Restaurant in Mendoza, Argentina
Fire-first dining in Valle de Uco vineyards.
Siete Fuegos sits in the Valle de Uco vineyards, 90 minutes from Mendoza city, and earns its OAD Top 60 South America ranking through serious open-fire cooking and a setting that justifies the drive. Book lunch for the Andean views and wine country access. A strong special-occasion choice if you're already in the region or staying nearby.
Siete Fuegos is not Francis Mallmann's restaurant in Mendoza city — it's a separate property entirely, set among the vineyards of the Valle de Uco roughly 90 minutes south of the city centre. If you're driving from Mendoza expecting a quick dinner, recalibrate now. The distance is the point: this is a destination meal attached to the Hotel & Spa at The Vines of Mendoza resort, and it rewards anyone willing to make the trip. Ranked #57 in South America in 2024 and #62 in 2025 by Opinionated About Dining, it holds a credible regional position without the Michelin-circuit fanfare that sometimes inflates expectations elsewhere. The cooking centres on open-fire technique, the architecture of the space is genuinely impressive, and the setting in the Andean foothills is the kind of backdrop that makes a lunch stretch into three hours without anyone complaining.
The spatial impression at Siete Fuegos is immediate and deliberate. The dining room is built around the fire itself — the kitchen is not hidden, and the visual anchor of the meal is the live flame. For a special occasion, this framing works well: it gives the meal a theatrical quality without tipping into performance. The setting in the Valle de Uco means Andean views are part of the picture, particularly at lunch. If you're planning a celebration or a significant dinner, the combination of setting, open-fire theatre, and regional wine access makes this one of the stronger choices in the province for that brief. Comparable celebrations at Casa Vigil or Azafrán in the city give you a more urban dinner environment; Siete Fuegos gives you landscape and scale instead.
The cuisine is Argentinian with Mallmann's signature emphasis on wood and fire , expect large-format meat cookery, vegetables cooked directly in embers, and techniques that take time. This is not a kitchen chasing novelty. The approach is deeply familiar to anyone who knows Mallmann's other work, including 1884 Francis Mallmann in Mendoza city , but the Valle de Uco setting gives Siete Fuegos a distinct identity. Google reviewers rate it 4.2 across 677 responses, which for a remote winery restaurant with high price expectations is a solid signal of consistent delivery. The OAD rankings in both 2024 and 2025 confirm that the kitchen is performing at a level that earns regional recognition, not just tourist traffic.
Hours run every day of the week: lunch from 12:30 to 3:00 pm and dinner from 7:30 to 11:00 pm. Lunch is the call if you're making a day trip from Mendoza city , the drive through the Valle de Uco is leading in daylight, and a long lunch here can anchor an entire afternoon in wine country. Dinner works better if you're staying at The Vines or another nearby property like Cavas Wine Lodge. For guests of Entre Cielos Luxury Wine Hotel & Spa based closer to the city, the drive to dinner is manageable but long enough to plan around.
Booking is classed as easy, which reflects the property's scale relative to comparable small-format fire restaurants. That said, Valle de Uco is increasingly drawing serious wine and food travellers, and high season (November through March, when the Andes are clear and harvest energy is building) will reduce your flexibility. Book a week or two ahead in peak season; off-season you have more room. There is no publicly listed phone number or website for independent booking , go through The Vines of Mendoza resort directly or use a hotel concierge if you're staying nearby.
For broader context on where Siete Fuegos fits in Mendoza's dining scene, see our full Mendoza restaurants guide. If you're building out the rest of your trip, our Mendoza wineries guide and our Mendoza hotels guide are useful starting points. Day-trippers combining Siete Fuegos with wine country should also check our Mendoza experiences guide for options in the Valle de Uco corridor.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Siete Fuegos | — | |
| 1884 Francis Mallmann | $$$$ | — |
| Azafrán | $$$$ | — |
| Angélica Cocina Maestra | $$$$ | — |
| Zonda Cocina de Paisaje | $$$ | — |
| Casa Vigil | $$$$ | — |
A quick look at how Siete Fuegos measures up.
1884 Francis Mallmann is the obvious comparison — it's Mallmann's city-centre operation in Mendoza proper, more accessible but without the vineyard setting. Azafrán and Angélica Cocina Maestra are stronger choices if you want Mendoza city dining without committing to the Valle de Uco drive. Casa Vigil suits wine-obsessed visitors who want to pair a cellar visit with a meal. Zonda Cocina de Paisaje competes most directly on the landscape-dining format.
The Valle de Uco vineyard setting and open-fire format read as relaxed but considered — think polished casual rather than formal. Closed-toe shoes make practical sense given the outdoor elements around an active fire kitchen. There is no documented dress code, so overdressing in a suit is unnecessary and underdressing in beachwear would feel out of place.
Siete Fuegos is built around Mallmann's seven fire techniques — the cooking method is the menu's defining logic, not any single dish. Expect wood-fired and ember-cooked meat and vegetables to be central. Specific menu items are not publicly confirmed, so arrive prepared to follow what the kitchen is running rather than chasing a particular dish.
The Valle de Uco location and vineyard estate setting suggest space for larger parties, but private group dining policies are not publicly documented. check the venue's official channels to confirm capacity and any group booking requirements before planning a large event around the venue.
Yes — the combination of Francis Mallmann's name, an OAD Top 62 ranking in South America for 2025, and a vineyard setting in Valle de Uco makes this a strong choice for a significant meal. It works best for people who want a destination experience rather than a quick dinner; the location outside Mendoza city means you are committing to the visit. If proximity to the city matters, 1884 Francis Mallmann delivers a similar chef association with less travel.
Lunch (12:30–3pm) has a practical case: you can visit Valle de Uco wineries in the afternoon and the natural light shows the vineyard setting at its best. Dinner (7:30–11pm) runs later than many Argentine restaurants elsewhere, which aligns with local dining culture. Neither service is documented as materially different in format, so the choice comes down to how you are structuring the day around the visit.
Siete Fuegos is not in Mendoza city — it is at RP94 km 11 in Tunuyán, roughly in the Valle de Uco wine region, which requires a dedicated drive. Factor in transport before booking, especially for dinner. The experience is centred on live-fire cooking by a kitchen following Francis Mallmann's methods, so this is a format-forward meal, not a conventional à la carte restaurant. OAD has ranked it in its South America top 65 for two consecutive years, which is a reliable signal of sustained quality.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
