El Preferido de Palermo

Verdict: The Best-Value Table in Palermo, and One of Buenos Aires' Most Credible Bodegones

If you are eating in Buenos Aires at the $$ price point, El Preferido de Palermo is the place to book. Run by the same team behind Don Julio — ranked among the World's 50 Best restaurants — this classic bodegón on Jorge Luis Borges 2108 earned a Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025 and ranked #25 in Opinionated About Dining's Leading Restaurants in South America in 2025, up from #29 in 2023. For a traditional Argentinian dining room at this price, that combination of credentials is difficult to match in the city.

Portrait

El Preferido de Palermo started life as a neighbourhood bodegón , the kind of low-key, tile-and-counter grocery-bar hybrid that once anchored every Buenos Aires barrio , before the Don Julio team undertook a significant renovation in 2019 to turn it into a proper restaurant. What they preserved matters: the bones of the original space, the produce-driven, preserves-forward approach, and the Spanish and Italian culinary logic that underpins so much of Argentine cooking. What they added was kitchen seriousness and the sort of front-of-house rigour you would expect from people who operate at 50 Best level around the corner.

The cuisine sits in the traditional Argentinian category with clear Spanish and Italian-inspired threads. The kitchen's focus on homemade preserves and charcuterie gives the food a specificity that distinguishes it from the steak-forward menus that dominate the city's dining conversation. If you have been eating asado and parrilla for several nights, El Preferido offers a meaningful change of register without leaving the canon of what Buenos Aires does well. For the food-and-travel enthusiast building a serious Buenos Aires itinerary, that distinction is worth planning around.

The restaurant is open seven days a week, running both a lunch service (11:30am to 4pm) and dinner (7pm to 1am). That 1am close is worth noting: this is not a place that turns into a late-night bar, but it gives you genuine flexibility on the Buenos Aires dinner schedule, where sitting down before 9pm still feels early to locals. Lunch here is a strong option , the room is quieter, the pace slower, and the $$ pricing makes a long, considered midday meal very easy to justify.

Drinks Program

Drinks program at El Preferido de Palermo reflects the same quality-oriented, produce-first logic that shapes the food. Given the bodegón heritage, expect a wine list weighted toward Argentine producers , the format has always been as much about wine and vermouth as it is about food. Bodegones in Buenos Aires have historically served vermouth as an aperitivo, a tradition the Don Julio team has carried into the revamped space. For a food-focused traveller, the drinks here are not an afterthought: Argentine natural and small-producer wines have gained serious international recognition, and a team with the sourcing relationships of Don Julio is well-positioned to curate a list that reflects that. The late closing time (1am daily) means there is room to drink properly through the evening without feeling rushed toward the exit. If the bar program is your primary reason for visiting, pair an early dinner here with a later stop at one of Palermo's dedicated cocktail bars , see our full Buenos Aires bars guide for options that extend the night.

Booking and Logistics

This is a near-impossible table to walk into without a reservation. The Don Julio team's reputation, the Michelin recognition, and the concentration of visitors and locals in Palermo make advance planning essential. Book as far ahead as the system allows , three to four weeks minimum is a sensible starting point, and more during peak travel season (November through March). The address is Jorge Luis Borges 2108 in Buenos Aires' Palermo neighbourhood. Hours are consistent across all seven days: lunch from 11:30am to 4pm, dinner from 7pm to 1am.

Pearl Picks: If You're Planning Further

El Preferido sits well within a broader Buenos Aires eating itinerary. For modern Argentine cooking at higher price points, Trescha and Aramburu cover the creative end of the city's dining spectrum. For contemporary options with a different register, Crizia and Anafe are worth considering. Our full Buenos Aires restaurants guide covers the full range. If you are planning a wider Argentina trip, Azafrán in Mendoza and Cavas Wine Lodge in Alto Agrelo are strong additions to the itinerary, and EOLO in El Calafate is the leading reason to extend south into Patagonia. For hotels and experiences, our Buenos Aires hotels guide and experiences guide are a practical starting point.

FAQ

Is lunch or dinner better at El Preferido de Palermo?

Lunch is the more relaxed and arguably better-value sitting. The room is quieter between 11:30am and 4pm, the pace is unhurried, and at the $$ price point a two-hour lunch here is one of the more enjoyable midday options in Palermo. Dinner runs later into the evening , closing at 1am , which suits the Buenos Aires rhythm if you prefer to eat at 9pm or 10pm, but expect the room to be fuller and noisier than at lunch.

What should a first-timer know about El Preferido de Palermo?

This is not a parrilla. First-timers expecting the steak-and-fire format of Don Julio next door will find a different menu here: Spanish and Italian-influenced traditional Argentine cooking, with a strong emphasis on homemade preserves and charcuterie. The kitchen takes produce seriously, and the room reflects the renovation from its original bodegón format , expect a proper restaurant rather than a casual cantina. Book well in advance; this table does not materialise easily on short notice.

Is El Preferido de Palermo worth the price?

At the $$ price range, yes , this is one of the better-value Michelin-recognised tables in Buenos Aires. The combination of a 2025 Michelin Plate, an Opinionated About Dining South America ranking of #25, and the operational pedigree of the Don Julio team at this price point is genuinely difficult to find elsewhere in the city. You are not paying for a splurge meal; you are paying for a well-run, serious kitchen at accessible prices.

What should I wear to El Preferido de Palermo?

No formal dress code is specified. The $$ price point and bodegón heritage suggest smart-casual is the right register , neat but not formal. Buenos Aires dining in Palermo generally skews stylish rather than stuffy; looking put-together is appropriate without requiring a jacket.

How far ahead should I book El Preferido de Palermo?

Three to four weeks minimum. With Michelin recognition and the Don Julio team's reputation pulling both locals and international visitors, this is a near-impossible walk-in. During Buenos Aires' peak summer season (November through March) or around holidays, book even further ahead. Check availability as soon as your travel dates are confirmed.

What are alternatives to El Preferido de Palermo in Buenos Aires?

At the same $$ price point, La Carniceria covers the parrilla angle if you want fire-driven cooking. For a step up in price and ambition, Crizia and Anafe at $$$ offer contemporary Buenos Aires cooking. If you want the full Don Julio experience at $$$$ and can get the reservation, that remains the benchmark for Argentine steak in the city. See our full Buenos Aires restaurants guide for the broader picture.

Is El Preferido de Palermo good for a special occasion?

It works for a special occasion if the occasion calls for intimacy and quality over spectacle. The $$ pricing means you are not walking into a grand-gesture dining room, but the Michelin recognition, the Don Julio team's track record, and the considered food programme give the meal genuine weight. For a milestone birthday or anniversary where atmosphere and price signal are as important as the food, you might look at Aramburu or Trescha instead. For a food-focused celebration where the meal itself is the point, El Preferido delivers.