It's one of the more removed restaurants in La Barra, located just past the golf course on the parallel gravel road that locals use in lieu of the more congested ocean highway during high-season. It is here that you will find the Punta-incarnation from Puerto Carmelo founder Pacha Canton who creates a foodie sanctuary is a former-estancia in removed La Barra that feeds on the local foods and sustainable produce of the Uruguayan pampas. The historic building that dates back to the 19th Century has architecturally gone mostly untouched, except for the interiors that have been re-laid with checkerboard floors and marble countertops with artesian woodwork. An adjacent wine bar and small art gallery also hosts an array of Uruguay artists hand-picked form the owners as well as a boutique grocer with homegrown specialties. Outside, a front porch and interior tile courtyard offer outdoor seating for enjoying weekend grills and late-summer dining.
The Food
Armed with his own selection of Narbona cheese and wines from Finca Narbona, chef Miguel Báez creates a foodie chacras with all-day menu rivaled only by Francis Mallmann’s Garzon in terms of culinary virtue. Meals begin with a lengthy wine list of exclusive Narbona wines derived from the newer Punta vineyards or much-older Carmelo location. Appetizers of hearty pasta dishes, succulent seafood frittatas and salads harvested in front of your eyes on a working farm are nothing short of edible bliss. Main course is hard to go wrong with local fish sauteed in a caper-butter sauce, blacked cod and grilled meats served family-style.
Last Word
Carmelo organic farmer and gourmand eatery finds home at Punta del Este chacra-style farm in La Barra that’s off the beaten track.
