Belisario Roldán — Restaurant in Autonomous City of Buenos Aires

!!! SCAM and INTIMIDATION !!!

My Argentinian boyfriend and I went in September (I'm only leaving this review this late because up unitl now I was traumatised) to Roldan. The food was good, the ambiance nice. We spoke in French and when we were about to pay I took out the pesos I just changed that day (I changed 100€, so it was a lot of pesos bills). If I remember right, the bill came up to about 16000 pesos, but we paid 18000 pesos in cash because our waiter was super attentive.

We got up and were about to leave. All of a sudden, the waiter came back and told us we had only paid half. The other staff came as well and started intimidating us. My boyfriend told them off loud and clearly in Spanish and we left. The waiter and a colleague, however, followed us. It was already evening, pitch-black and no one in the bosces de Palermo. We walked faster and faster until it became a pure manhunt in the middle of evening in the woods. I ran for my life not knowing what these people were capable of. (I mean, first they try to scam you and then they even chase you?!) The entire situation seemed so dangerous, that we preferred running in to the middle of the highway-like street with fast driving cars everywhere because at least there were witnesses. We begged a bus driver to open the door to let us in. The waiters were still running behind us like hyenas. Luckily, some one called the police. At first, it seemed like we left without paying to the police, but when, during the interrogation and discussion in the middle of the street, the two waiters just left without demanding anything, the police also started doubting the waiters' story that we did not pay.

I was a foreign citizen on my second day in Buenos Aires. It was my first time in South America. Why on earth would I have a meal in a fancy restaurant and just leave without paying? Why on earth would I be typing this review back home in Europe if it wasn't the most horrible experience of my life?

The waiter was Columbian and looked very much like an actor from the 90s tv show Seventh Heaven (see picture). He was the one who scammed us - if not the entire staff of Roldan is in on it since my boyfriend's sister also experienced a similar thing. Only they did not tell that half of the money was missing, but only 1000 or 2000 pesos. Her thinking that in such a nice restaurant they would not lie about that, she paid. But who would have thought that even in such a fancy place you can encounter mafia-like structure amongst the waiters that would go through unimaginable lengths just to make a little extra money.

I was heavily traumatised and can only hope that if you read this review, you refrain from...

A friend recommended Belisario Roldán as a great place to have an Argentinian steak dinner. I googled the place and saw that I was easily able to make a reservation for 4 people at 8 PM on Saturday, September 6 through “Reserve with Google.” Finally the night came for our reservation. I showed up with my wife and our two friends ready to have dinner and gave the hosts our reservation information. The hosts shuffled around a bit, unable to find our reservation, so I showed them the reservation on my phone. The hosts then explained that they only take reservations via WhatsApp. They said they had exactly the same problem with another group who had made their reservations through Google the night before. We were told that the restaurant was completely booked but we could be put on a priority waiting list starting an hour from when we arrived. The amazing thing is that at that moment, the restaurant had no clients at all. It was completely empty with more than enough servers to serve us. It was Roldan’s fault this mix-up came up in the first place, given that they did not take down their Google reservation website when they were not actually taking reservations through this method. Additionally, we were not the first people who went through this issue. The whole situation was completely absurd and terrible...

"Extremas pretensiones y camuflaje de restaurant internacional para la calidad de una regular parrilla de barrio". Marquesina luminosa estilo Hollywood, servicio telefónico de reservas pésimo, simulando nuevamente, "selectividad y exclusividad", donde uno se cansa de llamar a toda hora y, si tiene suerte, le responden con un whatsapp a las 48hs. El mensaje recibido, parece las tablas de los 10 mandamientos de Moisés, acerca de todas las cosas que "hay que cumplir", para poder ser aceptado: código de vestimenta, estrictez de horarios, el horario de 20.45 para el ingreso, el tiempo de tolerancia y el derecho del restó de darle la mesa que a ellos se les ocurra de acuerdo a la disponibilidad. Pasemos a la llegada y el sistema de Valet Parking. Más de 20 minutos esperando una fila de autos para poder entrar?? Lentitud, poca agilidad y mala disposición de los espacios de estacionamiento. A la salida con igual procedimiento, uno se encuentra con los autos llenos de tierra con las alfombras llenas de barro.... Ahora sí, entremos!! La ambientación, especialmente focalizada en la iluminación. Diferentes luces muy tenues, que en algunos rincones requiere de linterna de celular para ver el menú. Da, "a boliche bailable de los 70", y permite apenas dejar traslucir una construcción de medio pelo y un modesto mobiliario. Las mesas sin mantel, con un individual de papel y servilletas que asemejan a un repasador de casa. Lindas copas de vino, pero los vasos para gaseosas, de dudoso gusto y calidad. El mozo que me tocó "excelente". No se si todos serán así, pero su atención fue absolutamente de primera. EL MENÚ: Muy limitada cantidad de opciones. Avisan que los platos de parrilla son muy abundantes y para compartir?? No lo tome tan en serio. La porción de entraña del tamaño de una corbata finita inglesa. Si lo pidió para compartir, se va a quedar con hambre. En cuanto a las entradas, se me ocurrió pedir rabas!! Olvídelo. Porción escasa, refritas con aceite gastado y de dudosa calidad, con un "crrrrrocante" no apto para prótesis dentales. Todos los platos de parrilla llegaron helados y hubo que pedir que los calentaran, y la mayoría de las carnes pedidas estaban fuera de punto. En síntesis, si Ud. pensaba lucirse con una salida a un restó exclusivo, publicitado como "el restó de onda", no se deje engañar! Vaya a la parrilla de su barrio, donde comerá mucho mejor, y tal vez, con un precio más acorde. Y si quiere ir a una buena parrilla de verdadera calidad, vaya a las 2 o 3...