One of my Argentinian friends mentioned that she and 19 friends and relatives had booked Palermo Argentinian Bistro to watch the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina. Figuring the restaurant would fill up quickly, I immediately reserved a table for three in case my friends hadn’t already booked another place.

When Palermo later added a $50 cover charge, my friend’s group abandoned the reservation and watched the match at a private home in Brooklyn instead. Given where Palermo ended up seating us, they really didn’t have the chutzpah to ask us to pay the $50 cover.

We arrived on time for our confirmed reservation only to discover the restaurant had seriously overbooked. Instead of admitting the problem, they escorted us through the back, past the smelly garbage area and wedged us into a tiny space in the aisle leading to the kitchen. Our “table” sat behind the dining room, separated by a railing and pressed up against the wine refrigerator. The three of us barely fit around the high-top and stools—and we even helped a server retrieve bottles of wine from the refrigerator.

We started with the corn and cheese empanadas, filled with sweet yellow corn, butternut squash and cheese, served with llajua, a spicy dipping sauce made with fresh tomatoes, hot locoto peppers and herbs ($12/three), along with a fresh shrimp cocktail ($10/six shrimp). We briefly considered ordering the seafood tower that caught our eye in the dining room—until we learned it cost a staggering $380.

For our entrées, one of us ordered the grilled trout ($48), served with broccolini, a smoky Argentine-style tomato condiment and sun-dried tomatoes. The other two chose the Palermo burger ($39), made with a prime beef blend and topped with lettuce, tomato, onions and cheddar with chimi-truffle aioli, accompanied by French fries.

Once halftime arrived, the restaurant’s celebration completely overshadowed the one on TV. Live music, dancers, confetti and balloons transformed the dining room into a party that was impossible to ignore.

Spain outplayed Argentina and earned the victory—not the outcome we had hoped for. Between the disappointing result and our laughably bad seats, the evening could have been a bust. Fortunately, the lively halftime festivities and the good company still made it a memorable afternoon.

Palermo Argentinian Bistro
Gramercy
53 Irving Pl,
New York, NY 10003
(917) 319-7301
palermoargentinianbistro.com/