Adventures in Buenos Aires, Argentina - Part 2: La Vineria de Gualterio Bolivar

I made a reservation for La Vineria de Gaulterio Bolivar after having done a lot of research and concluding that this was one spot not to miss. The chef did a stint at El Bulli (which is the first place I'm planning to go to celebrate once I've accomplished something grand in my life :) ) and offered an experimental tasting menu for under $60 USD composed of 9 playful and unique dishes and wine pairings.


Amuse-Bouche: Pimiento liquid ravioli, provolone croquette, basalmic vinaigrette "bread"

After this amuse-bouche was brought out, I knew we were in for a real treat of a meal. I loved how playful this plate was - we were instructed to eat the items starting from the basalmic vinaigrette bread which was a crispy, thin bread shell encasing a tart and sweet bead of basalmic vinegar. The next item, a provolone croquette was creamy and rich and led nicely to the sudden explosion of pimiento flavor in the liquid ravioli which burst in our mouths.


Ensalada de brotes, germinados , vegetales crudos y cocidos (Salad of sprouts and raw + cooked vegetables)

I'm not sure how they managed to make 30+ vegetables behave so beautifully together. This was such an interesting mixture of flavors and textures and the dressing was light and added quite a depth to the dish. I'm hoping that this dose of nutrition cancels out the intense amount of beef I just had to consume while in Argentina but I'm guessing that's probably quite wishful thinking.


Here's Kristina, my lovely dining companion, enjoying her salad.


Goat cheese foam with a slow-cooked egg and truffle oil

I'm unfortunately not a huge fan of goat cheese so this dish was a bit underappreciated by me but it was definitely rich and very interesting.


Seared scallops, pumpkin puree, lamb jus

My favorite dish of the night - I would never have paired scallops with pumpkin but for some reason, the combination was just perfect. The scallops were perfectly seared, the smooth silkiness of the pumkin complemented the texture of the scallops and the lamb jus balanced out the sweetness of both components.


Octopus with tomato foam and olive oil powder

This was really, really delicious. I love olive oil powder the two other occasions I've had it before (at WD-50 and Moto) and I think it lends a very subtle and interesting sort of creaminess to any dish it's added to. The octopus was tender and well cooked and I'm not sure how much the foam contributed but alas, that's the nature of "air" as they've taken to calling it.


Salmon with pineapple juice, cherries and ginger

I didn't care too much for this dish - it was nicely cooked but I'm not a big fan of fruit juices paired with fish.


Seared beef, crispy potato skin + potato foam

Oh, Argentina is full of such delectable beef that it's hard to go a single meal without trying some. This dish definitely fulfilled that desire and the potato accompaniment made me smile. Instead of a big pile of fries, this dish came with a thin potato skin layer encasing a mound of potato foam.



A palate cleanser right before the dessert courses

I can't for the life of me remember what kind of foam this was but I remember it was incredibly refreshing and light.


Orange and almond cake, chocolate ice cream, goat cheese

Great mix of savory and sweet items on this plate and the orange and almond cake was delicious if a little dry.

All in all, I had a great meal for a great price and I highly recommend that the next time you find yourself in BA, you place yourselves in the highly capable hands of the chefs at La Vineria de Gualterio Bolivar.

Address: Bolívar 865, entre Independencia y Estados Unidos

Transport Subte C, Independencia/24, 29 bus.
Telephone 4361 4709