Winter Cafe-Hopping in Buenos Aires

While the northern hemisphere is in the full swing of summer, complete with beach weekends and rooftop bars, those of us way down south are bundled up against plummeting temperatures.
Fortunately for us folk in chilly Buenos Aires, we are surrounded by an endless supply of cafes and bars, and a population of porteños that love to linger over a coffee or a beer for hours, making our cafe tendencies both part of the local culture and a perfect way to seek shelter from the cold. Standard, generic bars and cafes are located on just about every street corner, but digging a little bit deeper will uncover a breed of bar that surpasses the rest – “bares notables,” BA’s historic watering holes that have preserved their authentic style, be it chichi elegance or more your favorite neighborhood dive. Read on for suggestions of some of Buenos Aires’ most memorable stop-offs.

Las Violetas by Alicia Nijdam

Cafe Tortoni – One of BA’s top tourist attractions, Tortoni is usually jam-pack full of tourists, but is still Avenida de Mayo’s top stop for chocolate caliente and churros.

El Federal – Belly up to the long, low bar or push a few tables together in one of San Telmo’s most popular and atmospheric bars and order up a round of pints or a few bottles of malbec. Should you find the place packed, skip over to the sister spot up the way, La Poesía.

Bar Seddon – This beautiful, low-key corner café features live bossanova on weekend nights and is best for a stop-off mid-week. Come the weekend the Feria de San Telmo crowd rushes in and there is simply not a seat to be had.

El Federal by Anna Majkowska

Confitería Ideal – A gorgeous, worn-in bilevel café on an unexpected block of bustling downtown BA, the Ideal runs a nightly milonga (tango hall) in the upstairs ballroom.

Las Violetas – Take the classic wooden Linea A metro out to Castro Barros for the afternoon tea service at this stately café and chocolate shop.

New Brighton – A reasonably-priced happy hour cocktail comes with a full selection of picadas at this glamorous downtown bar. Occasionally live piano music entertains.

Confitería Ideal by Jorge Lascar