The corner of Guatemala and Gurruchaga is a total Buenos Aires classic, but not because one of the world’s most famous steakhouses is located there—rather , because on the opposite corner is Orno Cantina, one of Palermo’s most innovative restaurants this winter. It offers all those dishes you crave when it’s cold, but with a modern twist and unique special touches. Plus, it features a giant wood-fired oven that provides all the warmth you need when you’re thinking about dining out in the cold.
Buñuelos de la Huerta and Wood-Fired Pizza Oven: the cantina revolutionizing winter on Palermo’s most famous corner
ORNO Cantina ’s menu has everything you’d look for in a cantina: pizzas, pastas, sauces, Italian appetizers, and classic drinks. But unlike other tavern-style restaurants, instead of offering a wide variety of dishes, they’ve chosen a few carefully crafted options, where each and every dish and drink has a unique twist that sets it apart and will make you want to come back and try them again.
Appetizers to share (and snack on)
Orno’s menu is perfectly designed for groups or couples to order a variety of dishes to share at the center of the table and enjoy dining out. Agreat way to start your dinner is with the olives marinated in olive oil (with lemon zest so delicious you’ll want to eat it) and the margarita arancini, which are so perfect it’s almost a shame to take a bite. But if you don’t take a bite, you’ll never discover the cheese hidden inside.
Another appetizer is the fritters with spicy aioli. Once you try them, you’ll want to make them at home—but be warned: it’ll be tough, because all the vegetables Orno uses come from an organic garden that works with them, which explains why every bite is so full of flavor and tastes so delicious.
The main attractions: pasta or pizza—or why choose when you can have the best of both worlds?
If you’re in the mood for a traditional cantina , you can opt for the milanesas ( they have pork loin and Neapolitan-style eggplant versions) or go for the pasta, which is simple but very well made. The ricotta gnocchi are perfect for sharing, but they’ll disappear very quickly because they’re an explosion of flavor.
If you’ve been to Orno before, it’s definitely worth going back because the biggest change you’ll notice is in the pizza dough. They’ve been tweaking the fermentation process and ingredients (they now use fior di latte mozzarella and select tomatoes), and the result is a pizza that’s much lighter than before.
In addition to the margarita, they’ve added eye-catching combinations, such as stracciatella with honey and pangrattato, or roasted pears with blue cheese. One of the most popular choices is the pepperoni with jalapeños and honey.
Plus, the wood-fired oven where they bake those wonderful pizzas provides the perfect warmth to the tall, artfully designed glass walls that let you see everything happening outside while you’re cozy inside the kitchen’s warmth. Orno Cantina is the restaurant in Palermo tailor-made for your fall and winter dinners, and if you want to enjoy this for lunch, Saturday is your day.
Where: Guatemala 4799, Palermo.
