The best meat – with some service fails: Restaurant Parrilla Don Julio (16. October 2017)
The Parrilla Don Julio is No. 21 on the list of the 50 Best restaurants of Latin America. And I must say, in terms of meat quality, it absolutely deserves that ranking. However, there was a little hick-ups when we arrived. I had booked the table in February, so a good 8 months ahead. However, it seemed that they are not so used to people booking that early as when we arrived that night and basically asked for our reservation, they didn’t have it on file. Luckily, I have had the copy of the email with me, so they made sure we would still get a table.
Once seated, enjoying a glass of “Norton Malbec Reserva, Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, 2014” (150 ARS), it was time to browse the menu, admire the surroundings and the parrilla, and place the order. I went for a rather typical starter: empanadas. More concretely, with two empanadas, a “empanada carne” (71 ARS) and a “empanada humita (with sweetcorn)” (71 ARS). The stuffing was delicious and is definitely something I can recommend to start.
The “Morcilla (blood sausage)” (102 ARS) which was kind of my second starter was good but still didn’t come close to the best morcilla I’ve had in my life. It was definitely better than the ones I’ve tried in Montevideo the last days.
This was a first for me – I was not able to finish the meat. The “bife de lomo” (585 ARS) was among the most tender pieces of beef I have enjoyed in my life. Truly lovely, with a nice grill flavour. Absolutely perfectly prepared medium-rare, as requested. However, the piece of meat was truly huge and despite its amazing flavour and meat taste, I couldn’t finish it.
The “puré de papa, manteca y tomillo (mashed potatoes, butter and thyme)” (145 ARS) was extremely buttery and smooth but lacked a bit of salt for my personal gusto.
The “bread & spread” which was served in the beginning was quite tasty and especially the bread sticks were definitely lovely (cover charge: 40 ARS). However, there was not everything perfect – parts of our group went for a dessert and a piece of glass ended up being in the cream. Not really what you would want in your food or expect from a restaurant on that level!
While at first they seemed a bit disturbed that we would complain, they handled it well and offered us a bottle of champagne on the house plus the “ice cream “dulce de leche, pistachio, strawberry”. The dulce de leche ice cream was truly delicious!
When it comes to the service I am not entirely sure what to say. They are attentive sometimes – very much even – and then they are not attentive at all. It is kind of varying depending on how much you make them aware of your presence. What is truly lovely to see though is the parrilla – which was already full of meat the moment when we’ve entered the place. Great to watch!
When you pay a visit to the loo, you should definitely have a look at the wine cellar – looks absolutely amazing and they have quite a few good wines on their menu. Including ones you don’t really know – or at least I didn’t. The “Tempus Vero, 2009” (1’500 ARS) was a good choice to start and the “Nicola Catena” (1’300 ARS) the perfect way to follow the first wine.
Overall, the Don Julio does deserve a high ranking as the meat quality is tremendous! The place is atmospheric, they do take care of you but are not always that attentive plus they managed to forget about my reservation but handled it professionally – the same was true for the ‘dessert incident’. While the prices are fair for what you get, you are generally definitely on the pricier side when in Argentina. And make sure to book your table in advance – and ideally confirm it again a couple of days before the actual reservation.
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Contact Details:
Restaurant Parrilla Don Julio
Guatemala 4699
1425CABA Buenos Aires (AR)
Tel.: +54 11 48 32 60 58
E-Mail: info@parrilladonjulio.com.ar
Homepage: http://www.parrilladonjulio.com
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
