Looking for a hip, modern and exotically delicious new restaurant to try in Buenos Aires? Cilantro, founded by three Israeli immigrants, puts a whole new spin on Argentine dining.
Buenos Aires’ new fusion craze can be difficult for restaurants to pull off, but Cilantro blends flavours from around the world and provides a menu that will satisfy any palette.
Founded by three Israeli immigrants, Cilantro combines sushi rolls, quirky cocktails and tasty entrées to create a unique yet affordable menu in its quaint Recoleta/ Barrio Norte location (Anchorena 1122). Drinks range from $10 to $22, sushi is $16, and don’t expect to pay more than $30 for a main dish.
The red painted walls with funky designs and colourful bar add a spicy contemporary vibe to the restaurant, as well as the chic waiters. Around 11pm, the lights dim down and music turns up, giving more of a trendy bar feel to the restaurant.
Cilantro provides two happy hours; from its opening at 6pm to 9:30pm for the early birds, and from 1:30am until closing for the bar hoppers and party crowd. Don’t miss jazz nights on Wednesdays, Cilantro’s most popular night to enjoy some appetizers and cocktails with live music. If you’re going for drinks, be sure to try the Japanese Mojito, made with melon flavors, or the Limón Meringue, with lemon peels and vanilla vodka.
The menu ranges from sushi and seafood to pasta, sandwiches, and delicious entrées. Their light, tasty version of special chicken with cream sauce, mashed potatoes and vegetables demonstrates chef Elyada Cohen’s knack for chic presentation and exquisite flavor.
Cilantro’s distinctive style comes its unique history. All three founders from Tel Aviv fell in love with Buenos Aires when they visited and decided to establish their own restaurant in the heart of Latin America.
Eli Cohen, 33, left his job as a lawyer and embarked on a journey to South America. He met an Argentine woman in Bariloche, a Spanish teacher, who fell in love with him when she saw him cook. He came up with the idea for Cilantro and founded the restaurant in Buenos Aires two years later.
Avidan Kimchi, 34-year-old bartender and gourmet expert, studied gastronomy and business management in Israel, and worked at numerous bars and restaurants in Tel Aviv, including the well-known Shalvata. He then left Israel to travel the world and study the gastronomy of other cultures, such as Thailand, India, the Philippines, Nepal, Cambodia and others. He met Cohen back in Tel Aviv, who told him about his idea for Cilantro, and after only a month of getting to know Buenos Aires Kimchi was sold.
The third, Morris Mayzel, 45, ran the successful Lola restaurant in Tel Aviv for 20 years and fell in love with an Argentine traveller. The two of them journeyed to Buenos Aires and met up with friend Kimchi, who proposed the idea to Mayzel. The idea of living in the wonderful city of Buenos Aires with the love of his life convinced Mayzel to join the two men as the restaurateur.
Come see what these men have created; an appetising menu and chic atmosphere affordable for its young audience.