The Grill at the Centre and the Counter Wrapped Around It
A grill at the middle of the room and a counter ringed around it, in Chacarita. Chipa guazú with smoked surubí leads the order, and the doors open at 8 PM.
The centre of the room is a grill ringed by a counter where diners watch the chefs at work. Anchoíta, at Juan Ramírez de Velasco 1520 in Chacarita, builds its whole evening around that fire. It is a tiny jewel of a room, and it is usually fully booked.
The cooking is contemporary Argentine and designed for sharing. Some dishes are inspired by Guaraní recipes, and the list runs from the grill through pastas and rice dishes to charcuterie and cheeses. Live-fire grilling here reaches a refined, contemporary level.
The counter ringed around the grill makes watching the cooks part of the meal, and the plates are built to be shared.
Editorial Deep
The grill at the centre of the room is what the kitchen is organised around: live-fire grilling pitched at a refined, contemporary level. The wood-fired octopus comes from that fire.
The dining room is a contemporary space with an industrial vibe. The open kitchen and grill sit in the middle, surrounded by a highly original counter where you eat while watching the chefs at work.
Cooks work the grill in plain view of the counter, so the staff a diner watches most are the ones cooking, and the meal is paced around plates meant to be shared.
The money buys a seat at the counter around a live fire and a table of shared plates, which a conventional dinner does not. One writer found a bill for two, covering plenty of food and a full bottle of wine, to be more than a fair trade.
Diners who want one large cut to themselves, at their own pace, may find the shared-plates format is not for them. The plates here are designed for sharing, and the room is built around watching the grill.
What to eat
Don't miss.
Chipa guazú with smoked surubí, then the Argentinian charcuterie and cheeses and the wood-fired octopus.
“Anchoíta is a shared-plates grill room with a counter around the fire, so sit there and start with the chipa guazú.”
Go for the fire, the counter and a table of plates built to be shared. Come early, since the room is small and usually full, and order several plates between two.
The Verdict
