Meat Eaters Unite at La Cabrera

I’d been looking forward to dinner at the parilla La Cabrera (Cabrera 5099) in Palermo Soho since last week when friends and I stopped by without a reservation only to encounter a packed house. We decided not to wait, so we made sure to make a reservation for a few days later. And we were first on the list!

The host of La Cabrera wasn’t kidding when she told us last week that reservations are always needed. Last night we arrived to a throng of people waiting in front of the restaurant. This was at 8:30pm. Many of the people in the crowd were obviously foreigners. I heard mostly English speakers. I also noticed a few tables inside already occupied, so I figured the folks waiting outside were those without reservations. (If you decide to wait for a table, the restaurant will serve those waiting outside a glass of sparkling wine!) We walked up to the front of the pack and told the host we had a reservation. Our host walked us to our table near the front restaurant windows. It was the perfect table.

Service was fantastic. Our server was attentive, patient, and spoke minimal English. Luckily our Spanish lessons are paying off so communicating with our server was doable. The restaurant has a romantic charm to it, especially with the low lighting situation. The space is full of tables, so it might feel a little cramped, especially at the height of the dinner rush. While some people might be turned-off by the closeness of the other diners, it adds, in my opinion, a communal dining ambiance.

Beef tenderloin grilled with thyme

La Cabrera’s menu is lengthy. Prices are high compared to other restaurants in Buenos Aires, but I expected that. For all the buzz that I read about La Cabrera, I was actually expecting even higher prices. It’s no wonder, perhaps, why most of the restaurant’s patrons are foreigners. Be forewarned: ordering a steak will get you plenty of small sides that are paired to the steak you select; you will also get a small side salad. My friends and I didn’t know this, so we ordered additionally what we thought were small sides. But what we got were dishes that could have stood as meals by themselves. One of my friends ordered a salad and was brought a very large bowl of it that could have fed everyone at the table and more. I ordered what I thought was a side of french fries, but got a heaping amount of fries that could have fed four or five people. Needless to say we wound up with a whole lot of food.

Ojos de Bife (Rib-Eye Steak)

As for the steaks … well, what can I say that hasn’t already been said. The steaks were perfect. The side pairings were a nice touch. I ordered a medium-sized rib-eye steak (ojos de bife), about 400g for about AR$60 (I had the option of a large 600g rib-eye for about AR$20 more). I ordered it medium rare – the waiter understood what I meant when I said it in English. I said that I wanted it pink at the center and juicy. What I got exceeded my expectations. The “medium” steak was far larger than what I thought it would be and so succulent. My favorite side dish were the marinated mushrooms that matched perfectly with my steak. We also ordered a bottle of Malbec by Quara from the Salta region, which worked well with the food we ordered. By the end of dinner we were all pleasantly and happily satisfied.

The perfect crème brûlée

If you are looking to dine with the locals, La Cabrera might not be the place for you. The restaurant is much more of a tourist trap than Don Julio. The food at both places are fantastic. But if you are looking to eat the perfect steak, you will definitely find it at La Cabrera. It is a bit pricey (the cover charge per person alone is AR$12), but it’s money well spent. The service is very good, especially given how not-so-good Argentine restaurant service can be.

So go already!