As with accommodations, the restaurant scene is improving, but unfortunately none of Gallegos’s restaurants even include a nonsmoking section.

Puesto Molino (Avenida Roca 854, tel. 02966/42-9836, lunch and dinner daily) serves a particularly fine fugazzeta, but also has parrillada.

For a diverse menu of specialties like salmon ravioli with pesto (US$8), in enormous portions, popular RoCo (Avenida Roca 1157, tel. 02966/42-0203, lunch and dinner daily) is worth consideration.

Anyone who’s ever been, or aspired to be, an Anglo-Argentine wool baron will want to dine at the classic Club Británico (Avenida Roca 935, tel. 02966/42-5223, lunch and dinner daily). The atmosphere (which includes live jazz some nights) still trumps the food, though.

Although they’ll mislead you about tobacco-free areas—there are none—the most sophisticated menu belongs to El Horreo (Roca 862, tel. 02966/42-6462, lunch and dinner daily). Local lamb (about US$10) is the specialty, but the empanada gallega makes an ideal appetizer.

For ice cream, Kocholate (Avenida Roca 1084, tel. 02966/42-0249) has an edge on traditional favorite Heladería Tito (Zapiola and Corrientes, tel. 02966/42-2008), but the latter is not a desperation choice.