Dear friends, today I will tell you about my favorite Argentine restaurant El Porteno. And I don’t understand why I haven’t written a review about it until now, considering that this place is the perfect solution when you want it to be delicious, traditional and beautiful.
It’s actually a chain restaurant, they have four locations and two of them I’ve explored very well.
El Porteno Arena is large and spacious, there are a lot of locals, the audience is dressy, often spotted football players and local celebrities, expensive cars are parked at the entrance. This place is good a date or special occasion dining, although when I lived in the Arco della Pace neighborhood we sometimes we’d just dine here without any special occasion.
El Porteno Gourmet is smaller, but its main advantage is that it’s open at lunchtime too. The crowd is interesting and diverse, lots of travelers as the restaurant is three minutes away from the Duomo.
Also check out El Porteño Prohibido. It has a stage and dinner can be combined with an entertainment program, I’ll write a detailed review of it later.
Of course, in El Porteno you have to eat meat. It’s one of the best in Milan. The choice here is very, very large. If you are new to Argentinean cuisine, then be sure to start your immersion with lomo steak (medium rare is top recommended), if you are a little more experienced, then try entrana (this is the steak I love well-done and even ask for it to be a little crispy). Please note that the portions are generous; at the beginning, as usual, they bring small snacks: several types of bread, mini-portions of pate and mousses. And the meat comes with a set of side dishes. If you eat little, like me, then you will definitely only need to order a steak. If you really want to try something else, I recommend gazpacho with carpaccio as a starter.
Don’t repeat our mistakes: we once dined in El Porteno with a large group and for some reason many of us ordered two steaks each to taste different things. In the end, the bill was 140 euros per person, and it was a pity to throw away the remaining meat, so my whole family ate it for a few more days at home. But that’s how I found out that Argentinian meat second-fried in the oven is also wow!
Another tip: wines by the glass start from 20 euros, so it’s always better to buy a whole bottle. The perfect wine for steaks is Don David Malbec.
The average bill including wine is 85 euros.
Enjoy! By the way, El Porteno Gourmet has a luxurious sofa outside, perfect for an aperitif before dinner.
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