Pimientos at Graciela. Credit: Nico Schinco

Don Julio’s Pablo Rivero Begins a New Chapter in New York

12 Minute read

14 Jul 2026

Rafael Tonon

Journalist

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At Graciela, his first restaurant outside Argentina, Rivero brings together the fire of the parrilla, the comfort of the bodegón, and distinctly Argentine hospitality.

For years, Pablo Rivero, the founder of Don Julio, Argentina’s most celebrated parrilla, dreamed of expanding beyond his home country. Yet the right project always seemed just out of reach, with each opportunity falling short of the standards he had set for taking that step. This week, however, that long-held ambition becomes a reality with the opening of Graciela, a modern Argentine tavern in New York’s West Village.

Named after Rivero’s mother, Graciela is not simply another parrilla. Nor, Rivero insists, is it a New York outpost of Don Julio, the Buenos Aires institution that topped the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants list for three consecutive years and was crowned Latin America’s Best Restaurant in 2024.

“Don Julio is a place in the world, and it is located in Palermo, Buenos Aires,” Rivero tells Fine Dining Lovers from the kitchen during Graciela’s soft-opening service. “It’s our original project, but it’s not a restaurant to be replicated. Graciela instead is a unique project that could only exist in New York.”

The city itself was no accident. “I love New York, and it’s so cosmopolitan that it felt like the obvious choice,” Rivero says. But the decision was as much operational as it was commercial. “When service is happening, I can still stay connected [from Buenos Aires] because there’s only a one-hour time difference. I can fly overnight, arrive the next morning, and be at the restaurant without missing a thing,” he adds.

That need to remain closely involved in the day-to-day operation is also why Rivero shelved, at least for now, plans for a European restaurant, despite receiving several offers over the years. The opportunity that finally won him over came through entrepreneurs Adam and Alex Saper, the brothers behind Eataly’s arrival and expansion in the United States, beginning with its first Flatiron location in 2010. With Graciela, the trio hopes to present a contemporary vision of Argentine cuisine, one that extends beyond the country’s world-renowned beef through comfort dishes like ossobuco and spinach-and-cheese empanadas, milanesa, and even fainá, a traditional chickpea-flour flatbread.

Of course, the exceptional cuts that have made Argentina a global benchmark for beef remain at the heart of the menu, alongside the asado tradition, which some accounts trace to the country’s vast pampas in the 17th century. Ojo de bife (center-cut ribeye), asado de tira (short ribs), entraña (skirt steak), and bife ancho (ribeye) are all featured prominently.

Much of the meat that reaches the custom-built Argentine parrilla and Josper oven at the center of the open kitchen is imported directly from Argentina, sourced from cattle raised using regenerative farming practices. “The hardest part was securing enough beef of the quality we needed,” Rivero says. “In Argentina, the very best meat is rarely exported. We had to convince producers to invest and develop an entire program, from breeding and raising the cattle to packaging and export. Doubling production at this level of quality isn’t easy.”

The challenge was not only supplying Graciela but doing so without compromising standards at Don Julio, his flagship restaurant, which serves 700 covers a night, or at his other Buenos Aires projects, including El Preferido de Palermo. To meet demand, Rivero forged partnerships with American producers Joyce Farms and Happy Valley, sourcing some of Graciela’s meat domestically after months of work to develop products to his specifications. Don Julio’s longtime grill master, Nicolás Stadnitchi, and former El Preferido executive chef Victoria Degiorgio have also joined him in New York, with Degiorgio leading Graciela’s kitchen.

Rivero also relocated several members of his front-of-house team from Buenos Aires to help recreate the style of hospitality that has become synonymous with his restaurants. Every cut, meanwhile, is grilled over white quebracho charcoal, made from one of Argentina’s densest native hardwoods and prized for its high, steady heat.

Sausages and cured meats offer another expression of asado. Morcilla (blood sausage), chorizo (fresh Argentine sausage), and cecina are all made locally according to Rivero’s recipes in partnership with Ends Meat, a whole-animal butcher and salumeria with a location in Brooklyn.

But Graciela is more than a steakhouse. It takes inspiration from the Argentine bodegón, the beloved neighborhood restaurants known for generous portions, unfussy food, and an atmosphere that has long made them gathering places for working-class families. That influence broadens its scope well beyond the grill, offering a fuller portrait of the country’s cooking. “We want to show the full versatility of Argentine cuisine: not just the meat, but also the bodegón tradition, that culture of comfort food that is such an important part of our identity,” Rivero says.

The roots of that affection reach back to Rivero’s childhood, when his mother fed the neighborhood from a small kiosco in Villa Bosch, just outside Buenos Aires. At Graciela, the same spirit lives on through dishes like milanesa napolitana, grilled branzino a la parrilla, charcoal-roasted peppers, and dulce de leche flan with whipped cream.

Rivero sees Graciela as an embassy for Argentine cooking. At 81 Greenwich Avenue, the restaurant evokes the grand cafés of old Buenos Aires with reclaimed wood, natural stone, vintage furnishings, and oversized mirrors. Even the signage pays homage to the city’s identity, drawing on fileteado porteño, the ornate painting and lettering style that has become one of Buenos Aires’ most recognizable visual traditions. “It’s a simple place where people can come to enjoy themselves, with good food and a good atmosphere. We’re not looking for rankings or any other kind of recognition. We want people to get to know our cuisine,” he says.

To that end, Rivero, a sommelier, has built an unusually deep list of Argentine wines. “About 15% of our wine list is Argentine, which is a huge number for a restaurant in New York,” he says. Rivero believes the country’s growing cultural influence has sparked broader curiosity about Argentina itself. “Messi, the World Cup, and before him Maradona make people curious about Argentina. That image of a country that is intense, passionate, bold, and emotional ultimately benefits our gastronomy as well,” he says. “We’re here so the world can get to know a little more about who Argentines are and how we cook.”

Should Argentina lift another World Cup trophy at MetLife Stadium this Sunday, Rivero will have more than one reason to celebrate in New York: one on the pitch, and, he hopes, another at the table.