Don Julio

In a neighborhood better known for nouvelle cuisine treatments of Argentine food, Pablo Rivero and his parents built Don Julio into a mainstay by presenting top-quality plates of classic parrilla steak-house fare. Served in an airy old building with brick ceilings and a balcony overlooking the main dining floor, the steaks are huge and top grade, the waiters who serve them are friendly and attentive (a rare combination in Buenos Aires), and the list of 150 Argentine wines runs from $10 classics to $360 splurges. Unlike the more famous Cabaña Las Lilas, however, Don Julio (named after a hard-drinking family friend) feels family owned and is popular with locals as well as tourists. Before you hit the steak, try the artery-stopping chorizo sausage appetizers.

Insider Tip: If you commemorate a special dinner with a bottle of wine here, you’ll be asked to sign the bottle describing your meal for display on the shelves around the restaurant (there are hundreds of such bottles on view).