San Telmo

Argentinian tucker is not too familiar in Victoria, but San Telmo could change all that. Few expenses were spared in making this wood-and-leather shrine to charcoal-seared beef as authentic as can be: the parrilla or grill, crafted there and assembled here, is magnificent. Breakfast aside, a meal here revolves around flame-grilled beef, ideally secondary cuts such as flank or hanger steaks, meaty ribs and delicate, fire-kissed sweetbreads - all cooked over mallee root coals, all offered with lashings of house-made mild chimichurri sauce or perky salsa. Supporting acts are hardly second fiddles: deep-fried pastry empanadas, especially the cheesy ones, are superb, as are addictive corn and polenta chips with chipotle chilli mayo. Flame-roasted vegies and lively salads (think palmheart, pear, jamon and mozzarella) complete the picture. There's pudding, of course: seductive dulce de leche flan should be compulsory; the alfajor cookies are nearly as good.