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Buenos Aires, Argentina > Buenos Aires restaurants > Don Filiberto Don FilibertoAv. Almirante Brown 602 (@20 de Septiembre); Tel. +(011.54.11) 4362.7800
“With the illusion of a child, with the enthusiasm of an adolescent, with the responsibility of a man and with the plans and hopes of a barrio family we open the doors of our house”. It is with this invitation of hospitality that Don Filiberto presents itself, and it lives up to every word. From the moment you walk into this restaurant you feel at home. A long bar covered with a jumbled assortment of red wine bottles and baskets of bread offer immediate assurance that this is a delightfully simple Argentine affair. While brightly coloured murals of ballad singers and tango dancers entice you in from the street, beaming staff and an atmosphere of tipsy joviality compels you to stay. Open during the daytime until 4pm for lunch and then again from 7.30 in the evening Don Filiberto prides itself on its classic parilla, homemade pasta and an otherwise varied menu. Notably it also offers a surprisingly lengthy fish menu – predominantly hake, trout and salmon – prepared in dozens of different ways and priced between $15-$25AR. Following the lead of the locals tends to be a good rule of thumb when it comes to restaurants, and the patronage of Don Filiberto is testament to this approach. Teams of workers descend here for a lunchtime milanesa or steak (chorizo $14AR, lomo $16AR) and it is clearly a favourite for local family celebrations. Indeed the menu proudly boasts photos of birthdays, anniversaries, farewell parties, even divorces celebrated here. Amongst the crowd of tables on the black and red chequered floor there is a small stage that transforms evenings into rowdy musical affairs. Thursday is tango night while Fridays and Saturdays are billed as ‘Noches Latinas’ and include a cover charge of $10AR and $5AR respectively. Dancing and family fun are invited and encouraged though children are not allowed to stay after 11pm on the weekends. Set amongst fairly dilapidated and uninspiring surroundings Don Filiberto is a local treat, well worth a visit for anyone heading down Avenida Almirante A. Brown on their way through La Boca. From the noise and dirt of the avenida it is like walking into the bustling kitchen of a favourite uncle and being welcomed with open arms. Be advised though on certain Sundays the restaurant will be catering to a roaring post-match clientele as it sits just a short distance from the Bombonero (football stadium of the infamous Boca Juniors).
—Don Filiberto review by Tessa Pettman
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