Café Culture

There is absolutely nothing quick about grabbing a snack or a light meal in Argentina. Sure, fast food exists, but for the most part, the process of grabbing a light bite or a coffee is a much more civilized affair and involves actually sitting down and watching time go by in a window seat or at a patio table of a café. It doesn't hurt that Argentina operates with a siesta period firmly built into its days, when businesses and shops close for several hours in the afternoon. It is then that the cafés to a booming business.

The food at the cafés tends to be just as you would expect - sandwiches, maybe a pizza or two, but not much hot food. The pastries and desserts are the main stars, as are the beverages. Coffee, tea, submarinos (hot chocolate), or even cocktails (most cafes have full bars).

The waiters in the cafés notoriously take and deliver your order, and then leave you to your own devices until you indicate you'd like the bill. It would be unheard of to rush you from a table, even if there was a waiting line of people ready to take your place. For the price of a cup of coffee, you can purchase a people-watching spot for an entire afternoon if you'd like. It's a formal acknowledgment to the art of slowing down.

Some of the notable cafés I visited....

Bar Britanico, an enduring 24-hour café in my neighborhood of San Telmo. It was the only 24-hour business establishment I encountered - a welcome sight on a Sunday morning when the rest of the neighborhood was sound asleep.



Café la Biela, a café that has existed in various incarnations since the mid-1800s, located across the park from Cementario de Recoleta. Beloved by porteños and tourists alike for its large outdoor terrace under the sprawling arms of a giant gum tree.


And of course, Café Tortoni, probably the oldest and grandest cafés in the city. Today, it is mostly frequented by tourists, but that doesn't allay its old-school charm or diminish its significance. It made its mark by being a popular meeting place of the city's elite, including artists, musicians and writers. A section of the café, called the Rincon de las Poetas (poet's corner), harks back to those days. The smart, tuxedo-clad waiters are synonymous with a more genteel, bygone era, and just sitting there with a coffee and dessert makes you feel oh-so-refined. It was, and still is, an important tango venue, with not only multiple shows every night, but lessons and a research library for tango scholars as well.

The line out the door....