El Preferido de Palermo

El Preferido holds a special place in my heart as it is the first notable bar of Buenos Aires that I ever visited back in October 2007, although in those heady days I didn’t have much idea of what a notable bar was, or indeed that one day I would be attempting to visit them all.

El Preferido, Palermo

Sitting on a prime corner in Palermo Soho, and pre-dating the area’s trendiness by many decades, El Preferido has been serving plates of Argentine goodness (albeit with a Spanish twist) since the middle of the 20th century.

Split into two halves, one side restaurant and the other a classic Porteño almacén-style bodegón, complete with tins of pickled vegetables still lining the walls, I’ve always opted for the high-stools and cramped tables of the non-restaurant side.

El Preferido, Palermo

The menu features all the standard Argentine classics; picadas, milanesas and the like but in my humble opinion, and based on many visits the stars of the show are the rabas (fried squid rings) and the Revuelto Asturiano, El Preferido’s take on porteño favourite the Revuelto Gramajo.

Rabas and Revuelto, El Preferido

El Preferido is a neighbourhood classic and personal favourite of mine ever since I came across it on my second ever day in Buenos Aires. It’s said that it’s a preferred (get it?) spot of Francis Ford Coppola when he’s town and if that’s not recommendation enough, then I don’t know what is!

Francis Ford Coppola in El Preferido

El Preferido de Palermo: Borges 2108
Colectivos: 34, 39

This page is part of a series examining the Notable Bars of Buenos Aires.