Cabaña Las Lilas

A friend who knows Buenos Aires better than I do put Cabaña Las Lilas at the top of a list of three. He was right, as he often is.

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 burrata with peaches and basil, which set the tone — generous, unfussy, and confident enough not to crowd what was coming. With it we ordered a Chianti Classico Riserva I wrote down in my notebook, and were glad of both.

Then the main event: bife de lomo, the dish that puts Cabaña Las Lilas on every short list. There was a thumb of butter melting into the cross-hatch, and a single sprig of thyme on top, and not one thing more. 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 hash browns the size of a hubcap and potato gratin with a dark crust. Both arrived hot, both arrived early, both were exactly large enough to overdo it. We overdid it.

Dessert was crème brûlée with a proper glass crust, mostly because the waiter raised an eyebrow when we hesitated. He was right to.

A perfect Sunday lunch, which is what I came for.