Viejo Jack serves Salta’s best traditional parilla (grilled meat) to locals and in-the-know tourists. The menu is varied, but meat is their star – choose from a variety of carnivorous mains, all of which are cooked on the restaurant’s flame grill. Try the traditional steak cut bife de chorizo for the ultimate Viejo Jack’s experience. That said, the vegetable parilla is pretty tasty, too. There’s another Viejo Jack’s run by the same owners in a slightly different part of town, though this one has the edge over its older sibling.

While finding well-executed vegan or vegetarian food in Argentina can be a difficult task, flavourful meat-free dishes take centre stage at Chirimoya, which is the perfect place to reset your tastebuds. Named after the native chirimoya (custard apple) fruit, it showcases seasonal and local ingredients through a range of meals; specials include mushroom risotto or vegan meatballs with a zingy tomato sauce. Additionally, the relaxed atmosphere lends itself well to a leisurely lunch and chat in the varied crowd.

El Buen Guesto makes, bakes and sells some of Argentina’s best empanadas – crescent moon-shaped pastries stuffed with meat or vegetable fillings – that are so divine that the restaurant doesn’t sell anything else. Although the setting is pretty sparse, it has a convivial atmosphere, making it the right place to go and fill up at lunchtime.

La Casona del Molino is one of Salta’s ever-popular peñas – places where you can eat, drink and listen to traditional live folk music. It’s always bustling with a mixed crowd of locals and gringos looking to enjoy the tunes with a few glasses of Argentinian wine. It’s by no means off the tourist trail, but there’s a good reason that La Casona is constantly recommended as a must do for anyone visiting Salta. The music doesn’t get going until around ten in the evening and reaches its peak well past midnight. Make sure you arrive hungry and try their empanadas (which rival El Buen Guesto’s) and humitos.