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[title]What started as a private supper club in La Paternal now occupies a corner in Chacarita. At Condarco, chef Pablo Fridman combines seasonal cooking with an extensive wine list and a warm, relaxed atmosphere.
Since opening its doors in 2021, the restaurant has retained something from that first project: a kitchen that changes according to the products available, taking familiar dishes and giving them a personal twist. The menu ranges from a creamy potato tortilla to tenderloin milanesa, along with a selection of wines from small and mid-sized producers that can also be purchased to take home at wine shop prices.
From the sidewalk, large windows offer a glimpse of a dimly lit dining room. Inside, there are green marble tables, granite floors, Thonet chairs, black iron details and plants. The aesthetic has a vintage feel, with a wooden bar tucked behind a wall of wine bottles.
To drink, we chose a Flaneur Orange de Barrancas (2024). Bottles are part of the scenery at Condarco: the list, curated by Juan Lago Millán, brings together labels from small and mid-sized producers from different regions of the country, including sparkling wines, whites, orange wines, rosés and reds.
There are fresh, easy-drinking options as well as bottles made for lingering over a glass. And there's a nice extra touch: all the wines can also be purchased to take home at wine shop prices. Wine is part of the experience, as well as an excuse to browse the bottles.
To start, there are appetizers for every taste, from empanadas and French fries to the potato tortilla, one of the dishes we'd been recommended. And yes: it was the star of the night. It arrives creamy, with confit potatoes, organic eggs and garlic lactonesa. It has that kind of texture that makes a portion meant for sharing mysteriously start to feel quite small.
Other starters include fried beef empanadas, made with hand-cut beef, egg, potato and scallions, and triple-cooked French fries, seasoned with nutmeg and pepper and served with homemade ketchup.
Among the mains, you'll find several classics with a twist. The tenderloin milanesa arrived perfectly cooked, accompanied by French fries. The oyster mushrooms are grilled and served over carrot purée, with gremolata, crispy chickpeas and a miso reduction.
It's a dish that combines the meaty texture of the mushrooms with the sweetness of the carrot, the freshness of the gremolata and the crunch of the chickpeas. During our visit, Alejandro was in charge of the service, warm and attentive without ever being intrusive. You can sense the enthusiasm for what they do, and that enthusiasm makes its way to the table, too.
