Gioia Cocina BotánicaGioia Cocina Botánica

Image Credit: | https://guide.michelin.com/en/ciudad-autonoma-de-buenos-aires/buenos-aires_777009/restaurant/gioia-cocina-botanica Located within the walls of the Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt hotel in the highly exclusive district of La Recoleta, this restaurant focuses exclusively on vegetarian cuisine. Accessed via the lobby of the hotel, it occupies a contemporary setting enhanced by its own terrace, which is particularly welcoming and boasts views of the surrounding gardens. The chef at the helm, Juan Simonte, showcases his cooking on an à la carte and an extensive tasting menu which, in addition to including pickled and fermented vegetables such as the famous kimchi (considered a superb food in its own right), champions "botanically based" cooking in which he skilfully works with a full array of non-animal-based ingredients (plants, fruits, vegetables, seaweed, mushrooms etc), all of which are usually accompanied by different creams. Here, everything possible is done to support small-scale producers with a commitment to sustainability. Standout dishes include mushroom escabeche with a fermented pistachio salsa and barbecued plums; Turkish lentil salad with spicy sweet and fig leaves; and red bean pâté with prunes.