Buenos Aires Café Day —Ten Facts you didn't know

The stories about the historic cafés in Buenos Aires are endless, and in this opportunity, we are going to reveal information that makes them more prominent, if that’s even possible.

Nearby the port, in Corrientes Avenue, and in front of worldwide known stadiums, such as La Bombonera. They all share strategic locations, making them the perfect meeting points for all kinds of historical figures, curious tourists, and groups of friends. They are located in 25 Buenos Aires neighbourhoods, and they keep thousands of anecdotes, aromas, and tastes that entice travellers from all over the world.

Why historic or notables in Spanish? Because they’re age-old, have local relevance and amazing architecture. On October 26th, we celebrate Café Day, honouring the opening of the city’s oldest café. It couldn’t be any different, right? Do you want to know which one it is? Keep on reading.

1. There Are More Than 60 Historic Cafés throughout the Buenos Aires Capital 

It’s not breaking news that Buenos Aires has coffee roots. We are lovers of its intense taste, the art behind it, and the environment it creates. It’s not by chance that every person stepping on our land turns into these kinds of gatherings’ fans, almost by magic. The thing is, Argentina passes on the enthusiasm for hugs, long for never-ending talks, and love for gastronomy. If you come to the land with the light-blue and white flag, you’ll celebrate life itself. So, it’s not surprising that there are more than 60 places where these propositions are put forward and that invite you to enjoy a back-in-time scenario.

2. They Become a Meeting Point for the City’s Most Famous Figures 

Let’s travel to the past. The first historic cafés started to open in the middle of the 19th century. Those were other times when debates took place doors open, and squares and cafés were the indisputable stages. Hundreds of cafés were home to heated discussions, historical meetings, and artistic expressions of all kinds. So much so that intellectuals, artists, and even presidents chose them as their social gathering place: Adolfo Bioy Casares, Silvina Ocampo, Jorge Luis Borges, Carlos Gardel, and Juan Domingo Perón, among others.

3. Café Tortoni, the Oldest, Turns 163 Years Old

It was founded on September 26th in 1858. More than a century later, it still stands firm. We don’t need to do the maths to realise that it’s remarkably successful. The formula? We can’t disclose it. However, we can tell you that it’s kept its reputation intact over the years. It may be for its excellent attention or apparent tradition. Or thanks to the chocolate with churros and coffee with medialunas (croissants). Maybe, it’s related to the fact that gigantic figures stepped in, such as Gardel, Cortázar, Lorca, and Borges. Regardless of the reason, one thing remains true: you must visit it.

4. Eva Peron’s Body’s Secret Story Started to Become Known at a Table in Café Tabac

To understand this curious fact, we have to provide the Argentinian historical context first. Evita, Juan Domingo Perón’s wife, passed away when she was 33 years old. There were millions of people at her funeral, but her body was kidnapped in 1955. After years of mystery, Tomás Eloy Martinez, Argentine journalist and writer, received a phone call in 1989. Who was it? Colonel Héctor A. Cabanillas, the man in charge of the transfer operation of the first lady’s remains. As you may have imagined, they met in Tabac. Everything else is part of history, and you can learn about it in the novel Martínez: Santa Evita.

5. Some Cafés Are Also Museums

The RAS defines museums as places where artistic, scientific, and other kinds of object collections are kept and displayed. So, theoretically, historic cafés can be considered museums. Most of them keep the original structure and age-old objects. Walking around them is walking back in time.

Besides this symbolic connotation, some are considered collection rooms. For example, Café Banderín dates back to the 20th century and has a collection of 500 football-club flags. Also, Bar Palacio is the official owner of the Photographic Museum Simik, with a set of 20,000 photos.

6. Even Though Most of Them Are Coffee Places, They Do Not Only Have Coffee

Of course not. Coffee is only the start of a delicious and endless list: lunch options, toasted sandwiches, pizzas, seafood, vermouth, and much more. Actually, some places go beyond the culinary proposal and sell souvenirs or even spices. What’s the only rule? Respect the historical vibe around them.

7. Perón Interrupted His Way Home to Taste the Famous Café Margot’s Delicacy

Legend has it that Perón, one of the country’s most iconic presidents, was coming home from a meeting with his retinue in the 50s and asked the cars accompanying him to go to Boedo street and pull over. He wanted to try the city’s most famous pickled turkey sandwich —a guilty pleasure that had been recommended and could only be found in Café Margot. Did he like it? We’ll never know. But if you want to try it, it is still on the menu, and that’s what matters.

8. Carlos Gardel Always Had a Table Booked for Him in Café Tortoni, out of His Fans’ Sight

According to the poet Enrique Cadícamo, the table was on the right corner of the room next to the window from the Rivadavia entrance. It’s not surprising that such an artist had his privileged spot in one of the city’s most symbolic cafés.

9. Many of Them Were Originally Warehouses and Markets

With the migratory flow of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, many Italians and Spanish founded warehouses and drink markets that would then become the historic cafés. Many of them respected their original essence even when they were already cafés.

10. Rumour Has It That El Montecarlo Was Che Guevara’s Favourite

It opened its doors in 1922, and it seems as if time stopped if you step in today. It is still today the historic café that serves the city’s biggest coffee cups. Maybe that’s why Che Guevara had a marked preference for it.