Balvanera
“Fernando Navas and his staff made us feel at home with exceptional, friendly service.”
“I followed Kelly C's recommendations and had the burrata, patatas, pulpo a la plancha, followed by the flan for dessert.”
“Fresh off a trip to Buenos Aires and seeing the rave reviews here, I was curious to see how Balvanera would fare against the actual restaurants of Argentina.”
Balvanera
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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Enjoyed the brunch special here, which consisted of an entree, an alcoholic drink, and unlimited coffee for a steal at $15. I had the huevos de caballo (steak and eggs) which were delicious and a mate mimosa- something I had never seen before on any other menu and enjoyed. We ate at an off-time so the restaurant was fairly empty, but the service was still fairy attentive and the atmosphere was pleasant with the rustic decor and a combination of Latin music and classics playing. If not for the snow outside, I would have thought I was in buenos Aires. Hope to return soon!
Great service and food. Chimichurri needs a bit more of flavor for my personal preference but overall good.
Lovely place. Came here on a rainy Thursday night and it was quiet. The restaurant is dim and romantic and our waitress was super sweet.
The food is pricey for the small portions but excellent. Also they must really like blackberries here because they were in half the dishes we ordered. We tried:
Red wine sangria: it comes with blackberries which I was very excited about.
Burrata ($16): amazing creamy rich burrata with persimmon, almonds and arugula. Must try if you like cheese. Must try even if you don't.
Patatas ($5): crispy potatoes with garlic aioli…nothing not to like over here. Small plate but so good.
Remolachas ($10): roasted beets with blackberries, avocado and horseradish. I don't care for beets but it was ok.
Pulpo a la plancha ($18): one of the best octopus (octopi?) I've ever had. Fresh, smokey, tender and crispy.
Flan (free if you check in!!!): comes with some amazing dulce de leche and..wait for it..blackberries. Delicious end to the meal.
This was a light and satisfying meal but I'll be back to try one of those famous skirt steaks one of these days.
Came back again and had the olives, cauliflower, and beet salad in addition to ordering the skirt steak and malbec again. Balvanera once again proved itself amazing, and everything was just as delicious as the first time.
This is a great place for groups. The staff is very accommodating and attentive. The restaurant is spaced very comfortably and it is a very inviting space. Also, free flan for checking in!
The boquerones ($6), setas salteadas (mushrooms $17), and the sweetbreads ($16) were my favorite dishes. I would definitely go back to try more of the meats. The skirt steak ($36 for the large portion) was huge and cooked well but could have been seasoned better.
The farfalle ($18) was not memorable. I would also skip the fries ($5), empanadas ($8) and the octopus ($18). The octopus was chewy and could have used more salt.
Came here for brunch w my gfs and it was so yummy! We were seated almost right away without a rsvp (Sunday around 2:30ish PM). There were a few (3-4) occupied tables. Our waiter was friendly and attentive.
The brunch dishes were abt $15-17 (dont quite remember) and it comes with 2 drinks (one alcoholic either sangria/mimosa and the other is non alcoholic). My sister and son shared a burger, i had the clasico w poached eggs, one of my gf had a sandwich and the other had a steak. We ordered a side of blood sausage (the best!!! I had it when i was in Argentina and have been cravin it since!) and empanadas!
My dish was super good. The poached eggs were cooked jus right, with a side of salad and slices of crispy thick cut bacon.
I really enjoyed the beef empanada, the corn isnt for everyone becos the cheese they use is slightly stronger. My gfs enjoyed their dishes and my sis let me try some of the burger, cooked nicely and tasty (chimichurri marinade).
I really enjoyed the blood sausage but was hopin for more than 1 pc. It was served with pesto tomato and greens. I could have like 3 of those!!!
Overall, great brunch and definitely will come back!
Needed a last-minute dinner reservation for a party of 8. OpenTable only allows you to make reservations for up to 6 here, but I called in the day of, and the hostess happily obliged. Fresh off a trip to Buenos Aires and seeing the rave reviews here, I was curious to see how Balvanera would fare against the actual restaurants of Argentina. The decor and layout of the place was pretty standard for a smaller restaurant in New York. They have a bar in the back, with a bunch of shelving strictly for wine.
Our party took a while to all arrive, so in the meantime we ordered a bunch of plates to share. We went with the scallop crudo, pulpo de playa (octopus), 3 orders of the empanadas, and the burrata. Clear winner here was the pulpo and the beef empanadas. The pulpo was just the right tenderness, with a slight crispy texture on the outside, and the beef empanadas were deep-fried, but not too greasy, and provided for a nice overall crispiness. The beer and wine list isn't very extensive, but the offerings that they do have were all pretty great. I got a Goose Island Matilda, which is
I ordered the 16oz skirt steak, medium rare (ya gotta), and it was quite delicious. Cooked perfectly, the meat had a nice blend of fat, and came accompanied with a small salad and a bowl of fries. Was able to try some of the ribeye as well, which was incredibly flavorful, and not quite as fatty as you might think a ribeye would be.
Service was definitely on the slower side, not too dissimilar from the very laid-back vibes of restaurants in Argentina. Not sure if they were trying to emulate that type of vibe, or if they were just being slow, but nonetheless, chalk one up for authenticity, eh? I kid, I kid. It wasn't actually that bad, but considering that frenetic New York pace you see at most restaurants, it's easy to get impatient. Anyways, the prices are expensive for the portions, but they do tout quality and the meat being grass-fed and free range, so I guess I can't quite complain too much.
Overall, the food is quality, and the overall ambiance is pretty nice, both for an intimate night, or in our case, a large party. That being said, you'll need to budget some extra time for the slower service, and in the realm of steaks, I think I would still prefer a straight-up steakhouse at those prices. However, I wouldn't be opposed to returning for a casual meal in the near future.
With reasonable prices and great food, this place deserves a strong four. There was a hiccup with my reservation. I called and made one for 8:00. I ended up needing to push to 9:00, which they could accommodate, but the hostess told me that I had no reservation on file, which was strange.
I arrived before the other half of my party and was seated at the bar with a delightful glass of Malbec. Before she arrived, they seated me at my table. I enjoyed the anchovy entree. The main event, the bone in ribeye, did not disappoint. While I have had better cuts at steakhouses uptown, this one was pretty good. I finished the whole thing along with some more Malbec.
I would like to return and try more of the items on the menu.