At the beginning of 2025, I had the pleasure of visiting Buenos Aires for a few days. Synonymous with steak doesn’t even begin to cover Argentina’s capital. This is the place to be if you consider yourself a serious carnivore. But let’s be real, with a steakhouse on practically every corner of Buenos Aires, finding the one – the best – can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack (a haystack made of delicious, juicy beef, of course). After a lot of research and some advice from locals, the two most prominent options to visit were Don Julio and Fogon Asado.
Below I will describe my experience in both places and I will conclude with my favorite since there was a clear winner for me.
Don Julio Buenos Aires
Don Julio needs no introduction. It was voted the best steakhouse in the world and the best restaurant in Latin America. It also has one star from the Michelin guide. Don Julio is probably on every tourist’s list as the place to visit.
Don Julio Buenos Aires – Menu
The menu at Don Julio includes a variety of different meats, dishes with its delicious organic tomatoes and other vegetables, appetizers and grilled cheeses. Provoleta is one of the most famous in Argentina so you can find it in different variations at Don Julio.
As expected for a restaurant like this, they have a very long and comprehensive wine list mainly from – yes you guessed right – Argentina.
Don Julio – Experience
Before my visit, I was really wondering, what it is like to have dinner at the best steakhouse in the world? Well, the experience starts with a glass of free sparkling wine that the staff will bring you before you get to your table.
The restaurant is very large and there are multiple tables both outside and at the two levels inside Don Julio. When you get inside the first thing you will come across is the parilla or the grill where all the magic happens.
There is also a large display with tomatoes, which is one of the vegetables that they produce themselves and are very proud of at Don Julio (hence tomatoes have a prominent spot in the menu).
Once you sit at your table, you will also receive some complimentary appetizers. Those included bread, a simple tomato with salt and olive oil. Also, some traditional Argentinian condiments like their own chimichurri sauce.
After that we also got a complimentary mini empanada which was delicious as well.Overall the ambiance and these little gestures do set the scene for a memorable experience.
This was also our first night in Buenos Aires so we started on a really positive note and we were excited about the whole experience.
Don Julio – Dinner
We ordered a few appetizers, including different tomato dishes and two different meat cuts, the t-bone and the short ribs.
Here is the difficult part. I don’t know if it was because I had very high expectations, but I was not really impressed with the meat. The T-bone was flavourful and well seasoned, although very slightly under-cooked. It was a good dish, but I was not blown away by it.
The short ribs were undercooked. In the T-bone which is thicker it was only slightly to the point that the difference was not noticeable, but the short ribs were very far from the medium-rare we ordered. Those were tasty as well, but again, not what you expect both in flavor and cooking technique from the best steakhouse in the world.
The tomato tartare was good, although the small tomato pieces are not optimal since the dish becomes almost watery and there is nothing to absorb the moisture at the bottom of the dish. The side dishes were very good and complimented well the meats. We also really enjoyed their in-house-made ice creams, which were much better than we expected and a nice end to our meal.
Don Julio – Value
We paid a little less than EUR 100 per person, including wine and some drinks so overall I cannot say that this was not a value-for-money meal. That’s it if you take into account that this is supposed to be the best steakhouse in the world with a Michelin star. This was a very good meal with high-quality ingredients. Apart from the meat, I was also very happy to try the delicious tomatoes and kudos for the in-house-made ice cream which was excellent.
Fogón Asado – Buenos Aires
Fast forward to our last night in Buenos Aires. Me and my friends did not have any plans and last minute we decided to book at Fogón Asado. We thought if we have nothing else to do, then why not drink wine and eat more steaks?
This was probably our best decision on this trip. I would have been disappointed if I hadn’t experienced a meal at Fogón Asado.
Fogón Asado – Menu
Fogón Asado has a set 9-course menu with the option to add wine pairing which I highly recommend. The menu mainly revolves (as expected) around meat and all the options have some form of grilling or fire cooking involved in their preparation.
Here is a little secret about the wine pairing. The basic option consists of 4 different wines and we first thought that one glass was supposed to pair with 2-3 courses. But what will actually happen is that if you finish your glass and put it on the counter, they will refill it for you until it’s time for your next wine pairing. This was such a pleasant surprise and I am happy to report that we enjoyed it to the fullest extent.
Fogón Asado – Experience
A meal at Fogón Asado is truly a memorable experience. First of all the restaurant has limited seating and all seats are looking towards the open kitchen. The fire element, wood smoke and all the raw ingredients are the first things you will see once you get seated.
The experience starts with a delicious welcome cocktail and some olives while you get the opportunity to study the menu and admire the prep work in the open kitchen. As for the staff, they team will rotate around the huge barra around the open kitchen to show you the meat cuts that they will be preparing for the menu, getting you even more excited before you the meal has even started.
Throughout the course of the meal, the dishes are cooked and prepared in front of the diners. The staff will serve everyone at the same time and explain each dish in detail. Wine keeps flowing, dishes keep coming and you keep getting excited as each dish is better than the other.
Fogón Asado – Dinner
The first few appetizers were just to set the tone of the menu. Roasted eggplant with ricotta, provoleta cheese and sweetbreads with roasted tomatoes and ginger. Nice contrasts in textures, and sweet, acidic, and smoked flavors.
Then we slowly started moving to the meat dishes with a sausage duo. This is one of the few times in my life that I actually enjoyed eating blood sausage. Another pleasant surprise for me.
And then the slow braised asado al papillote. This was an absolute revelation. The beef was so tender that you almost didn’t have to chew it. The ratio between fat and meat was perfect and the cooking in the parchment made the meat extremely soft. A perfect dish, and shortlisted for one of my favorites for 2025.
Next up the pork flank steak with an Asian-inspired crunchy and acidic salad that was an excellent match for the fatty pork. Last but not least, the final two main courses, the pine wood smoked rib-eye cap (smoked in front of us with a pinecone from the grill) and the extremely tender rib-eye. All of them were absolutely delicious.
And at this point another pleasant surprise. The kitchen staff came around with large trays full of some remaining meat cuts and offered us seconds! When you talk about true happiness that’s what you probably mean.
The meal ended on a sweet note, with a pancake with dulce de leche, a classic Argentinian restaurant dessert. The pancake was flambeed in front of us and topped with Patagonian berries and a light whipped cream.
Fogón Asado – Value
The menu together with the wine pairing was approximately EUR 150. To be honest I would gladly pay double for this experience. This was one of the most memorable meals I had in a long time. The food, the wine, the ambiance and the whole set up of the menu with the open kitchen is a must try for anyone who even remotely identifies as a carnivore.
Don Julio vs Fogón Asado – Who is the winner
Fogón Asado was clearly my favorite steakhouse in Buenos Aires. While I would gladly visit Don Julio next time I visit the city, Fogón Asado is probably the place where I will reserve a spot together with my tickets on my next trip to Buenos Aires.
Both places have great quality ingredients, a very nice environment, and are true value for money in terms of what they offer. It might be that I had higher expectations from Don Julio but for me, it’s a great steakhouse. Nevertheless, not the best I have ever been to. Fogón Asado’s dishes have a more elevated level in terms of technique and the whole setup makes the experience memorable. Try both, but don’t miss Fogón Asado.