Roosh and others have dissected Argentine girls ad nauseum on the forum and elsewhere so I’ll try to contrast Mendoza with Buenos Aires and the rest of Argentina, which people are more familiar with here. Be mindful of the rampant Argentine monetary inflation when comparing listed to current prices.
Summary
Mendoza is similar but culturally different in significant ways to Buenos Aires and the other populated areas of Argentina. It’s a nice, smallish, pleasant place to relax and party, have some amazing, cheap wine and, IMHO, the easiest place in Argentina for a stereotypical looking gringo to collect his flag. As an international player, though, you may get bored after a couple of weeks.
City
The population of Mendoza city proper is 120 thousand, and 1.2 million in the metro area. Many consider it an attractive city, as do I, with its tree-lined streets and Latin architecture, and Mendocinos take pride in it being the cleanest in Argentina. It is known internationally for the surrounding wine-producing regions, especially of Malbec. Centro, i.e. the center or downtown area, with Plaza Independencia at its heart, has a large town rather than city feel to it and I’d rate Mendoza as a lower 2nd tier city. If you stay any length of time you will quickly begin to recognize people on the street, for better or worse. There are many institutes of higher-education and the city, in Centro at least, feels quite young. It is in a desert area and can be very dry and with occasional sandstorms. Besides Centro, Godoy Cruz is a upper/middle-upper class area south-east of centro, Maipu and Lujan de Cuyo are residential areas and the main wine-producing regions south of the city and Las Heras is a large area north of Centro with many dangerous parts. Santiago, Chile, is about 5-7 hours away by bus, depending on the time at the border.
Best time to visit
December to March, with January and February being the best. That is summertime here and though it can get pretty damn hot and dry, everyone is in a holiday mood. Unlike Portenos who go to Mar del Plata, Floripa and other such places during this time, Mendocinos seem to mostly stay put and party in the city, barring a quick getaway to the nearby Potrerillos area (see Non-game activities below). As well, the city is flooded with travelers from all over: mostly Brazil, Chile, Europe and the US, though none of the Brit stag party crowd to fuck things up (yet).
Girls and culture
If you’re looking for the stereotypical light-skinned, European looking, Argentine telenovela star, Mendoza is not the place for you. Rather, the girls here are distinctly Latina: their skin is olive, their hair is dark, their eyes are brown and the sex is spicy. They’re also, by most people’s accounts, very attractive. See, for example, this incredibly scientific study. *Hype Alert:* I’d personally put them up there with the Paisas of Poblado, though they are far less superficial.
We all know Argentine girls are difficult Histericas, right? Not so fast. Mendocinas are different from the rest of Argentinians for a few main reasons quite relevant to the international player:
Language-wise, English varies a lot, from minimal to fluency. Though most understand at least some due to television exposure to Anglo culture, it can be difficult to get it out of them, even when liquored up. I approach in English and transfer over to broken Spanglish when necessary. If you speak zero Spanish then it would be pretty tough; a couple levels of the Pimsleur program should suffice to quickly get you to a basic level.
One last thing. I mentioned that travelers flood the city in Summer, so shouldn’t that really mess things up for picking up locals? No, and here’s why. The few Brazilians you’ll see out run standard caveman game, but the local girls are already used to the Argentine variant and know how to deal with it. (Namely, ignore the first 49 kiss attempts, make out wildly on the 50th if it gets that far and then disappear.) Chileans seemingly have little to no game in Argentina, and the Argentines don’t like them anyway. So now we get to the gringos. Basically 100% of the gringos you’ll see out are backpackers and here’s what usually happens. A mixed group will go out after a hostel party. They will stand in a circle at the bar/club and the girls will use the guys as protection from the aggressive Argentine men. All the while the gringo guys think the attention from the girls means they’re going to score later (it doesn’t.) The girls want to leave by 2:30am at the latest to wake up early for some bullshit tour they’re going on, so the whole group leaves together. At no time do the gringo guys hit on the local girls. Importantly, there are few, if any, gringo guys left out at 4am, the start of the magical hookup time. I have never seen a gringo guy, besides your humble author of course, cold-approach a Mendocina at night.
Race and reception
A northern European looking gringo with decent game and beginner Spanish, who doesn’t look like a grungy zen backpacker, should, in peak season, pull locals without much difficulty, nightly even.
A Latin looking guy will have difficulty with the locals and, though I don’t want to say it’s impossible, I’ve never seen it happen despite countless attempts. The reception is just completely different from a stereotypical gringo. (MiXX, please prove me wrong!) On the other hand, many Gringa travelers are dying for some Latin lovin’ and you should have an easy time with them, if that’s your thing - I’ve also seen that countless times. Be careful, though, because as mentioned they always have some bullshit tour or something planned early the next day that they use as resistance. I’d recommend the combined hostel parties to meet them and penetrate their temporary social circle (see Nightlife below) as they are less receptive and more defensive once they leave and go to a bar/club due to super-aggressive male locals.
Black/Indian/Asian/other ethnicities, I don’t know.
Daygame
I personally didn’t partake, but if I were going to street game then Plaza Independencia and Colon/Aristides are the obvious choices as they are always packed with attractive girls, usually students. A less obvious, but possibly better choice would be to head to the safe, residential area of Godoy Cruz, say around Plaza Godoy Cruz. Tourists are rare and a non-local gets eye-fucked by everyone. Some of the most attractive girls I’ve seen were just walking around here looking bored. You’ll need to bring your game in Spanish, though, as girls are less likely to speak any English.
Another viable option is the English/Spanish language exchanges. For those in the know in Argentina, these are usually venues for local girls to meet foreign guys in a comfortable setting. As an aside, outside of Mendoza, this is your best bet for meeting Argentine girls - bar/club game has a comparatively ridiculously low return on investment. La Guia, a free monthly publication about events and nightlife available in the tourist offices and elsewhere, has daily listings for these meetups, usually coffee shops or bars.
Nightlife
NYC it is not, but there should be something to suit your taste. There are five main nightlife areas:
For the Latin guys or anyone trying to penetrate the temporary traveler social circles before they head out, as mentioned earlier a chain of hostels (Mendoza Inn, Campo Base, International Mendoza and Mendoza Backpackers) hosts joint parties every night of the week. As anywhere from 50-200 people show up from different places, you won’t seem out of place even if you’re not staying at a hostel . These generally involve lots of free booze and if you have any game and a desire for gringas it’s like shooting fish in a barrel. Personally, not my scene, but if you’re interested show up to one of the hostels to get the party schedule and buy tickets.
Non-game activities
The vast majority of tourists come to Mendoza to visit the wineries. There are various ways to do this, like hiring a driver for the day or taking a package tour, but biking around on a self-guided tour is great fun. The guidebooks and anyone you talk to will recommend Hugo Bikes, and so will I. Mr. Hugo is awesome and will try to get you drunk off free wine before you start your tour. You will definitely be drunk by the end.
Sports-wise, there’s white-water rafting nearby in the summers, skiing/snowboarding in the winters and the city acts as a starting off point for climbers to Cerro Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Americas.
An area up in the mountains about an hour outside Mendoza called Potrerillos is popular with locals for weekend trips and vacations. It’s no Banff or Lake Tahoe, but it’s pleasant enough, very quiet, and many girls will have fond memories of it from their childhood. There’s not much to do up there besides hike, picnic and fuck. If a girl suggests you go up there for the weekend that means only one thing.
There’s little sightseeing to do in the city itself, but most tourists at least briefly vist Parque San Martin. If you do, be on the alert as it’s in a seemingly nice area, but is actually the main location for robbing tourists, especially ones on bikes. Most never see it coming: kids jump out of bushes, grab their stuff at knifepoint and take off on the bikes, all within a few seconds. Not trying to scaremonger, but this is the most common negative experience for visitors in Mendoza.
Housing and fornication logistics
Plenty of tourist infrastructure in Centro. Hostels are around 40-50 pesos/night, private rooms 120+ pesos/night and 1000+ pesos/month. Monthly apartment are somewhat trickier to come by at reasonable prices and will be 2000+ pesos/month, sometimes vastly more. I found a place via http://www.mihouse.com.ar/. For a short term stay anywhere in the area surrounding Plaza Independencia is good, with Aristides having a high density of options. The nicest area of the city is directly west of Plaza Independencia between Belgrano and Parque San Martin and I’d recommend finding a place there for a longer stay.
For quick and dirty fornication, telos are everywhere, from 20 peso apartments in Centro to 300 peso luxury suites 10min drive outside Centro. I’d usually just get in a taxi with a girl and tell the cab driver to take us to a telo and let him surprise me. Telos, or pay-by-the-hour hotels, are generally not seedy at all; rather, they’re quite clean and well-kept and there’s no stigma attached in going to one.
Getting around
Walking is the easiest way to get around Centro as it’s quite compact and safe, even at night. For the lazy or exercise-impaired, a taxi should cost less than 10 pesos. To get further out, taxis and buses are available, though the bus routes aren’t the easiest to figure out. The first number gives the general direction the bus is going and the second number is the specific route that it takes in that general direction. To use the buses, buy a bus card and put money on it at a Kiosko - about half of them will carry the cards.
Self-directed pharmacological research
In general, very cheap by Western standards. One’s best bet is to ask a group of 2-4 guys hanging around the south side of Plaza Independencia during the day. Innocuously walk around the area first to make sure there aren’t any five-oh about. Don’t do this at night as there are too many people of questionable intention and character around. SWIM got an 8-ball of good yay for 50 pesos. Green is cheap but poor quality; SWIM was never able to find good green in Argentina.
Sustenance
Groceries
In Centro, there are small Carrefours at Colon and Patricias Mendocinas, Las Heras and Patricias Mendocinias, San Martin and Lavalle and a large one at Las Heras and Belgrano.
Low End
Papito Barloa: In Las Heras on San Martin. A local institution with best lomos in Mendoza and maybe all of Argentina. Place looks sketchy as fuck and you’ll definitely be the only foreigner there, as it’s not in the Bible (yet) and near one of the most dangerous areas. Highly recommended.
Dante Soppelsa: In Centro on Lavalle. Forget the Ferruccio Soppelsa shops dotting the city and head to his brother Dante’s for the best helado around.
Los Dos Amigos: In Las Heras on Santa Fe. Standard dive bar on the surface, but serves cheap, good local food and turns into a live music venue at midnight when local musicians of various genres start to play. Great atmosphere (not a place for pickup, though) and devoid of tourists. In sketchy red-light area, so have transportation settled beforehand.
La Flor de La Canela: In Centro on Juan B Justo. Decent Peruvian cuisine for when you’re sick of steak and pasta.
Higher End
Seite Cocinas: In Centro on Mitre. One of the nicest and highest quality restaurants in town and serving modern fare from the seven regions of Argentina. A favorite of upper class Mendocinos as well as local and foreign businessman. No grungy zen backpackers here.
Mar y Monte: In Centro on Peru. Cuisine from the mountains and the sea in a quaint, rustic setting. Probably my favorite restaurant in the city.
La Marchigiana: In Centro on Patricias Mendocinas. Best Italian restaurant in town of many. Modern but uninspiring decor.
Decimo: In Centro on Girabaldi. A resto wine bar with decent sushi and cocktails. On the penthouse/roof of supposedly the highest building in Mendoza, with great views of the city and surrounding area. Very popular for “romantic” dates among the upper-class. Location is unmarked, just enter the building, pass the guard and take the elevator to the 10th floor.
Summary
Mendoza is similar but culturally different in significant ways to Buenos Aires and the other populated areas of Argentina. It’s a nice, smallish, pleasant place to relax and party, have some amazing, cheap wine and, IMHO, the easiest place in Argentina for a stereotypical looking gringo to collect his flag. As an international player, though, you may get bored after a couple of weeks.
City
The population of Mendoza city proper is 120 thousand, and 1.2 million in the metro area. Many consider it an attractive city, as do I, with its tree-lined streets and Latin architecture, and Mendocinos take pride in it being the cleanest in Argentina. It is known internationally for the surrounding wine-producing regions, especially of Malbec. Centro, i.e. the center or downtown area, with Plaza Independencia at its heart, has a large town rather than city feel to it and I’d rate Mendoza as a lower 2nd tier city. If you stay any length of time you will quickly begin to recognize people on the street, for better or worse. There are many institutes of higher-education and the city, in Centro at least, feels quite young. It is in a desert area and can be very dry and with occasional sandstorms. Besides Centro, Godoy Cruz is a upper/middle-upper class area south-east of centro, Maipu and Lujan de Cuyo are residential areas and the main wine-producing regions south of the city and Las Heras is a large area north of Centro with many dangerous parts. Santiago, Chile, is about 5-7 hours away by bus, depending on the time at the border.
Best time to visit
December to March, with January and February being the best. That is summertime here and though it can get pretty damn hot and dry, everyone is in a holiday mood. Unlike Portenos who go to Mar del Plata, Floripa and other such places during this time, Mendocinos seem to mostly stay put and party in the city, barring a quick getaway to the nearby Potrerillos area (see Non-game activities below). As well, the city is flooded with travelers from all over: mostly Brazil, Chile, Europe and the US, though none of the Brit stag party crowd to fuck things up (yet).
Girls and culture
If you’re looking for the stereotypical light-skinned, European looking, Argentine telenovela star, Mendoza is not the place for you. Rather, the girls here are distinctly Latina: their skin is olive, their hair is dark, their eyes are brown and the sex is spicy. They’re also, by most people’s accounts, very attractive. See, for example, this incredibly scientific study. *Hype Alert:* I’d personally put them up there with the Paisas of Poblado, though they are far less superficial.
We all know Argentine girls are difficult Histericas, right? Not so fast. Mendocinas are different from the rest of Argentinians for a few main reasons quite relevant to the international player:
- Girls here drink. In Buenos Aires and elsewhere it is a huge social faux-pas to appear at all intoxicated and consequently girls end up nursing a single drink the entire night. Not so in Mendoza. How does this play out? Like Roosh in Iceland, I found the best time to approach is between 4am and closing time. In fact, I never once pulled a girl that I met before 4:30am and some as late as 6:30am; that just seems to be the magical time period. By then, a girl is no longer totally sober, maybe she’s had enough of chatting/dancing with her friends and is just more likely to be horny and looking for a hookup. In any case, inhibitions are down and opportunity is up.
- There is no sex tourism. In Buenos Aires especially, girls can avoid talking to or being seen with a foreigner for fear, irrational or not, of being labeled a whore. That attitude has not translated to Mendoza and being a foreigner is not an immediate DLV. In fact, like much of Latin America, they too have been brainwashed to think that the Northern European gringo look - tall, pale, blue eyes, blond hair - is the ideal of beauty, and being a gringo with this stereotypical look is a definite DHV. For non-stereotypical looking gringos, simply being a gringo is not a DLV like the rest of Argentina.
- They aren’t snobby or rude. Argentine girls with lighter skin, like those of Palermo/Recoleta in Buenos Aires or Cordoba, think they’re God’s gift to Latin America. They are shocked and appalled that you, a lowly gringo, had the gall to talk to them in front of their friends and disturb their important conversation about the dating habits of national celebrities. How dare you. Thankfully, those girls don’t exist in Mendoza (with one notable exception, see Nightlife below.) In fact, you’ll generally get on the good side of a Mendocino (e.g. taxi driver) if you complain that Portenos are stuck up and that Mendoza is far more mellow.
- They aren’t histericas (mostly.) Closely related to point 3, the histerica behavior is strongly toned down in Mendoza, after 4am at least. The disappearing act is far more rare, you shouldn’t get the head turn unless you’re going Brazilian caveman and the phone games and flakiness non-existent. This is all personal experience, as local men still complain about the female behavior, so be forewarned that YMMV.
Language-wise, English varies a lot, from minimal to fluency. Though most understand at least some due to television exposure to Anglo culture, it can be difficult to get it out of them, even when liquored up. I approach in English and transfer over to broken Spanglish when necessary. If you speak zero Spanish then it would be pretty tough; a couple levels of the Pimsleur program should suffice to quickly get you to a basic level.
One last thing. I mentioned that travelers flood the city in Summer, so shouldn’t that really mess things up for picking up locals? No, and here’s why. The few Brazilians you’ll see out run standard caveman game, but the local girls are already used to the Argentine variant and know how to deal with it. (Namely, ignore the first 49 kiss attempts, make out wildly on the 50th if it gets that far and then disappear.) Chileans seemingly have little to no game in Argentina, and the Argentines don’t like them anyway. So now we get to the gringos. Basically 100% of the gringos you’ll see out are backpackers and here’s what usually happens. A mixed group will go out after a hostel party. They will stand in a circle at the bar/club and the girls will use the guys as protection from the aggressive Argentine men. All the while the gringo guys think the attention from the girls means they’re going to score later (it doesn’t.) The girls want to leave by 2:30am at the latest to wake up early for some bullshit tour they’re going on, so the whole group leaves together. At no time do the gringo guys hit on the local girls. Importantly, there are few, if any, gringo guys left out at 4am, the start of the magical hookup time. I have never seen a gringo guy, besides your humble author of course, cold-approach a Mendocina at night.
Race and reception
A northern European looking gringo with decent game and beginner Spanish, who doesn’t look like a grungy zen backpacker, should, in peak season, pull locals without much difficulty, nightly even.
A Latin looking guy will have difficulty with the locals and, though I don’t want to say it’s impossible, I’ve never seen it happen despite countless attempts. The reception is just completely different from a stereotypical gringo. (MiXX, please prove me wrong!) On the other hand, many Gringa travelers are dying for some Latin lovin’ and you should have an easy time with them, if that’s your thing - I’ve also seen that countless times. Be careful, though, because as mentioned they always have some bullshit tour or something planned early the next day that they use as resistance. I’d recommend the combined hostel parties to meet them and penetrate their temporary social circle (see Nightlife below) as they are less receptive and more defensive once they leave and go to a bar/club due to super-aggressive male locals.
Black/Indian/Asian/other ethnicities, I don’t know.
Daygame
I personally didn’t partake, but if I were going to street game then Plaza Independencia and Colon/Aristides are the obvious choices as they are always packed with attractive girls, usually students. A less obvious, but possibly better choice would be to head to the safe, residential area of Godoy Cruz, say around Plaza Godoy Cruz. Tourists are rare and a non-local gets eye-fucked by everyone. Some of the most attractive girls I’ve seen were just walking around here looking bored. You’ll need to bring your game in Spanish, though, as girls are less likely to speak any English.
Another viable option is the English/Spanish language exchanges. For those in the know in Argentina, these are usually venues for local girls to meet foreign guys in a comfortable setting. As an aside, outside of Mendoza, this is your best bet for meeting Argentine girls - bar/club game has a comparatively ridiculously low return on investment. La Guia, a free monthly publication about events and nightlife available in the tourist offices and elsewhere, has daily listings for these meetups, usually coffee shops or bars.
Nightlife
NYC it is not, but there should be something to suit your taste. There are five main nightlife areas:
- Aristides: The main nightlife strip in Centro, with sit down bars, regular bars and clubs. Though there are a few options here I kept returning to Por Aca. Yes, it’s the main listing in the Bible. Yes, gringos flock here. Yes, the music can be cheesy. But it’s always busy with medium turnover, the gringos never approach and all leave early as mentioned earlier, and the girls tend to be more up for foreign guys. Though the girls aren’t necessarily gringo hunters, about 75% of what they play is 70s, 80s, 90s Anglo music (some great, some terrible) and as such they have a preselected likeness to Anglo culture. Despite its size and design, there are still a few nooks and crannies that make it possible to isolate. Avoid on Friday and Saturday from 1-3am, as it gets ridiculously busy and loud. If you’re a bit older it probably won’t be your cup of tea.
- The clubs in El Challo: These are a group of big dance clubs about 30-45min by car outside of Centro. Logistics are horrible for gaming and most locals are somewhat sober because they drive to and from. You can get numbers for day 2s here, but don’t expect a SNL. Not recommended.
- The clubs in Chacras de Coria: Ditto as above.
- On San Martin Sur in Godoy Cruz: There’s a strip of a few clubs about 10min by car outside centro. Two notable places are: i) OchoCuarente Bar: Nothing special and considered a bit seedy by locals, I had good success here. Overall, the music, décor and patronage are pretty average for an Argentine club. I was usually waved in and avoided cover just for being a gringo, and you’ll certainly not see another foreigner here. ii) Iskra: A little slice of Buenos Aires clubbing in Mendoza in a very bad way. The only place that actively enforces (racist) face control and the spot with the highest cover. This is the club for the few lighter skinned, upper class Mendocinos and the attitude clearly shows. Got no love here. Definitely avoid.
- Alameda in Centro: Strip of bars on San Martin. Needs more research.
For the Latin guys or anyone trying to penetrate the temporary traveler social circles before they head out, as mentioned earlier a chain of hostels (Mendoza Inn, Campo Base, International Mendoza and Mendoza Backpackers) hosts joint parties every night of the week. As anywhere from 50-200 people show up from different places, you won’t seem out of place even if you’re not staying at a hostel . These generally involve lots of free booze and if you have any game and a desire for gringas it’s like shooting fish in a barrel. Personally, not my scene, but if you’re interested show up to one of the hostels to get the party schedule and buy tickets.
Non-game activities
The vast majority of tourists come to Mendoza to visit the wineries. There are various ways to do this, like hiring a driver for the day or taking a package tour, but biking around on a self-guided tour is great fun. The guidebooks and anyone you talk to will recommend Hugo Bikes, and so will I. Mr. Hugo is awesome and will try to get you drunk off free wine before you start your tour. You will definitely be drunk by the end.
Sports-wise, there’s white-water rafting nearby in the summers, skiing/snowboarding in the winters and the city acts as a starting off point for climbers to Cerro Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Americas.
An area up in the mountains about an hour outside Mendoza called Potrerillos is popular with locals for weekend trips and vacations. It’s no Banff or Lake Tahoe, but it’s pleasant enough, very quiet, and many girls will have fond memories of it from their childhood. There’s not much to do up there besides hike, picnic and fuck. If a girl suggests you go up there for the weekend that means only one thing.
There’s little sightseeing to do in the city itself, but most tourists at least briefly vist Parque San Martin. If you do, be on the alert as it’s in a seemingly nice area, but is actually the main location for robbing tourists, especially ones on bikes. Most never see it coming: kids jump out of bushes, grab their stuff at knifepoint and take off on the bikes, all within a few seconds. Not trying to scaremonger, but this is the most common negative experience for visitors in Mendoza.
Housing and fornication logistics
Plenty of tourist infrastructure in Centro. Hostels are around 40-50 pesos/night, private rooms 120+ pesos/night and 1000+ pesos/month. Monthly apartment are somewhat trickier to come by at reasonable prices and will be 2000+ pesos/month, sometimes vastly more. I found a place via http://www.mihouse.com.ar/. For a short term stay anywhere in the area surrounding Plaza Independencia is good, with Aristides having a high density of options. The nicest area of the city is directly west of Plaza Independencia between Belgrano and Parque San Martin and I’d recommend finding a place there for a longer stay.
For quick and dirty fornication, telos are everywhere, from 20 peso apartments in Centro to 300 peso luxury suites 10min drive outside Centro. I’d usually just get in a taxi with a girl and tell the cab driver to take us to a telo and let him surprise me. Telos, or pay-by-the-hour hotels, are generally not seedy at all; rather, they’re quite clean and well-kept and there’s no stigma attached in going to one.
Getting around
Walking is the easiest way to get around Centro as it’s quite compact and safe, even at night. For the lazy or exercise-impaired, a taxi should cost less than 10 pesos. To get further out, taxis and buses are available, though the bus routes aren’t the easiest to figure out. The first number gives the general direction the bus is going and the second number is the specific route that it takes in that general direction. To use the buses, buy a bus card and put money on it at a Kiosko - about half of them will carry the cards.
Self-directed pharmacological research
In general, very cheap by Western standards. One’s best bet is to ask a group of 2-4 guys hanging around the south side of Plaza Independencia during the day. Innocuously walk around the area first to make sure there aren’t any five-oh about. Don’t do this at night as there are too many people of questionable intention and character around. SWIM got an 8-ball of good yay for 50 pesos. Green is cheap but poor quality; SWIM was never able to find good green in Argentina.
Sustenance
Groceries
In Centro, there are small Carrefours at Colon and Patricias Mendocinas, Las Heras and Patricias Mendocinias, San Martin and Lavalle and a large one at Las Heras and Belgrano.
Low End
Papito Barloa: In Las Heras on San Martin. A local institution with best lomos in Mendoza and maybe all of Argentina. Place looks sketchy as fuck and you’ll definitely be the only foreigner there, as it’s not in the Bible (yet) and near one of the most dangerous areas. Highly recommended.
Dante Soppelsa: In Centro on Lavalle. Forget the Ferruccio Soppelsa shops dotting the city and head to his brother Dante’s for the best helado around.
Los Dos Amigos: In Las Heras on Santa Fe. Standard dive bar on the surface, but serves cheap, good local food and turns into a live music venue at midnight when local musicians of various genres start to play. Great atmosphere (not a place for pickup, though) and devoid of tourists. In sketchy red-light area, so have transportation settled beforehand.
La Flor de La Canela: In Centro on Juan B Justo. Decent Peruvian cuisine for when you’re sick of steak and pasta.
Higher End
Seite Cocinas: In Centro on Mitre. One of the nicest and highest quality restaurants in town and serving modern fare from the seven regions of Argentina. A favorite of upper class Mendocinos as well as local and foreign businessman. No grungy zen backpackers here.
Mar y Monte: In Centro on Peru. Cuisine from the mountains and the sea in a quaint, rustic setting. Probably my favorite restaurant in the city.
La Marchigiana: In Centro on Patricias Mendocinas. Best Italian restaurant in town of many. Modern but uninspiring decor.
Decimo: In Centro on Girabaldi. A resto wine bar with decent sushi and cocktails. On the penthouse/roof of supposedly the highest building in Mendoza, with great views of the city and surrounding area. Very popular for “romantic” dates among the upper-class. Location is unmarked, just enter the building, pass the guard and take the elevator to the 10th floor.
I can't have sex with your personality, and I can't put my penis in your college degree, and I can't shove my fist in your childhood dreams, so why are you sharing all this information with me?