How far ahead do you need to book Porteno?

Weekend tables tend to book several weeks ahead. Weekday and later sittings around 9pm are usually easier to get.

What is the closest Argentinian alternative to Porteno?

WyNo x Bodega, next door in Surry Hills, is by the same team. For a fuller sit-down asado, El Corte at Darling Harbour or La Boca Bar & Grill at Mascot are the current options.

Can I get Argentinian empanadas delivered in Sydney tonight?

Yes. Argentum Empanadas delivers Sydney-wide from a Bondi kitchen, with same-day and next-day windows depending on your area. Frozen packs are ready to bake in 18 to 22 minutes at 190C.

Where do I buy Argentinian meat in Sydney for an asado at home?

Achura Meat Market in Brookvale is Sydney's dedicated Argentinian butcher. Argentinian cuts of Australian beef, chorizo, morcilla, mollejas and other traditional asado add-ons.

Is there a walk-in Argentinian restaurant in Surry Hills?

WyNo x Bodega, at 50 Holt Street with entrance via Gladstone Street, holds space for walk-ins, especially early in the evening. Same team as Porteno.

Missed a Porteño Booking? Sydney's Argentinian Food Options for Tonight

August 1, 2026

A warmly lit restaurant with stone walls and intimate tables offers an atmospheric dinner alternative.

Porteño is worth waiting for, but sometimes the booking window closes and dinner is still tonight. This is the practical guide: other sit-down Argentinian rooms in Sydney, takeaway from Argentinian shops, empanadas delivered, and a full DIY asado plan for a group. All of it, honestly, is a different experience to Porteño. None of it is a downgrade if you plan the night right.

Quick answer

If you cannot get into Porteño tonight, try WyNo x Bodega next door (walk-ins, wine, tapas), El Corte at Darling Harbour (newer Argentinian steakhouse, easier to book), or La Boca Bar & Grill at Mascot (all-you-can-eat asado). For a home dinner, order empanadas from Argentum, pick up cuts from Achura Meat Market in Brookvale, or build a full DIY asado with meat, sausages and chimichurri.

Option 1: another Argentinian sit-down room tonight

WyNo x Bodega, next door to Porteño

Same team as Porteño (Milgate, Abrahanowicz, Valore), a different room. WyNo x Bodega is a wine bar and tapas restaurant that keeps a lot of walk-in space at 50 Holt Street (entrance via Gladstone Street). If you arrive on open, you can usually get a bar seat. The wine list is one of the deepest South American selections in Sydney and every bottle is available by the glass.

Best if: you were dressed for Porteño and want to keep the evening in Surry Hills.

El Corte at Darling Harbour

Opened in late 2025 by Argentinian-born chef Juan de la Cruz at ICC Sydney (Shop 2 C08). Wood-fired parrilla, waterfront tables, empanadas and provoleta as starters, steaks from $45. Weekday Express Lunch from $28. Easier to book same-day than Porteño, especially at earlier or later sittings.

Best if: you want the sit-down asado experience but the CBD is a better meeting point tonight. Read our El Corte guide.

La Boca Bar & Grill at Mascot

Inside Stamford Plaza Sydney Airport at 241 O'Riordan Street. Chef Nicolas Arriola runs a parrilla and asador built around slow-cooked meats, and there is a signature all-you-can-eat asado every evening: 90 minutes of Wagyu brisket, lamb shoulder, pork belly, grilled chicken and chorizo. Bookings 5pm to 8pm nightly.

Best if: you have hungry people, you want value, or the airport end of town is easier tonight.

Option 2: takeaway from an Argentinian shop

If dinner is at home tonight and you still want the Argentinian flavour, a few real options in Sydney:

Achura Meat Market, Brookvale, open Tuesday to Sunday. Chorizo, morcilla, provoleta, and cuts of beef to grill at home. Fast enough to grill for a weekday dinner.
La Torre Cake Shop, Fairfield (open since 1974), for alfajores and dulce de leche pastries if dessert is the priority.
Pan-Latin grocers around Marrickville (Cholito), Chatswood (La Latina) and Fairfield (La Paula) for chimichurri, harina and Argentinian wine.

For the full map, see our Sydney Argentinian food map.

Option 3: empanadas delivered tonight

The fastest Argentinian dinner in Sydney is Argentum Empanadas, delivered from our Bondi kitchen. Baked-and-ready delivery within our close zones, or frozen packs to bake at home in 18 to 22 minutes at 190C.

Tonight's dinner in one plan: a mixed dozen of empanadas (Carnivore, Classic, Athlete, Patagonia), a bottle of Malbec, provoleta from a local deli grilled on the pan, a simple salad. Around 22 minutes in the oven. Done.

Order the full range or start with Carnivore, Classic and Patagonia.

Option 4: the DIY asado plan for a group

If there are six or eight of you and someone has a Weber or a fire pit, an asado at home is a great alternative to the missed booking. Rough plan:

Meat and sausages: pick up chorizo, morcilla, bife de chorizo and asado de tira from Achura Meat Market in Brookvale. If you are on the other side of town, a good local butcher will do sirloin, short rib and pork belly.
Fire: lump charcoal, a chimney starter, one Weber or a fire pit. Aim for two-zone coals: one hotter side for chorizo and morcilla, one cooler side for the mains.
Starter: a dozen Argentum empanadas, baked in the home oven while the coals build. Carnivore, Classic, Athlete, Patagonia is a good spread.
Provoleta: a wheel of provolone in a cast-iron pan, straight onto the coals, until bubbling.
The main event: chorizo and morcilla first, then the beef, cooked slowly, rested, cut across the grain.
Sides: ensalada mixta (lettuce, tomato, red onion), bread, chimichurri, a jar of salsa criolla.
Dessert: flan, alfajores from La Torre, or dulce de leche on toast.

The full walkthrough is here: asado at home Sydney.

How to think about the choice

None of these is Porteño. That is honest. But each is a proper Argentinian evening in its own right. If the point was the room and the ceremony, El Corte or La Boca will scratch that. If the point was the food, an Achura and Argentum home dinner will get closer to the flavours than most restaurants outside the top three.

And keep the Porteño booking on the calendar for next month. It rewards planning.

Argentum, the at-home complement

If you love Porteño, you will want empanadas at home too. Argentum delivers Sydney-wide from our Bondi kitchen. Five flavours frozen, or catering for events. The at-home complement to Sydney's Argentinian restaurant scene.

See the catering options for larger groups, or the full range for tonight.

Frequently asked questions

How far ahead do you need to book Porteño?: Weekend tables tend to book several weeks ahead. Weekday and later sittings around 9pm are usually easier to get. Bar seats are sometimes held for walk-ins on the night.
What is the closest Argentinian alternative to Porteño?: WyNo x Bodega, next door in Surry Hills, is by the same team. For a fuller sit-down asado, El Corte at Darling Harbour or La Boca Bar & Grill at Mascot are the current options.
Can I get Argentinian empanadas delivered in Sydney tonight?: Yes. Argentum Empanadas delivers Sydney-wide from our Bondi kitchen, with same-day and next-day windows depending on your area. Frozen packs are ready to bake at home in 18 to 22 minutes at 190C.
Where do I buy Argentinian meat in Sydney for an asado at home?: Achura Meat Market in Brookvale is Sydney's dedicated Argentinian butcher. Argentinian cuts of Australian beef, along with chorizo, morcilla, mollejas and other traditional asado add-ons.
Is there a walk-in Argentinian restaurant in Surry Hills?: WyNo x Bodega, at 50 Holt Street with entrance via Gladstone Street, holds space for walk-ins, especially early in the evening. It is by the same team as Porteño next door.