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[title]There’s no sign that on this quiet, hidden street in La Paternal, near the border with Chacarita, a culinary venture awaits, drawing dozens of people each weekend. In this area, the nostalgic feel of an older Buenos Aires still lingers. Kids ride bikes along the sidewalks, and on Sundays, a neighbor might wash their car while listening to a car race on the radio.
Amid these scenes from another era, a hidden patio brings back the slow tradition of grilling meat, transforming it into a ceremony to enjoy with family or friends.
What Is El Patio de Mabel and How Did It Begin?
A wood-fired grill, over four hours of cooking time for the meats, and a grill master who visits each table to ensure everything is perfect—that’s the experience El Patio de Mabel offers. Luciano created this project three years ago with his daughter Malena, in the backyard of his childhood home.
“This is also my childhood home,” explains Luciano in an interview with Time Out. “I used to play with my friends in the same dining room where I now serve asado to customers. Or I’d play in the backyard by the pool, which is now surrounded by tables,” he adds.
After his mother Mabel passed away in 2018, Luciano left his job at Banco Hipotecario and decided to bring to life a project he had long imagined. He invited his daughter, who was only 18 and just out of high school at the time, to join him. Together, they opened El Patio de Mabel, named in honor of the woman who inspired the family’s culinary passion.
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“I felt trapped at the bank. Like it wasn’t my place. That, and my mom’s voice telling me that this spot would be perfect for a restaurant, pushed me into this adventure. Luckily, I have my daughter as the perfect partner for this journey,” Luciano says.
"Luckily, I have my daughter as an amazing partner for this adventure"
“Mom’s passing surprised me, but it also gave me strength to create El Patio de Mabel,” Luciano shares as he watches over the ribs on the fire. The venture began with an asado for seven people, for which Luciano recalls having prepared three times more food than needed. But that initial effort paid off, as they’ve since grown to fill the entire patio every weekend.
“I’ve learned a lot over time, mostly about managing stock to avoid food waste. This has allowed us to add other dishes on different days, besides the classic weekend asados at El Patio,” Luciano explains.
Luciano Grew Up Around Restaurants
His father, Cacho, who keeps an eye on everything happening at El Patio, owned restaurants in Mar del Plata and neighborhood club buffets. There, the goal was simple: to make people happy with a hearty meal. His mother, Mabel, meanwhile, passed down the secrets of making empanadas and pickled eggplants, which are now served in the patio. Young Luciano watched the cooks and maybe even dreamed of his own restaurant.
The place is much more than a grill—it’s the home of a family reunited around the kitchen, in the same space where Luciano spent his childhood and where Malena once hosted sleepovers with friends, who now serve as waitresses. The 110-year-old house is the perfect setting for an asado where each table becomes a gathering spot, with diners enjoying the shade of a jasmine tree and the scent of the coals.
What’s on the Menu at El Patio de Mabel?
They offer a multi-course menu, starting with pickled eggplants, followed by a platter of chorizo and morcilla, and finishing with ribs and slow-cooked beef. For dessert, Luciano’s sister, Laura, prepares pears in burgundy wine.
Luciano doesn’t share the location of his home, as he calls El Patio de Mabel. Reservations are made via WhatsApp. “If you’re in a hurry or like to finish your meal in an hour, this isn’t the place,” he explains. “Here, we take our time, enjoying long conversations over drinks.”
"If you’re in a hurry or like to finish your meal in an hour, this isn’t the place"
Father and daughter make a seamless team, often communicating without words. Luciano handles the slow-cooked ribs and beef, the offal, sausages, and blood sausages, while Malena takes care of the vegetables and baked potatoes that accompany the meal. The menu is rounded out by the classic empanadas and pickled eggplants, recipes that Mabel taught her son, which he now prepares with love.
The family venture wasn’t without challenges. After a year of opening, with a steady stream of customers, the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to rethink everything. Delivery became their lifeline, and they used the pause to prepare for reopening. Luciano focused on enhancing the patio. They improved the grill area, added a clay oven for empanadas, and installed a fence around the grill for the kids’ safety. They preserved the jasmine and azaleas that Mabel had tended in what was once her backyard.
During the pandemic, delivery was their lifeline, but they also used the pause to prepare for reopening
“We try to offer a different grilling experience, not just a quick meal like at a neighborhood grill,” Luciano explains. The focus is on the slow-cooked ribs and beef, cooked over wood and charcoal for about five hours. Each table at El Patio de Mabel becomes a ritual, a meeting point for families and friends in this culinary haven. Regular customer Carmen sums it up: “It feels like having asado at home. It reminds me of picnics in Ezeiza with my family when I was little.”
"We try to offer a different grilling experience, not just a quick meal like at a neighborhood grill"
El Patio de Mabel is more than just a place to enjoy good food; it’s a space for reconnecting. “Here, we can chat without being rushed,” says Ignacio as he clinks glasses filled with red wine. Nearby, Viviana celebrates her birthday surrounded by friends. Luciano, always attentive, goes from table to table, greeting diners and asking how everything was. “That kindness is what drives me to put on the apron and light the fire every weekend,” he says with a smile, sharing a knowing glance with his daughter.
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At one table, groups of friends talk loudly over multiple bottles of wine. Nearby, a couple in their fifties enjoy a meal now that their children have left the nest. Among the tables, a child runs past, followed by their grandmother. All the while, young servers move about with smiles, carrying trays loaded with asado.
This is El Patio de Mabel, a space where every meal tells a story of love for cooking and family. A place where, under the sun of La Paternal, old traditions are rekindled, and new memories are made around the grill. As the day ends, applause erupts from one of the larger tables in praise of the grill master. Luciano smiles and celebrates, looking skyward in a gesture reminiscent of Lionel Messi.
Where: Contact via WhatsApp for the address. Open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.