Narda Lepes' Japanese corner in Bajo Belgrano, with an upstairs bar that runs the city's first cocktail omakase.
Kōnā Corner puts chef Narda Lepes and bartender Inés de los Santos on the same corner at Castañeda 1899 in Bajo Belgrano, and La Nación covered the opening as the neighborhood event it was. The 76 seat room blends traditional Japanese dishes with porteño product.
Time Out's Buenos Aires bar guide treats the sleek upstairs bar as a destination in itself, especially when the karaoke room opens. The Michelin Guide carries the restaurant in its selection.
The bar's claim to the city: the first omakase cocktail menu in Buenos Aires, a tasting menu in liquid form. Book the bar seats, not just the dining room.
Circuito Gastronómico documents the build: minimalist design, hidden lighting, and custom plateware considered down to the chopstick rest. The ground floor feeds, the upstairs bar performs, and the karaoke room turns the late shift social. It reads closer to Tokyo listening bar than Palermo party.
The standout is the Kiiro To Aka No Ume: Tanqueray gin, umeboshi, plum juice, rica rica syrup, Luxardo maraschino, and red furikake, per Time Out. The Ash follows with gin, shochu, sesame infused vermouth, and bamboo pickle. Trust the omakase format; ordering a generic spritz here wastes the address.
Early seatings are Bajo Belgrano families and Michelin list followers; the bar fills later with the city's cocktail crowd making the trip north from Palermo. Weekend karaoke flips the formality off switch after midnight. Restaurant Guru aggregates it at 4.2 across 388 reviews.
The most interesting bar program north of Palermo and the only omakase cocktail seat in the city. Book the bar, not the table, and start with the ume.