Brunch in Buenos Aires: Best Places Around the City

Brunch, the meal where breakfast and lunch collide has finally made it to Buenos Aires — mostly thanks to the vast expat community who can’t live without their pancakes and eggs.

Sundays in Buenos Aires are sacred days reserved for food, family and fun.

Before joining locals for their afternoon asados (barbecues), yerba mate drinking in the park or strolling along the Costanera Sur or the Palermo Forest, find a brunch spot in your neighborhood for the full Buenos Aires experience.

Brunch: A Plea Heeded in Buenos Aires

The word ‘brunch’ first appeared in print in a 1895 edition of the British magazine, Hunter’s Weekly, in an article entitled, ‘Brunch: A Plea’ by writer and trendsetter, Guy Beringer.

He envisioned a Sunday afternoon meal designed for late-night revelers, which allowed them to skip church and sleep late.

It was also his idea that brunch served as one of the few instances when it is widely accepted – nay, encouraged – to begin drinking at the first meal of the day.

With the Argentine fondness for festivities, late nights and a declining church attendance, Buenos Aires is a perfect match for the most decadent and drawn-out meal of the week.

Buenos Aires’ modern brunch menus typically include eggs in all shades of preparation such as huevos revueltos (scrambled) and eggs Benedict, carbs in all their glory including French toast, waffles and pancakes, and all sorts of sandwiches and salads.

Being Argentina, in Buenos Aires, brunch can even include the ubiquitous cut of steak.

It is also common to pair brunch with champagne, mimosas, or an extra picante bloody mary.

A handful of restaurants in the northern neighborhoods have jumped on the brunch bandwagon, providing ample choice for those whose asado invitations got lost in the mail.

‘Le grand petit déjeuner‘ is typically served between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Here’s a round-up of some choices for those rolling out of bed in the afternoon hours of the weekend:

Palermo Soho: For those in need of a Sunday Cleanse

bBlue Deli & Natural Bar in Palermo Soho and Natural Deli in Barrio Norte are run by the same owners and both offer brunch options and a wide array of juices and smoothies to boost immunity and rehydrate the body after a long weekend of parties.

bBlue offers several brunch options such as the ‘b-Brunch’, which includes coffee, orange juice, scrambled eggs with salmon, bruschetta prosciutto, a medialuna (sweet croissant) and a muffin, but only until noon.

They also offer a delicious bruschetta with scrambled eggs and smoked salmon and a large selection of salads and sandwiches all day.

A similar venue, Natural Deli doesn’t serve ‘brunch’ but any breakfast item can be ordered at all hours including scrambled egg bruschetta with ham, smoked salmon or veggies, fruits and granola, and French toast.

Natural Deli also has small but well-stocked shelves filled with natural ingredients, juices and more, so you can attend to your brunching and Sunday grocery shopping all at the same time.

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Brunch in Palermo Hollywood

Home hotel, one of the premiere boutique hotels in Buenos Aires, is also celebrated for its brunch.

Sitting outside and gawking at sunbathers by the pool is preferable to the indoor space, where housekeeping often walks by with cleaning supplies.

The eggs benedict are a bit scant on eggs and large on benedict — or rather really fluffy bread which may or may not be shortcake.

The huevos rancheros are delicious though, and the salads are substantial.

Steak with eggs á la Buenos Aires is on the menu.

In truth, the loaf of bread provided is enough incentive to give this restaurant a try.

Home – $$$
Honduras 5860
Palermo Hollywood
Tel:( 54-11) 4778-1008
Brunch Hours: Sat, Sun & Holidays 12:30-4:30 p.m

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Colegiales: Coffee and Coolness

Salvaje Bakery, is a cool cafe-bakery that’s perhaps technically Palermo Hollywood by a few meters, but steps away from Colegiales‘ Plaza Malfada.

Here you’ll find some brunchy basics such as scrambled eggs, homemade pastries and granola with fruit and yogurt.

They have good flat whites, cinnamon rolls and some vegan options, although a bit carbohydrate-heavy.

Las Cañitas: Buenos Aires Breakfast-Like Brunch

Novecento, a restaurant first opened in New York by an Argentinean and later brought to Las Cañitas, has the same brunch ‘special’ every weekend.

For a bit of a steep fee, diners are treated to multiple courses of culinary delight encapsulating the best of breakfast and lunch in Argentina.

The prix fixe brunch includes a mimosa and enough bounty to distract from the conspicuous absence of bloody marys.

Taking the guesswork out of ordering, plates of eggs benedict, waffles with figs, nachos in a chile concoction, fried egg and sausage, French toast and a plate of sandwiches are served and enjoyed at a leisurely pace.

Novecento $$$
Báez 199
Las Cañitas
Tel: 4778-1900
Brunch hours: 12:00-4:00p.m. —Weekends special brunch with coctails.

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Recoleta: For Extravagant Brunchers

L´Orangerie – Alvear Palace

Locals may not have many reasons to visit hotels in Buenos Aires, but brunch should be the exception.

As a decidedly foreign meal, it makes sense that restaurants catering to visitors know how to do brunch right.

The Alvear Palace Hotel one of the most posh and upscale hotels in Buenos Aires, dishes out a large buffet-style brunch in their restaurant, L´Orangerie.

Strangely, champagne is complimentary but mimosas are priced for the five-star crowd.

The ambiance is greatly affected by whether brunch is held upstairs or — in case of a special event — relegated to the bottom floor.

Since most of the brunchers are hotel guests it should also be advised that buffet-style brunches are less impressive later in the day when the selection starts to wane.

Alvear Palace Hotel (L’Orangerie) — $$$$
Alvear, Av. 1891
Recoleta
Tel: 4808-2100
Brunch hours: Sun 12:00-4:00 p.m.

Monserrat: Traditional and Affordable

Not to be left behind, those staying on the city’s southern side have plenty of brunch options too, although in Monserrat it may not be ‘brunch’ per se, so you have to improvise a bit.

Cabildo is a traditional café that is a perfect option for anyone who finds themselves sightseeing around the Plaza de Mayo.

Not a proper brunch per se, but they offer breakfast foods at lunchtime, such as their delicious Spanish omelet, an amazing tea service meant to share, or a simple cafe con leche and medialuna.

This eatery has an outdoor seating area, a large dining room, and a second floor that looks down on the first.

Despite the hard-working, tuxedo-wearing waiters, it boasts reasonable prices.

In comparison to the nearby Gran Café Tortoni, another ‘classic Buenos Aires cafe‘ known for its historical charm but criticized for its mediocre food, Cabildo’s offerings are both better in quality and more budget-friendly.

For those seeking a satisfying breakfast experience without breaking the bank, Cabildo is a top choice in this area.

San Telmo: A Bohemiam Brunch

Cafe Rivas is one of the coolest cocktail spots in the evening and it functions as a brunch bistro for Sunday San Telmo Fair revelers until 1 p.m..

Eggs Benedict appear spartan but are delicious with the bright orange yolks of local eggs. Other menu items include sandwiches, granola and salads — try the pear.

Rivas is a bit pricier than some other San Telmo spots but the environment is gorgeous and on weekends there’s live piano music.

— by Laura Reiman

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