Vegetables. Patagonia, Argentina

And when you’re in need of some vegetables (a rare find in Argentina!)…

Head to Viva La Pepa in El Calafate.  Specialising in crepes and with a great ethos behind them of wanting to create a place for people to be able to take a pause, they have every sweet and savoury crepe filling imaginable, from those stuffed with lamb, to aubergine and spinach, to trout with leek in lemon sauce, to stewed apples with calafate icecream.  And when I say stuffed, I mean stuffed.  Like their length of the table sandwiches on home-made bread, they are filled to bursting which was perfect when I was in need of a vegetable hit after weeks of meat.  With its flower filled garden, chirpy music and colourful wooden chairs, it makes you feel happy when you walk in, and just a couple of metres from the main street, it’s a tranquil haven from the hustle and bustle.  The staff are genuinely friendly, every table receives complimentary carrot sticks, and the freshly squeezed orange juice is sweet and delicious.  Oh and the coffee comes with Smarties which is a definite win in my book!

If you’re in El Chalten, hunt out Curcuma.  A rare species in these parts, this vegan café is an absolute gem.  Humous wraps with avocado and a mountain of the freshest salad, and a jar of citrus juice (orange, lemon, grapefruit and ginger) as big as my head.  Herbs and vegetables grow around the communal table in the garden and a pulley system delivers plates of nutritious delights to the tables upstairs, accessed by a ladder.  There’s a counter of raw sweet treats, and it’s caffeine free so take the opportunity to try a ‘coffee’ made of roasted carob beans – it doesn’t quite hit the coffee spot but it is a comforting mug.