New York has plenty of steakhouses, but Graciela is bringing something a little different to the table: the flavors, hospitality and live-fire cooking of Buenos Aires.
Located at 81 Greenwich Avenue in the West Village, Graciela is the first U.S. restaurant from Argentine restaurateur Pablo Rivero, the man behind Buenos Aires institution Don Julio. The restaurant opened this summer and is inspired by Argentina’s neighborhood bodegones—casual taverns where good food, good wine and even better conversation are part of the experience.
And then there is the grill.
The centerpiece of Graciela NYC is a massive Argentine parrilla and Spanish Josper oven, creating more than 10 feet of live-fire cooking space. The kitchen uses imported quebracho blanco charcoal, giving steaks and vegetables that unmistakable smoky, wood-fired flavor.
Naturally, steak is a major attraction. The menu includes ojo de bife (ribeye), skirt steak and New York strip, but Graciela isn’t simply another steakhouse with a bigger-than-average wine list. You’ll also find ossobuco empanadas, fainá, grilled branzino, roasted vegetables, housemade charcuterie and New York strip milanesa.
Translation: You can come for the steak and still find yourself ordering half the menu.
The restaurant seats about 120 people, with the design leaning into a warm, old-world Argentine tavern aesthetic featuring reclaimed wood, stone and vintage furnishings.
And Graciela’s name has a personal connection. Rivero named the restaurant after his mother, giving the West Village newcomer a little family history alongside all that beef.
For anyone searching for Argentine restaurants in NYC, the best steak in NYC, or simply a new West Village restaurant worth knowing, Graciela is one of the city’s buzziest new arrivals.
Just remember: Argentina brought the steak.
New York brought the appetite.
