Las Violetas Cafe: Elegance in Almagro

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.

A birds eye view of the bustling, historic Las Violetas cafe — 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 tourists, 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

⇒ Take a Three-hour private tour of Buenos Aires’ most historic cafes

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

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

Panadería (pastry shop) hours:
6 a.m. – 10 p.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 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. It’s no coincidence that the costlier menu coincides with the perfect time for a spot of afternoon tea.

Gijón: Authentic Spanish Fare in Monserrat

If you’re looking for Spanish food in a unpretentious bodegón de barrio try Gijón in the oft overlooked the Monserrat neighborhood, right next door to San Telmo.

With brash lighting, a boisterous family atmosphere and borderline rude but efficient Galician waiters (including the owner, José), Gijón delivers good food, cheap house wine and abundant portions.

There’s a parrilla for the meat lovers, most popular for the bife de chorizo, and a range of homemade pastas on the menu, but this is the place to go when you’re craving seafood — normally elusive on Buenos Aires’ menus.

The rabas (deep fried squid) are a great appetizer to share as is the provoleta a la parrilla (grilled provolone).

For a main course you can’t go wrong with the house favorite, cazuela de calamares (calamari casserole) or go for the excellent seafood paella, which can be shared between three or four.

Save room for the cavity-inducing flan covered in dulce de leche and whipped cream.

Make like a gringo and go early – there tends to be a considerable wait time for a table later in the evening.

Gijón-$$
Chile 1402
Monserrat
Tel: 4383-2634

• Hours: Mon-Sat 12:00 p.m.-12:00. a.m.
• Visa accepted

Friends Restaurant: Bariloche’s 24-Hour Eatery

Friends in downtown Bariloche is a festive eatery that serves up decent, if slightly greasy, Argentine food 24 hours a day. Here you’ll find the classics — pasta, pizza, hamburgers and some European fare such as goulash and spatzle at reasonable prices. The thick-crust pizza is a filling diversion from the normal Argentine thin-crusted pie.

WA-bariloche-friends-Jan Klaver — Kind of like this, but not really -photo, Jan Klaver

Friends has a bright and cheery atmosphere with random ‘Americana’ antique ornaments and curiosities hanging from the ceiling. This is the first place to go in Bariloche with kids — not just because of the visuals but because of the basic, kid-friendly menu.

Although Friends seems a bit gimmicky and gets a mention in every guidebook, locals go here too — especially when they are in search of a meal in the middle of the night. The service here is hit-and-miss, and apparently the waitstaff have offended someone sufficiently enough to prompt them to open a Facebook group calling for a boycott of the eatery.

Friends shouldn’t be blacklisted though, since it’s one of the few places in Bariloche to have a meal after the bars close and other odd hours.

Friends Restaurant
Mitre 302
Downtown Bariloche
Tel: (02944) 423 700

• Open 24 hours

Cerros Nevados — All-You-Can-Eat Buffet

Those traveling in Argentina for any length of time will discover tenedor libres, or ‘free fork’ restaurants (read: all-you-can-eat). They’re a great option for those with big appetites and small wallets, or groups who can’t agree on what they want to eat.

Many of Argentina’s all-you-can-eat cafeterias are run by Chinese families, and they are all pretty similar to each other. There are a few buffets tables with everything from sushi to salads and chow mein to empanadas.

Bariloche’s First Tenedor Libre

As with many tenedor libres, the decoration at Cerros Nevados is depressing — the light is too bright and the walls could use a paint job. But what’s special about Bariloche’s first tenedor libre is the experienced asador (grill chef) who cooks the meat with the kind of gaucho artistry that you’ll only find in Patagonia.

You can request as many servings of sausage, chicken and steaks from the parilla (barbecue grill) as you want.

Dieters beware — if the appetizers, main courses and parilla doesn’t cause you to burst, desserts include an assortment of cakes, custards, and fresh fruit with cream or dulce de leche (sweet milk).

As one of Bariloche’s only tenedor libres, Cerros Nevados is recommended for undiscriminating budget travelers with big post-ski or post-hike appetites.

Cerros Nevados – $$
Moreno 388
Downtown Bariloche
Tel: 436-918

• Hours:12:00 a.m-4:00p.m.;
8:00p.m. -12:00p.m. everyday

Pilgrim Irish Pub

* Editor’s note:

The Pilgrim has closed. Their Blest Beerhouse 11k outside of Bariloche is worth a visit. You can also make it a stop if doing the La Ruta de los Siete Lagos (‘Seven Lakes Route’).

Bariloche’s most enduring Irish pub, Pilgrim has a great atmosphere and is a cozy place for an afternoon meal or an aprés-ski.

On summer days it’s the perfect place to sit on the patio and enjoy a pint. After the dinner hour Pilgrim turns into the crowded party scene you’d expect from an Irish bar, and there’s often live music.

The menu makes an attempt at explaining the name: ‘We should look for pilgrimages success in the numerous monasteries. One of the reasons is because monks know how to make visitors happy. They wait for them with a good beer…’

Pilgrim is owned by the same folks from fabulous Blest Beerhouse located a bit outside town on Bustillo Avenue.

Pilgrim has wifi access for those traveling with laptops, although you’ll probably only get work done during the day.  Try some of the great micro-brew beers such as the Patagonia red ale. Although the Blest lagers are produced locally, they are not the best on the menu.

The menu has some creative touches, including attempts at some vegetarian dishes, but expect run-off-the-mill pub fare. The tables towards the back seemed to be reserved for couples that want to sit and smooch. If you are single or traveling alone, you may want to grab a spot closer to the bar so you don’t have to listen to a make-out session. The folks are friendly here, so you’ll likely make some new buddies.