What to Eat and Drink After Skiing in Bariloche

One of the best things about skiing in Bariloche is what happens after the lifts close. This is a city that takes food and drink seriously — Patagonian lamb, world-class chocolate, Argentine wine, and a craft beer scene that has exploded in the last decade.

Asado: the essential experience

Asado is not just a barbecue — it is a social ritual, a cooking method, and arguably the defining food experience of Argentina. In Bariloche, the asado tradition meets Patagonian ingredients: lamb raised on the steppe, beef from the pampas, and chorizo that bears no resemblance to what you have had elsewhere.

The best asado experience for visitors is a guided parrilla evening, where a local asador cooks over open wood fire and walks you through each cut. Our group trips include at least one of these — it is always the evening people talk about most.

For restaurants, look for places that cook over lena (firewood) rather than gas. Order the tira de asado (short ribs), the entraña (skirt steak), and the morcilla (blood sausage) if you are feeling adventurous.

Chocolate: Bariloche's other reputation

Bariloche is known as the chocolate capital of South America. The two names to know are Rapanui and Mamuschka. Both make chocolate in-house and offer tastings. For the best hot chocolate after skiing, Mamuschka's submarino — a bar of chocolate melted into hot milk — is hard to beat.

If you are travelling with a family, the chocolate factory tours are an excellent rest-day activity for kids.

Craft beer

Bariloche's craft beer scene is one of the best in Argentina. The cold climate, European brewing heritage, and proximity to pure glacial water have produced a cluster of excellent microbreweries.

Cervecería Blest is one of Argentina's original craft breweries. Berlina does excellent German-style lagers. The post-ski routine in Bariloche often involves a pint at a brewery before dinner. It is a good routine.

Wine

Argentina means Malbec, and Patagonian Malbec is increasingly recognised as some of the country's best. The wines from the Río Negro valley — just east of Bariloche — are worth seeking out: Humberto Canale, Chacra, and Noemia are producers to look for.

Pair a good Malbec with your asado and you have the definitive Argentine evening.

Where to eat

For asado: Cervecería Blest does excellent meat alongside their beers. El Boliche de Alberto is a Bariloche institution. For something more upscale, Cassis serves modern Patagonian cuisine with lake views.

For trout: Bariloche sits on Lago Nahuel Huapi, and fresh trout is a local specialty. Look for trucha ahumada (smoked trout) on menus.

For casual post-ski: the food trucks at the base of Cerro Catedral serve empanadas, choripán, and hot wine that hit differently after a cold day on the mountain.

The bottom line

Bariloche is not a place where you just ski and sleep. The food, wine, chocolate, and beer culture are a genuine part of why people come back. When we plan your trip, we build in the evenings too — because in Bariloche, après-ski is half the experience.