Buenos Aires Secret Restaurants, Puerta Cerradas

Closed Door Restaurant Round Up!

The great closed door restaurant movement has hit Buenos Aires and hard. Puerta Cerrada or “closed door” refers to restaurants that are set up within a chef’s home or simply a space that is not advertised. In the past year over a dozen closed door restaurants have opened its doors (pun intended).  The first thing to take into consideration is that many of these restaurants are offering cuisine that is hard to find in Buenos Aires, such as vegetarian and Asian dishes.

A few things to take into consideration:

1. Some menus will include wine pairings; others will sell the bottle separately.  It is usually a good idea to go with the set pairings and sample the wine meant for each dish.

2. Dietary restrictions should always be clarified when you request the reservation.

3. Most restaurants will only accept cash. If not clarified on their website, be sure to ask forms of payment.

4. Tips for your servers are typically not included in your fee.

5. When in doubt, be brave, try something new!

These spots offer a much needed variety to the BA food scene and is quite a unique thing to do in Buenos Aires.  Below we list some of the standout closed door restaurants or puertas cerradas in the city at the moment.  Let us know of your favorite and if you think we missed any!

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Paladar – Villa Crespo

Run by a husband and wife team, Paladar offers traditional food with a twist. A delicious option

http://cronicasdelpaladar.blogspot.com/

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Treintasillas – Colegiales

Chef Ezequiel Gallardo brings has weekly menus of traditional cuisine.

http://www.treintasillas.com/

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Casa Corinne et Paul – San Telmo

Classic French all the way, Corinne et Paul is one of the restaurants with the most hype at the moment.

http://www.corinne-paul.com

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Casa Felix – Colegiales

Chef Diego Felix is strongly influenced by Latin American Cuisine, and offers a vegetarian and pescatarian menu.

http://www.colectivofelix.com/

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Casa Coupage – Palermo

Famous for their wine pairings, Casa Coupage is one of the oldest closed door experiences in BA.

http://www.casacoupage.com.ar
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Casa Saltshaker – Barrio Norte

Chef and owner Dan Perlman is a well known member of the local food scene. He has been known to offer different types of cuisine in his weekly changing menu.

http://www.casasaltshaker.com/
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Cocina Sunae – Colegiales

Sunae prepares traditional Southeast Asian food in a 4 course menu.

http://www.cocinasunae.com

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Casa Mun – Barrio Norte

Chef Mun is a great asset to the BA food scene with his traditional Asian fair and great wine pairings.

www.casamun.com

Update: Chef Mun has relocated to Mendoza, Argentina as of late 2012.

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Danton Cuisine – Devoto

Chef Fernando Santos has a distinctly French tone to his food from having trained in some of the best kitchens in BA.   Guests can order A la Carte, rather than having a fixed menu.

http://www.guiaoleo.com.ar/restaurantes/Danton-Cuisine-4108

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NOLA Chef, Catering

Liza Puglia has just recently broke into the Buenos Aires food scene with two specialties that are quite popular with the expats; New Orleans/Creole and Mexican cuisines. We should expect a puerta cerrada soon.

http://nolachef.net/

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If you are interested in more Buenos Aires food related articles and content check out Maria’s blog BA Foodies