Club 647

One City, One Month

Destination: Buenos Aires

Travel Dates: January 5^th – February 5^th

Restaurant Review: Club 647

In which our heroine and her valiant beau have a romantic, candlelight dinner.

In an effort to erase our experience at La Riol, Oscar and I choose our next restaurant based on Conde Nast’s 2008 Latin American Hot List. Club 647 is located at 647 Tacuari, somewhat removed from the more down-town bustle of San Telmo. My valiant beau and I walked past the club twice without noticing it. The restaurant is inconspicuously located behind a drab concrete wall and a black metal door that looks not unlike the back entrance of a warehouse. At around 8 p.m. the black door is lifted to reveal velvet ropes, a security guard, and the name of the club in illuminated red numbers.

The interior of the club is dark and swanky with high ceilings and sparkling chandeliers. Most of the walls in the restaurant are covered with gold-scribbled mirrors. Table linens and upholstery are decorated in red and black. Velvet sofas at the back of the restaurant are scattered with shiny pillows covered in Asian embroidery. Candles flicker on every table and old Billie Holiday tunes play softly in the background.

On the web-site, the restaurant recommends making a reservation, but when my valiant beau and I arrived at 8:00 p.m. (an hour ahead of most traditional Buenos Aires diners) we were the only customers. Most of our fellow diners lingered in around 9:00 p.m. and appeared to be well-dressed tourists who, apparently, had also researched the Conde Nast Hot List. Despite the fact that it was a Friday evening, the dinner crowd was scattered and many available tables remained.

Supposedly, Club 647 is renowned for their cocktails. I followed the waiter’s recommendation and ordered a cocktail entitled Bold As Love. It was prepared with Pisco, lemon juice and Boldo Syrup. I enjoyed my drink, but I really enjoyed the drink chosen by my valiant beau. He selected a Dell’Bonnette Flute made with Cinnamon Rum, Absinthe and Dubonnet Rouge. In fact, we both liked it so much, we ordered a second one.

When it came time to begin our meal, we selected a Pear and Goat Cheese Tarte Tartin which was served with a delicate salad of arugula and endive. The sweet flavor of the pear mingled perfectly with the tartness of the endive and the cheese was light and creamy. Positively scrumptious. Price: AR $39, US $11.28

I chose to follow up the appetizer with the Grilled Pink Salmon with Braised Endives, Grappa, and Saffron Foam. The fish was moist and flaky, and the saffron foam and the endive complemented each other beautifully, but overall, the dish was a little salty for my taste. Price: AR $65, US $18.80

My valiant beau decided to embrace the full Argentinean dining experience and ordered a big hunk of beef, identified on the 647 menu as a Rib Eye Served with Potatoes and Mushrooms. He had been advised ahead of time that when asking for a medium-cooked steak, it is best to use the phrase al punto. Apparently this was good advice; my valiant beau reported that his steak was juicy and flavorful; cooked the way he liked it. Price: AR $65, US $18.80

For desert we chose the Cocoa and Almond Meringue with Milk Chocolate Cream and Kumquat Compote. We enjoyed the decadence of the milk chocolate cream, but felt there was an insufficient amount of it to off-set the larger amount of dry meringue. The desert was tasty, but overall, the most disappointing part of our meal. We would have been better off ordering another pear and goat cheese tarte. Price: AR $25.00, US $7.23

City Girl Recommendation: Lovely atmosphere with tasty, but pricey food. Still dreaming about that tarte.

More information on Club 647 can be found at www.club647.com