Ordering Coffee, Wine and Meat in Buenos Aires

In Buenos Aires, fads and politicians may come and go, but coffee, wine and meat are here to stay. In a city where nothing makes perfect sense, one can always rely on a good cup of joe, a delicious pour of wine, and a juicy cut of carne. Another reliable Buenos Aires element is the use of slang, which goes hand-in-hand with these aforementioned delicacies. Here, I offer a crash-course in ordering café, vino and carne so you make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.

With café, and vino, you can’t go wrong. But while ordering carne, you should definitely know whether you are ordering a N.Y. Strip or grilled intestines, or as I like to call them, “raviolis a la the cow’s last supper.”

Coffee

For porteños , tomando un café (having a coffee) alone or with friends is as traditional as a siesta in Spain. It’s a time to gossip, build relationships and eat croissants called medialunas (half-moons). Most of the coffee in Buenos Aires comes from Brazil, Colombia and Honduras and although iced coffees are available at Starbucks and some of the trendier spots in Palermo, many of the more traditional cafes haven’t jumped on the bandwagon yet.

Wine

Once 6:00 pm hits, it’s time for Argentines to switch out their cortados for a glass of wine. Argentine’s love their Malbec, and rightly so, as Argentina is celebrated as being the top Malbec producer in the world. Wine can be found everywhere in Buenos Aires, and whether you’re at a chic wine bar in Palermo, a classic parilla, or at an asado, don’t let a lack of Spanish vocabulary stand between you and that glass (or bottle) you have your eye on.

Meat

There is nothing more sacred in Argentina than the asado . This is a traditional weekend outdoor grilling event where impatient porteños will easily wait around for hours as the asador (grill master) prepares the feast. The asador is generally the man of the house and will receive a hearty applause from the group once the food is ready. Here are the juicy details on ordering meat in Argentina:

When ordering steak, these are your temperature options:

Take note: when ordering coffee and wine I suggested saying, “I would like…” In contrast, when ordering meat you should probably use, “I want…” The reasoning behind this is that coffee and wine are usually ordered at a sit-down café where a waiter will take your order and politeness is key. However, when it comes to meat, unless you are in a fancy restaurant, the asador is more like a short-order cook and just wants to hear the key words. Always be polite, but don’t try to impress an asador with proper pronouns or complicated ordering jargon. Be cool.

Warning: porteños often have advice for you as to what you should eat and you may not have the chance to decide for yourself. Ask any foreigner who has been here long enough to experience the asado and they will surely have a story of how they were kindly pressured into trying (eating a whole) blood sausage. Welcome to initiation, I suggest you grin, chew quickly and have a glass of vino nearby to wash it down.