It has the best cafes in the world. And the best corners. In fact on almost every corner of the city, there’s a cafe. Some of them have some kind of special brilliant cafe status, as given by the municipality of Buenos Aires, which results in a plaque on the wall and a lot of swaggering.
The most famous cafe in Buenos Aires is Cafe Tortoni. When I went there was a queue to get in – one in, one out. Still inside it’s very impressive with large chandeliers and old photos on the walls and smart waiters in jackets. I had a fresh pressed lemonade which was lemon juice and a soda siphon al gusto (ie add however much you want). It was delicious on a hot afternoon. As well as tourists there were lots of smart old ladies, tarted up with pink lipstick, pink cheeks, done hair and chic little suits. These women are one of the delights of BA – while the world rotates in all its ugly mess they arise from their feather beds every morning and take hours to prepare themselves for a short trot around the block, accompanied by a tiny dog and a large handbag with a firm clasp. (I was very impressed – when I’m an old lady I’m going to lie in bed all day, drinking gin and shouting at the telly).
While it may be the grandest, Cafe Tortoni isn’t the only gorgeous cafe in Buenos Aires. There are THOUSANDS. With a fifties vibe - toffee coloured wood panelling, chairs with olive green or red vinyl seats and elderly waiters brandishing heavy trays as though they’d done it all their lives – these are the kind of places that Soho used to be packed with and now has barely a handful of. They’re everywhere in Buenos Aires and I became obsessed with them. I took to pressing my nose against the glass to see just how quaint each place was, much to the bemusement of said elderly waiters – if I’d had a drink in every one I’d be completely wired (coffee) or dead (vino).
The most famous cafe in Buenos Aires is Cafe Tortoni. When I went there was a queue to get in – one in, one out. Still inside it’s very impressive with large chandeliers and old photos on the walls and smart waiters in jackets. I had a fresh pressed lemonade which was lemon juice and a soda siphon al gusto (ie add however much you want). It was delicious on a hot afternoon. As well as tourists there were lots of smart old ladies, tarted up with pink lipstick, pink cheeks, done hair and chic little suits. These women are one of the delights of BA – while the world rotates in all its ugly mess they arise from their feather beds every morning and take hours to prepare themselves for a short trot around the block, accompanied by a tiny dog and a large handbag with a firm clasp. (I was very impressed – when I’m an old lady I’m going to lie in bed all day, drinking gin and shouting at the telly).
While it may be the grandest, Cafe Tortoni isn’t the only gorgeous cafe in Buenos Aires. There are THOUSANDS. With a fifties vibe - toffee coloured wood panelling, chairs with olive green or red vinyl seats and elderly waiters brandishing heavy trays as though they’d done it all their lives – these are the kind of places that Soho used to be packed with and now has barely a handful of. They’re everywhere in Buenos Aires and I became obsessed with them. I took to pressing my nose against the glass to see just how quaint each place was, much to the bemusement of said elderly waiters – if I’d had a drink in every one I’d be completely wired (coffee) or dead (vino).
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