Top things to do

Unique and exciting, this gorgeous museum illuminates the world of ice. Displays and bilingual films show how glaciers form, along with documentaries on continental ice expeditions and stark meditations on climate c…

Featuring the rare treat of Argentine home cooking, this offbeat, low-lit eatery is a must. Its longtime owners are found cooking up buttery spiced chicken pot pies and filling wine glasses. For vegetarians, brown r…

This dynamic family-run enterprise brings a twist to Argentine classics. Start with a warm beet salad with balsamic reduction. The nut-crusted trout is both enormous and satisfying, as is the guanaco meatloaf or the…

Long, skinny tables fill with both locals and travelers to quaff what we consider to be the best artisan beer in Patagonia, La Zorra. The smoked porter and double IPA do not disappoint. There's also pub fare such as…

This adorable coffee shop does croque monsieurs (grilled ham and cheese), fresh donuts and espresso drinks in a loungy pastel setting. It also uses whole-bean Colombian coffee. Want to take the chill off? Try the ch…

Inspired and intimate, Mi Rancho serves up oversized osso buco, delicious braided pastas stuffed with king crab, divine salads and sweetbreads with wilted spinach on toast. For dessert, chocolate fondant or passion-…

This sophisticated eatery, tucked away in a small space a few blocks off El Calafate's main street, is a relatively undiscovered gem and an excellent place to try the regional classic cazuela de cordero (lamb stew).…

Upstairs in the gnome village, this hip bookstore-bar serves coffee, artisan beers and pricey cocktails. Peruse the oversized photography books on Patagonian wildlife or bring your laptop and take advantage of the f…

For fresh milanesas, hot dogs and burgers in the off hours, this clean come-and-go counter flanked with bar stools is the way to go. Morphi means to chow down in Lunfardo, an Argentine slang derived from a dialect i…

Steak and spit-roasted lamb are the stars at this satisfying parrilla that's popular beyond measure for good reason. For average appetites a half-steak will do, rounded out with a good malbec, fresh salad or garlic …