Alfresco eating is the norm in Puerto Iguazú, at least in the morning or after the sun sets, and every place has at least some outdoor seating. At midday, when many if not most visitors are at the falls, indoor air-conditioning is more than welcome.

Its patio particularly packed at dinnertime, Pizza Color (Avenida Córdoba 135, tel. 03757/42-0206) serves a diversity of pizzas. Puerto Iguazú has a pair of pretty good parrillas: Charo (Avenida Córdoba 106, tel. 03757/42-1529) and El Tío Querido (Bonpland s/n, tel. 03757/42-0750).

The Hotel St. George’s La Esquina (Avenida Córdoba 148, tel. 03757/421597) serves some of the best food, with starters like jamón crudo (prosciutto) for around US$4 and entrées like grilled surubí (river fish) in the US$7–10 range. The service, however, can be erratic and even absent-minded. La Rueda (Avenida Córdoba 28, tel. 03757/42-2531) also serves fine grilled fish.

Victoria (Avenida Brasil 39, tel. 03757/42-0441) prepares large, lightly grilled portions of not just surubí but also dorado and pacú, which are harder to find on river-fish menus. For around US$10, this is an excellent value, with good-natured service and equally good desserts.

Aqua (Avenida Córdoba and Carlos Thays, tel. 03757/42-2064, US$10–20) is an ambitious restaurant with local river fish and twists on traditional dishes such as ñoquis (gnocchi) made with manioc. With improved service and the town’s most diverse menu, it’s easily the best in town.

There are views of three countries and the Paraná-Iguazú confluence from Bocamora (Avenida Costanera s/n, tel. 03757/42-0550, www.bocamora.com), which has a menu of regional specialties, such as grilled surubí and manioc gnocchi, and standard Argentine dishes at a similarly high level. New in late 2009, it needs to work out some kinks—the service is well-meaning but a little overbearing—but it has the potential to match Aqua’s standards.