Azafrán is not the typical Argentinean restaurant with steak and empanadas. You will have delicious steak and empanadas just as you will have at so many other restaurants in the country, but at Azafrán all will be served to you with a twist.

An empanada is not just something exclusively for Argentina. The stuffed bread or pastry can be found in many countries, but it has become one of the symbols of Argentina. The empanadas at Azafrán are made by folding a dough or bread patty around the stuffing just as you have become used to, but here you will have a trio of different ones severed in one go paired with three different kinds of wines. One sweetbread and mushroom empanada paired with Torrontés, another with chorizo & onion and a third with parmesan and a blood sausage paired with a Petit Verdot and of course Malbec. Azafrán ’s empanadas are a good example of how something classical can be made with a new and interesting twist without ever losing the roots to the original. Head Chef Pablo Ranea gives the same inventive treatment to all the classics and his cuisine will not stop surprising you even if it is familiar at the same time.

Pablo Ranea started to work at Azafrán back in 2006 and you will soon find him walking around in the dining room welcoming the guests in the same fashion as many of the most famous chefs in Europe do. Ranea has the talent, the experience and most of all, the skills necessary to be able to manage the kitchen of one of Argentina’s best restaurants.

Azafrán is named after the highly priced and rare saffron spice and the restaurant started as a delicacy shop in the nineteen-nineties, but the owning Fraga family could not make any business out of imported fancy European goods so they turned the shop into a restaurant and gourmet store only with the best local produce instead. The concept became a success and you can still buy the finest Mendocinian produce in the restaurant while you are having your dinner.

One of the sons of the Fraga family, Joaquín Fraga, manages the restaurant today and the restaurant’s success has given the opportunity to open up additional restaurants and a bar as well in the nearby area.

It is not possible to run a great restaurant in Mendoza without an amazing display of wines in the cava and Azafrán is no exception. Sommelier Fernando Szczurowski will invite you to the restaurant’s impressive wine room just next door and he will encourage you to choose your own wines. Of course he will also assist you and you will have some serious difficulties in choosing from the many fantastic local wines.

Azafrán is the best restaurant in Mendoza and it offers a true international top class. It is an essential reservation for anyone looking for a great meal paired with amazing wines in a lovely ambience.

Written by Andy