Best Restaurants and Cafes in Punta Carretas, Montevideo
- Will Gerson
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
The barrio of Punta Carretas is a microcosm of what makes Montevideo consistently rated as one of the cities with the highest quality of life in Latin America: expansive green spaces, sandy beaches, cute cafes, and excellent restaurants abound.
The neighborhood sits just west of Playa de los Pocitos, on the city’s southernmost peninsula that juts out into the Río de la Plata, near where the estuary joins up with the Atlantic Ocean. Its stretch of the Rambla, Montevideo’s seaside promenade, is one of the city’s finest, with sweeping views of the sea in both directions. I recommend staying in Punta Carretas during your stay in Montevideo––for me, it can’t be beat by anywhere else in the city.
Restaurants
Opened in 1967, García is one of the city’s classic parrillas, an excellent place to enjoy Uruguay’s world-famous beef. The signature cut here is the baby beef, best ordered a punto (medium rare).
Directly across the street from García is La Perdiz, which I consider the best parrilla in Montevideo. The cut of choice here is the asado de tira, absolutely mind-blowing beef short ribs. It’s a thin cut, so you’re best off ordering it jugoso.
A neighborhood institution, Chez Piñeiro is an great spot to try some typical Uruguayan fare, like the chivito––the national sandwich, with thinly sliced steak, mozzarella, ham, fried egg, tomatoes, and mayo––or a milanesa, the breaded veal cutlet that is prepared so deliciously in this part of the world.
This modern food market offers a great selection of Uruguayan and international dishes. However, I recommend going for the milanesas at Mil Milas––you won’t be disappointed.
Cafes
You will find outstanding coffee and delicious Russian pastries at this quaint cafe, just a couple of blocks away from the pleasant Parque Villa Biarritz.
Another good spot for coffee and light sandwiches, with very friendly staff, closer to Parque Rodó.
A quality coffee bar located inside a designer clothing store, right next to Mercado Williman.
The medialuna is a popular pastry in both Uruguay and Argentina, similar in appearance to a croissant but much different in both texture and flavor. While the flaky croissant uses more butter and less sugar, the medialuna does just the opposite, also adding eggs and honey as well as a sugary syrup drizzled on top after baking, making it a little like a cross between a croissant and a donut. As the name of the shop indicates, the pastries are best served warm, and they make for a delicious breakfast or snack any time.