Historic and elegant, Las Violetas café, patisserie and restaurant is an essential stop on any Buenos Aires café tour.

Now over 125 years old, Las Violetas remains extraordinarily popular. Every weekend afternoon tea-hungry diners form an orderly line outside its curved-glass doors to wait for one of the marble-topped tables.

Declared a Buenos Aires’ Heritage Site in 1998, Las Violetas is one of those Argentine institutions that refuses to die. Twice restored, and at one point practically abandoned, its struggles and subsequent revivals are emblematic of Argentine history itself.

High-Profile Visitors

The Felman and Rodriguez families founded the illustrious café, with its French stained-glass windows, ornate woodwork and Italian marble columns, in 1844.

Refined literary and political figures such as Carlos Pelligrini, who later became Argentine President, attended the grand opening. Other notable people who have rendezvoused here include tango great, Osvaldo Pugliese and politician, Felix Luna.

Uruguayan jockey and renowned sweet-tooth, Irineo Leguisamo was a regular at Las Violetas as noted by the cake bearing his name. A favorite on the menu today, the ‘Leguisamo’s’ mouthwatering ingredients include dulce de leche, meringue and almond cream.

Others had to visit more discreetly. The abuelas (grandmothers) of the Plaza de Mayo famously held meetings, disguised as birthday parties, at the café in order to plot retrieving their kidnapped or ‘disappeared’ grandchildren.

Las Violeta’s Revival

In the late 1990s, Las Violetas was hit hard by a combination of economic factors and was shut down for three years. The building was restored in 2001, and looking grander than ever, reopened that same year.

photos: Hernan Jourdan

Bustling yet sophisticated, white-jacketed waiters serve food on silver platters while visitors struggle to choose from a vast array of delicious cakes and pastries. Aside from their famed sweets, other options include savory snacks, an extensive wine list, cocktails and beer, plus a range of restaurant dishes thrown in for good measure.

Featured are the typical Argentine plates such as a tenderloin steak with mushrooms, grilled chicken, and some fish dishes such as simple hake, salmon with roquefort cheese and a three-colored vegetable pureé, and the ‘Martin Carrera salmon,’ served with shrimp, mushrooms and bacon. In a nod to the many foreign tourist, Las Violetas also features an American-style breakfast with bacon and eggs.

One classic yet pricey tea-time favorite is the María Cala, a cake, sandwich and pastry platter piled high with tempting goodies accompanied by fresh orange juice and tea, coffee or hot chocolate.

A better option for those looking to soak up the Las Violetas ambience without spending a fortune is an aromatic tea or coffee with a medialuna (croissant) or three. Penny pinchers should note that hot drinks come with a sweet treat, so there’s no need to order separately to sample a bite-sized cream or dulce de leche (sweet milk spread) laden pastry.

Those after a longer-lasting souvenir can step through a separate, yet equally ornate doorway to a crowded shop bursting with pastries, candies and ostentatiously wrapped gifts.

Las Violetas is open around the clock on the weekends and also has a delivery service, but this isn’t recommended for first timers. The building, complete with colorful stained-glassed windows, Italian marble floors and gossiping grannies is an essential part of the Las Violeta’s charm. —Rosie Hilder

Las Violetas-$$$$
Av. Rivadavia 3899
Almagro
Tel: 4958-7387

• Cafe and Confitería hours:
Sun -Thurs: 6:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m.
weekends & holidays: open 24 hours

Panadería (pastry shop) hours:
6:00a.m. – 10:00p.m. daily

•Credit cards accepted
•Getting there: Castro Barros stop on the subway’s A line.

*Note: There are two prices on the café menu. Las Violetas is more expensive after 4:00 pm on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. It’s no coincidence that the costlier menu coincides with the perfect time for a spot of afternoon tea.

With its outdoor benches and homey wooden interior you’ll feel like you stepped into a rustic locale in Bariloche, an effect only enhanced by some of the fruits such as cherry and blueberry incorporated into the creamy concoctions. Among the 80 flavors made on premises are a variety of chocolates, tiramisu, mate in cream, watermelon, quinoto (kumquat) soaked in whiskey and Argentine favorite, dulce de leche.

Business has boomed here in the five years since a then 70 year-old Blanca Real opened up the business with her culinary-inclined family.

To satisfy the breakfast and lunch crowd Nonna Bianca offers pastries and snacks such as paninis, quiches and delicious milkshakes for AR$10. The front area with its picnic type tables is a nice place to linger over a coffee with friends.Those flying solo can grab a window seat looking out onto Estados Unidos and read the paper or one of the many magazines laying around.

A basic cone at AR$ 7 and comes with two flavors. The art is making sure you chose two complimentary flavors— many are quite sweet, so ask for samples before making the all important decision.

Nonna Bianca-$
425 Estados Unidos
San Telmo
Tel:4362-0604

• Hours: Sun-Thur from 9:00 AM —12:00 AM
Fri & Sat 9am-2 am
• Delivery
• Wifi

Do you remember the cafe La Poesía, that magic night in San Telmo? Buenos Aires devised our meeting, so romantic and sweet, Lulú
—Horacio Ferrer (from the song, Lulú)

La Poesía is a place to toast the writers of Buenos Aires in a bona fide San Telmo literary venue.

Housed in a turn of the 19^th century building, the cafe preserves the traditional tiled floor and dark wood bar. The shelves are lined with books and artifacts and an upstairs wall is packed with black and white portraits of some of Buenos Aires’ notable artists and literary figures.

Originally founded in 1982 by journalist and poet, Rubén Derlis, La Poesía became a place for the artists and thinkers of San Telmo to contemplate democracy after the end of Argentina’s military dictatorship. Here well-known musicians and writers congregated for discussion and critique and held workshops such as ‘Poesía Lunfarda’ (Lunfardo Poetry).

The bar closed in 1988 but was never forgotten by the 1960’s-era socialist writers and San Telmo intellectuals who gathered there. The wooden tables have embedded brass plaques noting the literary heavy weights whom wrote or held court at these tables in the 1980’s.

It was here that the Uruguayan poet and lyricist, Horacio Ferrer, mostly known for his work with Astor Piazolla, met the woman who remains his wife to this day, Lucía Micheli. The meeting is immortalized in his 1992 song, Lulú.

In the two decades since the closing of La Poesía, one failed business after another occupied the locale. Finally La Poesía was reopened at the end of 2008 by Pablo Durán and Laura Carro, the husband and wife team who run three other successful classic corner bars in the city: El Federal a few blocks away in San Telmo, El Margot in Boedo, and Bar de Cao in San Cristóbal . All four of the dynamic duo’s historic bars are categorized as ‘notable cafes’ by the city of Buenos Aires.

The only thing that could use some updating here is the menu — it’s comprehensive but lacking in creativity. You’ll find the standard pastas, uninspired salads, a large selection of sandwiches, hamburgers and omelets. The cheese and meat platters are a good bet — try the Rubén Derlis platter, a selection of the poet’s favorites, along with a pint of the full-bodied handcrafted red beer, brewed on the premises.

From afternoon to night La Poesía is busy with couples sipping wine, writers becoming inspired via osmosis and groups of friends debating in an array of languages.

On the weekends the few tables along the sidewalk allow for good people watching while you sip a cappuccino or beer brewed on-site.

These days, La Poesía hosts many more tourists than it did in the 80’s, but it remains a meeting place for Porteños. Hang around long enough and you’re liable to spot some of the original La Poesía habitués, such as Horacio Ferrer and Ruben Derlis.

La Poesía
Chile 502 (corner of Bolívar)
San Telmo
Tel: 4300-7340

• Hours: Sun — Thur: 
8am – 2am
—Fri & Sat: 
8am – 4am
• cash only
• wifi

The refreshing selection of bread at Mark’s includes normally scarce options such as whole wheat and rye and cheese or black olive baguettes.

Two particularly tasty sandwiches, made with the customer’s choice of bread, are the pastrami, cucumber, pickles, lettuce and Dijon mustard and the grilled chicken, made with apples, pancetta and blue cheese. All sandwiches can be toasted to warm things up in the winter months.

The healthier options at Mark’s Deli are the fresh salads, ranging from AR$26 to AR$36. The most exquisite is the fresh Special Salad; smoked salmon, Brie and arrugula. Both sandwiches and salads are large; true to (North) American style, the notion of a snack doesn’t exist at Mark’s Deli.

To wash it all down try the homemade lemonade or fresh fruit smoothies, the kiwi is a particularly flavorful. Specialty coffee drinks include the Iced Mocha, or for something with a little more guts, the AR$25 Absolut Vanilla Coffee.

A large teatime and dessert menu includes muffins, brownies, chocolate chip cookies and baked tarts. The best on the menu though is the AR$18 slice of cheesecake. The texture is as thick as you would find in New York and the biscuit base is not too sweet. A zesty fruit coulis finishes off the order and as with everything at Mark’s Deli, the portion is large enough to share.

The U.S.-style business model is so well emulated here that one might suspect that Mark’s Deli is a foreign-owned enterprise, but it is the brainchild of Argentine, Marcos Mantecón who brazenly opened up the cafe in 2002, shortly after Argentina’s devastating economic crisis.

Mantecón’s idea proved to be an immediate success, especially among the growing number of foreigners in the area. Today, waiting for 20 minutes to be seated at Mark’s is not uncommon, particularly between 2pm and 5pm on the weekends. This considering that there are twelve tables inside, a breakfast bar and an outside patio area, accommodating another five tables.

One drawback for the near-sited is that there is no menu that you can hold in your hand here — you’ll have to crane your neck from your table in order to read the menu options, written on two blackboards above the service counter..

Although Mark’s may seem on the pricey side for residents (and only accepts cash) the deli is fresh, the portions are generous and in straight-forward New York style, there’s no service charge.

—by Tracey Chandler

Mark’s Deli -$$/$$$
El Salvador 4701 (corner of Armenia)
Palermo Soho
Tel: 4832-62 44

• Hours: Mon-Sat: 8:30am-9:30pm; Sun: 10:30am-9pm
• cash only
• wifi

The timing of the opening of Post•Data at the end of 2009 was brave. It was the beginning of a sticky summer that saw most city-dwellers flee to the sea, with swine flu and economic problems affecting tourism and the willingness of locals to part with their pesos. But today, thanks to word of mouth in lieu of advertising, the cafe is steadily building a loyal clientele.

The postcard shaped menu has an extensive list deli style options; bagels, wraps, sandwiches and salads, each named after a global destination. Two of the menu’s best dishes are the York; roast beef, caramelized onion, pickle and mayonnaise and the Copenhagen; smoked salmon, herby cream cheese, sun dried tomatoes and arugula. Those in search of bagels will be pleased with the variety here: Parmesan, sun dried tomato, poppy seed, onion, sesame seed, vegetarian, wholegrain, garlic and last (and probably least), plain. To wash it all down try the juices made with hard-to-find fruits brought in from Colombia including mango, passion fruit, soursop and mulberry.

As good as the main dishes are, only a militant dieter would bypass dessert here. The pastries, mousses, macaroons, cookies, cakes and crumbles are hard to resist, some are topped with gravity defying whipped marshmallow frosting whilst others ooze the thick, caramel-like local specialty, dulce de leche. Continuing the international theme, Post•Data also offer Argentine interpretations of Belgian chocolates, American cupcakes and even fortune cookies.

At Post•Data, it is the little touches that add charm, such as the hand-crafted British red telephone boxes in which you receive your bill and the ‘postal packaging’ for the take away goodies. A post office themed café in Recoleta may seem like just a quaint gathering place for the elderly senoras of the neighborhood, but with the attentive service and delicious homemade snacks, Post•Data delivers on its motto of ‘a sweet message’.

— by George Warren

Post•Data – $$
Azcuenaga 1739
Recoleta
Tel: 4803 0496

•Wifi
•Hours: 9am-8pm (Monday-Wednesday)
9am-10pm (Thursday – Saturday)

Whether you’re passing through Retiro, waiting for a train to the suburbs or have come to admire the architecture of Retiro station, it’s worth making a stop in this elegant grand cafe.

The site, designated of historical importance by the city government, is also a relatively quiet respite from the transitory chaos right outside its doors.

Here you’ll feel like you’re stepping a century back in time. The cafe was founded in 1915 and by all appearances not a thing has changed since then.

Among the glorious details are the huge columns, intricate moldings, slate wood floors, marble bar with all the brass fixtures and beautiful stained-glass cupola.

The food here is the usual café fare, but a classic Argentine breakfast of a coffee with milk and three sweet croissants can still be had for less than AR$10. A dry or sweet martini will only put you back AR$10 and a cheese and meat plate for two, AR$40.

Depending on where you sit you’ll either get the old classic aloof waiter or an energetic, chatty younger server.

The Retiro Cafe regularly has events open to the public. These days on Thursdays at 7 pm there is a live tango show.

Café Retiro—$$
Ramos Mejia 1348
Retiro Station,
(in the former Mitre Terminal)
Retiro
Tel: 4516-0902

• Hours: Mon-Sat, 8:30 am—9 pm
• Cash only

The crowd is a diverse mix of attractive middle-aged couples and groups, well-read European bohos and upper crust students from the prestigious University of Film across the street. Pride is the perfect hangout for those who prefer to skip the discos and enjoy the daylight hours on a picturesque side street away from the usual hustle of San Telmo.

In the morning you can get a nice breakfast with options such as ‘country bread,’ cereals, yogurt and fresh-squeezed juice. The early hours are also the ideal time to bring your laptop and take advantage of the free wifi while sipping on a delicious Pride Café — coffee with honey and cream.

For lunch or a light early dinner Pride offers a lovely selection of salads and homemade soups, cheese plates, bruschettas (try the smoked salmon) and exquisite desserts such as apple pie and chocolate cake served up on square ceramic plates. Summertime thirst quenchers include fresh squeezed lemonade with mint and ginger. A well thought out and reasonably priced cocktail list includes the refreshing Scropino – vodka and lemon sherbet.

On weekends, particularly Sunday, Pride gets busy— consider yourself fortunate if you get one of the sleek metal tables on the sidewalk to sit and people watch, and if you do, make sure you secure your belongings. A favored San Telmo café, but be aware; like a boyfriend who becomes inattentive when others come ringing his bell, a bit of the charm gets lost when the place is packed.

Pride Cafe
$$, Cash only
Hours: Mon-Fri: 9am—8pm
Sat: 11am—8pm
Sun: 10am—8pm
Balcarce 869
San Telmo
Tel: 4300-6435

Protestors pass by the Tortoni Café

If you are only going to visit one café in the Buenos Aires, the Grand Café Tortoni would be a good choice. The quintessential Porteño café, located on Avenida de Mayo was founded in 1858 and has remained the meeting place for famous artists and scholars throughout its 151 years. It has received high profile visitors such as Albert Einstein, the King of Spain, Juan Carlos de Borbón,  tango great Carlos Gardel and current U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.

The building itself is majestic with its intricate moldings, leaded glass ceilings and abundant chandeliers. The waiters are top-notch, if sometimes gruff toward those whom they deem too casual for Tortoni standards – they let it be known that you’re at their mercy, at least, they certainly seem to have a presence that commands respect.

In the salon downstairs there are interesting events, including live radio performances, poetry readings and the very popular tango shows. Be sure not to miss the historical photos that grace the walls and the backroom where you can play billiards, dice and dominoes.

The café sits just a few blocks from the Casa Rosada and other important government buildings, so it’s a convenient spot to grab a quick bite if you’re doing some sightseeing. Due to its popularity you may want to avoid going to Tortoni during peak hours (generally after work during the week) — the place can get overrun by tourists and the acoustics can make it hard to hold a conversation.

The food here is slightly overpriced standard café fare. It’s not recommended to eat a full meal here, just order a small snack  — the churros with a café con leche is a good bet. For the full historical effect, cross the street and catch the historic A train, with its original antique carriages, to your next destination.

Café Tortoni
Avenida De Mayo 825
Downtown
Tel: 4342-4328

•Hours: 8:30—1:30am (kitchen closes at 11pm)
• Credit cards accepted