Setting up your first business is special as you can bring to the fore all the ideas and excitement you have gathered after years of training, in this case in leading restaurants both in France and the chef’s native Buenos Aires. This is the foundation upon which chef Julián Galende has created Alcanfor, a simple bistro-style eatery in the heart of the Villa Crespo district, with a name that pays homage to his own family, as his father planted a camphor tree (“alcanfor” in Spanish and “cinnamomum camphora” in Latin) when Julián was born. The contemporary-style menu, with plenty of vegetarian dishes and an emphasis on different sustainable initiatives (filtered water, compost, recycled paper, using every part of an ingredient etc), is always focused on fresh seasonal produce. One dish that drew our attention in particular was the delicious heritage tomatoes with a rice vinaigrette, seaweed ketchup, hazelnuts and a tomato dashi. The wine list features some forty labels, including a good number of organic options.