Share this tour
Offered languages
- English
Buenos Aires is known for its meat, but the city’s food culture goes far beyond the parrilla. This tour is designed to show that wider picture, taking you through San Telmo to experience the dishes and traditions that define everyday porteño eating.
With 12+ tastings across multiple stops, you’ll move from bakeries and vermuterías to market stalls, pizzerias, and grills, experiencing everything from classic pastries and street food to pizza traditions, small plates, and charcoal-cooked meats.
San Telmo itself plays a key role. As one of Buenos Aires’ oldest neighbourhoods, it reflects the immigrant influences that shaped the city’s food, particularly from Italy and Spain.
This is an authentic slice of Buenos Aire’s food scene through the eyes of a local tastemaker guide.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
The meeting point in front of the Escultura don Pedro de Mendoza is easily accessible by taxi from most of the city's central hotels. If you do need to get a taxi, we recommend using Uber.
The tour concludes at the Plaza Dorrego in the heart of San Telmo. The tour duration is approximately 3.5 to 4 hours depending on the pace of the group. Your guide can help you to find transport back to your accommodation if you wish.
Itinerary
-
1Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, the city where tango drifts from open doorways, football is discussed with near-religious devotion, and everyone seems to have a strong opinion about where to find the best empanada. No one treats lunch quite as seriously as porteños. Our feasting tour of 12+ tastings explores the historic San Telmo district, led by our team of local tastemakers. Before we get started, our tour reflects the local cuisine and the limitations of traditional vendors means we unfortunately cannot cater for every dietary restriction. Here's an honest appraisal for the tour so no-one is disappointed: ✘ Unsuitable for vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, halal diets, gluten and lactose intolerance as the tastings would be very limited. ✔ No pork diets possible though some tastings do not have alternatives available and the menu would be more limited. ✔ Suitable for mild peanut and tree nut allergies, and no seafood diets
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2San Telmo
Nothing starts in Argentina without a pastry. Our first stop introduces us to the bola de fraile, a pillowy doughnut whose name translates rather mischievously as "friar's ball." Filled with sweet pastry cream, it's a reminder that Argentinians take their bakeries every bit as seriously as their steakhouses. As we wander deeper into San Telmo's cobbled streets, we'll begin uncovering the stories of a neighbourhood that was once home to the city's wealthiest families. Today, artists, musicians, collectors, and food lovers have reclaimed its historic streets.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3San Telmo
Inside a century-old bar, time appears to move a little slower. Vermouth flows from behind worn counters, conversations drift between tables, and recipes passed down through generations continue to attract loyal locals. We'll sample house-cured jamón, delicate chard fritters, and pickled eggplants prepared according to old family traditions. Alongside them comes a glass of house vermouth, the drink that fuelled countless political debates, football arguments, and long afternoons throughout Buenos Aires' cafés and bars. Passing Casa Ezeiza and the beautiful Pasaje de la Defensa, we'll pause to admire two of San Telmo's architectural treasures. Built during the neighbourhood's golden age, these elegant buildings offer a glimpse into the grandeur that once defined the district.
45 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4Mercado San Telmo
No food journey through San Telmo would be complete without entering its most famous landmark: Mercado de San Telmo. Opened in 1897, the market has witnessed waves of immigration, economic booms, political turmoil, and changing food fashions. Today, beneath its iron framework and soaring roof, traders, cooks, and craftspeople continue traditions that have lasted for generations. Among the market's many temptations, we'll stop for a proper choripán. Smoky sausage tucked into crusty bread and generously dressed with chimichurri, it's simple, messy, and one of Argentina's most beloved street foods.
45 minutes • Admission ticket free -
5San Telmo
At another neighbourhood institution, we'll tackle one of Buenos Aires' finest fried empanadas. Crisp, golden pastry gives way to a richly seasoned beef filling, elevated by a closely guarded ancestral sauce whose recipe remains a family secret. A little further off the tourist trail, we'll visit a local favourite known primarily to residents. Here, slices of fainá, a chickpea flatbread introduced by Italian immigrants, are served with fluffy onion-topped fugazza, another enduring gift from Buenos Aires' Italian heritage.
45 minutes • Admission ticket free -
6Buenos Aires
We finish the only way Buenos Aires knows how: around a parrilla. Smoke rises from the grill as meats cook slowly over live fire, a ritual that sits at the heart of Argentine culture. Alongside the grilled meats comes bubbling provoleta cheese, a fresh side salad, and finally budín de pan, Argentina's beloved bread pudding, created generations ago as a delicious solution to wasting yesterday's bread. There's more to this Buenos Aires food tour than the food itself. It's a discovery and understanding of the immigrant influences, neighbourhood institutions, and local traditions. Whilst it's possible to eat well in Buenos Aires alone, you'd be hard-pushed to uncover these stories, flavours, and hidden gems without our tastemaker guides.
1 hour • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Your guide to the flawless travel experience
Popular Countries
Get our app
