"Over the course of more than 25 years, Azafrán built a following from its home in a historic building in downtown Mendoza by serving elevated Argentine standards. When it reopened after a two-year closure, the restaurant looked the same, but offered an all-new experience. Now a dinner-only, fine dining destination, it serves a six-course menu created entirely with Mendocino ingredients and a 10-course menu utilizing ingredients from around the country. Headed by chef Sebastián Weigandt, who sports a tattoo on his wrist of the Michelin star that he and his slick staff earned, Azafrán now turns out dishes like tender cured prawns covered in beet slice “scales” on a bed of cashew cream. Wine pairings are equally creative (a brilliant 30-year-old riesling, for example), and there’s a mocktail menu that’s not merely a teetotaling afterthought." - Karen Catchpole
