You know, it very very seldom happens that you walk into a restaurant and you feel instantly comfortable, relaxed and yes, like you’re home. This happened to me at La Vaca Enamorada in Puerto Iguazu. From the outside the sculpture of a cow catches your attention:
(People from Zurich might have a déjà-vu – the cow thing wasn’t an exclusive or unique Zurich thing.)
Otherwise, the restaurant interior isn’t anything special; furniture is comfortable and practical, but unimpressive. What makes this restaurant one of a kind is its owner, Alberto. He has truly understood and incorporated the quintessence of excellent service. After having seated you, he will explain the daily specials with enthusiasm and honesty and then give you space, to study the menu and make a decision without being rushed. They usually have 2-3 starters, some specials as main courses and of course steaks (we are in Argentina after all) and then 2-3 desserts – EVERYTHING is freshly prepared and it might as well happen that they run out of a dish during the evening. The cuisine has a tilt towards Italian food as Alberto has spent quite some time working in Rome and I guess he took his wife with him (she is the chef in charge). Alberto is an avid traveler and speaks several languages (French, English, Portuguese). So if your Spanish skills aren’t that much developed, do not worry about it at this place.
I had a steak with a fresh salad and for dessert a very good Tiramisú (and I am most critical when it comes to this Italian classic). Aside from the chocolate shavings on top, it was perfect.
The salad, while very simple (lettuce, carrots, tomatoes), was fresh and tasty and came with excellent olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Usually in Argentina they do not know the concept of salad dressings; you’ll get olive oil and vinegar at the side. I assume this must be the Italian influence. The steak was cooked to perfection (sirloin steak) and had great flavor. They do charge a cubierto (unfortunately very common in Argentina: they charge you for the cutlery, bread and butter. Some restaurants even do not provide anything. And it does not serve as gratuity!), but you get fresh baguette and a relish of tomato, garlic, olive oil and basil to make your own bruschette.
I paid a fair amount of ARS 400 (= currently USD 28) and he refused to accept a tip, no matter how much I insisted.
Because this place was so special and although I have only been once, I’ve decided to add it to my usuals list. I am sure that if I lived somewhere close to this place, I’d be a regular for damn sure! And to finish this post, here is a photo of Alberto and me:
La Vaca Enamorada
Av. Republica Argentina 79, Puerto Iguazú, Misiónes N3370ARA
Opening Hours: Tues-Sun 12pm-midnight, Mondays closed.
[…] Cuisine In Puerto Iguazu you’ll mainly find classic Argentinian cuisine, i.e. steakhouses as well as pizza and pasta places. The majority of the restaurants are aligned at the Cordoba street. Opposite to the bus station there is a self-service / take-away restaurant that sells sandwiches, fruits, food by weight, cookies and other sweets. It comes in handy to stock up your reserves before heading to the National Park where everything is crazy expensive. My preferred restaurant in Puerto Iguazu is clearly La Vaca Enamorada. For details, look here. […]