Restaurant in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Japanese small plates, Michelin-credentialled, book ahead.
A Michelin Plate-recognised izakaya in Belgrano, Kōnā is the most credentialled Japanese small-plates restaurant in Buenos Aires and the only one at $$$ with a bar program worth treating as the main event. Two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024–2025) and a 4.2 Google rating across 400+ reviews confirm consistent quality. Book the counter for the full experience.
If you have been to Kōnā once, the question is not whether to return — it is what you missed the first time. This Michelin Plate-recognised izakaya in Buenos Aires operates in a category with almost no local competition: Japanese small-plates dining built around a serious drinks program, held at a $$$ price point that sits squarely between the city's casual parrillas and its top-tier tasting-menu restaurants. For returning visitors, the drinks side of the menu deserves closer attention than it typically gets on a first visit. Kōnā's bar program is the element that separates it from a simple Japanese restaurant and makes it worth treating as a destination in its own right.
The address on Mcal. Antonio José de Sucre 696 in the residential pocket of Belgrano puts Kōnā away from the tourist-heavy concentration of Palermo restaurants, and that distance is visible from the moment you walk in. The room reads as deliberate restraint: clean lines, low light, and a counter format that makes the visual rhythm of a well-made drink or a composed small plate the focal point. On a return visit, you notice the architectural choices more clearly — the space is designed to direct your attention toward the bar and the kitchen pass rather than toward itself. That is a considered position for a Buenos Aires restaurant to take, and it pays off if you book a counter seat specifically.
Chef Jessica Natali leads the kitchen, and the izakaya format she operates gives the drinks program room to function as a genuine co-lead rather than an afterthought. In an izakaya, the bar and the kitchen are meant to work together , drinks are designed to pace the meal, not just accompany it. At Kōnā, that relationship is more developed than at most Japanese restaurants in the city, and it is the main reason a return visit reads differently from a first one. The first time, most diners focus on the food. The second time, the cocktail and sake selection earns its own focus.
The drinks program at Kōnā is the strongest argument for booking a seat at the counter rather than a table. Buenos Aires has a fast-moving cocktail scene, but Japanese-inflected cocktail thinking , lighter structures, ingredient-forward builds, less reliance on citrus-and-spirit formula , remains rare in the city. Without confirming a specific current menu (the venue data does not include current listings), the izakaya format reliably supports sake, shochu, Japanese whisky, and cocktails designed to work with umami-forward food. That combination is not replicated at comparable price points elsewhere in Buenos Aires. If the drinks program is your primary reason for the visit, go on a quieter weeknight rather than a weekend, when counter seats are easier to hold and the pace allows for a more deliberate progression through the menu.
For comparison: the Buenos Aires bar scene offers strong cocktail destinations, but almost none of them are structured around Japanese ingredient logic at a sit-down dining format. Kōnā occupies that gap specifically, and it does so with enough consistency to have earned Michelin Plate recognition in both 2024 and 2025 , two consecutive years of acknowledgement that confirms the kitchen and the overall experience are being maintained rather than coasting.
The Michelin Plate in 2025 and 2024, plus an Opinionated About Dining Casual ranking and a prior Recommended listing, gives Kōnā a credentialled track record that is unusual for an izakaya operating outside Japan or the major Japanese-dining cities. A 4.2 Google rating across 407 reviews is a useful ground-level signal: broad enough to be statistically meaningful, consistent enough to suggest the experience is reliable rather than variable. For a Buenos Aires Japanese restaurant operating at $$$, that combination of industry recognition and general-audience consistency is the practical evidence you want before booking.
Booking difficulty is moderate. Kōnā is not as hard to get into as Don Julio or Aramburu, but it is not a walk-in restaurant on a weekend. Aim to book at least a week ahead for a Friday or Saturday evening, and request counter seats explicitly if you want the full bar-program experience. Midweek reservations are more available and give you better access to the counter. The address in Belgrano means an Uber or taxi from central Palermo is the practical approach , the neighbourhood is accessible but not walkable from the main dining cluster. No phone number or website is currently listed in the Pearl database, so booking through a third-party platform or direct enquiry via the restaurant's social presence is the route to take. See our full Buenos Aires restaurants guide for reservation logistics across the city.
Kōnā is the right choice if you are looking for a Buenos Aires dinner that steps outside the steak-and-wine format without moving into the $$$$ tasting-menu tier. It works well for two people who want a drinks-led evening with serious food alongside, or for a small group of three or four willing to share small plates. It is a less natural fit for large groups or for anyone whose priority is a classic porteño experience , for that, El Preferido de Palermo at $$ or La Carniceria at $$ are more suitable and more affordable. If you are building a multi-day Buenos Aires itinerary, Kōnā fits naturally as a contrast night after a traditional asado or parrilla dinner , the format, price point, and drinking culture are different enough to feel like a distinct experience rather than a repetition. For broader planning, our Buenos Aires hotels guide, experiences guide, and wineries guide cover the full picture.
If Kōnā's Japanese small-plates format appeals and you want to compare it against izakaya in other cities, Tei-An in Dallas and Ippuku in San Francisco are the relevant reference points. For other Michelin-recognised dining across Argentina, Azafrán in Mendoza and Cavas Wine Lodge in Alto Agrelo are worth building a trip around. If you are extending into the broader Buenos Aires contemporary dining scene, Anafe, Crizia, and Trescha each offer a different angle on what the city's current kitchens are doing.
At $$$, Kōnā is well-positioned. You are paying for a Michelin Plate-recognised izakaya with a serious drinks program , a format that does not exist elsewhere in Buenos Aires at this price tier. For a night that is neither a budget parrilla nor a $$$$ tasting menu, it delivers genuine value, particularly if you use the bar program fully. If your priority is classic Argentine food, spend less at El Preferido de Palermo instead.
Without current menu data confirmed in the Pearl database, specific dish recommendations are not possible here. What is reliable: the izakaya format means small plates designed for sharing and drinks built to pace the meal. On a return visit, focus on the drinks side , sake, shochu, or the cocktail list , alongside the kitchen's small plates rather than ordering as if it were a conventional restaurant. Ask the counter staff what is drinking well that evening; that is the format the space is built for.
Yes, with the right expectations. The $$$ price point, Michelin Plate recognition, and counter-dining format make it a strong choice for a birthday or anniversary dinner for two who want something beyond the standard Buenos Aires steakhouse evening. It is less suited to a large celebratory group. For a special-occasion dinner that centres on Argentine cuisine and can handle a bigger party, Don Julio at $$$$ is the comparison to consider.
Small groups of two to four work well with the izakaya small-plates format. Larger groups are harder to manage at a counter-focused restaurant, and no private dining room is confirmed in the current Pearl data. If you are planning a group of six or more, contact the restaurant directly before booking to confirm configuration. For larger group dining in Buenos Aires at a comparable price, Elena at $$$ has a more conventional layout suited to bigger tables.
The izakaya format typically includes options across fish, meat, and vegetable preparations, which gives the kitchen flexibility. However, Japanese cuisine relies heavily on soy, mirin, and dashi-based stocks, which are not naturally allergen-free or vegan. No specific dietary accommodation policy is confirmed in the Pearl database. If you have a serious allergy or strict dietary requirement, contact the restaurant directly before booking rather than assuming the format will accommodate you.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kōnā | Izakaya, Japanese | $$$ | Michelin Plate (2025); Opinionated About Dining Casual in Europe Ranked #609 (2024); Michelin Plate (2024); Opinionated About Dining Casual in Europe Recommended (2023) | Moderate | — |
| Don Julio | Argentinian Steakhouse | $$$$ | Michelin 1 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Aramburu | Modern Argentinian, Creative | $$$$ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| El Preferido de Palermo | Argentinian, Traditional Cuisine | $$ | World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Elena | South American, Steakhouse | $$$ | Unknown | — | |
| La Carniceria | Argentinian Steakhouse, Meats and Grills | $$ | Unknown | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Kōnā and alternatives.
Small groups of two to four are the format Kōnā suits best, given its izakaya structure and counter seating. Larger parties are harder to place without advance planning — check the venue's official channels before assuming a table for six or more is available. This is not a private-dining-room restaurant.
Yes, with the right expectations. The Michelin Plate recognition and $$$ price point give it occasion-dinner credibility, but the izakaya format is relaxed rather than ceremonial. If you want tableside theatre and a long tasting menu, Aramburu fits better. Kōnā works for birthdays or anniversaries where the priority is a genuinely good meal over formality.
No dietary information is documented in available venue data, so confirm directly when booking. Japanese small-plates menus typically involve soy, seafood, and gluten across multiple dishes, so vegetarian or allergy-specific diners should flag requirements before arriving rather than at the table.
Specific menu items are not documented in Pearl's venue data, so treat the counter seat and the bar program as the anchors of your visit rather than chasing a single dish. The drinks program has drawn consistent recognition alongside the food, making Kōnā worth booking as a full evening rather than a quick dinner stop.
At $$$, Kōnā sits in the same price tier as credentialled Buenos Aires restaurants with far longer queues, and it holds a Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025 plus an OAD Casual ranking. For a Buenos Aires dinner that moves past the steak-and-Malbec format without climbing to $$$$, the value case is solid. If steak is the priority, El Preferido de Palermo delivers more for less.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
