At Jacinto you can enjoy an amazing breakfast, brunch and lunch all in one place. You’ll have to walk almost to the end of the pedestrian street to find it, buy we can assure you, the walk will be worth it for the food you’ll encounter. Uruguayan and French cuisine combine in this charming restaurant which was built within an ancient building.

Those who prefer contemporary interiors can head to nearby Jacinto, a restaurant and bakery opened last year by Lucía Soria, a young chef who trained under Francis Mallmann, the highly regarded Argentine chef. Breads, croissants, lemon squares and dulce de leche pastries are baked in-house; coffee drinks are made with Lavazza beans.

Take a stroll down Sarandí, Ciudad Vieja’s pedestrian-only main drag – and think of the legendary Anthony Bourdain, who connected with Uruguay’s obsession with meat and loved morcilla blood sausage in particular. Dine where the chef did, at Jacinto, and be sure to order the milanesa, a traditional dish of breaded steak or chicken.

The smell of fresh-baked bread wafts through this pleasant, sunny spot off Plaza Zabala. Plates are fresh, inspired, and expertly prepared, from the soup of the day to desserts like panna cotta with red grapes and a sweet orange sauce. Jacinto is a favorite among the city's foodie crowd and stylish set.

Jacinto, a restaurant in the historic centre is a great choice, where owner-chef Lucia Soria mixes up Mediterranean influences and traditional Uruguayan fare, and there are several steak houses within a block of the hotel.

Sarandí street is home to the brainchild of Lucía Soria, the artist behind both the food and some of the paintings at this light and airy restaurant which opened in 2012 and expanded into the neighbouring premises in 2013. Jacinto is a European-style restaurant which combines different colours and textures to paint a warm and inviting picture with marble-top tables, original brick ceilings and enormous windows. The avant-garde, "signature" dishes are based on the best and freshest ingredients around, creating masterpieces like the French bean and parmesan salad, gnocchi, ribeye steak with rosemary and sautéed potatoes, bruschetta, sandwiches or the famous mandarin and chocolate tart.

We had originally planned Saturday’s lunch with Eduardo and Adriana at Jacinto, Sarandí 349, a much talked about new addition to the Ciudad Vieja culinary scene, but they’d called and cancelled our reservation at the last minute because they had a private party. It wasn’t clear if they’d forgotten about it when taking the reservation, or simply decided to take the party and cancel the reservations they’d already taken – either way isn’t good customer relations. But I really wanted to try it, so we popped over for lunch on Monday.

Jacinto, open since 2012, is a much talked-about eatery led by Lucía Soria, an Argentine chef who trained under renowned chef and restaurateur Francis Mallmann before moving to Uruguay. Her restaurant is just off Plaza Zabala in the historic heart of the city, and the menu features familiar dishes like milanesa de pollo (chicken thinly sliced, then breaded and deep fried) and homemade pasta stuffed with ricotta and arugula. But Soria’s versions of these Uruguayan classics are fresh and modern, based on seasonal ingredients.

Tony next meets with two chefs: Rocío, from Argentina (and whose restaurant they’re eating at), and Nacho, from Uruguay. The three chefs enjoy a delightful conversation about cooking for loved ones, happiness, and the challenges of the industry. And because the best way to pair a good conversation is with good food, they enjoy ñoquis de calabaza – homemade gnocchi with mushrooms and pumpkin; prawn salad with avocado, apple, and wasabi; and a beef tartare with quail egg.

Jacintos (restaurant, café, and bakery all in one) is located towards the end of the pedestrian street where it starts to get more deserted, but it’s definitely a place NOT to be missed. Again, the cuisine is a fusion of French and Uruguyan (a popular theme around here), but they do it better than most!. This bright, charming restaurant is renovated from an old building, and is decorated with a fun shabby chic ambiance.

Fue en 2012 que Jacinto abrió sus puertas en la Ciudad Vieja, marcando un punto de inflexión en el barrio. No solo por el local precioso, sino por la presencia de la argentina Lucía Soria, socia junto a su hermana Pilar de esta casa. Lucía es una figura mediática: tras trabajar con Francis Mallmann en muchos de sus proyectos, esta cocinera fue jurado de MasterChef Uruguay, donde ganó popularidad y reconocimiento.

Chef Lucía Soria, a protégé of renowned Argentine chef Francis Mallmann, has been delighting diners in Montevideo’s Ciudad Vieja for a decade. Open throughout the day, her inviting restaurant is an ideal spot to recharge while exploring the area. Soria focuses on healthy, market-fresh dishes, crafting the finest salads in Uruguay with premium ingredients like arugula, burrata, goat cheese, and grapes.

But quickly, or my overview of Montevideo, on our first night in Montevideo we went to Jacinto, a modern restaurant in the Cuidad Vieja that was visited by Anthony Bourdain. Clearly, anywhere that Bourdain stamped his approval on, I book a reservation. At Jacinto, along with other dishes, I enjoyed some really tasty shrimp empanadas with llajua sauce (SO GOOD).

JACINTO – Sarandi 349, Ciudad Vieja **This longstanding Ciudad Vieja restaurant has been a pioneer in the Montevideo culinary scene. Chef/owner (and Masterchef judge) Lucía Soria knows her way around a kitchen and alongside a crew of young talented chefs, creates lunch, merienda, and dinner menus packed with simple, seasonal ingredients.

Jacinto is one of those places where the decoration is so pretty, you might fear that the food will not be as good. That is not the case. Located at the very heart of Montevideo’s Old City, Jacinto has become one of the most prestigious restaurants around.

For lunch, head to Ciudad Vieja's critically acclaimed Jacinto restaurant, which sits on a cobblestone street just off Zabala Square. The charismatic all-day bistro was spotlighted in an episode of Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown.

While temporarily closed for dinner, Soria's flagship restaurant is open most days for lunch, and is selling an assortment of takeaway meal packages, specialty products, and ingredients. jacinto.com.uy, +598 2915 2731

While temporarily closed for dinner, Soria’s flagship restaurant is open most days for lunch, and is selling an assortment of takeaway meal packages, specialty products, and ingredients. jacinto.com.uy, +598 2915 2731

It’s a cute small place with free Wifi, that seats around 30 people or so. It’s in old town Uruguay in a touristy area. My husband and I went there for lunch on a Saturday and were seated immediately.

Jacinto, (Sarandí 349, corner of Alzáibar): enjoy the cuisine of chef Lucía Soria - disciple of the famous chef Francis Mallman - as well as delicious home-made bread.

Other restaurants: Francis, the old and cherished market, Jacinto, Bar Facal, Bar Tasende (excellent pizza), Café Bacacay, Café bar Tabaré.