BIO Solo Organico Restaurant

The heat has reached Buenos Aires. It’s driving gastronomic desire away from heavy meat and potato dishes and toward fresh, ripe vegetable laden meals. Bio Solo Organico is a perfect spot to get your fix. Opened seven years ago, Bio bills itself as the very first organic restaurant of its kind in Buenos Aires. With so much practice, it is no surprise that this spot is one of the best in the city for vegetarian fare.

Food & Drink Menu

You’ll get the menu, a small plate of brown bread, and hummus-like spread upon sitting down. As one would expect, Bio Solo Organico has a menu filled with salads, soups, stir frys, vegetables upon vegetables, and strange sounding meat substitutes. The salads are straight-forward and large enough to satisfy. A few highlights from the menu include:

Carrot & pumpkin soup: I was lucky enough to dine on a day when this was the soup du jour. Thick and creamy with a tinge of sweetness, drizzle of cream for aesthetics, and served with a small slice of brown bread.

Veggie Burrito: Served with a pile of multi-colored greens topped with a light vinaigrette dressing, the burrito was served about to bust at the seems. Inside a whole wheat tortilla, the stir-fried shredded vegetable (Yamani) mix of carrots, cabbage, and zucchini are stuffed alongside a fried soy milanesa (like a breaded patty). The warm heaviness of the fried soy patty and vegetables is a great compliment to the cool of the salad. For a spike of flavor, a orange-red chili sauce is served along-side.

If you get the pizzas at Bio, be prepared for a different kind of flavor. These aren’t the heavy white-dough and oozing cheese kinds of pizzas. They taste more natural and the dough is like pita bread, piled high with good ‘n healthy stuff. They’re good, but if you’re in the mood for classic pizza you’ll be disappointed.

Many of the desserts that come out of the kitchen look fantastic, but I’ve only had the opportunity to try one. The carob and walnut brownie with raspberry should be regarded with the same caution as the pizzas. It’s not your normal brownie. There was a welcomed sweetness to it and the sauce was divine, but a grittiness as well. “Kind of weird,” was the comment my friend made. Try the others!

Lastly, but not the least, the drink menu at Bio offers a terrific array of beverages. Several tea options, organic coffee, and, interestingly, fig coffee. Aside from that, large jars of lemonade and juice are also available, which would set off any meal on the menu quite well. There is a limited number of white and red wines, too.

Décor

The palette of greens that make up the exterior and interior of the restaurant mirror the intentions of this restaurant. Natural, organic, airy, and light – the inside of the restaurant has a large black board detailing specials hanging from the back ceiling. A selection of organic products for sale, such as wines, pastas, and sauces, are just beneath. Springy table decorations of green grass sprigs or flowers adorn every white wooden table. With its large windows and soft light inside, the place manages to be light and airy in the summer, yet cozy and inviting in the winter.

By Contributor Writer Skye Brannon 

BIO Solo Organico Restaurant

Address: Humboldt 2199 (cross street is Guatemala), Palermo Hollywood

Telephone: (011) 4774-3880

Hours: Monday to Sunday 9 a.m. to 1 a.m.

www.biorestaurant.com.ar (in Spanish)

www.facebook.com/pages/BIO-Solo-Org