"Parrilla Peña" was the answer I got when querying hotel staff about a good, authentically…read moreArgentinian dinner spot. Nothing seemed more authentic than the big parrilla (grill) that greets you when you enter or the fact that the place doesn't open for dinner until 8pm.
A meal in this clean, somewhat industrial-looking space begins with empanadas and chimichurri arriving automatically at your table thanks to the small "cubierto" (per person cover fee, not a tip, of about $2.50 per person).
Given the late dining hour I resisted over-ordering, knowing that I didn't want to go to sleep stuffed to the brim. Rib-eye was my choice, along with wine and beer, with the whole thing coming in at a pre-tip price of $90,100ARS (about $63USD). It was a perfect meal that still filled me succinctly and as I left I couldn't help but feel for all those still waiting to enter the restaurant at around 10 p.m.
Parrilla Peña proved to be a great and authentic choice for a solid parrilla experience. I went on to have similar meals for more money a couple more times while in Argentina but it was here that I thought the experience most authentic, being enjoyed more by locals and only a handful of in-the-know tourists such as myself.