Argentina
Nice quaint little cafe in Palermo that has quality cakes, muffins and coffee. An excellent choice for sitting outside and enjoying some sun.
www.casamua.com/
Soler 4202, esquina Julían Álvarez, Palermo, Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
+54 11 4862-7561
Google map: bit.ly/r3113S
A lovely little french cafe in Palermo (there are two close to each other). Great brunch, cakes, tea and coffee.
www.ouioui.com.ar
Nicaragua 6068
+54 11 4778-9614
Google map: bit.ly/lxy9PG
BA is bursting with cafes and confiterias, a number of which are now firmly on the tourist track. If you would like to try something a little more 'locale', check out Confiteria Las Violetas, a few stops west on the Subte (underground). It is a slice of real BA 'confiteria culture' with its grand tables, fine stained-glass windows, traditional service, not to mention a rather tempting menu - particularly for those with a sweet tooth.
Rivadavia 3899; nearest undergorund: Castro Barros;
tel: 00 61 4958 7387
Google map: tinyurl.com/kw7zcu
The Tortoni has become Tango's equivalent of the Hard Rock Cafe selling T-shirts and nonsense, with even waxworks of Borges and Gardel sipping coffees!
Infinitely more authentic, with just as much architectural style, is the Cafe Ideal in Suipacha (half a block from Corrientes). Even if you've got two left feet and never thought of having a tango lesson ... pinch your nose and go to one of the lunchtime beginners classes in English. They're a hoot ... and very cheap.
Suipacha, just up from Corientes.
www.confiteriaideal.com/public/
The quintessential people-watching spot of Buenos Aires in the upscale Recoleta area. A little noisy, but its still worth it to mingle with the "beautiful people" in a city renowned for beautiful women and handsome men. Pick an outside table underneath the sprawling branches of the ancient rubber tree and let the "simpatico" waiters in their green waistcoats serve up delicious coffee. This is US actor Robert Duvall's favourite hangout when he flies to dance the tango in Buenos Aires.
Quintana, 596; Tel: 4804 0449
www.labiela.com/
Google map: tinyurl.com/kv6a4g
My favourite mid-day retreat, a small cafe with outdoor tables and a tasty €4 lunch menu on a corner facing Plaza Armenia in fashionable Palermo Soho. It's a welcome change from the bustling downtown area, a meeting place for expatriates, and after coffee or lunch, I get to inspect the nearby trendy boutiques, designer studios and bookshops.
Costa Rica, 4602; Tel: 4831 1083
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