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Buenos Aires, Argentina > Buenos Aires restaurants > Doctor Mason's Doctor Mason'sAráoz 1199 (@ Mason, between Córdoba and Cabrera); Tel. +(011.54.11) 4777.7889
This cozy bar and restaurant on one of Palermo's quieter streets (on the other side of Scalabrini Ortíz) is a firm favorite among Porteños in the know. The intimate space is decorated in the style of an English pub, with classic brewery signs and a mural of a rain-drenched cobbled street adorning the walls. Above the dark wooden bar a vast oval mirror framed in an antique door captures the lively atmosphere of the room below. If the inside has a British flavor, the patio outside is more Mediterranean, with vines and fairy lights lending a feel of Rhodes or Crete. During the day-time and evenings Doctor Mason's is primarily a restaurant. The candle-lit tables are ideal for a romantic meal, and the friendly staff add to the welcoming, homey feel. The menu is quite varied, with Pizzas (12-15$AR), and Mexican bites, like Fajitas and Quesadillas (10$AR), in addition to more typically meaty Argentinean cooking. The "Lomo a la Pimiento" (pepper steak) comes highly recommended. Then, around midnight, the elegant tablecloths are removed and the giant mirror ball in the ceiling starts spinning. A change comes over the Doctor who reveals his second nature as a party animal. There's no set time for the transition, which happens "when the feeling's right" according to one of the owners, Santiago Canelo and the guests are ready to let their hair down. In true Buenos Aires style, once the party begins it doesn't stop until it's way past everyone's bed time and a good time's been had all round. The pool table downstairs in the snug cellar makes it even harder to call it a night and go home and US billiard rules are stricly enforced (Santiago used to be a ski bum in Lake Tahoe, California). Doctor Mason's drinks menu includes a standard choice of liquors and a few regular cocktails. There's a greater variety of beers, both light and dark, including a selection of locally brewed ales. Prices range from 5.50$AR for a glass of Isenbeck to 14$AR for a pint of Red Ale. The wine list is extensive and bottles are available from the mid-twenties and up to about 50$AR. Doctor Mason is a great place to start your night before hitting the bars in nearby Palermo Soho, or, for that matter, finishing things off with a night cap or five on your way home. —Doctor Mason's review by Johan Jensen
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