Il Gatto Trattoria La Plata

Il Gatto Trattoria on Calle 44 in La Plata occupies a position within the city's university district that has shaped its identity entirely. La Plata, the planned capital city of Buenos Aires Province located roughly 60 kilometres south of the national capital, is home to one of Argentina's largest and most prestigious universities, and the trattoria has served the student and academic community for years with an offer built on fresh pasta, wood-fired pizza, and prices calibrated to student budgets.

The pasta is made in-house daily. Gnocchi is the emblematic preparation, and the Thursday gnocchi tradition — a widespread Argentine custom in which diners place money beneath their plate for good fortune — draws queues that begin forming before noon. The Thursday service is the kitchen's most choreographed performance, with large quantities of potato gnocchi sauced in bolognese, fileto, or pesto and plated at speed. On other days the pasta menu expands to include tagliatelle, ravioli de ricota, and canelones baked in tomato and béchamel sauce. All pasta is available in portions sized for someone who has been attending seminars since early morning.

The pizza emerges from a wood-burning oven in a style consistent with the Buenos Aires Province tradition — a thick-edged base with a modest central topping. The napolitana (tomato, mozzarella, anchovies, and oregano) is the most ordered variety; fugazzeta (caramelised onion) and the local convention of double-cheese pizza with Spanish olives are equally popular. The dining room is warmly chaotic at peak hours: mismatched chairs, flour-dusted tablecloths, walls covered with Italian-themed photographs, and a noise level that accompanies vigorous student conversation. The Italian-Argentine culinary tradition runs deep in La Plata, and Il Gatto reflects that heritage authentically. Wine is served by the glass or in small jugs (jarras) at prices that encourage drinking alongside the meal.