The dining room gives diners an expansive, airy space to enjoy a festive meal.

Corn pancakes, creamed spinach and a silky rendition of mashed potatoes seemed to be the popular side dishes around the room as well as at our table. All are served a la carte.

Entrees include the imported rib-eye steak, house-made sausages and locro (a traditional stew made with beef, pork, pumpkin and corn hominy). Argentina is famed for lamb as well as beef, and a plate of grilled lamb chops lightly dressed with lemon was eagerly shared at our table.

If you meet fans of Obelisco later, they will inevitably ask what you had for dessert. Options include an Argentine ice-cream cake with nuts, mango mouse and apple puff pastry with ice cream. They may be delicious, but we succumbed to grander temptations: a luminous morello (cherry) mousse and a to-die-for flan with real dulce de leche on the side (don't shrug past the limply inadequate menu listing: "pudding with sweet milk sauce"). We didn't try the "ice-cream ball" (a combination of chocolate, coffee, niger seed, hazelnut, strawberry, pistachio nut, vanilla), but the dessert drew gasps as it sailed by on its way to another table. We may have to go back and try it.

IF YOU GO

Obelisco

1 Laiguangying Donglu (East Road), Shunyi district, Beijing.

11 am-2:30 pm, 5:30-10 pm, Monday-Thursday; 11 am-10 pm Friday-Sunday.

Average cost per head: 250 yuan ($40)

010-8470-1666.

Recommended: Rib-Eye Steak, Beef Tenderloin, Grilled Lamb Chops, Locro Stew, Flan with Dulce de Leche.