Love fine dining but hate the stuffy experience? Meet Silvino and Mambo

Two of the most interesting restaurant openings this year join the ranks of the great fine dining options available in Buenos Aires. Their added value, however, comes in the form of presentation, as they offer top-notch gastronomy without the stiffness or self-importance often associated with it.  Meet Silvino and Mambo. These two standout debuts of 2025 share a commitment to excellent produce and solid technique while keeping the experience approachable, warm, and grounded in pleasure rather than performance. While different in scale and tone, both restaurants let craft speak for itself.  At Silvino, chef Gaspar Natiello channels precision into generous dishes served in a relaxed neighborhood bistro.  Mambo, in turn, embraces memory and abundance, translating Argentine traditions into bold, shareable plates.  Silvino Guevara 421, Chacarita8 p.m. to midnightPatrons can secure reservations or get a table on a first-come, first-served basisInstagram: @silvinoquerido Silvino is a new addition to the well-established gastronomic hub on Jorge Newbery Avenue in Chacagiales. Discreet and warm, the bistro successfully evokes a familiar, neighborhood feel — both in ambiance and menu — in an area always open to fresh options.  The veal and the shrimp dish (Credit: courtesy of Silvino). Owners Juan Manuel Boetti Bidegain, Roberto Cardini, and Gonzalo Fleire also run Sifón, a relaxed vermouth-oriented eatery right around the corner. Located on what used to be the owners’ former Sede Whisky bar on Guevara Street, Silvino kept some of the same spatial organization. There’s a long bar with stools in addition to the comfortable tables in the salon, which features an open-view kitchen.  A long wall mirror peppered with candles, bottled wines, and retro objects strengthens the laid-back feel in a playful yet sober atmosphere. Chef Gaspar Natiello, who founded well-known eatery Ajo Negro after working in established places like Sarasa Negro and Chiuso, is adamant about aiming for a simple, no-nonsense joint.  The inside of Silvino (Credit: courtesy of Silvino). In his own words, Silvino is against the idea of “chefs as artists” who are indifferent to the patrons’ actual experience. Silvino’s overall identity is a pretty clear nod to French cuisine, while also remaining open to new ideas. The result is generous, artifice-free food with few ingredients and ingenious techniques, closer to comfort food than high-end cooking.  Although the menu is constantly changing, a few of Natiello’s inventions have managed to stick around.  One example is the chicken paté with pear jam, pickled cucumbers, and old mustard. Another is what he calls “The Yummiest Part of the Flan,” a thin version of this traditional Argentine dessert that focuses on the caramel-rich top, served with a dulce de leche cream. The paté (Credit: courtesy of Silvino). Other highlights include the baby squid in Amatriciana style and the fish served with sweet potato puree, roasted onion and chermoula — by the time you read this, though, there are probably new dishes worth trying.   Mambo Malabia 820, Villa CrespoTuesday to Saturday, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.Wednesdays to Sundays, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.Instagram: @mambo.restoran Set in a huge former factory in Villa Crespo with stripped-down walls and 10-meter ceilings, Mambo’s entrance welcomes you to a long salon crowned by an open kitchen ruled by the grill and its endless chimneys.  The T-bone steak and the kale (Credit: courtesy of Mambo). Founded by chefs Santiago Pérez (formerly head chef of Las Flores, one of the trendiest eateries in Palermo) and Calvin Daniele, Mambo aims for down-to-earth cuisine while also employing fine dining techniques and premium ingredients.  On that same relaxed note, the well-thought-out wine selection by sommelier Lucas Rothschild is both accommodating and diverse and as much fun as his insights and suggestions.  “Biographical” is another way to describe Mambo’s menu. As Pérez himself told the Herald, the menu evokes his childhood in Lobos — a town in Buenos Aires province — among outdoor fogones, morning butcherings, homemade sausages, and things cooking in pans for hours.  Mambo also brings together the experience both chefs have with recipes from other Argentine regions and a drive that steers clear of ornamental cooking, opting instead to focus on depth and contrast. The inside of Mambo (Credit: courtesy of Mambo). The rotating offer is made up of shareable main dishes. And while beef is a main protagonist — a great T-bone is definite proof — there are plenty of other products to choose from.  Seasonal vegetables are a key part of the ensemble. The roasted cabbage with a caju dressing and chili crunch has deservedly become a patron favorite, together with the marinated kale salad with baked grapes, labneh, salted granola, and Parmigiano.  The range of the food is wide as the space, from sophisticated appetizers like the profiterole with lemon butter, paté, and kumquats to the roasted chicken, which sounds simple enough — until you try it with the crispy rice that sits below, that is. The same kind of surprise awaits with the ricotta and potato gnocchi with green sauce. The cabbage dish (Credit: courtesy of Mambo). The dessert list is short but powerful. Pastry chef Catalina Froschauer’s banana tatin is a special treat, a quiet flavor bomb served with vanilla ice cream and dulce de leche that will linger in your mouth long after you leave Mambo. Cover photo: Mambo’s T-bone steak and Silvino’s shrimp