The Ruta de la Gastronomía Neuquina (Neuquén Gastronomy Route) is a group of six chefs recognised by Neuquén’s Ministry of Tourism as ambassadors of the province’s food. Each comes from a different part of the map, and together they travel the province cooking with local produce: goat kid from the north, trout, lamb, venison, pine nuts, pine mushrooms, wild berries, Patagonian wines, cheeses and honey.
The name, they say, comes from all the kilometres travelled, and from an idea: to represent produce from the whole province, north to south and east to west. Besides cooking at fairs and festivals, they give training sessions, talks and workshops, often in small towns.
The six chefs
- Sebastián Caliva, from Neuquén city (chef at Aura restaurant, Hotel Tower).
- Martín Páez, from Villa La Angostura.
- Claudio Abraham, from Junín de los Andes.
- Nahuel Sepúlveda, from Chos Malal.
- Cristian Alfaro, from Plottier.
- Emanuel Antimi, from Villa Traful.
Neuquén food presentation in Buenos Aires, June 2026. Photo: Neuquén Informa – Government of Neuquén Province
In June 2026 the group signed a two-year agreement with the provincial government to promote Neuquén cooking at local, national and international events. The chefs committed to prioritising ingredients from Neuquén and working with local producers.
The route: flavours by region
Alto Neuquén (north)
Goat kid is the star: it was the first food in Argentina to earn a Designation of Origin. It is raised through transhumance, the seasonal droving of herds between winter and summer pastures that many families have kept up for generations, and it is roasted on a spit, marinated with flour, beer or ñaco. Ñaco is toasted wheat flour made by hand (threshing, toasting and grinding); mote, wheat grain hulled with ash, goes into drinks, stews and casseroles. Northern cooking also includes empanadas fried in beef fat and Chilean-influenced recipes such as bread made with lard, pancutra, chicha and chupilca.
Open-fire cooking. Photo: Neuquén Informa – Government of Neuquén Province
Pehuén region
Along the Ruta del Pehuén, the araucaria pine nut is the key ingredient in Aluminé, Villa Pehuenia-Moquehue, Caviahue, Copahue, Las Lajas and Loncopué. Its flour is used for pasta and alfajores, and it also goes into sauces, preserves in syrup, pickles and liqueurs.
Pine nuts in Villa Pehuenia. Photo: Neuquén Ministry of Tourism (turismo.neuquen.gob.ar)
Southern Lakes
Among mountains, forests and lakes, cooking revolves around venison, wild boar and trout, spit-roasted, grilled or made into pâtés, sausages and pickles, and more and more often smoked. They come with wild mushrooms and red-berry sauces, berries that also go into desserts and jams along with michay (calafate), rosehip and strawberries. And there is Andean chocolate, for the long winters.
A regional dish. Photo: Neuquén Ministry of Tourism (turismo.neuquen.gob.ar)
Confluencia, Comarca and Vaca Muerta
Neuquén city and its surroundings have the greatest number of restaurants and chef-driven cooking. In San Patricio del Chañar, Senillosa and Añelo, wineries welcome visitors, offer tastings and serve regional food among vineyards and steppe, and orchards of pome and stone fruit offer farm tourism.
Tapas and wine at Bodega Familia Schroeder, San Patricio del Chañar. Photo: Neuquén Ministry of Tourism (turismo.neuquen.gob.ar)
Middle Limay
Along the Limay River corridor, country-rooted cooking with fruit and vegetable farming, olive oils and aromatic herbs.
Where to try it
A good guide is the Neuquén Gastronomy Distinction Seal, a programme created in 2016 by the provincial Tourism Undersecretariat that recognises restaurants offering regional dishes made with local ingredients. It also names chefs as ambassadors and, since 2024, food producers. In May 2025 there were 89 recipients: 62 restaurants, 23 ambassadors and 4 producers.
Neuquén Gastronomy Distinction Seal award at the National Patagonian Chef Festival, 2025. Photo: Neuquén Informa – Government of Neuquén Province
When to go: the festivals
- National Patagonian Chef Festival, in Villa Pehuenia-Moquehue, named Neuquén’s Gastronomy Capital by provincial law. In 2026 it held its 20th edition, from 1 to 3 May, with the Ruta de la Gastronomía Neuquina’s open-fire stand.
- Chapelco Gourmet, in San Martín de los Andes.
- Goat Kid Festival (Fiesta del Chivito), in Chos Malal.
- Craft-beer festivals in several towns.
Spit-roasted meat at the National Patagonian Chef Festival. Photo: Neuquén Informa – Government of Neuquén Province
