Known as the birthplace of some of Argentina’s greatest artists, such as singer-songwriter Fito Páez, comedian Alberto Olmedo and illustrator Roberto Fontanarrosa, Rosario is emerging as one of Argentina’s most compelling food destinations, pairing culinary ambition with a revitalized riverfront along the Paraná River.

Home to about 1.3 million people in its metropolitan core, the city has undergone significant urban redevelopment along its waterfront. Once dominated by port activity, the shoreline is now a continuous green corridor of parks, promenades, and bike paths, filled daily with joggers, cyclists, and families rediscovering a more open, livable Rosario.

The surrounding Greater Rosario area is also Argentina’s main agro-export hub and the second largest in the world, shipping grains, oils and premium meats. That productive identity increasingly finds expression on the dinner table. Local chefs and restaurant entrepreneurs are building a contemporary culinary scene grounded in regional ingredients, turning gastronomy into one of the city’s most attractive calling cards for visitors.

Rosario’s port, officially established in 1860, marked the city’s transformation from a commercial outpost into a national logistics center. The opening of its first docks in 1852, the arrival of the Central Railway in 1863 linking Rosario with Córdoba, and the later modernization driven by French capitals at the turn of the 20th century helped shape the city’s economic backbone.

Today, the Puerto Norte district blends contemporary residential towers with former grain silos converted into cultural venues and art spaces.

Farther north along the river lies La Florida, a neighborhood founded in 1889 as a summer retreat. Its beach culture began in 1919 when agronomist Carlos Escauriza cleared part of the riverbank to establish the La Peña restaurant. Declared a municipal beach in 1933, La Florida hosted the 2019 South American Beach Games and currently combines recreational spaces with a growing food offering overlooking the water.

La Peña eventually evolved into Escauriza, currently one of Rosario’s most respected fish restaurants. Still........

© Buenos Aires Herald