Mar del Plata chef Lisandro Ciarlotti will bring Argentine cuisine to Europe

Mar del Plata chef Lisandro Ciarlotti will represent Argentina at two important gastronomic events taking place in Europe in the coming weeks, with dishes featuring Patagonian prawns as the main ingredient.

First, it will be present at Argentina Week, on October 1st and 2nd in Paris (France), and then at Conxemar 2026, an important fair that will take place in Vigo (Spain) on October 6th, 7th and 8th.

Invited by the Federal Fisheries Council, the event will take place at the Argentine stand in the Spanish city, where Argentine companies will showcase the quality of Patagonian prawns with various dishes for attendees to sample. Meanwhile, in the French capital, preparations will be made using two products from our sea: prawns and scallops.

“Personally, it’s fantastic. It allows me to connect with people from abroad, make many connections, and showcase Mar del Plata. From that personal perspective, it’s spectacular,” Ciarlotti tells Bacap about the experience he will have in France and Spain.

The chef emphasizes: “Now it’s my turn to go and be the face of this, but it’s the work of many chefs, many restaurants, and many people involved in fishing and the Argentine Sea. Mar del Plata has a coastline and a product of the highest quality, which we are showcasing in Argentina. And now, wild Patagonian prawns as well. You go anywhere in the world, and the prawns are Argentine.”

“I believe our potential lies in the fishing of frozen-on-board shrimp in Argentina, a very high-quality product. The shrimp are already out at sea and arrive at port ready for export,” he emphasizes.

The growth of Argentine gastronomy

Regarding the place that Argentine gastronomy occupies on the international stage, Ciarlotti believes that "we are advancing and we are going for a very good place" and recalls that the country has always had great chefs, many of them references of great restaurants recognized worldwide.

“There’s a fantastic breeding ground for cooks here, and we’re increasingly connecting and sharing things. That old jealousy of ‘I won’t give you the recipe’ isn’t as prevalent anymore. I think we’re on the right track,” he acknowledges.

At this point, he comments that “in Mar del Plata we share a lot, we talk all the time, we meet, we share suppliers, we all pull in the same direction.” “I believe that growth is a collective effort,” he emphasizes.

He also asserts that Argentina has a very high quality production from north to south and that in recent times there have been improvements in the infrastructure and equipment of restaurant kitchens.

A Mar del Plata classic

Fifteen years ago, Lisandro opened the restaurant Lo de Tata (Avellaneda corner of La Rioja) with two cousins, a tribute to his grandfather Tata, who dedicated his entire life to gastronomy.

“When my two cousins ​​and I started the project, it was very simple. It was the cuisine and food that our grandfather taught us in Mar del Plata from a young age, very much related to fish and typical home-cooked dishes: an omelet, a breaded cutlet, ravioli. So, it was very easy to create that menu. 70 or 80% of the dishes are still on the menu today,” Ciarlotti explains.

Regarding the restaurant's current menu, the chef states that "it's a very simple cuisine, but we've been venturing in, incorporating all the products and fish from the Argentine Sea."

Fish in Argentine cuisine

According to Ciarlotti, there is now a greater selection of fish dishes in restaurants in Mar del Plata and Buenos Aires. "Today we have a variety and range of species that we consume that is fantastic," he says.

However, he argues that in Argentina, and especially in coastal cities, the presence of fish in our gastronomic culture still needs to be consolidated.

“It’s a path we’re just beginning to build. In cities like Mar del Plata, and along the entire Atlantic coast, I think we need a local market at the port, where restaurants, chefs, housewives, and everyone else can access the fish we have every day. I think that with management, work from the private sector, municipalities, and others, we can achieve this, and I think that will be a key point for the growth of fish consumption in Argentina,” he explains.

At the same time, he highlights the place of Mar del Plata products in the national gastronomic scene. “Mar del Plata has been a cradle of products for Buenos Aires. You go to any restaurant in Buenos Aires and they have anchovies from Mar del Plata, Hernán Viva anchovies, they have fish. Our fishermen from Mar del Plata go to Buenos Aires. There are fruit and vegetable products that reach Buenos Aires,” he explains.

In this context, he affirms that the local producer has grown and is an important figure for gastronomy due to the quality of his products.

In early October, Ciarlotti will represent Argentina at two major food fairs in France and Spain, presenting dishes featuring prawns, one of Argentina's most prized seafood products. For a few days, Mar del Plata's cuisine will take to the European stage, where attendees will have the opportunity to sample the chef's creations.