In a country known for its steaks, Don Julio ranks supreme. While pricier other nearby spots, the…read morequality of the meal and the level of service are unparalleled.
I first tried Don Julio 2 and 1/2 years ago, on the way to Argentina. I remember being blown away by the steaks and even more so by their famous homemade ice cream. It uses Jersey milk, which I understand makes it fattier and more delicious. All I know is, upon my first return to Buenos Aires, I immediately sought out this restaurant and tried to get a walk in. No such luck, so I made a reservation for the following week.
Reservations can be made online in English or Spanish. For such a popular place, you can still get reservations a week out. Reservations are for the outside, which include blankets at each seat and heat lamps. They can and often do reach out to you via WhatsApp before your reservation to see if you would like an inside table instead, at different times.
Show up on time, and they offer you a complimentary class of moet chandon champagne and mini empanadas while you wait for your table to be ready.
The kitchen will send you breads and a variety of little things to taste. We had amazing asparagus, cured meats, and a flaky pastry, in addition to a delightful bread. There was enough for us to say that we would already be content with just that, but of course the meat was coming!
We opted for the entrecot, which is like a bone-in ribeye, "a Punto" or a very juicy medium rare. Eat it with the spicier chimichurri sauce and woooooowweee let it melt in your mouth! 1 entrecot was enough for 2-2.5 people. We got 2 for 4 and had some leftovers. We also got the arugula and shaved cheddar salad, which was divine in its simplicity. Grilled mushrooms were also a perfect pairing with the meat.
For wine, we had the sommelier choose us a dry Merlot, which was jammy and delightful . For dessert, we had the the dulce de leche (sweet but amazing), vanilla, and egg yolk vanilla ice creams. Everyone said they were the perfect ending to a perfect meal.
As we sauntered back to our hotel in the afternoon sunshine, I kept repeating in my head " soy contenta" because boy was I ever. This meal did not disappoint again, and I will be back whenever I can. Worth the hype and worth the wait!!!
p.s. that meal cost us each about $100 USD.