✒ 1884 Restaurante Francis Mallmann
▴ 1884 Restaurante Francis Mallmann
Like many others who have been fortunate enough to visit, I fell deeply in love with Argentina. Could there have been a better start to my love affair than arriving off the plane, tired and jet-lagged, to be taken by Alejandro Virgil, Catena’s brilliant winemaker, to dinner at 1884, the restaurant which was born from an idea of Dr Nicolás Catena and Francis Mallmann? I doubt it. The mark of any great restaurant is that it can transform your mood and energise you, blowing away all thoughts of tiredness and bad humour, and 1884 certainly did that for me. It’s housed in the historic Escorihuela Gascón Winery building, erected in 1884, which also now includes the Caro winery, a joint venture between Château Lafite and Catena Zapata.
The wine I remember most from that memorable dinner was not a Malbec, so dominant in Argentina, but the Catena 2002 Adriana Chardonnay from the Gualtallary sub-district of the Tupungato region at a 5000-foot elevation in the foothills of the Andes. It opened my eyes: Argentina could produce world-class chardonnay (later, chardonnay from the Adriana Vineyard went into White Bones and White Stones, Catena’s greatest white wines). I doubt the 2002 is still on the wine list but don’t worry, there are over 600 labels to try.
““The mark of any great restaurant is that it can transform your mood and energise you, blowing away all thoughts of tiredness and bad humour, and 1884 certainly did that for me.” ”
Francis Mallmann is famous for his flame grilled cuisine. This Argentine-born celebrity chef has barbequed for David Beckham and the King of Spain, and his expertise also caught the eye of Champagne Krug who brought him to England for their “Into the Wild festival” in 2017.
The restaurant inside is simply and elegantly furnished, but the most magical place to dine is in the open-air courtyard, where you can watch the chefs at work as they barbeque your dinner. Specialities include lechon (young pork), chivito (baby goat), but most carnivores would have to order one of their many different cuts of steak. Give yourself plenty of time to pore over the extensive wine list, and ensure you order an empanada – or, better, make that two. SK
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1884 Restaurante Francis Mallmann
Calle Grai Manuel Belgrano 1188
Godoy Cruz, Mendoza
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