Discover six places to try good empanadas in Uruguay

To the South American empanada recipes They arrived in the suitcases of the Spanish conquerors, who, in turn, inherited them from the Arab peoples. Today, each country in South America has its own way of preparing them, which varies from region to region.

So, choose good empanadas in Uruguay It's not a simple mission, although it can be a lot of fun. In the northern region of the country and the coastal region of Rocha, I was told that fried empanadas are more common; In the city of Montevideo and the department of Maldonado, baked empanadas prevail.

Meat is the most common flavor, but they can also be fish and, of course, cheese and onion, vegetables and many other variations.

Although there is no unanimity regarding its recipes, the empanada is a national passion , found anywhere in the country in cafes, rotisseries, bars, restaurants or specialized establishments. They are democratic in styles, flavors and prices, varying between R$ 10 It is R$ 20 according to the proposal.

Below, I selected establishments in Uruguay that make my current favorite empanadas. In houses located in the region close to Punta del Este, in the department of Maldonado, opening hours may vary according to the seasons. It's always worth checking before going.

Empanadas in the Department of Maldonado

• Rizar Empanadas

The house specializing in empanadas is located in La Barra, a small and charming town between Punta del Este and José Ignácio, and produces notable empanadas. At 90g each, you can easily eat three or four of them. Its small size is ideal for tasting the varied flavors of the house.

The buttery dough gains an extra crunch served directly from the wood-fired oven. The mushroom and cheese one is made with a variety of mushrooms harvested in the region; the brotola gallega has fish wrapped in a pepper and tomato sauce; and the lamb gets a slight caramelization in the dough as the meat, with a little lemon, is baked directly inside the empanada.

Rizar Empanadas: Nina Miranda, 20001 – La Barra, Department of Maldonado – Uruguay / Opening hours: Thursday to Monday, from 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm and from 7:30 pm to 11:30 pm.

• Estero Vineria

Also located in La Barra, the small winebar always offers three or four flavors of empanadas that can vary. They are perfect accompaniments to the house's selection of glasses.

I recently tried the shrimp one, which was a seasonal special, with fresh prawns directly from Laguna de José Ignácio, and also the beef one, very shredded and juicy. It is not uncommon for vegetarian options to appear on the menu.

Estero Vineria: 34PR+228, 20001 La Barra, Department of Maldonado – Uruguay / Opening hours: Wednesday to Saturday, from 12pm to 3:30pm and from 7pm to midnight.

• Rhizome

The cafe is located within a space that also houses beautiful accommodation and a bookstore worthy of any large capital. The place is already known by those who frequent the José Ignácio region, and the medialuna with ham and cheese is one of my favorites, highlighted here on CNN Viagem e Gastronomia in another column.

In addition to the café's rich menu and lunch options, you can order empanadas. There are always two options available: meat and fish, both wrapped in a delicate puff pastry. Being in the region close to where most of Uruguay's fish comes from, of course my recommendation is fish.

Rhizome: Calle Los Lobos, 20402 La Juanita, Department of Maldonado – Uruguay / Opening hours: Friday to Sunday, from 9am to 7pm.

Empanadas in Montevideo

• La Campeona Empanadas

For those in Montevideo, La Campeona has two units. There are 13 flavors of empanadas with dough baked in an electric oven, ranging from traditional ones, such as cheese and onion and humita, to the more audacious ones, such as Arabic and eggplant.

The classic Tucumana contains generous pieces of meat cut with the tip of a knife, and the lamb is very juicy and seasoned.

La Campeona Empanadas: Guipúzcoa 420 (in Punta Carretas) and Constituyente 1892 (in Cordón) – Montevideo – Uruguay / Opening hours: every day, from 11:30 am to 3 pm and from 6:30 pm to 11 pm (Punta Carretas unit) and from 6 pm to 11 pm (unit of Cordón).

• Rotiseria Republic

Among fried empanadas, República offers beautiful options such as cheese and chimichurri with fresh herbs and meat with olives. The crispy dough arrives at the table well filled and seasoned.

There is also a choice of low-intervention wines, beer and craft vermouth to accompany.

Rotiseria Republic: Acevedo Díaz 1269, Montevideo – Uruguay / Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 9am to 8pm

• Bar Las Palmas

When I asked Uruguayans about empanadas, I received several mentions of this place. Las Palmas is an old bar (not at all glamorous) located in the city center, which is open every day, including in the early hours of the morning. I believe that part of its charm lies in this: the service is practically non-existent, and the hood didn't work on the day I visited, leaving the room smokey from the grill.

However, the empanadas are fried to order, the variety of flavors is wide, the price is one of the most economical, and the ground beef one, in particular, came well seasoned with peppers and eggs.

Bar Las Palmas: Gaboto, 11200, Montevideo – Uruguay / Opening hours: every day, open 24 hours.

*The texts published by Insiders and Columnists do not necessarily reflect the opinion of CNN Viagem & Gastronomia.

About Giuliana Nogueira

Giuliana Nogueira is Brazilian, a psychologist, photographer and communications advisor. She is neither a winemaker nor a sommelierè, but she is an oenophile, especially passionate about Uruguayan wines and Uruguay. She maintains Instagram @Instatannat, talking more about Uruguayan wines than the Uruguayans themselves. Whenever he can, he travels to the land of our neighbors, who know how to welcome people very well.