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Buenos Aires, Argentina > Buenos Aires restaurants > La Vina del Abasto La Vina del AbastoSan Luis 3007 (@ Jean Juares); Tel. +(011.54.11) 4963.4890
The décor consists of a few shelves of wine and aged hams hanging in the middle of the large room, and the fluorescent lights reflect off the white tile floor and walls to make it squintingly bright. But what La Vina del Abasto lacks in aesthetic appeal it more than compensates for with top-notch food and familial warmth. Perhaps my timing was just right, but how often is a strange gringo claiming to write restaurant reviews in broken Spanish (and showing no credentials, of course) invited to sit at the family table and treated to a meal? That’s just the kind of people the proprietors of this restaurant are. Indeed, they seem to know all of their patrons (i.e. locals), and the environment is one of an extremely oversized family kitchen. The waiters are all fast-moving men with salt n’ pepper hair, white frocks and black pants; they serve up items like whole chickens, sirloin steak, and rich homemade pastas such as the signature principe de Napoli. The smell of garlic permeates throughout. Various fruits, walnuts, vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream combine to make the scrumptious postre la vina. Almost all of the massive dishes are available in half-portions as well. Few frills await you, but you’ll leave La Vina del Abasto stuffed and happy. —La Vina del Abasto review by Dave Muller
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