Zappa Restaurante — Restaurant in Distrito Chacras de Coria

What an incredible surprise in this small town near Mendoza in the Argentine wine country!! A short walk from our fabulous boutique hotel, we were lucky to get a table after waiting for just a few minutes. Carla took such great care of us, making perfect recommendations on her favorite dishes and wine. We were greeted with a special house juice with ginger and green apple that was so refreshing, setting the perfect tone from the start. Once seated, the amuse bouche was a velvety roasted pumpkin soup with dollops of crema and splashes of chili and parsley oil. Good thing it was just a small sample as we could have eaten bowls of that! Our starters were light and airy fried artichoke hearts with the loveliest side salad dressed in their "lemonade" vinaigrette made with local olive oil. The smoked wild boar was described as addictive, and so it was!! The vegetable lasagna was covered in a beautiful layer of caramelized cheese, with pillowy noodles and tasty eggplant and zucchini. The Vacio Bresado, veal braised for 14 hours was one of the most delicious dishes I have ever tasted. The meat fell apart and paired perfectly with luscious mashed potatoes and some extra jus made for the perfect bite. Make it a point to stop at Zappa if you are anywhere near the vineyards...

The food was great, the wine was good, and the ambiance was pleasant. Overall, we enjoyed our time—until the end, when the experience was completely ruined by what I assume was the manager. Despite tipping 5,000 Argentinian Pesos, she rudely demanded more, saying with an arrogant attitude that it’s ‘normal’ to tip 10% across all countries. Unfortunately for her, we’ve traveled extensively across South America and beyond, and if tipping a certain amount is mandatory, it should be clearly stated on the bill. Her attitude was unprofessional and condescending, and we didn’t appreciate it at all. We hope she’s satisfied with the extra 4,000 Pesos (€2.50) she pressured us into giving, because she destroyed what was otherwise a nice evening. We will never return, and we certainly won’t be recommending this place to anyone. To add extra: She embarrassed us in front of a full restaurant shaking the bills in her hands like we didn’t payed anything, I wished I didn’t payed...

Highly recommend. A selection of vegetarian food and the meat eater couldn't eat all his meat because he was full! Took food back to the hotel with us. Big portions. Carla was outstanding and a beautiful human being. Will come again time next time we visit Mendoza.

Herbivore Feast:

ROASTED TOMATOES $ 10,900.00 Roasted tomatoes with burrata, strawberry and basil.

ZAPPA SALAD $ 13,000.00 beetroot marinated in vinegar with legume croquettes, green leaves, Roquefort, candied fennel and walnuts

Carnivore Feast: CURED TROUT $ 9,100.00 Peach, herb cream and dried fruit praline.

BAKED PORK LOIN $ 19,000.00 of veal, with roasted vegetables and...