Argentinian food in Dubai is a small but ferociously good category. There are perhaps a dozen serious players, half a dozen mid-range options, and a long tail of "asado nights" at hotel buffets. We have eaten our way through all of them — some twice, some monthly — and the results are clear. Three restaurants are world-class. Four are very good. Two are perfectly serviceable at lower price points. The rest are noise.
This is our ranked top 9 list as of May 2026. Each entry includes the signature dish you should order, the price per head you should plan for, the area, the booking lead time, and the one warning we would give a friend. Rankings are based on beef quality, chimichurri proper, wine list, service, atmosphere, and whether we keep going back on our own dirham.
Asado at The Palace Downtown
The benchmark Argentinian steakhouse in Dubai — lakeside in The Palace Downtown with a Burj Khalifa view that nearly justifies the price on its own. The beef programme is the city's best (Argentine Angus from Mendoza, dry-aged 28 days), the three table-side chimichurris are properly made, and the Malbec list goes 60 deep with verticals back to 2012 Catena Zapata. Service is calm Argentine charm with no theatre.
Order: the bife de chorizo (AED 295, 350g sirloin) and the entraña (AED 245, skirt steak) — both medium-rare, table-carved, with the verde chimichurri. Start with the empanada trio (AED 65) and finish with the dulce de leche pancake (AED 75).
Gaucho Dubai (DIFC)
The London-export Argentinian chain that put Argentine beef on Dubai's corporate-dinner map. Sleek black-and-cow-hide interior, business-lunch crowd at noon, expense-account dinners at 9pm. Beef quality is consistently excellent (Aberdeen Angus cross-bred with Argentine), service is polished to a corporate sheen, and the Catena Zapata vertical is the city's deepest.
Order: the Lomo Finito (AED 285, 300g fillet) is the house signature; the Cuadril (AED 240, rump cap) is the better-value cut. Sides: humitas (sweetcorn mash) at AED 55, and provoleta cheese at AED 75 to share.
La Cabaña (Alserkal Avenue)
Run by an Argentine couple in a small Alserkal Avenue unit, La Cabaña is the closest Dubai has to a Buenos Aires neighbourhood parrilla. No bar, no white tablecloth, no booking required — just a wood-fired grill, hand-folded empanadas, jars of house-made chimichurri (the best in the city), and Malbec mocktails. Closes at 10pm. We come monthly.
Order: the empanada de carne (AED 12 each, the beef-and-olive classic), the entraña steak with chimichurri (AED 95, 250g skirt), the dulce de leche flan (AED 28). Take a jar of chimichurri home (AED 35).
Patagonia Steakhouse
The Souk Madinat outpost of an Argentine family group. Pretty waterway-facing terrace, slightly tourist-priced beef, but a genuinely strong asador (parrilla chef). The ojo de bife (ribeye, AED 295) is the cut to order — properly aged, properly grilled, and served with a chimichurri that punches above the price.
Order: the ojo de bife (AED 295), the provoleta starter (AED 65), and the Don Marcelo Malbec glass (AED 58).
El Asador (City Walk)
City Walk's resident Argentinian grill. Open-flame parrilla in the centre of the room, friendly Argentinian floor staff, and a Sunday brunch (AED 295 with house wine, AED 245 dry) that is the city's most underrated. The bife angosto is the value cut; the parrillada for two (AED 580) is the showpiece.
Order: Sunday brunch all-you-can-eat parrilla, or the parrillada mixta for two at dinner.
Buenos Aires Grill (JLT)
A no-fuss neighbourhood Argentinian in JLT Cluster B that we keep going back to. Empanadas are good (AED 10 each), the milanesa napolitana (breaded beef with cheese and tomato) is a comfort-food highlight (AED 75), and the lunch deal at AED 65 for empanada + main + drink is the best Argentinian value in the city.
Order: AED 65 lunch deal weekdays, or the milanesa napolitana with the house chimichurri-tossed fries.
La Parrilla (Jumeirah Beach Hotel)
25th-floor Argentinian steakhouse with the city's most expensive ocean view. The beef is properly good (and properly priced — AED 380 for a 300g ribeye), but you are mostly paying for the view of the Burj Al Arab and the floor-to-ceiling Gulf vista. Best for visitors. Beef-wise, Asado is better at the same price.
Order: the lomo (fillet, AED 380) at sunset for the view; book a window table 2 weeks ahead.
Bocconcino Argentine Nights (Wednesdays)
A Wednesday-night-only Argentinian pop-up at this Italian restaurant, run by a visiting Buenos Aires asador. The AED 295 fixed menu is the best Argentinian-food deal in the city when it's on — empanada, choripán, parrillada for sharing, dulce de leche pancake, plus paired Malbec. Limited 40 covers; books out 2 weeks ahead. Worth the planning.
Order: the fixed menu — there is no other reason to come on Wednesday.
Che Buenos Aires Empanadas
A delivery-first empanada specialist with two physical counters (JLT and Karama). The empanadas are hand-folded, baked-not-fried, and come in 12 varieties at AED 8–12 each. Six-pack lunch deal at AED 55 with chimichurri. The empanadas are excellent; the rest of the menu (steaks, milanesas) is competent but not destination-worthy.
Order: the six-pack mixed (AED 55) for lunch — carne, pollo, jamón y queso, humita (sweetcorn), espinaca, capresse.
How To Choose Between These 9
- Date night, high budget — Asado at The Palace, hands down. Book the window table.
- Business dinner — Gaucho DIFC. Reliably good, walking distance from every DIFC tower.
- Sunday brunch — El Asador City Walk. All-you-can-eat parrilla with paired wine.
- Family lunch, under AED 200 — La Cabaña or Buenos Aires Grill JLT.
- Empanadas at home — Che Buenos Aires six-pack or La Cabaña takeaway.
- Tourist-impressing view — La Parrilla at Jumeirah Beach Hotel (sunset table).
- One-off Wednesday treat — Bocconcino Argentine Nights pop-up.
More Argentinian Food in Dubai
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the best Argentinian steakhouse in Dubai?
Asado at The Palace Downtown is our #1 pick — the best beef quality (proper Argentinian Angus and Wagyu cross), the city's most accomplished house-made chimichurri (three table-side variations), and a Mendoza Malbec list that goes 60 deep. Expect AED 350–550 per head with a glass of wine. Gaucho DIFC is the strong runner-up.
What is the cheapest Argentinian restaurant in Dubai?
La Cabaña in Alserkal Avenue (Al Quoz) is the budget pick — empanadas at AED 12 each, a full steak-and-chimichurri dish at AED 95, and a glass of Argentine Malbec at AED 38. It is a small, family-run operation that closes by 10pm. Buenos Aires Grill JLT is the second-cheapest casual option at around AED 130–180 per head.
Do Argentinian restaurants in Dubai serve alcohol?
Most of the upmarket ones do — Asado at The Palace, Gaucho DIFC, Patagonia, El Asador, La Parrilla — they all have licensed bars and a serious Mendoza Malbec list. La Cabaña in Al Quoz, Che Buenos Aires Empanadas in JLT, and Bocconcino are not licensed for alcohol, which is why they are also the cheapest.
Is Argentinian beef in Dubai actually from Argentina?
At the better restaurants — Asado, Gaucho, Patagonia, El Asador — yes. They import Argentine Angus and grass-fed cuts directly. At mid-tier venues you will find a mix of Argentine, Australian, and Brazilian beef labelled as "Argentinian-style" rather than strictly Argentine origin. The menu usually states the origin clearly. Always ask if origin matters to you.
