This is a Guru’Guay Top Pick
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Welcome to La Barra, Uruguay and a unique restaurant open daily for lunch, events and coffee out back of a vintage furniture store. Plus a deli stocking best local produce.
In Salón Nº 3 it’s all about the ingredients—and Uruguay has got GREAT ingredients. Cooking with a minimum of intervention, Salón Nº 3 showcases local meat, seafood, fish—caught by hobbyists who call Gonzalo to offer what they just hooked—, locally-milled grains, organic vegetables and honey and olive oil from the nearby sierras.
The vibe is informal—literally pull up one of the two chairs stationed in the huge kitchen for guests—and almost homely. If your home was an antique store styled by an internationally renowned vintage-chic designer.
The proprietors are Argentines, chef Gonzalo together with his partner Paola. They worked in Australia for five years and returning in 2011 chose La Barra, a small, but cosmopolitan beach town close to Punta del Este—Uruguay’s biggest beach resort—as home for their new family.
Since arriving, they have cooked meals at three local schools, teaching the children about good food, how to discern freshness, and to broaden their palates. They invite parents to join the children for lunch (how come that’s not the norm, right?). One of the parents, the afore-mentioned designer invited them to host a weekly dinner event at his hotel throughout the winter of 2019. It was a huge hit and both parties really enjoyed the collaboration. So much so, that Aaron basically built a restaurant at the back of his antique store and invited the couple to start cooking there. How could they say no?
Lunch a la carte Featuring 100% produce from the surrounding area. Gonzalo and Paola grow some of their own ingredients. Fish may reach your plate just two hours after being caught. Reservations recommended as seating is limited. Contact them to find out when dinners are being offered—you won’t regret it!
Coffee and home-made pastries every day from 9am till 5pm.
The Expendio Salón Nº 3’s deli/bakery/enoteca stocks selected local produce and wine, artisanal olive oils and cheeses, organic honey and speciality coffee. Pride of place are Salon No. 3’s own smoked meats, jams and conserves. Always delicious and unexpected.
Open air dining when the weather permits.
They speak great English Paola doesn’t translate the menu though because she wants to have the opportunity to go over it with you personally in English.
Open year round If you’ve read The Guru’Guay Guide to Uruguay you’ll know that this is not the norm on the Uruguay coast.
Salón Nº 3
20001 El Tesoro, Maldonado Department, Uruguay
Reserve by calling or send a WhatsApp message to Paola on +598 97 106 648
Deli and take-away Tuesday to Sunday 9am-5pm
Lunch service 12-3pm Tues-Sunday
Dinner service Check their Instagram account for updates
Events and catering available
Proudly made in Uruguay
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3 Responses
This meal was incredible. The place was tricky to locate behind an antique store with old sinks tubs and other cool things. It can be found on the usual map app.
There is seating inside and outside. The kitchen is open.
We shared two starters, one main and two desserts. One starter was fish croquettes with an apple sauce. The other was beet, plum and goat ricotta. Both were wonderful. The main we chose was deboned tender chicken with a salty crispy skin with mushrooms and kale in a jus. For dessert we had a chocolate mousse with olive oil AND Tarta Vasca con quinotos (Basque cake with kumquats – it is a version of cheesecake without a crust or topping and divine). It is a bit of a splurge, but absolutely worth it.
que dia esta cerrado 2023 gracias
Solo los lunes. Saludos!