Buenos Aires Food Tour: Local Dishes, Steak, Empanada & More

Come hungry, leave with dinner ideas. This three-hour Buenos Aires food tour gives you a tasty introduction to Palermo through empanadas, grilled steak, mate, pizza, choripan, alfajor, and gelato. I like the way it mixes food with neighborhood stories, and I like the small maximum of 12 people, which keeps the walk personal. The main drawback is that the menu and restaurant stops can change, and anyone with allergies to eggs, milk, cheese, or garlic cannot be accommodated.

I also like the timing flexibility. A 6 p.m. start lets you eat as the evening cools, then finish as Palermo’s nightlife begins. Guides such as Lucy, Martín, Amalia, and Eliab have received especially warm praise for their English, local insight, humor, and willingness to offer restaurant and sightseeing tips after the tour.

Key points at a glance

• Five food-and-drink stops: Expect a broad sampling of Argentine favorites, with the exact menu shaped by restaurant availability and weather.
• A serious steak course: The fire-grilled parrillada with chimichurri is a major reason to book, especially if Argentine beef is high on your list.
• Mate with local meaning: The mate tasting is more than a drink sample. It explains a daily Argentine custom and includes a nod to Evita Perón.
• Palermo on foot: The route links Plaza Serrano, Palermo Soho, and the edge of Palermo Hollywood, so food comes with a neighborhood orientation.
• Small group format: The group can reach up to 12 people, a useful size for conversation without the feel of a large bus tour.
• Come very hungry: Portions add up quickly, and several people finished full after tasting five different stops.

Why Palermo is a good setting for a food tour

Palermo is one of the easiest Buenos Aires neighborhoods for a first food walk. Old streets, newer restaurants, cafés, bars, and nightlife venues sit close together. That gives the tour a useful rhythm: eat, walk, hear a story, then eat again.

The route takes place around Palermo Soho and nearby Villa Freud, with the final stop close to Palermo Hollywood. You are not simply moving between restaurants. You are seeing how one part of Buenos Aires combines older residential streets with newer dining and entertainment businesses.

The meeting information deserves a careful look before you book. The route description opens near Plaza Güemes, while the stated meeting point is Plaza Serrano, at Serrano S/N. The tour ends at Godoy Cruz 1823. I would confirm the exact starting location with the operator before setting out, especially since the provided information uses both Plaza Güemes and Plaza Serrano.

You should also wear comfortable shoes. The stops are fairly close together, and one recent account described only one walk longer than five minutes, but this is still a three-hour walking experience. There is no hotel pickup or drop-off, so you need to reach the meeting point and make your own way home.

Stop one: a secret dish near Plaza Güemes

The first half hour begins in the vicinity of Plaza Güemes, in the small area known as Villa Freud. Your guide introduces the Secret Food Tours format and sets up the food and neighborhood themes for the evening.

The first restaurant stop features a secret dish. The exact item is not disclosed in advance, but it is described as both delicious and tied to Argentine history. This opening course gives the guide room to explain why a certain food matters rather than simply handing you a plate and moving on.

That format is useful if you are new to Argentine food. You can ask basic questions early, then use what you learn at later stops. Guides have been praised for talking about local customs, politics, geography, and food traditions in clear English, so this first stop is likely to feel like an introduction rather than a random snack.

The limitation is obvious: you cannot plan around the secret dish. If you need a strict menu, this tour will be less comfortable than a standard restaurant meal with full advance details.

Stop two: empanadas, coffee, and Palermo Soho

The group then walks through Old Palermo toward Plaza Inmigrantes de Armenia and Palermo Soho. This section is as much about orientation as eating. You get a look at the mix of older buildings and newer shops that gives the area its particular feel.

A short stop at a Buenos Aires-style coffee shop adds something sweet. The tour then continues with classic Argentine food in one of Palermo’s busiest dining areas. Empanadas are among the promised highlights, and several accounts singled them out as one of the best parts of the experience.

An empanada is easy to underestimate. It looks small, but the pastry and filling can make it surprisingly filling, especially when it arrives before steak, choripan, pizza, and dessert. Use this stop to notice how the pastry, seasoning, and filling work together, rather than eating too quickly because more food is coming.

The exact café or restaurant can change. One account described a seating problem at a second stop when another food company had reserved most of the indoor seats. The group ate outside in intense heat and waited longer for its food. That is not a reason to reject the tour, but it shows why restaurant access and weather can affect comfort.

Stop three: mate and a toast to Evita

The third stop remains around Plaza Inmigrantes de Armenia and centers on a typical Argentine drink in honor of Evita Perón. The detailed food list does not name the drink, but multiple accounts identify the experience as a mate tasting.

Mate is one of the most useful cultural parts of the tour because it is not just a beverage. Your guide explains how to enjoy it like a local, turning a familiar-looking cup into a lesson about Argentine social customs. Martín’s mate explanation received particular praise, while Lucy and Eli also helped make the tradition approachable.

This is a good example of why a food tour can offer more than a restaurant crawl. You may not order mate every day after the tour, but you will understand it when you see people sharing it in parks, homes, or cafés. The Evita connection also gives the stop a local political and cultural frame.

The drink may not suit every palate, and this is not a full beverage-focused tour. Still, it is one of the more memorable moments because it asks you to participate in a custom rather than simply taste a finished dish.

Stop four: Plaza Serrano, street stories, and choripan

The route continues around Plaza Serrano and Thames Street. The guide points out a monument connected to the period of the Porteña dictatorship, a detail you might pass without noticing on your own. This is where the tour’s walking element earns its keep: food gives you a reason to pause, while the guide helps you see more of the streets around you.

The food here includes a dish that spread across South America. Accounts identify it as choripan, the grilled sausage sandwich that is a fixture of Argentine eating. One description specifically praised a Palermo-style choripan, while others paired this stop with local pizza.

Choripan is practical street food: smoky, filling, and usually helped along by chimichurri or another sauce. It also contrasts nicely with the delicate pastry of an empanada. You are tasting two different ideas of Argentine comfort food, one enclosed in dough and one built around grilled meat and bread.

This stop may feel less polished than a formal restaurant course. That is part of the point, but seating and service can vary. If the weather is hot, ask your guide about the seating plan as soon as you arrive. The tour requires some flexibility, since the itinerary can change because of weather, restaurant availability, or other conditions.

Steak, parrillada, and chimichurri

The fire-grilled parrillada with chimichurri is the course most likely to define the tour for meat lovers. Several accounts praised the steak as exceptional, and one person called it some of the best steak they had eaten. The meal is not presented as a separate steakhouse dinner, but as one part of a sequence of tastings.

That distinction matters. You are not booking an evening devoted only to a large cut of beef. You are getting a sample of grilled Argentine meat within a wider meal that includes pastry, bread, sweets, drinks, and a secret dish.

The tour works best if you pace yourself. Take your time with the steak, but do not fill up at the first stop. The food is served across several locations, and the final portion includes a famous dessert. Several people finished stuffed, so a light lunch is sensible on tour day.

Chimichurri adds the sharp, herbal contrast that grilled meat needs. It also gives the guide an opening to discuss the way sauces, grilling, and shared meals fit into Argentine food culture. You should expect the precise cut or parrillada selection to depend on the restaurant and that day’s menu.

Stop five: alfajor, chocolate, and award-winning gelato

The final stop is on the border of Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood, at Godoy Cruz 1823. This area is linked with Buenos Aires’ audiovisual industry, giving the last walk a different feel from the plazas and restaurant streets earlier in the tour.

Dessert arrives in several forms. The included items list a handmade alfajor and award-winning gelato. Accounts also describe chocolate, double dulce de leche ice cream, and Italian-style gelato, with the final scoops often serving as the grand finish.

The alfajor is a smart choice for a Buenos Aires food introduction. It combines the city’s love of sweets with dulce de leche, a flavor you will encounter again and again in Argentina. The handmade version should give you a better sense of the dessert than a packaged supermarket example.

The gelato brings a clear Italian influence to the meal. That reflects Buenos Aires’ food culture, which cannot be reduced to steak and empanadas alone. The final dessert is also where your appetite may finally surrender. Save room, even if you think you cannot manage another bite.

What the guides add to the experience

The guides are a major part of the tour’s appeal. Lucy is repeatedly described as warm, funny, energetic, and easy to understand. Martín is praised for his fluent English, relaxed manner, and mate presentation. Amalia receives credit for making the food and city stories engaging, while Eliab is noted for connecting food with Argentine history, geography, and politics.

That range matters because the tour depends on conversation. The stops alone would give you good food, but the guide gives the meal a frame. You learn what you are eating, why it appears on the table, and what else to seek out during your time in Buenos Aires.

Several guides have also offered follow-up suggestions through WhatsApp. That can be especially useful if you take the tour early in your stay. You can ask for restaurant ideas, other neighborhood tips, or help deciding what food to try next.

Guide quality can vary from one departure to another, of course. Still, the repeated praise for Lucy, Martín, Amalia, and Eliab suggests that the company has been assigning strong local hosts to this route.

Is $93 a fair price?

At $93 per person, this is not the cheapest way to eat in Buenos Aires. You could order individual empanadas, sandwiches, steak, and dessert for less if you already know where to go and speak comfortably with restaurant staff.

The value is in the combination. Your price includes five tasting locations, several substantial food portions, a mate experience, neighborhood walking, cultural explanation, and the convenience of having someone organize the evening. You also avoid spending your first days guessing which restaurants are worth your time.

A small group maximum of 12 helps support that value. You are not paying for a giant procession through Palermo. You have a better chance to hear the guide, ask questions, and speak with the other people in the group.

The tour is strongest for a first or second day in Buenos Aires, when you still need a food map. It is less useful for someone who already has favorite Palermo restaurants and wants a single long, formal meal.

Timing, group size, and practical comfort

The advertised duration is about three hours, though one account said the walk ran a little longer. That extra time was welcome because it allowed the group to enjoy the food at a more relaxed pace, but you should avoid scheduling a tight appointment immediately afterward.

An evening departure around 6 p.m. has practical advantages. The temperature may be more comfortable, and you finish around the time Palermo’s nightlife is getting started. Daytime departures are also available, but the exact schedule should be confirmed when booking.

The group may include up to 12 people. That is small enough for a social feel and large enough that you can meet people from different places. The tour is often booked well ahead, with an average booking lead time of 32 days, so popular dates may require planning.

Most people can participate, but the walking and food volume are worth noting. Comfortable shoes are recommended. The operator cannot accommodate allergies to eggs, milk, cheese, and garlic, and you should report other dietary needs in advance so the team can assess what is possible.

The cancellation rules are simple: cancel at least 24 hours before the start for a full refund. Changes or cancellations inside that window are not accepted for a refund. Poor weather or failure to reach the minimum group size can lead to a new date, an alternative experience, or a full refund.

Who should book this Palermo food tour?

I would choose this tour if you want a first taste of Buenos Aires without spending days researching restaurants. It suits curious eaters, couples, friends, solo visitors, and anyone who likes food with a side of neighborhood context.

It is also a good fit if you want Argentine staples in one evening: empanadas, grilled beef, chimichurri, choripan, pizza, mate, alfajor, and gelato. You will not get a complete survey of Argentine cuisine, but you will get a useful starting point.

I would hesitate if you have serious food allergies, prefer a fixed menu, dislike walking, or want a quiet sit-down dinner. The route is active, the stops can change, and indoor seating is not guaranteed at every location.

Should you book it?

Book this Buenos Aires food tour if you want to eat your way through Palermo while getting oriented fast. The strongest reasons are the steak, empanadas, mate lesson, dessert finish, and guides who add real local context instead of simply naming each dish.

For the best experience, book it near the start of your stay, arrive hungry, wear good shoes, and confirm the meeting point. Skip it only if your diet cannot handle the listed ingredients or you need a fully predictable restaurant itinerary. At $93, you are paying for food, planning, conversation, and a useful first look at Palermo, not just a plate of steak.

FAQ

How long does the Buenos Aires food tour last?

The tour lasts approximately three hours. It may run slightly longer depending on the pace of the group and the time needed at each food stop.

Where does the tour begin?

The stated meeting point is Plaza Serrano, at Serrano S/N, in Buenos Aires. The route description also refers to the vicinity of Plaza Güemes, so confirm the exact starting location with Secret Food Tours before departure.

Where does the tour end?

The tour ends at Godoy Cruz 1823, C1414CYM, Buenos Aires, near the border of Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood.

What food is included?

Included tastings are delicious empanadas, fire-grilled parrillada with chimichurri, handmade alfajor, award-winning gelato, and a secret dish. The experience may also include foods such as choripan and pizza, depending on the current menu and restaurant availability.

Is mate included?

Yes. The tour includes a typical Argentine drink connected with Evita Perón, and several descriptions identify this as a mate tasting with an explanation of how to enjoy mate locally.

How many people can join the tour?

The maximum group size is 12 people.

Is hotel pickup or drop-off included?

No. Pickup and drop-off are not included, so you need to reach the meeting point and arrange your own transportation afterward.

Can the tour accommodate food allergies?

The operator cannot accommodate allergies to eggs, milk, cheese, and garlic. You should contact the operator in advance about any dietary requirement.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start are not accepted for a refund.