El Patacon is considered one of Bariloche’s finest restaurants. Visited by noteworthy guests including various European royalty, Argentine actors and former U.S. president, Bill Clinton (who dined here with despised former Argentine president, Carlos Menem) it’s regularly featured in luxury travel magazines. Not just nobility, celebrities and shifty politicians get the royal treatment here though.

As soon as you walk through the door your coat is taken and you are handed a glass of champagne to sip in the ‘living room’ with its huge stone hearth while waiting for your table.

The specially designed restaurant, opened in 1996, includes an extensive wine cellar, an art gallery and various Patagonia-styled lounges.

Patagonian Gourmet Specialties at El Patacon

The menu has some nice twists off the average Argentine fare, try the herb-encrusted venison or trout marinated in orange vodka. A button on each table alerts the wait staff, meaning the service here is some of the most attentive you will receive in Argentina. Real foodies can also ask to see the kitchen. If you ask for a wine recommendation from the chef, you won’t be disappointed.

Bariloche is a chocolate lover paradise and El Patacon’s dessert, ‘Death by chocolate’ is difficult to pass up, or try the crepes filled with another locally-made specialty, dulce de leche (sweet milk paste). This is an ideal place for an adult holiday dinner, although if you’re simply looking for a good steak or have kids in tow, you’re better off heading to a more down-to-earth destination such as El Churasco.

Reservations are recommended — make sure to request a table by the window, the view over Lake Nahual Huapi is one of the highlights.

El Patacon-$$$$
Av. Bustillo km. 7
Route Llao Llao
Tel: (54 2944) 442-898