Don Julio Parrilla: Where to Eat in Buenos Aires (4.4★)

A corner grill in Palermo Soho

Don Julio sits on a corner. Find it where Guatemala meets Gurruchaga, a few blocks from Plaza Serrano in Palermo Soho. Inside, the walls are lined with empty wine bottles signed by past diners in marker. The dining room is close-packed, and a wood-and-charcoal parrilla does the cooking.

The editorial line calls it a place for classic steaks, local dishes and a long wine list in an intimate room. It has also topped Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants, which explains the crowds. It’s at the top end for price, so read the menu posted on the official site before you go.

What to order

Order the beef first. Cuts are listed by their Argentine names:

• Bife de chorizo: sirloin strip, the house benchmark
• Ojo de bife: ribeye, fattier and richer
• Entraña: skirt steak, thin and charred
• Mollejas: grilled sweetbreads, a classic parrilla starter
• Provoleta: a disc of provolone grilled until the edges crisp
• Chorizo and morcilla: pork sausage and blood sausage to share

Ask for your steak a punto for medium, jugoso for pinker. One cut and a couple of starters easily feeds two. The wine list leans hard on Argentina, so Malbec from Mendoza is the obvious pairing. Ask staff for something outside the big names.

Booking, timing and paying

Book online through the restaurant’s own site. Prime dinner slots fill weeks out, and walk-ins face a long wait on the pavement. The restaurant has a reputation for handing waiting guests a glass of something while they stand, but don’t plan around it.

Crowds peak on weekends from 1pm–2pm and 7pm–11pm, so try not to arrive in those windows without a booking. Right at the 11:30am opening is the easiest way in. A table after 11pm also works, because the kitchen stays open until 1am.

Locals dine late, usually at 9pm or after; a 7pm dinner will feel early in the room. Cards are accepted. A tip of about ten percent is customary in Argentina and is often left in cash. Check the bill for a cubierto (cover charge) line before you add anything.

Getting there and after

The closest Subte stops are Scalabrini Ortiz and Plaza Italia, both on Line D. From either it’s a 10–15 minute walk northwest through Palermo’s grid. A taxi or app ride to the corner is simpler late at night.

Allow about two hours for a full meal. Afterwards you’re a short walk from the bars around Plaza Serrano and the boutiques on Honduras and El Salvador. The Palermo parks around Plaza Italia sit on the far side of Avenida Santa Fe if you need a long walk to get over the beef.