Cabaña Las Lilas

We came to Cabaña Las Lilas on a Tuesday because the calendar was kinder than the weekend. The room was three-quarters full and somehow more honest for it.

The room is exactly what you want it to be: polished tourist temple, but the beef holds up. We were seated near the back, given menus we hardly needed, and brought a small bowl of olives without being asked.

We started with house-cured beef carpaccio, which set the tone — generous, unfussy, and confident enough not to crowd what was coming. With it we ordered a heavy California zinfandel, no apologies, and were glad of both.

Then the main event: bife de lomo, the dish that puts Cabaña Las Lilas on every short list. The seasoning was simple — salt, pepper, restraint — and it was the right call. The signature touch — Puerto Madero waterfront views and confident service — is not a gimmick; it is the reason to come.

For sides we asked for wild mushrooms in butter and asparagus with hollandaise. Both arrived hot, both arrived early, both were exactly large enough to overdo it. We overdid it.

Dessert was tiramisu, just barely too much, mostly because the waiter raised an eyebrow when we hesitated. He was right to.

It is not cheap. It is, in this case, worth it.