Uruguay Travel: Where to Eat, Drink and Sleep

Uruguay‘s food and drink culture, based to great degree upon its all-organic beef production and Tannat-dominant red wines, has been stimulated in recent years by the uptick in tourism from neighbors Argentina and Brazil. The economic engine of that tourism has helped to drive interest in higher-level cuisine, wineries, and resorts. Below, a look at what’s new and exciting in Uruguay’s booming, easterly Punta del Este/José Ignacio area.

Fasano Las Piedras

With a gated entry that commences a 1.5 kilometer drive to reception, Fasano Las Piedras is a sight to behold. The 1200-acre former ranch opened December 2010 with three Italian restaurants on the property. Of these, the wood-heavy main house, Las Piedras, is the most family-oriented. The pool restaurant, situated amongst 6000+ books culled from antique shops, is often featured in travel magazine photos. Upscale-casual, it boasts a wide range of small plates to share along with sandwiches, elegant pastas, and main courses comprised of local ingredients. The main restaurant, Fasano, features an all-Italian menu and is widely considered the best Italian restaurant in Uruguay. Open only for dinner, its dishes blend Italian and Uruguayan ingredients to perfect effect. Here you’ll find both raviolis filled to order and Uruguayan caviar from the Rio Negro.

The wine list is heavy with selections from France and Argentina, along with sparkling wines from throughout the world. Uruguayan wines by the glass run between $7 and $14, and include Pizzorno’s Sauvignon blanc and Tannat, Bouza’s Albariño, and Garzon’s Tannat. Water throughout Fasano Las Piedras is provided by proprietary wells treated on-site for purity.

A concrete bungalow is home to the property’s bar, a great place to relax and enjoy classic Uruguayan drinks and smokes. Thirty-two 80-120 square meter concrete bungalows, of which 10 are suites, are designed without windows for privacy but come with balconies and skylights. All – even the most spacious and those with sweeping views – have an intimate feel, and all have golf carts to help guests navigate the property.

If you’re looking to relax, Fasano’s spa features Uruguayan olive oil and wine therapies. Its just-opened equestrian center with stables is shared with residents of a new development adjacent to the property. There’s also a well-integrated, unobtrusive, environmentally low-impact nine-hole golf course with two extra greens and an antique railcar for its elegantly simple clubhouse, the first in South America designed by Arnold Palmer.

Next, more hotel, restaurant and sightseeing suggestions for Uruguay travel…

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Santas Negras

Just a short walk from Jose Ignacio’s roundabout gas station is Santas Negras, a labor of love between Paula Martini and her husband Martín Pittaluga of La Huella. The couple operated the now-defunct Baja Alma out of their central José Ignacio home until it grew so popular it had to be adjusted. An attempt to create Santas Negras as a wine bar/shop failed so they rethought matters and designed it as an understated dining and drinking concept, taking full advantage of the lush, open-air surroundings. Here you’ll find wonderful classic cocktails (try the Negroni, perfectly made with three equal portions of red vermouth, Campari, and your choice of gin), and lovely bites including a cold grilled eggplant topped with a dollop of young local goat cheese aside a heaping of freshly dressed rucola, a Brotola filet served aside a delightfully light couscous, and chocolate mousse.

La Susana

La Susana, Vik´s new restaurant in José Ignacio, is one of this season’s most talked about restaurant openings in Uruguay. A fine addition to the beachfront wining and dining scene, the 150-seat open and indoor bar and restaurant is overseen by veteran Argentine manager and sommelier Emiliano Cordeiro and executive chef Marcelo Betancourt. Situated by the incredible Mansa beach and boasting a vast and glorious sunset view, La Susana has all the charm of a posh, laid-back, beach club. Stop by for lunch and a look at the beach, to have cocktails gazing at the sunset, to party the night away with friends, or for a romantic dinner under the stars by the always-lit fire. Must-tries are the red-hot chili caipiroska prepared with the house’s Christiania vodka, quinoa salad, grilled locally-caught silverside fish, and the caramel-infused non-alcoholic Vikaccino. And if the night becomes a bit debauched, next door is Vik’s soon to open 20-room shorefront hotel.

Cuatro Mares

A fresh newcomer to the ‘down the point’ Punta del Este scene located on a mostly residential corner is Cuatro Mares. Owned by 34-year-old Rivera native Gaston Yelicich, the former chef of José Ignacio hotspots Isla de Flores, Baja El Alma, and Caracola, Cuatro Mares features a provisional menu with 19 mostly Uruguayan wines to keep things “cheap, decent, and good,” which reflects the baby-faced chef’s perspective on food.

Try: a Greek-inspired berenjenas y queso de cabra drizzled with local olive oil and paired well with a Sauvignon blanc from an old Uruguayan family winery, Narbune; Gorgonzola from the western Colonia district sprinkled with walnut pieces and concentrated balsamico; an off-menu octopus dish–tentacle over sliced and sautéed potatoes and onions topped with salt and dried tomato skins paired with a full-on Bouza Tempranillo Rosé; and finally the Brotola a la Inglesa, a local and traditional fish dish, roasted in the oven with butter, fresh bread crumbs, and dollops of ‘maitre d’hotel’, served with boiled young potatoes and spinach with onions in béchamel sauce. Yelicich makes ketchup that includes a touch of Cognac to accompany his beef dishes–a reason to return after this large lunch.