Set romantically inside the historic Escorihuela winery on the outskirts of town, Francis Mallmann's 1884 Restaurante has dominated Mendoza's culinary landscape for nearly two decades. It is the superstar-chef's longest-running venture, and though his new project in the Uco Valley may be getting all the buzz these days, the original remains a must for Mendoza-bound epicures. Request a table in the blooming interior courtyard, framed by prodigious iron windows (the winery was built in 1884) and sample Mallmann's greatest hits from the parrilla and the clay oven. Our fail-proof order: burnt carrots, salted chicken and blackened stone fruit for dessert.

Casa de Uco’s farm-to-table restaurant is infused with a lot of heart from its chef, a Mendoza native, who uses only seasonal ingredients, many of which are grown in the estate’s vegetable garden or sourced from local farmers. The dining room surrounds a crackling fireplace and has views over the vineyards, making for a very warm and romantic setting. If you’re staying at The Vines, it’s worth the 10-minute drive to this property for dinner.

Located in the boutique hotel Entre Cielos, Katharina attracts more than just hotel guests. Its haute cuisine menu is popular with locals who come for a romantic meal with a view of the hotel’s vineyards and the Andes as a backdrop.

This delightful little restaurant is set in a house, where living rooms, bedrooms and salons have been stripped of their original furniture and outfitted with dining tables. Located on the corner of a quiet, tree-lined block, Ocho Cepas feels like an insider place, though it’s long been renowned for its excellent menu of Argentine classics.

Francis Mallmann, whose 1884 Restaurante put Mendoza on Argentina's culinary map in the mid-90s, has partnered with The Vines Resort & Spa to open Siete Fuegos, where all the theatrics of cooking with fire are readily on display. Here Mallmann's able disciples practice seven distinct techniques of open-flame cooking, and diners are invited to watch. While aficionados will be familiar with the parrilla and the clay oven, few will have witnessed vegetables baked "al rescoldo" (inside a mound of smoldering embers) or salmon roasted "al infiernillo" (on a shelf between two open log fires). Few will have seen an entire quadruped roasted ceremoniously "al asador" (on an iron stake)—a time and labor-intensive undertaking usually reserved for weekend gatherings. Fortunately, in the relative wilderness of the Uco Valley, there is both plenty of time and plenty of wide-open space for leisurely Sunday asados.