El Preferido Is Buenos Aires’ Most Iconic Restaurant

"Approaching the carnation-colored corner building in Palermo, I’m struck by its ochava entrance, large square windows with retro hand-painted letters and the white Formica tables that set the scene for a light-drenched, nostalgic dining room; this is El Preferido de Palermo (affectionately El Prefe), a bodegón that closed in 2018 and was deliberately resurrected by restaurateur Pablo Rivero with chef Guido Tassi and chef de cuisine Martin Lukesch. Under their stewardship the place marries modern kitchen technique with down-to-earth cocina porteña and an ambitious in-house charcuterie program — a climate-controlled case ages salami, chorizo and even pony prosciutto — alongside a wood-fire station, producing fuller flavors and more pronounced textures. The menu revives classics with care: milanesas of sirloin topped with melted mozzarella and tomato, a halibut chupín en casserole with tomatoes and garbanzos served with dinner rolls moistened with fat from Don Julio’s butcher, and house-made artisanal ice creams (notably a zabaione laced with Marsala); vegetables are seed-to-table from an organic garden in La Plata. Walk-in guests are given a complimentary gin and tonic while they wait, and Rivero has curated a thoughtful, drinkable and affordable wine list at El Prefe that draws on his massive personal collection but is more modest and reasonably priced than Don Julio’s. For me, late lunch — lingering with the newspaper as smoking meats and vegetables drift through the dining room — is the perfect way to take in what feels like a lovingly revived piece of Palermo’s culinary history." - Peter Kaminsky