From the wood-fired parrillas of Surry Hills to the Argentinian butcher in Brookvale, the old-school bakery in Fairfield, and the empanadas handmade in Bondi Beach. Sydney's Argentinian food scene runs deeper than most people realise.
Argentinian food in Sydney used to be a niche. It isn't anymore. The city has quietly built one of the most complete Argentinian food ecosystems outside of Buenos Aires itself. You can have a twelve-hour asado lunch on a Saturday, pick up a kilo of dulce de leche on the way home, open a bottle of Mendoza Malbec with dinner, and finish with an alfajor. Without leaving the eastern seaboard.
This is the full guide, written by Pedro at Argentum, an Argentinian who's been cooking and hosting in Sydney for the past two and a half years. It covers where to eat out, where to shop, and what to cook at home. Every restaurant and shop mentioned is one we genuinely rate.
What makes Argentinian food Argentinian
Before the guide, a quick primer. Argentinian food sits on four pillars. If you don't know these, the rest of the landscape is hard to read.
Not a barbecue. A ritual. Beef, slow-cooked over wood or charcoal on a parrilla grill, taking half a day, eaten over hours.
Hand-folded savoury pastries. Regional fillings, always baked in Argentina. The food you eat at home, at parties, on the road.
Sweetened milk caramel. In alfajores, in pastries, on toast, off a spoon. It's in everything sweet, and it's the flavour of childhood.
Argentina's signature red from Mendoza. Built to pair with grilled beef. A proper asado without Malbec is a polite dinner, not a real one.
Everything else sits around those four: chimichurri, milanesa, choripán, provoleta, facturas, yerba mate, Franuí. Now the guide.
Best Argentinian restaurants in Sydney (parrillas and steakhouses)
If you want the proper asado experience in Sydney, these are the places to go. All four cook over fire. All four take beef seriously. Each has its own personality.
Porteño
Surry HillsSydney's Argentinian institution, and deservedly so. Porteño has been doing it longer, louder, and with more conviction than anyone else. The parrilla and asador are the heart of the room. You sit, you hear the fire, you smell the ironbark, and you understand why Argentina built a whole cuisine around this technique. The meat programme is genuinely excellent. The wine list leans into Mendoza. Service is warm in the way Argentinian service is warm, unpretentious and intuitive.
Go for: A proper occasion. Anniversary. Birthday. When someone visits from overseas. Book well ahead.
El Corte
Darling HarbourThe newer entry, and a strong one. El Corte brings the wood-fired parrilla to Darling Harbour with a menu that reads like a love letter to Argentina. Bife de chorizo, Wagyu T-bone, empanadas, provoleta, Milanesa Napolitana, house-made chimichurri. Classic dishes, executed with care, in a room that has the water view going for it. A good pick if you want the full Argentinian menu without travelling to Surry Hills.
Go for: A first introduction to Argentinian dining in Sydney, or a tourist-adjacent lunch with a view.
La Boca Bar & Grill
MascotLa Boca runs locations in Adelaide, Brisbane and Sydney, with the Sydney venue inside the Stamford Plaza at Mascot. Both asador and parrilla are on display. The menu is broad, the atmosphere is accessible, and the airport location makes it a genuinely practical option for a pre-flight asado or a dinner that doesn't require a drive into the CBD.
Go for: Convenience without sacrificing tradition. Good for groups and business dinners.
Pony Dining
The RocksNot strictly an Argentinian restaurant, but worth naming. Pony Dining cooks everything over an open Argentinian woodfire grill, inside a century-old sandstone building at the entrance of Kendall Lane. The technique is Argentinian. The produce is Australian. The result is a restaurant that understands what fire does to beef without pretending to be something it isn't.
Go for: Atmosphere and a dry-aged ribeye. Good cocktail bar too.
Best Argentinian empanadas in Sydney
Argentinian empanadas are not Colombian. Not Chilean. Not Spanish. They're a specific thing. Wheat dough (not corn), traditionally baked (not fried), hand-folded with a decorative repulgue, and filled with region-specific recipes. In Sydney, a small number of people take this seriously.
We're biased, obviously. But Argentum is the only Sydney empanada producer handcrafting every empanada in Bondi Beach using traditional Argentinian technique, with five distinct flavours and a vegan option (Patagonia). Delivered frozen and ready to bake across the Eastern Suburbs, CBD, Inner West, and Northern Beaches. For catering, corporate events, and home cooking.
Beyond Argentum, a few other places in Sydney worth knowing about:
La Torre Cake Shop in Fairfield has been making Argentinian-style empanadas, alfajores and dulce de leche pastries since 1974. The original bakers were Argentinian. Robert and Grace ran it for decades before retirement, and the current owner has kept the recipes intact. Worth the trip if you're in western Sydney.
La Paula, also in Fairfield, is technically a Chilean bakery. Their empanadas are Chilean-style (usually larger, with beef, onion, olive, and hard-boiled egg), not Argentinian. Different thing, worth knowing if you're curious about the difference.
A few Inner West bakeries and LATAM cafes make empanadas as part of a broader menu. Quality and style varies. If you want specifically Argentinian empanadas (half-moon, baked, distinct regional flavours), the list in Sydney is short.
What to look for in a real Argentinian empanada
A quick way to tell. A proper Argentinian empanada has a thin, flaky wheat-flour dough (not a thick corn shell). The edge is sealed with a repulgue. That's the decorative hand-fold, sometimes with a pattern that distinguishes the filling. It's baked golden, not deep-fried. And the filling is cooked before being enclosed, not raw going in. If you're getting something deep-fried with a corn-flour shell and a single generic "beef" filling, it's not Argentinian. It's probably very nice, but it's not Argentinian.
Related reading: Empanadas around the world and how Argentina compares.
Argentinian butcher for asado at home
If you want to cook the Argentinian way yourself, you need the right cuts. Australian supermarket beef is excellent but not cut the way we cut it back home. You need a butcher who understands the difference between a vacío and a matambre, a tira de asado and a short rib.
Achura Meat Market
BrookvaleThe go-to for Argentinian cuts in Sydney. Achura specialises in the hand-cut approach: entraña (flank), vacío (flap), matambre, tira de asado, and the traditional asado add-ons like chorizo, morcilla (black pudding) and mollejas (sweetbreads). Premium Australian beef, cut the Argentinian way. A rare and valuable combination. If you're hosting an asado, this is where you start.
Location: U4/722 Pittwater Rd, Brookvale. Order ahead by phone or online, pay and collect in store.
Alfajores, dulce de leche, yerba mate and everything else
The pantry stuff. The things you miss if you've grown up with them, and the things you should try if you haven't. A handful of Sydney sources stock the real deal.
The Argentinian Market
Sydney / OnlineA Sydney-based online store with Australia-wide shipping, focused specifically on Argentinian products. Yerba mate, dulce de leche, alfajores (Havanna, Guaymallén, Jorgito and others), Malbec, Torrontés, chimichurri spice mixes, pantry basics. A good first stop if you're trying to recreate a Buenos Aires Sunday at home.
La Torre Cake Shop
FairfieldAlready mentioned for empanadas, but La Torre is a proper destination for Argentinian-style sweets. Alfajores, milhojas, dulce de leche pastries, croissants filled with quince jam. Multi-generational recipes rooted in Rosario. They even sell dulce de leche by the kilo.
Rodriguez Bros
South-West SydneyNot strictly Argentinian, but a serious Spanish and South American deli carrying Argentinian and Uruguayan asado essentials, over 50 varieties of yerba mate, alfajores, dulce de leche, chimichurri, paella kits, and hard-to-find pantry items from across Latin America and Spain. Strong wine section too.
A word on Franuí
If you haven't had Franuí, you're missing out. These are Argentinian raspberries coated in white and dark chocolate, developed in Patagonia. Dessert, petit four, post-asado ritual, all at once. Gluten-free too. We stock it as a standalone 150g tub ($12) and include two tubs in our Treat Box. Pedro wrote about the tradition here.
And about the chimichurri
We make our own. Parsley, garlic, olive oil, oregano, red wine vinegar. The proper Argentinian recipe, no shortcuts. Every Argentum baked order (Party Box Baked, Corporate Box, catering orders) comes with chimichurri included. We're getting asked about selling it on its own after market weekends, and we're working on it. In the meantime, if you want some for your asado or just to have in the fridge, email us and we'll sort you out.
Argentinian wine in Sydney
Malbec is the obvious place to start. Torrontés is the secret. Argentinian wine is broadly available in Sydney but not well-curated in most shops. A few tips.
For Malbec, Dan Murphy's and Vintage Cellars both carry the basics (Catena Zapata, Trapiche, Luigi Bosca). For a more serious selection, Prince Wine Store in Surry Hills and Different Drop stock the harder-to-find producers. Mendoza is the starting point. If you see anything from the Uco Valley, grab it.
For Torrontés (Argentina's aromatic white, floral, dry, excellent with empanadas and cheese), you'll need to look harder. Specialist shops and The Argentinian Market carry it. Pair it with our Classic triple cheese empanadas for a surprisingly perfect match.
For Fernet with Coca-Cola, the unofficial national drink of young Argentinians, you can find Fernet-Branca at most bottle shops. The ratio is 30% Fernet, 70% Coke, one ice cube. Do not let anyone convince you otherwise.
How to host an Argentinian night at home in Sydney
A rough blueprint, for six to eight people. Plan ahead, cook unhurriedly, don't skip the music.
Before dinner. Empanadas as starters, served warm, with chimichurri. Three to four per person. If you're ordering, our Chef's Box of 20 is designed for exactly this moment. Frozen, bake when guests arrive, serve straight out of the oven.
Main event. Asado, if you have the setup. Steaks, chorizo, morcilla, and a slow cut like vacío or tira de asado. From Achura if you can, your local butcher if you can't. Cook over charcoal, not gas. Start the fire an hour before you plan to eat.
Sides. Kept simple. A basic salad of tomato, onion, lettuce. Grilled provoleta if you can find provolone. Ensalada rusa if you're ambitious. Nothing fussy. The meat is the point.
Wine. Malbec, opened early. A good one. One bottle per two people minimum.
Dessert. Alfajores from La Torre, or Franuí if you've got it. Coffee. Maybe fernet if the energy is right.
Timing. Argentinian meals do not end when the plates are cleared. They end when the last person leaves. Plan for four hours. Budget six.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most famous Argentinian food?
Asado (slow-grilled beef over wood or charcoal) is the most iconic, followed by empanadas, milanesa, dulce de leche, and alfajores. Asado is more than a dish. It's a social ritual that defines Argentinian food culture.
Where can I eat authentic Argentinian food in Sydney?
For a full parrilla experience, Porteño in Surry Hills is the long-standing institution. El Corte in Darling Harbour and La Boca Bar & Grill in Mascot are also strong options. For empanadas specifically, Argentum Empanadas handcrafts and delivers across Sydney from Bondi Beach.
Where can I buy Argentinian empanadas in Sydney?
Argentum Empanadas delivers frozen and baked empanadas across Sydney, with same or next-day delivery to the Eastern Suburbs, CBD, Inner West, and Northern Beaches. La Torre Cake Shop in Fairfield also sells Argentinian-style empanadas. Some Inner West and Surry Hills cafes carry empanadas as part of broader menus.
Where can I buy dulce de leche in Sydney?
The Argentinian Market (online, Sydney-based) carries all major brands including La Serenísima. Rodriguez Bros in south-western Sydney stocks it. La Torre Cake Shop in Fairfield sells it by the kilo. Some specialty food shops and select supermarkets carry smaller jars.
What's the difference between Argentinian and Colombian empanadas?
Argentinian empanadas use a wheat flour dough and are traditionally baked, with a decorative hand-fold (repulgue) and region-specific fillings. Colombian empanadas use a corn flour dough, are deep-fried, and have a very different texture and flavour profile. Both are excellent. They're just different traditions.
What wine goes with Argentinian food?
Malbec from Mendoza is the classic pairing for beef empanadas, asado, and red-meat dishes. Torrontés (an aromatic Argentinian white) pairs beautifully with cheese, chicken, and vegetable empanadas. Both are available through specialist bottle shops and online retailers in Sydney.
Is Argentinian food similar to Mexican or Spanish food?
Not particularly. Argentinian cuisine evolved from Italian, Spanish, and Middle Eastern influences. Waves of European migration in the 19th and 20th centuries shaped modern Argentinian food. It's heavier on beef, pasta, wheat pastries, and wine than either Mexican or traditional Spanish cuisine.
Where can I find an Argentinian butcher in Sydney?
Achura Meat Market in Brookvale (Northern Beaches) specialises in Argentinian cuts of premium Australian beef (entraña, vacío, matambre, tira de asado) plus chorizo, morcilla and mollejas. Ideal if you're hosting an asado at home.
Argentinian food, delivered to your door.
Five handcrafted flavours, made in Bondi Beach, delivered frozen across Sydney. The easiest way into Argentinian food is still the empanada.
0 comments