Las Flores: gluten-free and full of possibilities

Where a railway workshop once operated, Las Flores emerges as an urban garden that hides a day-and-night restaurant with top-notch pastry, all gluten-free. The proposal by Chula Gálvez and Santiago Pérez is broad in every sense: the place is a hangar with high ceilings and native plants; the menu offers a variety of options for breakfast, lunch, tea, and dinner. Everything here is mega.

Vegetables, cereals, legumes, proteins, baked goods, pâtisserie. Whatever you're looking for, you'll find it in the most delicious recipes. A gluten-free restaurant-café full of possibilities, where everyone is welcome.

“This iconic place in the city was abandoned, and with my friends, we said: 'Let's do something beautiful and good here.' Chula had been eating gluten-free. From there, we thought of creating a gluten-free place not as a restriction but with an inclusive perspective. We were creating an oasis in the middle of the city; it couldn't have limitations! We wanted it to be as open as possible,” explains Juan Frenkel, one of the partners at Las Flores.

Thus, the grandeur of the space corresponds with a rich menu they have built. Even the wine cellar is quite lush! It climbs up to the sky, allowing them to age bottles. “The wine proposal is enormous. The goal is to balance styles. We work with traditional wineries and small wineries. There's a relationship; it's like they feed off each other. The old ones, which are part of the history of Argentine wine, rejuvenate next to, for example, Piel y Hueso. Those who play it safe here dare to try something different, like an orange wine, an unfiltered wine,” describes Sol Tony, head sommelier of Las Flores. “I admit my favorites are the productions that do not harm the Earth. Understanding the traceability of the bottle gives us the security of knowing what we are bringing to the table,” she explains.

The menu unfolds on the table like a flower in Spring

“The roasted eggplant with stracciatella and persimmon, marinated in quince syrup, is amazing, it comes out super smoky,” says chef Vicky Di Gennaro. She continues with the seasonal flavors: “The soup of the day will always include a superfood, in this case, turmeric, plus a vegetable and a fruit. It comes with pumpkin and red apples from Patagonia, croutons, spicy oil, and seaweed powder, to reduce anxiety and elevate any palate. You eat super delicious, nutritious food and feel light.” The market fish is a white salmon over cauliflower purée.

It's citrus season, and they are in every detail: the osso buco croquettes come with an orange cream; the kale salad with creamy blue cheese and almonds features mandarins with sriracha. For the chef from San Luis, the giant ravioli is a must, and she reveals why: “All the Italians went there, which is why we have the best homemade pasta factories. Now we made the giant ravioli with egg yolk from very happy Corrientes hens. Bagna cauda based on capers, wild arugula, and mushroom filling with cheddar, walnut, and ricotta.”

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Something that amazed us: the breaded cutlet uses a mix of coatings that takes advantage of leftover bread. “They are ground and made into something like panko to which we add toasted rice flour. This gives us a gluten-free texture. The chicken is marinated in yogurt. The supreme comes with an egg and fried capers salad,” says Vicky.

And we haven't even gotten to the desserts, which are more than a chapter; they are a whole book

“Clementine is the emblematic cake of Las Flores. We make it from a mandarin purée and cashew flour. Very balanced, not overly sweet. All our pastries have that spirit; we don't have cloying cakes. It has a creamy white chocolate and cream cheese frosting, so we regulate sweetness and acidity. It's one of the most popular; it's been there since day one, and we keep it because people come back for it,” says Sole Barone. For the head pastry chef, another must is the Sacher. “A dairy-free chocolate cake. A super moist sponge cake with a chocolate and olive oil glaze. It can have orange or apricot jam, which is the original.”

Another standout is the vegan alfajor. If you love the mousse one, crunchy, this is a much superior and very artisanal version, coated in flower petals and crystallized orange peels, with a homemade peanut cream filling and a heart of coconut dulce de leche.

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“We are giving a lot of light to products that took us a lot of time to develop and that are not available on the market. For example, the gluten-free puff pastry was a months-long search,” details Sole. At the sweet counter, you will see it in the Napoleon, which has three layers and two fillings, with dulce de leche and custard, plus a lemon and 70% chocolate glaze. Also in the palmiers. And the idea is for it to participate more and more in savory dishes, in a synergy between pastry and cooking. At the Time Out launch event, it was the first time they played that game, in the pâté with the phosphorescent bite. Spoiler: the fusion of the two environments in one bite is coming. And a second opening, to take advantage of the knowledge. “The research is ongoing. Recently, the Basque Culinary Center came and chose us to see everything we are doing. When we did the recount, we became aware of all the processes we went through, from the cheese bread to the breaded cutlet. The search is not only for technique but also for flavor,” concludes Juan.

Where: Gorriti 5870.