Asado in Palermo: a dinner night, from first drink to last taxi

Asado in Palermo makes sense for a first night in Buenos Aires. In the city tourism board's words, Palermo's Hollywood, Soho and Las Cañitas corners may be the most fashionable places to eat in town, and grills are easy to find there.^8,9 Bars, wine shops and late cafés fill the same leafy streets, so one barrio covers the whole evening.

It is also a walking district. The board lists Palermo Viejo and Soho among the barrios best explored on foot, at your own pace.¹⁰ Low houses, cobbled corners and street art line the blocks between the plazas, and the distances between a bar, a grill and a milonga are short enough to stroll on a mild night.

For a classic grill instead, the board's Palermo shortlist runs from Don Julio and Río Alba to La Cabrera and El 22.¹¹ The tasting sold on this site is here too, at two addresses a short taxi ride apart. The map below pins all of them, plus two cocktail bars and the racecourse, so you can plan the night in one glance.

Dinner in Buenos Aires is late. The city tourism board says most restaurants serve dinner from around 8 PM until after midnight, and warns that you may be the only diners before 9 PM.^24,25 Prime time starts at 9.30 PM and later on weekends.⁴ A late table on a Saturday is perfectly normal, and the room often fills only after you would have finished dessert at home.

The tasting works on fixed times instead. Its own FAQ says service begins at the same moment for all guests, with lunch check-in at 12:30 PM and dinner at 8:00 PM or 8:15 PM depending on the menu.^26,3 Arrive a little early. Because everyone starts together, a late arrival misses courses rather than delaying them.

An early seating has advantages. You finish while the bars are filling up, which leaves the best part of the Palermo night ahead of you. If you prefer to eat like a local at a classic parrilla instead, book for 9.30 PM or later and spend the early evening on a terrace with a vermouth or a glass of Malbec.⁴

If you still have energy after dinner, the city tourism board's suggestion is a milonga, a tango dance hall. It names La Viruta, at Armenia 1366, as one of the best-known, with Villa Malcom and Oliverio Girondo nearby.²³ All three hold classes before the dancing starts, so even beginners can join in.¹⁴ Wear shoes that slide a little on a wooden floor.

Timing matters here too. The board warns that the best dancers rarely arrive before midnight.⁵ That suits an 8 PM tasting perfectly: dinner, a short walk, a class, and then a seat at the edge of the floor to watch the real dancers. Order a glass of Malbec at the bar and take your time. Watching is part of the culture, and nobody expects a visitor to dance well.

If dancing is not your thing, return to one of the cocktail bars for a nightcap. Palermo stays busy late, and the streets around the plazas are often lively well past midnight. Whatever you choose, plan how you will get back before you start the last round, and keep your phone charged. A taxi app and a saved address make the end of the night simple.

Palermo is busy and generally relaxed, but official advice asks for care. UK travel advice names Palermo among the Buenos Aires areas where visitors should be particularly cautious.⁶² It warns that thieves on motorbikes snatch bags from pedestrians and that phones are grabbed while people use them on the street.^63,64

Inside bars and restaurants, the same advice is not to leave drinks unattended and not to hang bags on the back of chairs.^54,55 It also describes the mustard scam, a distraction theft common in Buenos Aires, where someone sprays you and an accomplice offers to help clean it off.⁶⁵ Refuse the help politely and walk on.

None of this should spoil the evening. Keep your phone in a front pocket when walking, carry only the cash you need, and use the map on your phone indoors rather than on the corner. Dress for the tasting is smart casual, according to the restaurant, which also helps you blend in on the street.⁶⁶ A light jacket covers both the dress code and a cool walk home.