Brindillas Restaurant — Restaurant in Luján de Cuyo

Our experience at Brindillas left us with mixed feelings and a sense of wanting more. From the start, there were some inconsistencies in the menu options: we were only offered the 11-course tasting menu in English, while other guests seemed to have a choice between 8 or 11 courses. This alone felt limiting and set a different tone from the personalized experience we’d hoped for.

The servers did their best to explain each dish, but the descriptions often seemed too brief, listing just a few ingredients rather than giving us insight into the techniques or inspiration behind each plate. This made it difficult to fully appreciate or understand some dishes, leading to a more subjective interpretation. Some courses, like the pea tart in the snack section and the rice with vegetables in broth, lacked flavor or technical depth. Additionally, certain ingredients repeated across dishes without clearly tying the meal together, which affected the overall cohesion.

Timing was another issue; the 11 courses were served within about three hours, making the experience feel rushed. Having recently dined at other Michelin-starred restaurants in Argentina, we were accustomed to a slower pace, with more attention given to savoring each course. For instance, at one point, our server continued asking if we were finished even though we still had food on our plates, making us feel hurried.

The sommelier was knowledgeable, though a bit more attention to detail would have improved the experience. Wines were poured while one guest was away from the table, and when we chose wine over whiskey for the final course, it wasn’t re-poured, which felt like a missed opportunity to end on a high note.

On the positive side, the restaurant did an excellent job of serving hot dishes at the right temperature, and we enjoyed the beautiful decor and ambiance. However, there seemed to be a lack of technicality and a more personal, expert touch that would have elevated the meal to match other fine dining experiences. Overall, while Brindillas has potential, our visit fell short in key areas, especially for a restaurant aspiring to reach...

I've gone back and forth on this one and I think if I had to sum up our experience: Lack of identity and forgettable.

Let me start with the positives: The value is incredible, we paid $191 USD for 2 guests doing the full 10-course menu, + wine pairing. That is unheard of in the US, especially in New York City where we live and have paid upwards of $600 for a tasting menu that extensive.

The food is really fresh, well-prepared, and the menu is very diverse. The wine pairings went well with each dish, matching the flavors perfectly, particular the opening courses with the sparkling and white wines. I will be thinking about the tostada with prawns for many months to come, yum.

The frustrations: We felt like we didn't know anything about the restaurant, the inspiration, the wines, or the dishes. There was practically no explanation at the beginning or during the meal which made it hard to connect to the dish or the restaurant as a whole. The interior was pretty plain, lacked a story, and between that and the service we just didn't feel like it matched with other Michelin experiences we have had.

We hope that it was just an off night as the food really was delicious. Overall definitely a must-book, expect delicious food and...

Words can’t express how special this undiscovered gem is. My partner literally cried (like actually) over the beautiful steak dish and we’ve flown all over the world to eat good steak. Beyond that their Asian influenced dishes like chawanmushi matched those I’ve had in Michelin restaurants in Japan. Their wine pairing is highly recommended - their pours are AMPLE and the wines are stunning and thoughtful. For 2 of us we paid about USD 111 without tip.

Now here’s the part that floored and humbled us - we had an issue getting an Uber so we went back in to ask them to help us call a taxi but we had just paid them in all our USD and only had a credit card… not only did they call us a cab but when we needed Argentinian pesos they gave it to us without me even asking. I offered to buy some wine and add more tip to pay them Back and they refused to accept it; essentially insisting on taking it out of their tip. This is a next level of service, we cannot thank them enough for all their levels...