Dining late, and stylishly so, in Buenos Aires

BUENOS AIRES -- An epic window stretches up to the ceiling of Bar Uriarte's wide back wall, reflecting every last one of the room's diners as precisely as a mirror. It's as good a metaphor as any for the flashy dining scene in Buenos Aires, where looking great while eating late is the ideal way to end any day, and the only thing faster and more fickle than the table-hopping is the rate at which new restaurants open and close.

Fortunately for diners' palates, style does not always trump substance -- not even in the happening neighborhood of Palermo Viejo. Bar Uriarte is a case in point. Sure, loud electronica thumps through its rectangular, two-floor space. And an outrageously well-heeled crowd swarms the glowing bar clad in everything from shrunken, sequined T-shirts to silk handkerchief dresses. But dig into chef Paula de Felipe's Italian-heavy Mediterranean menu, and you find delicious dishes that, while not earth-shattering in concept, are rendered with care.

Take the pizza, for example. Large waves of Italian immigration since the mid-19th century have made pasta and pizza a staple of Argentine life, and here it's done just right. At one end of the long bar squats Felipe's round clay oven, shaped like a luminescent white igloo. Out of it comes simple thin-crust pies jacked up with prosciutto, blistering hot cheese, and fruity tomato sauce. An antipasto platter big enough for four comes piled high with above-standard standards such as fresh mozzarella and tart gherkins. But, loaded as it is with velvety pates, salami, and buttery beef carpaccio, it is much more a showcase for Argentina's deep-seated carnivorousness.

Entrees are best when they are pasta. A bowl of perfectly al dente spinach tagliatelle arrives under a rich ragu of shredded lamb, almonds, and ricotta -- the lamb's rich flavor a nice match to the creamy, sweet cheese. Of course, no Argentine meal can end without a sampling of the famed local beef, so don't bypass the "ojo de bife" (rib-eye) with spicy mozzarella. Most beef in Buenos Aires comes proudly unadorned -- the better to flaunt its complex flavors -- but this one's cheese addition is subtle enough to stay out of the way. The cut is so tender, a knife nearly falls right through it. And the earthy flavor is almost enough to prompt an Americano to swear off stateside beef for good.

Given the reputation Argentine women have for constant dieting, it's hard to believe the nymphs lounging in the restaurant's bar area are eating anything this rich. Nor is it likely they are downing the dulce de leche-infused flan, a double dose of creamy custard and intense caramel, for dessert. But no matter. As the night wanes, mingling among the lounge's pillow-strewn banquettes and clusters of long-stemmed daisies must be sweet enough.

Bar Uriarte, Uriarte 1572, 54-11-4834-6004, uriarte@bar

uriarte.com.ar. Dinner for two: $40-$45.Alexandra Hall is a Boston-based writer.