1884 Restaurant

Mixed Experience at Françoise Malman & 1884 Our experience at this restaurant was a bit unusual from the very start. When making the reservation, we were required to pay a significant amount upfront, and when we couldn’t attend due to health reasons, they outright refused to refund us. I generally dislike paying for reservations in advance, and in this case, it was a particularly high charge. Their approach was rigid, insisting that the amount would be forfeited, so we had no choice but to go. The setting of the restaurant is undeniably beautiful, creating a perfect ambiance. However, when it comes to the food, there are plenty of restaurants in the area that serve meals of a similar quality and taste for half the price. I honestly don’t think we received a dining experience worth $200 per person (excluding wine). On a positive note, their wine selection is excellent, and the atmosphere is truly top-notch. However, given the poor price-to-value ratio, I don’t see myself returning.

Thank you for this evening. It was perfect. Food and service and atmosphere ! We had to eat course meal and we’re talking and eating and served attentive with care and love this very beautiful food We got a professional explanation of each dishes, and we ordered 6 dishes before , so we had no worries or disturbances , while keeping our own conversation fluent ! Thank you for that . Tasty food we really loved it We were sitting inside and the interior was after my liking I will come back again if we are in Mendoza Thank you Great team thanks 💕

My recent dining experience at 1884, Francis Mallmann's restaurant, was unfortunately a disappointment, especially considering its reputation and price point. I chose 1884 over Mr. Mallmann's 7 Fuegos restaurant due to recent negative reviews of the latter. However, the 8-course tasting menu with wine pairing fell far short of expectations. Ironically, the highlights of the meal were the warm bread selection, the cheese plate, and the dessert assortment – not exactly what one expects from a high-end restaurant. The humita was surprisingly bland and simple, tasting like something easily replicated at home of ingredients from a convenience store. The octopus, a prime opportunity to showcase the chef's expertise with open-fire cooking and achieve a delightful char, was disappointingly uniform in texture and lacked any of the desired smoky and charred bits and notes. The accompanying potato was equally uninspiring and remained largely untouched. The slow-cooked lamb, which should have been the star of the evening, was a good illustration of how a meat can simultaneously achieve a tender *and* dry texture. It was served with a rather ordinary potato purée. This pairing seemed like non-sense; why serve a tender meat dish with an equally soft purée? A contrasting element, such as some charred and crunchy vegetables, would have better complemented the lamb's tenderness and elevated the dish. From the wine paring, only the Jerez deserves a mention. While I understand the urge of dining at a Francis Mallmann restaurant when visiting Mendoza, as I myself felt, I recommend to skip it. Mendoza has numerous excellent alternatives offering comparable or superior cuisine at a fraction of the cost. I would encourage fellow travelers to explore these other options before committing to 1884.

Located in a quite neighborhood, 1884 is the perfect place for a dinner date. We were under the impression that we could order a la carte but after asking we were not able to so we had to do the tasting menu, we were not that hungry but oh well. The restaurant has sitting inside and outside, and even an outdoor open kitchen concept, which I always enjoy. This night the weather was bad so they closed the outdoor kitchen. There is a terrace area where you can sit and have drinks. The waitresses were attentive and friendly. Most spoke both English and Spanish. 1884 has an extensive wine menu but their sommelier is very willing to help. I found it interesting that our wine was not kept near the table. Dinner took three hours for all eight courses. My favorite courses, were the flank steak, fish, and the desert. I did find that the courses did have more food than I imagined, so I just took bites of everything to taste it. Overall, I think this is a good place to have dinner as long as you are hungry.

Francis Mallmann is one of my favorite chefs, and to have the experience to visit one of his restaurants in Mendoza Argentina was a dream come true. You are greeted with elegance and sophistication, we professional staff, know how to host a guest. Now the environment is awesome, the fires, the smell of smoke, the decor, I mean you know your senses are being stimulated. Then the food, be careful, it's a gastrointestinal explosion of taste and incredible flavors, and the wine pairing, the sommelier she knew her wines, I can't say I ever had a better time, an A class experience. Oh take a cab, this is a journey

The food was nice, but the A/C does not work, and because of it it was really hot!

Wow! This was one of the best meals we have had anywhere in the world. The smoky, grilled food was so flavorful and fresh. The staff provided excellent service. Be prepared for a long night. We clocked it at about 3 1/2 hours. Well worth every penny and second!

Excellent restaurant, a must visit if in the city although expensive. Nearly 70 pages of wines, and delicious foods as well as a full bar. I would highly recommend a reservation as we could not get to the restaurant entrance without speaking with a security guard. They do have a parking lot. We saw a traditional asado for grilling meat!

I was determined to come here after realizing this was Francis Mallmann's restaurant! I had no idea I would be able to attend a Chef's table Chef's restaurant, especially in Mendoza. I made reservations right away and they confirmed with me within 24 hours. We had 8pm reservations on a weekday. Cabs are cheap in Mendoza so it was easy to get to. Once finished, the restaurant will call you a cab to get back which was great and convenient. The restaurant itself is beautiful. The entrance is somewhat hidden but once you enter, everything is spectacular. We were lucky to sit outside next to the grill pit. The air smelled of woodfire which I absolutely loved. The service was impeccable and we downed two bottles of wine during our dinner. Appetizers: Octopus - It's a staple at the restaurant. It will always be on the menu and rightfully so. The octopus was grilled perfectly. It had a great char taste on the outside but super soft on the inside. Definitely not overcooked. The rustic potatoes it came with was just as good. It was fried beautifully, so crisp on the outside, piping hot on the inside. Add the lemon and olive paste aioli and it was the perfect start to a great meal. Entrees: Wagyu - AMAZING. The wagyu was like butter, cooked perfect to medium rare. It was on top of this potato chip like plate and that was just as good. So crisp and it absorbed the juices of the wagyu in the middle. Mouth watering. Rib-eye - A bit chewier than the wagyu but just as good. The meats were just grilled perfectly. No other way to say it. Desserts: Burnt Fruits - A must try! Who knew burnt fruits could be so good. The overall flavoring was a bit of cherry which I loved. All the fruits were so juicy and I loved that it was hot from the grill. Different from the usual desserts. Flan - Just as satisfying. The flan was eggy, creamy. Paired with candied nuts added great contrasting texture to the flan. Overall, so good! A wonderful meal in a beautiful restaurant. They also accept credit card and the best part is you can add tip to the credit card bill as well!

The most hyped and anticipated meal of my trip to Argentina. The pleasant experience and romantic, garden setting brought the mostly 3-star food up to 4 stars. The restaurant is set in a beautiful garden with a cool view of the outdoor kitchen where you can see you order being cooked and prepared. The bread spread looked better than it tasted. The octopus appetizer was delicious. The blackened carrots were quite good, too. Definitely order the Ojo de Bife (Ribeye) entree- it was the star of our meal. The goat and lamb entrees were just okay. I hate to say it but the goat dish actually reminded me of a TV dinner... The dulce de leche flan is not to be missed-- it was incredibly delectable and the perfect sweet ending.

There is a reason they call him the father of bbq! This place blew any and all expectations of what bbq is out of the water. We got a table inside (winter) that faced the bbq set up outside. They have a huge fire pit bbq in the middle, work stations, more bbqs on the perimeter. If you ask, you can go outside and take a look at the set up which is impressive in itself. Do it! Go tour the bbq kitchen! I don't know how they cook everything to such perfection, but they reign in the power of bbq to make some of the more flavorful and vibrant dishes. We got the grilled beet appetizer and the grilled octopus. Octopus is hard to cook...it can get tough and chewy. This was the BEST octopus I've ever had. Of course being the father of bbq and being in South America, we had to get rib eye. We ate at a lot of bbq places while we were traveling but this steak was one of our favorites.

If you are ever in Mendoza this place is a must visit. The chef specializes In what they call barbecue but what in fact is just cooking outdoors on a fire. You walk into the courtyard and they're doing all the cooking right there in front of you they have a woodfired Grill a spit and a huge woodfired oven. The wine list is what you expect for being in Argentina but it's very good nonetheless. The food is absolutely incredible we had a lot of meat all week so I tried the rabbit and the person next to me try the lamb and they were both fantastic.

I just had an fantastic meal at this excellent restaurant. I had the chivito and it was cooked to perfection. The service was beyond great and the wine list was more than adequate. Disregard these negative reviews (if any) and plan your stay in Mendoza to include one night here. You won't be disappointed.

After hearing all the rave reviews about 1884, I could not have been more disappointed with this dining experience. It was hard to focus on the food because the service was not just horrible, it was completely missing in action. It took 20 minutes for our waitress to even acknowledge our presence. After taking our orders, she largely ignored us the rest of the evening. Our wine was inadvertently served to the table behind us, the meat was terribly undercooked (but she never came back to ask if we were satisfied with our meals) and when we finally got another bottle of wine, she just took it away when finished and never bothered to ask if we might want more. When she took our plates away and realized that my meat wasn't touched, she asked if there was a problem. When I explained the many issues, she just said sorry and walked away. This is a simple issue of poor training and a restaurant with such a fine reputation should be doing a better job to ensure consistent quality in its wait staff. If ever there was a situation that cried out for management to make some small accommodation to acknowledge their shortcomings, this was it. Unfortunately, even after sharing our disappointment with the hostess and manager, no one seemed to care. Where is the adult supervision? Such a shame.

Great experience, very beautiful outside, especially in the evening with the lights on. The food was delicious but I was disappointed with the steaks considering it's Mallmann and a Parrilla. Wasn't as tender as I expected. The potatoes were crispy and the rest of the dishes were good.

Surprising location. Amazing environment. Service beyond compare. Loved the wine cellar. Outside kitchen extraordinary. Octopus and empanada appetizers were fabulous. Wagyu steak great! Tomahawk presentation amazing, but steak itself did not live up to expectations. Dessert? Flan? Wow. Best ever!!!! All in all a great experience. Will come back!!!!

Enchanting. Sit outside under the stars and enjoy a long dinner. End to end excellence, cocktails are fresh and well made, food is outstanding, and wine list is both well constructed and reasonably priced. Well done.

Came here after watching the Documentary about Francis Malmann and subsequently visiting Mendoza over the winter holidays. My boyfriend and I were extremely excited to try this place all trip, and man did it blow away our expectations! We sat in their outdoor garden and booked for Christmas dinner about 2 months in advance. We were seated at 8:30PM and of course were some of the first diners at the restaurant. The outdoor garden seating is an absolute must-- There's a huge grassy yard, alongside a smaller patio area with beautiful flowers and trees. Everything is candle lit. You also get a front row seat to their outdoor kitchen, watching the chefs cook. We even caught the end of the Mendoza sunset. Our experience was perfect from the get-go. Service was spot on, and we adored our fun waitress (she also spoke some of the best English we encountered all trip). We started with a bottle of Malbec from El Fin Del Mundo and were pleasantly surprised by the wine prices. For food, we started with the empanadas and baby octopus, folloed by the baby goat and rib eye steak as mains. We also chose a delicious ice cream / chocolate dessert to finish. All the food was prepared just as requested, and the timing intervals when food was delivered were perfect. Plenty of time to savor the evening without it feeling too rushed, or too dragged out. Our entire meal was about $150USD, so it was the nicest dinner of our 15-day trip, but we felt it was well worth it. We loved our experience and will continue to think about it for a long time to come.

Wow. Wow oh wow oh wow. I've been treated to some good restaurant service in my life but never anything like this. The entire meal, my dinner companion and I, a fellow backpacker through South America were in shock as to whether everything was really happening. First of all the place looks amazing. The outdoor seating looks like something out of a fairy tale and the indoor seating is appropriately...for lack of a better word...fancy. From the complimentary bread (of which there were four kinds) to the sorbet for dessert which tasted like freshly frozen fruits, this place was aces when it came to the food. But what, or more appropriately who pushed it over the edge was our server Lola. She was AMAZING! So friendly and filled with positive vibes, she made sure we got to meet the head chef, then showed us around their outdoor grill, kitchen, had the sommelier show us around the cellar and let us drink our complimentary after dinner wine in their gorgeous outdoor space. It was the kind of evening where you're just laughing the whole time because life has just gotten unbelievably amazing.

We wanted to go to this restaurant after having heard so much about it. We called, made a reservation to 4 people and that's it. The service is great, one of the best I've ever had. Everything is pretty expensive, the local is awesome and everyone is dressed up. The food was the most disappointing I have EVER had. No wonder they are not a five star restaurant. I complained to the waitress but then of course she cannot do anything. I am happy we had friends with us otherwise it would have been a disaster because I really felt like crying. I also apologized with them for having invited them there. Too bad. I will never recommend this place to anyone.

This was an incredible experience. Having read mixed and mediocre reviews, I was worried that 1884 would not be a great experience, but was quickly proven quite wrong. Not only was the service excellent, but the food is tremendous. The goat cheese with charcoal grilled vegetables is an excellent appetizer, the ravioli are really great, and the milanesa de carne was arguably the best I've had, period -- and I've had endless milanesas. Don't miss this restaurant.

Came here last night. It's a very classy, romantic looking place, where you sit outside in the garden under the stars. It's very pretty. However there's a total lack of atmosphere; some of the staff are quick stuck-up - it's like they're doing you a favour by serving you. We have been in Argentina for about a week, and we have found people to be universally friendly, especially in restaurants. This place is the exception. The servers could not be less interested in you, the punters. Sure, they asked what you thought of the dish in a mechanical way after a suitable number of minutes had elapsed since they'd placed it in front of you. That was it. Otherwise there was no interaction. The service was extremely slow. It took them a good 15 minutes to get the bill. As to the food, the gazpacho was delicious as was the 7.5h lamb and the ice cream.The other half said the beef tenderloin was beautifully cooked. So, expect a good meal but not much else. It's just a bit too pretentious for me to want to return.

Amazing experience in Mendoza. Impeccable service and great food along with a hybrid scenery (parrilla in the open air but luxurious setting, chairs, etc all over)

Great atmosphere and awesome food!! Service was very good as well and the wine selection was quite large. I would highly recommend this restaurant!! A few vegetarian options as well!!

Good but over rated. Trying too hard to be a chic hipster spot. Food was very good, but the staff has some attitude. Peel that away and you have very nice food.

An expensive meal, But totally worth it. Open on Sunday In the patio we'd sit. The milenesa, done well The lamb, flavor full. The wines paired nicely. Nothing was dull. Me gusta mucho.

We had searched reviews and discussed the best restaurants with locals. We considered cancelling our reservation here as the view that most of the locals shared with us was that the restaurant was not the same place it was a few years ago. We have been to this restaurant before a few years prior and enjoyed it greatly. Alas, we kept our reservation, but had a very disappointing experience here recently - the hospitality was shocking to us. I believe this to be my only non 5 or 4 star review from our trip to Argentina. My score distribution of ~125 reviews includes only seven "1 star" reviews. We knew from reviews and past experience that often taxi drivers have a hard time finding the bodega that the restaurant is attached to. We had an 8:30 reservation (which is the first available reservation) on a Friday night. Given we knew we would perhaps get lost enroute, we left a little early, and wound up arriving at 8:10 - there were no signs of life at the restaurant, and could not verify we were in the right place - the cab driver had asked a couple people, but from the parking lot of the winery, with the iron gate closed, you can't tell if you are in the right place. It is in a particularly dark neighborhood and we didn't feel it was a particularly safe place to be. Locked outside THE (or certainly one of the) most expensive restaurant in Mendoza (or Argentina for that matter), dressed to the 9's with a USD100 bottle of wine slung in my arm screamed tourist to all the bad guys that cared to hear. There were three people in our party, a 71 year old woman with a bad hip, me, and an Asian woman. We were quite obviously tourists (I think I saw one other Asian in Mendoza after 4 days). We asked a passerby to verify this was the restaurant entrance - she said it was, but they don't open until 8:30. I asked if there was another entrance on the other side of the restaurant, and she said there was but we should "not walk, but take the taxi" implying safety. We have the taxi driver call the restaurant to see if we can get in, and they tell him they don't open until 8:30. I ask the taxi driver if this is a safe neighborhood, and he responded "not at night" in our situation. With nowhere for my 71 year old mother with sciatica problems to sit, and not feeling super comfortable in the situation in general, I pay the taxi driver to wait so my mother can sit, and we have an exit plan if needed. At around 8:20 or so, the lights turn on inside of the gates, and security personnel can be heard behind the large iron gates. We ask the guards if we can get inside the gates, have a place to sit, etc. They keep saying they don't open until 8;30, parroting what the restaurant itself said when we called them. It seems RIDICULOUS to us that they can't let us through the 20' gate into the courtyard - they wouldn't have to even let us in the restaurant to do this. There were extremely strong chemical smells coming from the bodega as they were painting or doing something with the floors - it was overwhelming so we stood further away which put us close to the road. At about 8:27 people driving by start calling out the windows at us, and making hand gestures. It's obvious to me that this is not a super safe situation but we decide to just wait inside the taxi, near asphyxiating from all the chemical odors in the parking lot. At 8:30 I went up and spoke to the guards again, and said "it's 8:30." They say they have to call the restaurant and check if they can let us into the courtyard. At this point the presumed "Jefe" knows from our phone call prior that we have been waiting almost 20 minutes in the parking lot. Security calls and says the restaurant is not ready yet - it will be another 5 minutes. The cab driver and I explain it is not safe for us out there. As a matter of security they need to let us in. They say they will let us in in 5 minutes. I reiterate - this time quite loudly - THIS IS NOT SAFE. THIS IS A BAD SITUATION. I AM NOT SAFE YOU NEED TO LET ME IN _NOW_. I have 5 years of Spanish. Believe me there was no confusion about what I was saying. They say they need to check. I said - "look - it is now 8:33 - you let us in this instant, for our safety, or we are leaving in our taxi for our safety. RIGHT NOW." They didn't. So we left. There are well understood crimes that have happened in Mendoza outside of high end tourist locations, which is why the Park Hyatt and others now have security personnel posted on the streets. We are well traveled people - I have been to 40+ countries across Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. I have stayed in both the Dama Juana HOSTEL and the Park Hyatt in Mendoza. We aren't uncomfortable in many circumstances we encounter. We have NEVER in all our travels felt as unsafe as we did there, and we have never felt that a restaurant was as rude to us (with them both inside and outside knowing they were doing so).

Fantastic place!!! I would go back every and anytime !!! Great selection of wine and awesome food!!! We got a table very late and were placed in awkward spot but since we called same day we expected it would be tough. Many wife and I both has seafood options which were amazing! The shrimp soup was a little too creamy but I was warned by the waitress so I can't blame them. The grounds for the restaurant are also amazing and worth stoping outdoors for a few pictures.

The restaurant is located in a bodega...so cool. The servers were polite, attentive, and kind. The grilled shrimp and beef empanada appetizers were delicious. The rib eye with chimichurri sauce and the tenderloin with pancetta were perfectly cooked. Would definitely come back here and would recommend to anyone coming to Mendoza.

Wow, so much hype, so little delivered for so much money. I'm afraid Messr Mallmann is absentee and doesn't really pay attention to the quality or imagination with which the food served in the restaurant that bears his name is offered. Everything we were served could be done by any reasonably experienced home cook in his or her own kitchen and it would be more delicious and you'd have 1800 pesos ($200 USD for two diners) still in your pocket. the food was so rustic, the flavors so uninspired, so simple, it was barely better than anything in Mendoza where you could walk up and enjoy a meal for one-third the price, with a better bottle of wine to boot. The lunch and wine tour we enjoyed at Ruca Malen earlier today so far outstripped whan was served at 1884, it bears no comparison. And to top off the show, the servers in their ridiculous jackets and ties need to not play with their hair on full view of the patrons. Seriously, we watched a server re-do his past-shoulder length ponytail IN THE KITCHEN where the dishes were being plated. Are you kidding me!??! Don't bother. Josefina, Azafran, or the lunch at Ruca Malen. So, so much better.

There are very, very few restaurants on earth that I can say have really changed or impacted my life in some way. This is one of them. Seeing the chefs cook fine food over an open wood fire inspired me to try and replicate everything they do up North in California. It was superb, eye-opening and above all delicious experience and opened my eyes.

Disappointing. All around. Wine list (which apparently there is only one list?! At least that's what we were told) took a long time to make it to the table. Waiter came by 3 times asking for our meal selection without having had the wine list handed to us to review. We had asked for this as soon as we sat down. Halfway through the meal the water boy mistakenly poured water in my wine glass... Which I understand happens but then you should give me another glass, or maybe my waiter should apologize, etc. Food was just all around not good. Everything we ate was very VERY salty. The albondigas (meatballs) had an overpowering sauce taste. The salad was overdressed. The pizza was the best thing, but still overdone. Not a repeat. We were looking forward to enjoying a delightful meal and even spoke about going to it's sister restaurant in Miami prior to dining at 1884. I can easily say that I won't be attending the Miami restaurant. And I wouldn't recommend this restaurant.

Beautiful restaurant, outdoor garden and patio seating. Good but pricey wine list. Pleasant ambience. But ... strange, inconvenient and unsavory/unsafe location. Mediocre service. Poorly prepared, poor quality ingredients. Specifically: Appetizers and salads are creative, but badly prepared with poor quality vegetables and cheese. Main courses were also creative, but again, very poor and careless preparation of low quality, improperly butchered meat. Walk in off the street to any restaurant or roadside grill in the Mendoza region, and you'll get a much better tasting meal. Considering the great reputation and high prices vs the unfortunate reality, this is a definite no go. Also their website lists the incorrect address - it's the wrong town - it's obvious that there is zero quality control at this restaurant.

Francis Mallman is the best, the service is mediocre but if you're lucky you'll enjoy this place. Big ups to Francis he's one of my favorite chefs in the world.

40 min walk from Plaza Italia Hotel Amerian (nice!) with Lulu. Sat at bar in this striking old winery venue. Seated at 9pm Starters: Grilled smokey eggplant & red peppers with warm goat cheese.. very tasty & rich and with 3 diff. breads served with a intensely flavored beet puree. Grilled octopus/crispy potato squares I liked it Lulu meh..empanadas terrific & slightly charred. Then the huge letdown the signature Argentine Oje de Bife (ribeye) TASTELESS!! perfectly grilled but WTF?? sent it away far far away... was offered a better flank steak but it certainly isn't being deposited into the food memory bank. With a expensive bottle of 2015 El Enimigo Malbec (needs more time) drinks & tip it was about $250 US definitely not worth it if you're looking for meat go to a highly rated locals parilla had a much much beefier rib eye at Marie Antoinet's near Diplomatico Hotel for lunch that afternoon. Staff very concerned about bad beef & encouraged to give an honest negative review.

Having watched several shows about Francis Mallman, and having a passion for cooking with fire, I expected an amazing steak experience when I ordered the ribeye. It was dull, bland , sinuous and fatty. Francis Mallman should either take his name off of this restaurant or get it back into shape. Service was terrible also. I'd give this review 1 star if not for the somm who provided an excellent wine suggestion. For $200 USD, you're better off going somewhere else.

This place was okay as the empanadas were amazing, and the wine selection was a book. So great beginning to the dinner but the skirt steak and rib eye steak was under seasoned so you may need to ask for salt, pepper, or more chimichurri to the dish. Service was excellent and cooking area was great to see outside.

Definitely felt very exclusive! We got to sit outside which was beautiful. The ambiance is amazing in this place. Food was tasty! The presentation was beautiful. Service impeccable. It's a splurge to go here but was so worth the experience!

Beautiful space, fantastic service, and spectacular food. Started with the empanada, which was the right amount of spicy and ordered the Bistec para Dos (steak for two) as our entree. The steak was served very rustic-style-like which added to the experience, but definitely shareable between more than two people. Start with a cocktail at the bar or garden and then switch to wine with your entree.

This was the final dinner of a week long stay in Mendoza. I had read mixed reviews which makes me skeptical. Come to find out, I had good reason to be. The overall experience left a lot to be desired. From the moment we entered and had a cocktail at the bar, the staff spent a lot of time on the phones reading and texting. Not at all professional. We were seated when requested and the space was well appointed and the napery, silver, etc. were first class. The service was schizophrenic to say the least. Not sure what service model they were using but it was difficult to identify who was our captain or front server. We ordered one wine to find out ten minutes later that it was not available. A different bottle of wine was ordered. A few minutes later we were informed it too was not available. Unbelievable. There is no excuse for this in any restaurant let alone one of this supposed caliber. Either reprint (as most are printed in house) or use some dot or star system next to the ones that are "temporarily out of inventory." As the restaurant knew it was our anniversary, they brought us a complimentary glass of champagne. A nice gesture but again awkward as our hearty entree's were being served. Pre-meal or with dessert would have been appropriate. Also, I was served the wrong entree. It took a few minutes but it was rectified. It was a braised lamb shank so it was easy to expedite. I will say the food was good. The bread as most places was outstanding, the first course and the entree's were all very good. This restaurant has so much potential but the front of the house needs to be re-tooled. I hate to see unfulfilled opportunities to be great.

No complaints here! I'd have to say, I had very high expectations for steaks down here in Argentina and during my trip it has been completely underwhelming...that is...until last night at 1884 restaurant! Francis Mallmann really delivers at 1884. Making reservations is a must! We were able to get the last reservation of the night, which was around 10pm (22:00), and the restaurant was jam packed. Keep in mind that we had booked well in advance so book early and request to sit in the outside atrium if it's a nice evening. The decor of the place and set up is upscale and impressive. Walking in I was already loving the place, so I was hoping everything else followed suit. The staff was very attentive and helpful. They can speak both English and Spanish and the menus are available in both languages as well. Then came the food and the wine. Every bit as impressive as the place and staff were, the food and wine solidified 1884 as a five star restaurant. I had the empanadas for my starter and followed that up with a rib eye steak with Chimichurri and Patagonia potatoes. The flaky savory Empanada is to die for. The meat is so tender and flavorful and cooking it in the clay oven gives it that amazing pastry texture. After taking my first bite of the steak, Argentina finally lives up to all of the hype that I had been hearing about. Well extremely tender seasoned meat that was perfectly cooked to the temperature I requested (medium rare). The chimichurri gave it an extra layer of flavor that really enhanced the meat as well as reminded me that I'm in Argentina. When in Mendoza, before you speed off into wine country, stay a night in the city and indulge at this gem by Francis Mallmann!