Argentine food has a strong Italian influence. Pasta, simple pizzas, spaghetti ravioli and gnocchi are favourites. It is, however, the beef, that the locals adore the most. They can consume extraordinarily huge steaks at a parrilla (steakhouse) or an asado (private barbeque). Often steaks are served with a spicy sauce called chimichurri.

Cafes often serve inexpensive steak sandwiches (lomito), hamburgers and breaded steak (milanesa). Breakfast is just coffee and bread or croissants (medialuna).

For those keen to get some veggies and salad most towns and cities have a great supermarket full of cheap greens. They normally also have a deli counter where you can pick up a variety of ready made dishes and salads. Supermarkets also have big selections of wines for all budgets (some box wines cost less than a bottle of water).

Common street food includes sandwiches, hotdogs (pancho), empanadas (small pasties) and pizza slices.

The tap water in Argentina is fine to drink. The national drink is mate, a bitter herby tea.