After dining here, I'm a huge fan of El Trapiche. It's an enormous restaurant in the heart of Palermo with heart-stopping portions, and great prices. We were told that El Trapiche was enjoyed by tourists and locals alike, so we gave it a shot for dinner after just getting in to Buenos Aires that night. The inside of the restaurant has dozens of tables, and the place was bustling, even at 11pm at night. I know it's typical in Argentina to have a late dinner, but I didn't expect that huge of a crowd at 11pm. We were still able to get a table, but the vibe was still very active, with a bunch of loud huge celebrations, as well as cozy, intimate dinners.
Given that it was the night of Thanksgiving, we decided to go with a very hearty meal, so we ordered the ojo de bife (ribeye), lomo a la criolla (Creole inspired sirloin casserole), fried potatoes, and asparagus au gratin. The ribeye was freakin' enormous, at about 1.5lbs for only AR$220 (USD $17). The ribeye was cooked to a perfect medium rare, and the sirloin came topped with 5 eggs. Yeah, 5 huge eggs, not to mention, lined with fried potatoes, cheese, and peppers and onions. Whew. Talk about heavy. Nonetheless, we ate it all, and left very little left on our plates, which is what a good Thanksgiving should be. The menu also includes a number of Italian dishes, as well as the usual steak, steak, and more steak. Oh, and fish too.
The prices, as previously mentioned, were pretty amazing. We ate very well, with a bottle of Malbec, for less than USD $25 per person. Also, if you happen to pay in cash, you can receive a 10% discount. Not too shabby. The service was very laid back, as is typical with most restaurants in Argentina, but as long as you wave people down, they're usually very attentive.
I would definitely come here to eat again, especially if I was craving a big, hearty meal. Seems like a good place for any occasion, and there's just about anything you could want on the menu, so you really can't go wrong. read more