When a mate calls you to say that he’s interested in buying a house, but wants to check the barrio out at night first with pitstops for drinks and some food, naturally you agree to the idea. The barrio in question was Balvanera, the area west of downtown and south of Recoleta. It doesn’t get a great deal of tourist attention, despite being on the edge of the Corrientes theater district and Congreso.
We met at the Russian-owned TEKŌ Beer Culture Kiosk & Bar (Hipólito Yrigoyen 2201) on Plaza Primero de Mayo for a quick pint before setting off on foot. To be fair, it’s not far from being a ghost town after dark, with the mixed commercial and residential streets characterized by the closed shutters of fabric stores. Alas, at the turn of one corner, we caught sight of a parrilla, El Rebenque de Omar.
Neither of us had eaten here before, however the name rang a bell. A quick search later and we discovered that it had a shot of fame a couple years back when Robert De Niro dined here. The silver screen legend was in town filming scenes for the series Nada with Luis Brandoni, with this classic neighborhood spot among the chosen shooting locations.
This is one of those places you could walk by a hundred times without noticing it. Yet inside is that classic and nostalgic bodegón-cum-parrilla atmosphere. It almost feels like someone’s home – closely organized tables making the 30 or so guests elbow up against each other, the grill sizzling next to the entrance, and a kitchen and bathroom tucked into the rear of the room. Photos of the owner Omar Escudero and esteemed previous guests – De Niro now taking pride of place – adorn the walls among a distinctly tango decor with references to the likes of Carlos Gardel and Enrique Santos Discépolo.
Service is old school and no frills, a welcome respite in an era of hipster diners and overly personalized attention at coffee shops. One of the two parrilleros acts as the waiter, squeezing between chairs and declaring “escucho” prior to memorizing orders. He takes care of the food, and I’d say he’s sampled enough to know what’s what. Another waiter took care of drinks, bringing a bottle of every wine option available to the table to pick from.
The menu looks like it’s been the same for years, a printed A4 page stuffed inside a plastic folder with handwritten prices that were a challenge to work out which belonged to which dish. Many of the usual suspects are here: asado, bife de chorizo, picanha, vacío, chinchulines, riñones, chorizo, morcilla and milanesa. We overheard an order of “un matrimonio,” a chorizo and morcilla mix (have to admit that it was the first time I’d heard the name), and side requests for fried eggs to accompany steaks. De Niro himself indulged in the steak-and-egg combo.
When “eschucho” resonated at our table, we ordered a half portion of kidney (riñones), a 600g bife de chorizo and a portion of fries (chips, papas, whatever). The kidney was excellent, meaty and sliced to present six pieces each. It paired well with the in-house salsas that came with hot bread. Forever fraught with receiving an overcooked steak, we requested bien jugoso, to which the waiter asked “tipo frances?” To his word, we got a tasty chunk of seared and extra-rare steak. Not wanting it to go cold, we sliced it in half and asked for one piece to be kept warm – it came back even better. The fries were spilling off the plate and resembled oven-cooked types that a grandmother would make. Our wine of choice was a Luigi Bosca, the most expensive on the menu at $28,000.
The bill-bringing ceremony is as nonchalant as the order taking, with the parrillero-waiter sitting down with a notebook, asking what we had, and totting up the total. Ours came to $132,000, or $120,000 cash because it’s one of those spots that still prefers paper money. This covered the kidney, steak, fries, bottle of wine, two bottles of water, and (I think) the cubierto charge.
Bottom line: If you happen to be in the area with a meat craving then this is for sure a worthwhile option. It’s unashamedly old school (no social media, no QR menus) and probably won’t change any time soon, which is what made it so appealing. Prices are reasonable for the current Buenos Aires climate, and the meat was grilled to perfection, leaving two more than satisfied diners.
Location: Matheu 24, Balvanera
Open: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday: 12pm–3pm and 8:30pm–midnight; Thursday: 10am–12pm; Saturday: 10am–3pm and 8pm–midnight; and Sunday: 12pm–3pm
This place looks very cool. Can the parrilla do anything for vegetarians?