Goldring Travel’s Antarctica Expedition on the Scenic Eclipse (February 2022) – Part III (Aramburu – 18 Course Degustation Heaven)

I have said for many years that a cruise/excursion is like a sandwich: The meat of it may be in the middle but the bread( the ports of embarkation and disembarkation) can really add flavor and texture to your travel experience.  Buenos Aires, Argentina is most certainly at the top of my list as it has a wide variety of culinary and cultural experiences.

One of my favorite culinary experiences (and rated as one of the top restaurants in South America) is Aramburu; a tiny place (only eight tables) that specializes in a seriously multi-course degustation menu that varies with what is available and the chef desires. Your only choice is to have the wine pairing or not…and “not” is a bad decision as the flavors and palate sensations change fairly rapidly.

The first challenge is not working your way through all the courses, but finding it!  It is rather hidden down an ally way past a few shops and eateries and is very non-descript from the outside. Fortunately, this time I knew exactly where to look as my first venture took me a bit of time to find it.

It is a rather stark restaurant, done in greys and blacks – ironically (maybe not?) with an aesthetic that is actually quite aligned with the Scenic Eclipse.  It provides a wonderful backdrop for the culinary presentations, that you can readily observe being made in the show kitchen.

As this is my second time experiencing this friendly venue, where all of the staff have an air of sophistication but with warm smiles that get even more so when you engage them and connect with the vision of the chef, I knew it is far better to just let it happen, listen to each dish being explained and then just enjoying it. Trying to figure out techniques, spices and methods and/or writing down each dish will disrupt the orchestrated flow. Hence, I took a quick photograph of each dish for this article and then “put the camera down” and embraced the experience. 

Because of my approach I do not remember exactly what was in each dish, but I will caption each as best I can. So with that:

I was then escorted upstairs to a different area for dessert.  This was not offered my last time here.