Don Julio vs Fogón Asado in Buenos Aires 2025: An Argentine Eating Experience!

Our Impressions On Eating At Don Julio vs Fogón Asado

Let’s start off with some full disclosure.  We Love Steak! So when we had an opportunity to visit Argentina for a second time as the pre-tour stop to our Antarctic Cruise, we were delighted to find ourselves in our favourite South American city where we were determined to delve into some of the best steak in the world.

We decided on two different venues with totally different styles to compare the food and the experience at Don Julio vs Fogón Asado. Below we detail our experience at both establishments.

Highlights of Don Julio

Highlights of Fogón Asado

Before we get into our amazing dining experiences, let’s talk about why Argentinean steak is so famously delicious – It’s the beef!

Argentinean beef cattle are raised in the lush, flat grasslands of Las Pampas where they are allowed to roam and graze.  Because they aren’t kept in dry lots and fattened with grain they are much healthier and produce a more succulent meat.  They are also not fed antibiotics or growth-inducing hormones.

Along with the beef, Argentine steak houses have a special way of cooking their high-grade meat that retains its flavour and succulence.  More about that soon.

What Are Steak Houses Called In Argentina?

Typically, Argentinean steakhouses are called Parrilla which has two meanings, depending on how it is used.  While it does mean steakhouse, it also refers to the grill that the meat is cooked on.  So the proper name for Don Julio’s is actually Don Julio Parrilla.

Does that mean that Fogón Asado should be called Fogón Asado Parillo?  Well, not quite.  While the restaurant does have a Parrilla on which it cooks its meat, the word Asado refers to a barbecue event where a group of people gather and multiple courses of beef and other meats are served.  

This is a very traditional and cultural experience normally reserved for holidays and special occasions and represents the style of the Fogón Asado restaurant.

What Is Special About Don Julio?

Don Julio is a somewhat traditional Argentine steak restaurant, albeit a bit more high-end than most you will find around the city.  It was established in 1999 by Pablo Rivero whose grandmother was a butcher while his father and grandfather were livestock producers. Rivero has since become one of the most recognized restauranteurs in Buenos Aires.  

The restaurant was awarded a Michelin Star in 2023 because of the excellent quality and superb flavour of its meats.  It achieves that excellence in the unique way that the meat is aged and in the distinct character of the beef .  Rivero is fastidious in his selection of the finest beef for the restaurant choosing cattle only from the Hereford and Angus breeds, known for the tenderness and marbling of their meat.

In addition to its first Michelin Star, Don Julio was also awarded a Michelin Green Star in 2023.  This is a special distinction from Michelin which began in 2020 and is reserved for those restaurants that incorporate sustainable practices and an ethical commitment to their surroundings by ensuring the smallest possible carbon footprint.

But it’s not just their mouthwatering steak that Don Julio is famous for.  It is also known for having one of the best wine cellars in Argentina.  While Pablo Rivero is himself one of the finest Sommeliers in the country, his master Sommelier, Martin Bruno, who is in charge of the wine cellar, is considered one of the top Sommeliers in all of South America.  In fact, Bruno won the Michelin Sommelier Award for 2024.

The Don Julio wine list boasts more than 1,500 different labels and its cellar houses 50,000 bottles of mainly Argentinian wines, one dating back to 1938.  The cellar is known for some of the most unique local wines that are not available anywhere else. All this to say that you shouldn’t have any trouble pairing your strip loin with the perfect vino!

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What Is Special About Fogón Asado?

Fogón Asado is focused on providing an authentic Argentine dining experience in a social and interactive environment. The concept has been created by several seasoned restaurateurs who set about providing an environment that serves the best Argentine specialties while the guests sit alongside the process.

The restaurant has been included in the Michelin 2024 guide with a mention of its unusual dining experience that is held fireside. They highlight the engaging dialogue between the chefs and guests where the products are described in detail along with the process demonstrated along the way.

There are two dining options offered at Fogón Asado – the nine-course tasting menu (this is what we did) which is a communal experience and the Chef’s Table which is a more personalized option offered to only 10 guests and is led by the head chef.

It is also important to note that Fogón Asado is an adult-only experience and does not allow children under 14 years of age.

The Don Julio Dining Experience

When we were investigating restaurants to eat at prior to our first visit to Buenos Aires we didn’t know much about Don Julio’s other than it had some great reviews on TripAdvisor.  We decided to give it a try and managed to book a lunchtime reservation as it was full for dinner on the day that we wanted to go.  On our second visit we were able to enjoy the experience at dinnertime, on the patio.

As we approached the entrance, we noticed a queue had begun to form.  We assumed that we would have to register with the hostess and get in the queue, but when we gave her our name, she poured us each a glass of the bubbly and asked us to stand near the door until the restaurant opened.  Apparently, the queue was for those without a reservation who had been put on a waitlist.  

The inside of the restaurant is subdued and understated.  Rows of tables for 2 to 8 people fill most of the interior space.  The walls are stone with dark wood trim around the tall windows and large mirrors that give the room a warm and inviting atmosphere. Scattered around the walls are shelves filled with bottles of wine.

Additional tables are located on a balcony on the second floor which overlooks the main dining room and allows for a high ceiling that adds to the openness of the restaurant.  

At the end of the main floor, on the right side, is the giant Parrilla grill that is the centrepiece of the restaurant’s galley kitchen.  It is made up of several sections, each with a grilling area below and a warming area above.  

Below the bottom grills is a metal tray covered with a layer of glowing charcoal.  An iron hand wheel above each section of the Parrilla is used to lower and raise the grills above the charcoal to control the cooking process.

In front of the Parrilla is the meat display counter stacked with the various cuts of raw beef.  This is an impressive sight that adds to the Don Julio experience.  

Once we were seated, our waiter brought us the menu and left us to consider our choices.  We decided on some Argentine wine (Gruner Veltliner for Kim and Malbec for Denis) and ordered the Provoleta, a traditional grilled provolone cheese, as our appetizer.  

We then ordered our main meal, each of us going with the Oje de bife (ribeye steak) and we decided to share a side order of garlic mashed potatoes and fries.

Our appetizer of Provoleta was served to us with a side order of bread.  The smell of the warm bread and the steaming round of Provoleta were absolutely tantalizing.  We can’t adequately describe just how good the fresh bread topped with the gooey melted cheese was.  That is an experience that has to be tasted to fully appreciate.

After the waiter cleared away the empty plates from our starter, he returned with our steak and 2 sides.  Had we known just how massive the ribeyes were, we would have only ordered one and would have dispensed with one of the sides.  Each steak nearly filled the dinner plate that they were served on.  However, that did not stop us from finishing what we had been served!

The cut of the steaks and how they were cooked could not have been more perfect. Our medium rare meat was thick, succulently juicy and mouthwateringly tender. Despite the size of the portions, we managed to finish every bite, however, it did necessitate an afternoon nap when we got back to our hotel.

On our second visit, when we checked in we were told that we would be seated shortly and again offered a glass of sparkling wine.  A few minutes after being offered the wine, the hostess came by with a tray of bite-sized empanadas to enjoy while we waited for our table outside on the patio.

Having already experienced the extraordinarily large portions that the restaurant serves on our first visit, we had already discussed just sharing one steak and one side along with the Provoleta as an appetizer.

We decided on the Oje de bife (ribeye) again, since we had enjoyed it so much the first time.  And we opted for french fries as our side.  We each ordered a glass of the local house wine, knowing that whatever it was, it would be good.

Our waiter brought us the fresh warm bread which was accompanied by a grilled whole tomato.  We ate the bread sparingly (even though it was delicious), because we did not want to fill up on it. We had learned our lesson from the last time!

Next came the wonderful grilled Provoleta which has to be one of the best appetizers we had in South America.  We layered the melting cheese onto the warm bread and just enjoyed the heavenly taste and texture. 

When we finished the appetizers, our waiter brought us the steak.  The cut, as before was thick, juicy and large.  He cut it into two equal portions and slid each piece onto our respective plates.  Looking at it on our plates, even half the steak was more meat than we would normally eat in a meal at home.  

Now for the real test.  We both wondered whether this steak would be as good as what we remembered from our first time here.  Like before, the steak was cooked to perfection.  It was easy to cut through and the taste was impeccable!  

In retrospect, I think we actually enjoyed our meal more the second time because we didn’t overeat the way we did on our first visit.  We walked away happy knowing that we had enjoyed one of the best steaks in the world cooked to perfection.

The Fogón Asado Dining Experience

The Fogón Asado is not your typical restaurant.  It is an interactive Tasting Menu experience that is limited to one sitting at lunch and one per evening at each of its 2 locations.  One is called Palermo Viejo and the other is Palermo Soho.  Each venue can accommodate a maximum of 25 patrons. 

There is also an exclusive option called Chef’s Counter which can accommodate up to 10 people in a private setting at the Palermo Viejo location.  

It is important to note that there are no walk-ins at either of the locations. Reservations are required and must be prepaid at the time of booking.  There is also a no-refund policy for reservations that are cancelled within 3 days of your selected date.  

We chose the Tasting Menu at the Palermo Viejo venue because it had availability on the night that we wanted to book.  The menu is a nine-course meal that can be ordered with optional wine pairings.  When we booked, the Tasting Menu was $90 USD per person.  If you go for lunch, the price of the Tasting Menu is $60 USD per person.

There are 3 different wine pairing options: Traditional ($20 USD)- which includes 4 young wines; Premium ($35 USD) – which includes 4 high-end wines; and Malbec ($45 USD) – which includes 5 exclusive reds.  We opted for the Traditional pairing.

The evening Tasting Menu experience starts precisely at 7:40pm and patrons are asked to arrive at least 15 minutes early to be seated.  At just before 7:30pm, the door was opened and we entered the foyer where we provided our names and then were escorted to the main dining room.  

There, we were seated at the raised dining bar which forms a large square that surrounds and overlooks the enormous Parrilla in the centre of the room.

The room is dimly lit and there is lively music playing. The entire evening all the chefs and servers were upbeat and right from the start there was an exciting buzz in the room.

The dining bar seats 6 people on each of the 4 sides.  Our setting was in the middle of the front section.  As soon as we were seated, our host introduced himself and offered us a welcome cocktail before giving us a description of how the evening would unfold. We were provided with a choice of still or sparkling water. 

Each place setting was provided with an individual copy of the menu.  A small wooden box was set in front of our place setting.  Inside the box were 6 small bottles of spice and one of vinegar.  There was also a rolled note tied with string.  It turns out the note was a recipe for us to make the chimichurra sauce for our meat dishes.  We have to admit that this was a nice touch to get us involved in the experience.

Our host then came to explain to us about our wine selection.  As we mentioned earlier, we had selected the Traditional Pairing which included 4 different Argentinian wines.  

What we didn’t realize is that it was 4 different wines, not 4 glasses of wine.  As the host explained, if we wanted more of the wine that was being paired for a particular course, we just had to put our wine glass on top of the bar and it would be refilled.  

The menu was set up so that each wine selection was for 2 of the courses.  But if you preferred a particular wine, you could just have more of the one you liked.

After discussing the drinks we were then presented with a box of knives where we were advised to choose our favourite for the meal. This was certainly a new experience for us! Having no idea where to start – we chose based on the recommendation of the staff and were very impressed at the high quality of the utensil. This is another demonstration of the interactive components of the evening.

Each of the 9 courses was carefully and elegantly presented, adding to the overall experience.  Each course was carefully explained – sometimes they discussed where the ingredients came from or the preparation that had already taken place. It was a lovely touch to hear about the background of what we were going to eat rather than just having it served.

Some of the meat courses were cooked on small grills right on the dining bar in front of us.  In some cases, the meat was shown to us before it was cooked.  The pine cone smoked ribeye cap, one of the highlights of the menu, was started in a smoker right in front of us and then taken away where it was smoked for another 90 minutes.  

Even our dessert, which was a pancake with dulce de leché was pressed with a hot iron on the bar in front of us.

We can’t say enough about how well the food was presented, how good the service was and how flavourful the food was.

The one thing about Fogón Asado is that you will get a total dining and cultural experience so don’t expect to be rushed.  Because of the way the food is prepared, the number of courses involved and the general social aspect of the experience, you should allow 2 1/2 to 3 hours for your meal.  But every minute is well worth it.

We actually ended up being seated next to a mother and daughter from the U.S. who happened to be on the same Antarctic cruise as us.  We chatted with them throughout the evening and we became friends during the subsequent cruise!

At the end of the meal, we were presented with a nice gift – a chimichurri pre-mixed seasoning kit to take home and relive our memories of a wonderful meal.

Don Julio vs Fogón Asado Price

For our dinner at Don Julio’s we had bottled water (still and sparkling), the Proveleta appetizer, a 600-gram (20-ounce) steak which we shared, a side of french fries, 2 glasses of fine Argentinean wine (9 ounces each) and our bill came to $120 USD or $60.00 per person. Having the ability to split portions can make it more affordable.

We also each had 2 complimentary glasses of sparkling wine and some empanada appetizers before we were seated.

For our Fogón Asado Experience, we paid $20 USD each for our wine pairing and $90 USD each for our 9-course tasting menu, so $110 USD per person. The wine pairing included 4 different wines throughout the meal.  

FAQs

Don Julio Menu

The menu below is as it was on our visit.  Prices are in Argentinian pesos and you will need to check those against your preferred currency before you go because of the volatile nature of the Argentinian economy.

Fogón Asado Menu

Here is the menu that was offered the night we were there.  Keep in mind that the menu does change especially from season to season.

Is Don Julio Parrilla Worth It?

Depending on what it is you are looking for will determine whether or not Don Julio Parrilla is worth it to you.  We are always looking for unique and good quality eateries and considering the recognition that Don Julio’s gets both locally and internationally, we thought we would give it a try.  

The fact that we returned for a 2nd time means we definitely thought it was worth it for us.

You will find less expensive parrillas in Buenos Aires that serve good quality steak, but if you are looking to have a special meal in one of the best steakhouses in the world, then give it a try.

What Steak To Order At Don Julio

Well, this is really a matter of personal taste, how hungry you are and your budget.  As you can see from the menu above, there are quite a few different cuts and sizes.  Keep in mind that T-Bone and Tomahawk are not traditional Argentinian cuts, but are provided because a lot of tourists ask for them.  

We can personally vouch for the Oze de bife (ribeye), and those we chatted with who had other cuts, including the sirloin and tenderloin, certainly extolled their choices.

✅ Check out our full blog post on what you can see and do to fully experience Buenos Aires.

The Final Word…Don Julio vs Fogón Asado in 2025

Ok, so now that we have experienced both Don Julio Parrilla and Fogón Asado, which did we prefer?

Well, it’s hard to compare because they are both so different.  If you are looking for a really delicious steak prepared to perfection, and you want to experience that in a cozy Michelin Star restaurant then you can’t go wrong with Don Julio’s.  

But if you want to experience a traditional asado, where you get to try a variety of Argentine meats and dishes, in a social environment where the food is cooked in front of you, then Fogón Asado is the place to be.

Whatever your preference, make sure to put one of them on your bucket list when you visit Buenos Aires!