The Two Dishes that you Must Try in Don Julio —The World's Best Parrilla

We talked with Pablo Rivero, owner of one of the 15 best restaurants in the world, according to The World’s 50 Best Restaurant 2021. He recommended us two dishes that you must try on your first visit to his parrilla.

Twenty-one years ago, the Palermo neighbourhood welcomed a family gastronomic undertaking. With time, it has become a worldwide icon. Pablo Rivero, Don Julio’s author, opened the doors of his restaurant in 1999, at just 20-something years of age. Where? Right under his father’s house in Gurruchaga street, a place that didn’t know about success at that time. Thanks to his father’s job, a cattle breeder, Pablo’s judgement, and his grandfather’s butcher contacts, the orders and word-of-mouth recommendations revived. That corner was never again forgotten.

Before talking about the top-notch quality of its products, let’s uncover the mystery: if he’s called Pablo, why Don Julio? We bet you’re going to say that’s one of his relative’s name. It isn’t. He baptised it like that in memory of his neighbour who used to make amazing asados. In honour of Julio, Pablo kept his word. In 2020, his restaurant was established as the best in Latin America, and today it’s the only Argentinian restaurant that got to the world’s best restaurant rank, securing the 13th position. That information is relevant enough to visit it (or rather try). Don’t you think?

Now that the first mystery has been cleared, let’s move on to the second one: what to order. Well, there are no wrong answers. But we’ll go through the owner’s recommendations. Of course, meat is the star in the best parrilla of the country. It’s important to point out that when the cattle are free and fed with the natural pastures of the Humid Pampas, the amazing quality of its texture, taste, and tenderness is guaranteed.

Rivero suggests the bife de chorizo ancho or sirloin strip steak ($16.4) and the lean cut of bife de cuadril or rump steak ($14.7). According to Pablo, the vegetales a la parrilla or grilled vegetables are an excellent side dish. It makes sense since all its products are organic, seasonal, and come from his own production. So, the quality screening is, to say the least, flawless. Anyways, there are many options to try together with the meat. The French fries ($3.6) are a classic side dish in the asado ritual, and you should try them before going back to your hometown.

What about the best wine to pair it with? Theoretically, Malbec is the most popular grapevine choice to enhance the red meat taste, especially succulent meat. Yet, according to Pablo, the ideal wine is the one that a person is looking for. Good news! There are more than 1,900 different labels to choose from; so, there are high chances of falling in love with the grape elixir. You can order by the glass, 375 cc mini decanters, or even magnum bottles. 

Did you know? In 2020, the restaurant reinvented itself and opened the butcher and wine cellar doors. So, the most sought products of the market can also be tasted at home.