on a sweet note with a visit to one of the best artesanal “heladerías” (ice cream shops) or historical café for a real treat!
- English explanations of the food sampled along with an immersion into local culture
Palermo
Our Palermo tour centers around the Las Cañitas section of Palermo, a neighborhood known for its beautiful tree lined avenues, historic polo fields, and burgeoning culinary and nightlife scene. On this route we begin at a classic parrilla filled with soccer fanatics known for it’s choripan. Next, we visit a Northern Argentine style casa de empanadas to try some of our favorite handmade empanadas and a glass of Torrontés wine, before moving on to enjoy some of the best meat and service in the city at a historic and hidden parrilla famous among locals, and finally finishing at an incredible artisanal “heladeria” (ice cream shop).
The Palermo tour is conducted every Tuesday,Thursday, Friday and Saturday beginning at 12 pm (noon) Thursday 7:30 pm and lasts 2,5 / 3 hours.
San Telmo
The San Telmo tour is for those visitors who love historic architecture and have a desire for a little adventure. We begin near the Mercado de San Telmo for a homemade empanada at a family owned neighborhood institution. After exploring the market and seeing Argentine butchers in action, we have the classic street food of Argentina, choripan. The main stop is at one of the best and oldest Buenos Aires parrillas to try provoleta, 2 cuts of steak, salad and Malbec . We finish up at a small heladeria known for their selection of homemade ice cream flavors.
The San Telmo tour is conducted every Monday and Wednesday at 12 pm (noon) Friday 7:30 pm and lasts 2,5 / 3 hours.
Mataderos
This tour includes transport to and from your hotel. The market takes place in the neighborhood of Liniers, located approximately 30 minutes from downtown where the city’s main livestock market operates from Monday to Friday. Every Sunday however, the streets are filled with local food stalls and decorated with Gaucho crafts inviting you to enjoy a unique experience. We try a variety of local delicacies including empanadas, chori-pan and meats as well as drinks. There is also a stage where folk dancers and musicians perform and everybody is welcome to dance and share in a very family friendly environment.
Mataderos fair only takes place between March to December and we highly recommend doing this tour right now if you can because it will change its authenticity soon. Available Sundays only. Pick up from hotel at 12:00 noon. Tour duration approx 4hrs.
Parrilla Tour in Palermo& Milonga night
On this route we begin at a classic parrilla filled with soccer fanatics known for it’s choripan. Next, we visit a casa de empanadas to try some of our favorite handmade empanadas, before moving on to enjoy some of the best meat and service in the city at a historic and hidden parrilla famous among locals, and finally finishing at an incredible artisanal “heladería” (ice cream shop).
To continue with the tour we will go to a local club where social dancers take time off and dance the traditional Tango Salon or Tango de Pista. Have a drink and enjoy a non touristic way of experiencing tango.
Every day there are many different options of Milongas, it all depends how late you want to stay up. Available on Thursday and Friday at 7.30pm (minimum 2 people per reservation)
Recoleta Tour
Probably the most elegant area in Buenos Aires, Recoleta is well known for its impressive historical buildings, museums and art galleries. During the tour we walk along wide, señorial avenues to discover traditional Argentine restaurants in what is known as the “Paris of South America”
Our stops include a sophisticated “choripan” at a relaxed street-side eatery followed by typical empanadas at a small, family-run place loved by locals but often over-looked by tourists. Later, after touring the area, we arrive at the steak house to enjoy two, quality cuts of Argentine beef with sides and then finish off at an exquisite Heladeria for ice cream. The tour includes generous portions, water and plenty of wine.
The Recoleta Tour is available on Thursday at 12:00 noon and 7:30pm. Tour duration approx 2,5 / 3 hrs.
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Prices are in USD and include all food and drink. For questions about booking or private/custom tours please email us at info@parrillatour.com.
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Private and Custom Tours
Want an even more personalized culinary adventure? Parrilla Tour Buenos Aires offers private and custom tours and loves developing your special requests and ideas for discovering Buenos Aires through it’s gastronomy.
Recent private custom tours have been everything from private versions of our San Telmo or Palermo tours, combining our Parrilla and Wine tours, street food tour of the Mataderos market, including a tasting of typical Argentine aperitifs at a classic bar, combining a tour of ultra local restaurants with a visit to a milonga tango hall and a non-traditional city tour that includes food and wine stops throughout the day.
If you are interested in exploring Buenos Aires from the perspective of food loving locals send us an email with your idea to info@parrillatour.com for pricing and availability.
Drop us a line
Who we are
Parrilla Tour was founded in Buenos Aires in 2011 by a group of friends who share a passion for good food and wine, meeting people from around the world, and showing them the delights that Buenos Aires has to offer
Paul Fitzpatrick
General Manager
Originally from London, England, Paul has been working in tourism since graduating from Liverpool University’s prestigious faculty of Latina American Studies in 1996. After many years of working with successful tour operations in Europe and Mexico, Paul moved to Buenos Aires with his family in 2008 and has been dedicated to promoting and developing tourism in the region ever since. A keen foodie and a strong proponent of immersive and educational tour experiences he is a very proud member of the Parrilla Tour team!
Antonella Saragó
Operations Manager and Guide
Buenos Aires born and bred, Antonella is a true “Porteña” and a veritable expert on where to go and what to eat in Buenos Aires. It would be hard to find anyone who knows the BA food scene better than “Anto” who, as well as being a qualified tour guide is also a professional Tango instructor. Anto, when not guiding, is constantly looking for the best restaurants and parrillas across the city to ensure the tastiest and most authentic experience for all those who join us at Parrilla Tour.
Press
Parrilla Tour Buenos Aires has been featured in the media across Argentina and Internationally. Refer to our Trip Advisor page to read what our clients say about us or check out the press we’ve gotten below:
The Guardian, UK, June 2019
Condé Nast Traveler, June 2018
Getaway (TV Program), November 2017
HI Travel Tales, October 2017
GQ, August 2017
Chasing a Plate, March 2017
No Destinations, January 2017
Metro UK, January 2017
The Rough Guide to Argentina, November 2016
AFAR Magazine, September 2016
Lauren on Location, August 2016
Lonely Planet Argentina, August 2016
Sydney Morning Herald, May 2015
AFAR Magazine, March 2015
The Huffington Post, March 2015
Saveur Magazine, March 2015
The Daily Meal, June and September 2014
(Article 1, Article 2)
Travel Gumbo, May 2014
Get Lost Magazine, April 2014
LAN Airlines Blog, November 2013
The Globe and Mail, October 2013
Bloomberg, August 2013
The Traveluster, July 2013
Getaway (TV Program), June 2013
Forbes, May 2013
Time Out Buenos Aires, Summer 2013, Autumn/Winter 2013, Summer 2014
Fodor’s Travel, April 2013
Ottsworld Travel and Life Experiences, April 2013
Premier Traveler Magazine, November 2012
Buenos Aires Para Chicas (Portuguese), November 2012
My Beautiful Air, November 2012
Honest Cooking, September 2012
Turismo com Independência (Portuguese), August 2012
The Lost Asian, August 2012
BBC Travel, August 2012
Inside Buenos Aires, July 2012
NOLAChef, June 2012
FAQ
Reconfirmation is subject to reach the minimum participation of 4 guests per tour departure.
The idea of our tour is to introduce visitors to Buenos Aires to local culture using the traditional cuisine as a tool to explain it, as food and drink play such a large part of daily life here. Our tour is a great activity for people that love food and wine and that also want to immerse themselves in the city and get a better understanding of it from a Porteño.
We’ve selected locations that are all pretty close to each other. Spread out enough that you can see the neighborhood and have a little break between each stop, but it’s definitely not strenuous. Usually 3-4 blocks between each stop.
2-2.5 hours
Yes, an advanced booking is required. Once we confirm your space we will send you an email with our exact meeting spot for that day.
No, we do not offer any form of transportation to or from our tours, we meet at the first restaurant. The exact address is listed in the confirmation email sent after we confirm you reservation. We are always happy to help you get a taxi or give directions at the conclusion of the tour.
You can go to our reservation page or email us at info@parrillatour.com.
Over the course of the tour you will eat enough that most people will be satisfied for a meal.
If you let us know at least 24 hours in advance we can attempt to accommodate your dietary preference, but please keep in mind that meat is the focus of this tour.
Yes! Our tours are conducted in English by native or fluent speakers.
We conduct our tours rain or shine!
Definitely! Do be aware however that we taste a set selection of foods and there is some walking involved on our tour.
We have experience doing large group and private tours and organizing corporate and special events with several days’ notice. Email us at info@parrillatour.com with your idea.
Contact
For Inquiries & Reservations
Please call only if you have a very urgent matter since we are often on tours and can’t answer the phone. Emails are best and we promise to respond quickly!