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Buenos Aires, Argentina > Buenos Aires restaurants > Cumaná CumanáRodriguez Peña 1149 (@ Santa Fe); Tel. +(011.54.11) 4813-9207
 Low lighting and bubbling cazuelas make Cumaná a sought after spot for dinnertime treats. Photo by Sarah Howell. Man, the restaurants next door to Cumaná have found the best location in town. This quaint looking seller of traditional Argentine dishes, including several cazuelas (Argentine stews), is so delicious and so under-priced that porteños and tourists in the know will camp outside for a taste. Empty tables are so scarce that the wait can press on for hours with only the strong surviving and many without the willpower crippling with hunger and staggering to one of the restaurants next door. Take my word for it – food this good and cheap in one of B.A.’s fanciest neighborhoods is nothing less than a bloodsport. Open for lunch and dinner, your best bet is after 3pm and before 8pm otherwise bring comfortable shoes and some serious patience or just forget it. Cumaná looks like it was designed to be a quaint, hardly-noticed corner café. It is dark, candle-lit, and moody with blood red walls covered with antique knick knacks and metal work. The giant brick oven in the back adds to the warmth – yet there is no chance of ambiance because the chatter is deafening and the place is so crammed. Cumaná has become a victim of it’s own wonderful personality. The stews are simply delicious and from $6-7AR you won’t believe the pumpkin, grilled veggies, and honey cheese delicacies that will be delivered to your table. Also on offer are cheap empanadas with exotic fillings like corn and pumpkin, tamales (rare and precious in Buenos Aires) and some great salads. Don’t blink and don’t adjust your glasses prescription – the prices are accurate. Also on the menu is afternoon mate with bread or biscuits, which is on every sidewalk in town and almost no restaurants. You gotta try the stews so if you can’t stand to wait order some food to go or have it delivered if you live in the neighborhood – you won’t be disappointed. —Cumaná review by Clare Nisbet
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