Argentina is a country mired in economic difficulty, and constantly rising inflation can make it tricky to find a decent eat that won’t break the bank. Luckily, there are still some great affordable dining options that will go easy on your wallet. Here’s our guide to the best cheap eats in Buenos Aires.
They say you can’t beat a good bagel, and it turns out they’re right. Shekiob’s Bagels had been peddling bagels from the back of a bike for a few years before opening the most legit, and still the only, bagel shop in Buenos Aires. The bagel mogul at Sheikob’s is intent on delivering his bagels to the masses, and so the prices remain as low as possible, just one reason why this has become one of the most popular places in Palermo Soho only five months after opening. Make sure and get there early, as the bagels often sell out after lunch.
A choripán should most definitely not break the bank, but subpar choris are ten a penny in Buenos Aires. So thank goodness for Chori, a fast and cheap choripan palace that will meet all your chori needs for the price of a drink in a decent cocktail bar. These sausage rolls amazing, but choose wisely, as you might only be able to manage one per sitting. It just means you’ll have to come back another time.
The king of fried chicken in Buenos Aires has got to be Nola. Such is the quality of the food and the affordability of the prices that Nola has become a stalwart of the Buenos Aires casual-dining scene. A hotspot for socialising and meeting friends, a stint at Nola will only set you back the price of a cinema ticket if you do it right. Come at happy hour to get cheap pints, or go for the combo meal deal if you want to keep your expenditure right down.
Home to some of Buenos Aires’ best empanadas, Pekin shines where others fall down. Their empanadas may not be the cheapest in the city, but every tasty morsel of these large pies, filled with some of the best ingredients, is certainly worth the extra cash. Not everything that is expensive is better, but at Pekin, it certainly is.
Ramen lovers rejoice: Fukuro is here to save you from mediocre noodle hell! A beer and a huge bowl of steaming ramen is the perfect cure for a grim Buenos Aires winter night, and you will roll home feeling full and happy, with your wallet only slightly lighter than when you left the house a few hours earlier.
Hache’s happy hour will treat you to some of the best wine at the best prices you will find in Palermo. This wine bar, again, is a popular spot, so get there early to get a seat at one of the few tables that are set up on the sidewalk. Order one of Hache’s famous picadas to share, because they are of mammoth proportions, and shared between a few people they will only set you back a few pesitos.
The don of cheap neighbourhood parrillas is Tito’s, or El Secretito. Located on the border of Palermo and Las Canitas, this no-frills steakhouse has been a firm favourite with locals for years, and in recent times expats, too, have gotten wind of Tito’s delicious offerings, and now it is almost impossible to get a table without a reservation. Go for the sides of creamed broccoli and spinach, rarities in Argentine steakhouses.
