Jen's Blog

For those of you unfamiliar, El Arbol is an Argentine restaurant here in Austin. Since I love all things Argentine, I’ve been wanting to go since it opened. We finally got around to going a few weeks ago, and I’m sad I’ve waited this long to go! 

The restaurant has 3 different levels, but it seems to be known for the extensive patio seating. The patio is around a huge, beautiful tree (hence the name) and is well decorated. Because of this, if you choose to go in the winter, make a reservation! I made one on a whim, but we actually had to wait a bit for our table. While we waited, I ordered a caipirinha. I was a bit apprehensive, since I hadn’t found someone to make it right since I was in South America, but it was absolutely perfect!

The decor inside is modern, but tasteful. They use a lot of wood, deep red leather booths, and of course, lot’s of wine. To start out, they bring bread with a pesto spread and a hummus spread. Quite refreshing from the usual bread and butter. We ordered a Malbec (of course) and an empanada and appetizer named Provoleta to start. The empanada had beef and onion, and every bite was better than the one before. I think it was ultimately my favorite thing on the menu, and fully intend on going back at some point just to try every empanada. The Provoleta was similar to a queso fundido, and of course amazing. 

As an entree, I got the Bife de Lomo (8 oz, 40 day aged beef tenderloin) and Sean got the Falda de Cerdo (pork belly over risotto). I’d never had aged tenderloin before, but now I’m a believer! It was served with a chimichurri sauce which really brought the whole thing together. I’m not even a pork belly fan, but the dish had a caramelized top (almost like creme brulee) and I couldn’t get enough! We also had purple potatoes and gnocchi as our sides.

Overall, this place was amazing. Every thing we got was perfect, and I wouldn’t have changed anything.  The only issue I had, was that many of their dishes weren’t very Argentine, and they were missing some dishes that would have made it truly Argentine. I suppose I can’t really hold that against them though, especially since what they offered was still so, so delicious. If you haven’t been yet, I’d highly recommend it!