Some of the best evenings in Buenos Aires are the ones where you eat with your hands and learn something. The Argentine Experience is a participatory dinner that has become one of the city's best-reviewed food activities, rated 5.0 from about sixteen hundred reviews on its listing. It lasts about three hours and starts at a meeting point on Gorriti street in Palermo Hollywood, where you meet the other guests, put on an apron and chef's hat, and learn to fold empanadas using several traditional techniques. From there the evening becomes a multi-course dinner. According to the booking page, the menu varies but may include a welcome drink, a chimichurri class, a picada with chorizo and morcilla, two cuts of beef cooked in different ways and a dulce de leche tasting for dessert, with the bife de lomo highlighted. The package includes unlimited wine tasting with dinner pairings, a meat tasting, a mate and alfajores class, hotel pickup and drop-off and gratuities. You finish by learning the mate ritual, the shared herbal infusion that Argentines drink at all hours, and trying it with alfajores, the sandwich cookies filled with dulce de leche.
Why it works
The format turns strangers into a table. The groups, up to twenty-four travellers, tend to relax quickly with a glass of wine in hand, and the hosts balance teaching with entertainment. You leave with a practical understanding of Argentine food and some recipes you can try at home, plus a clear picture of why the country takes beef so seriously, because the two cuts are served side by side so you can taste the difference.
Dietary needs
Vegetarian and pescetarian options are available if you request them at booking, so tell the operator in advance. Expect a lot of food and a lot of wine, so plan a light day. The booking page says the experience starts an hour later on December 24 and 31. It is wheelchair accessible and near public transport, and it is not suitable for pets. Free cancellation is listed up to 24 hours before the start.
Choosing it
If you want a restaurant dinner with minimal effort, book a parrilla instead. If you want a hands-on class focused on empanadas, the cooking class elsewhere in this guide is the specialist choice. If you want to learn about the grill itself, the rooftop asado is the more traditional barbecue experience. The Argentine Experience is the best all-round option for first-timers who want to eat, drink and meet people in a single evening.
Book a few days ahead in high season, since it is popular with solo travellers and groups alike. Because the evening is social, it also works well for solo travellers, who often find it the easiest way to meet people in a new city. Hosts keep the pace lively, glasses are refilled, and by the time you reach dessert you will probably have exchanged restaurant tips with your neighbours, so it is a good one to do near the start of your trip.
What to expect
The experience
A hands-on dinner: empanada making, a chimichurri class, a beef tasting, unlimited wine with pairings and a mate and alfajores finish.
Best time
An evening early in your trip. On December 24 and 31 the start is one hour later.
How long
About 3 hours.
Tips
Tell the operator about vegetarian or pescetarian needs when booking, and expect a lot of food and wine.
Quick picks
- Best for
- First-timers and solo travellers who want to eat, drink and meet people.
- Families
- Better for teenagers and adults, since wine and a late dinner are central.
- Couples
- A fun, social alternative to a formal restaurant dinner.
- Pair with
- A daytime walk through Palermo Soho and a tango show on another night.
- Time needed
- An evening.
Good questions
What do I cook?+
You learn to fold empanadas using different traditional techniques; the dinner that follows varies by day.
Is wine included?+
Yes, unlimited wine tasting with dinner pairings, according to the booking page.
Are there vegetarian options?+
Vegetarian and pescetarian options are available if you ask when booking.
Is pickup included?+
Yes, hotel pickup and drop-off are listed.
How big is the group?+
Up to twenty-four travellers.
