The Best Cafes in Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires cafe culture is a major facet of life.

Cafes have always been the hub of life here but new coffee shops these days are a far cry from the historic cafes of Borges and Cortazar.

Specialty coffee has taken the world by storm and now everyone wants the perfect drip (sorry, I don’t know what I’m talking about, I prefer an old school cortado).

But unlike me, Argentina was ripe for this trend, the younger generation was more than ready to transform their historic cafe culture with higher quality coffee, aesthetic spaces, and elevated .

There are a never ending series of cute cafes opening all over the city.

So. are you a coffee snob?

Does your flat white need to be the perfect temperature?

Do you want your pastry made of masa madre/sourdough?

Do you want to work on your laptop for hours on end, uninterrupted, with the purchase of a single coffee?

Then you need to visit a hip new café de especialidad.

This post lists some of the best cafes in Buenos Aires for a hot coffee, good medialuna, and to work remotely.

QUICK NOTE: This post contains affiliate links and Sol Salute may receive a commission for purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you.

An Introduction to Coffee in Buenos Aires

Coffee in Buenos Aires is a spectrum, from horrible to amazing.

For example, if you’re renting a cheap Airbnb prepare to be given instant coffee (if any at all).

And in the supermarket, be careful when stocking your Airbnb kitchen. Cafe Torrado is the most common and honestly, it’s horrible. The beans were toasted with white sugar so it is sweet and poor quality, avoid it.

If you’re particular, you could instead pick up a kilo of high quality coffee at a nearby cafe de especialidad or one on this list.

Afternoon Merienda

When do Argentines drink their coffee?

Honestly? All day.

Between coffee and mate, it’s a wonder to me how they ever sleep.

Beyond the traditional morning coffee and the after dinner espresso, in Argentina the merienda reigns king.

This is Argentina’s fourth meal and how they manage to make it to a 10 pm dinner.

It typically runs from around 5-7 pm and this is an optimal time to visit Buenos Aires coffee shops.

Your merienda can be tea or coffee and sweet or savory. Whatever you choose, it will be your savior when you have to wait for a 9 pm dinner reservation.

If you want dinner at 5 pm, this can also be your savior with a ham and cheese sandwich and a side of fruit salad. I’m looking at you, Americans.

Buenos Aires Coffee Tours

This post lists out my top cafes in the city but if you want to learn more about Buenos Aires cafe culture and specialty coffee in general then I highly recommend one of these two tours.

  • Small Group Cafe Tour – With a small group you’ll visit a number of cafes you won’t find on your own and try upwards of 10 coffee based drinks
  • Specialty Coffee Experience – Instead of touring cafes, this is a tasting experience. You will learn all about specialty coffee, what is it, how it’s made and how to appreciate coffee in general.

Buenos Aires Coffee: What to order?

Coffee culture in Argentina is fairly traditional, inherited from its Italian and Spanish immigrants over a century ago.

If you’ve visited those countries then you won’t be too surprised by anything you see in Argentina.

The typical Argentine coffee orders are:

  • Café – A shot of espresso
  • Un cortado – mostly coffee with a splash of milk
  • Café con leche – half coffee/half milk
  • Lagrima – Reverse cortado, mostly milk with a splash of coffee
  • En jarrito? This means a bit bigger with two shots of espresso, an if you order a café solo or a cortado, your waiter’s follow up question may be “en jarrito?”.
  • Capuchino – The timing isn’t restricted like in Italy so if you want one after 11 am, go nuts!

When you visit new coffee shops in Buenos Aires is when the menus get muddled and confusing. Flat whites, macchiatos, cappuccinos, etc all get thrown into the mix and each cafe might have its own take.

Flat white is typically two parts coffee, one part milk, and a safe bet in any situation in my non-expert opinion. Don’t trust me? That’s ok, a lot of coffee shops have an illustrative menu to help you out.

Specialty Coffee Shops in Buenos Aires

Below is a highly curated list by an expert, me.

Expert in coffee? Not likely. But expert in wanting to work unbothered in public with a tasty treat? 100%.

I do love a beautiful coffee shop and Buenos Aires has them in spades. Here are my favorites.

NOTE: This post does NOT include the beautiful historic bares notables, I wrote a separate post all about them. So if you’re looking for history, read the guide to historic cafes in Buenos Aires.

Moshu

📍Moshu Treehouse, Palermo Soho, Guatemala 4570
📍Moshu Saavedra, Saavedra, Moldes 3802
☕Great for dessert and coffee with friends

Moshu originally opened in Saavedra, a residential neighborhood on the northern edge of the city and quickly gained a reputation for their cakes.

If you miss American style cakes, run (don’t walk) to Moshu. They even make a respectable red velvet.

Their second location in Palermo Soho is the one to visit to be awed. The treehouse design is really cool with recycled materials completely converting the space into something you really haven’t seen anywhere else.

La Kitchen

📍Nuñez 3400, Saavedra
📍Roseti 1360, Villa Ortuzar
☕Great all around – For working, meeting friends, great coffee and great treats

La Kitchen’s flagship location in Saavedra is pretty much responsible for a gastro-revolution in this traditional residential barrio.

It screams onda, from their stickers of a naked woman riding a medialuna like a wild bronco to their expertly curated mix & match vintage furniture.

Along with great coffee, their pastries are top. The medialunas are huge and extra gooey.

Their fosforitos are a star, an excellent take on a traditional sandwich featuring a sweet crunchy flakey bread with ham and smoked cheese (or the brie & tomato version for vegetarians).

Atelier Fuerza

📍Ecuador 1283 & 12 other locations (so far)
☕Sourdough heaven – Incredible masa madre medialunas, bread, & pastries

Modern, fancy medialuna

Atelier Fuerza is the passion project of founder Francisco Seubert. Starting off self taught via YouTube, today he’s created a power house with 13 locations.

Their medialunas are made with masa madre (sourdough) and are some of the best I’ve ever tried.

The medialunas de grasa (lard based versus manteca/butter) are made with wagyu fat and always sell out, the early bird gets the worm.

Along with medialunas, Seubert values local pastry over the imported carrot cakes you’ll see elsewhere. So make sure to try their ricotta cakes, chipa, etc. If they make it, you can trust it will be excellent.

Spending Christmas in Buenos Aires? Their pan dulce is worth reserving in advance!

Lattente

📍Thames 1891 & Cabrera 5128, Palermo Soho
📍Blanco Encalada 2457, Belgrano
📍Cerviño 3556, Palermo
📍Azcuénaga 1284, Recoleta
☕Best for: the coffee, some may argue one of the best coffees in the city

Operating since 2011, Lattente always focused first on the coffee, trusting that everything else would follow.

They roast their own coffee so you can trust that the quality. They hone each flavor profile to highlight each origin’s characteristics.

If you’re after a good solid cup of coffee, you should go to Lattente. And if you fall in love, no worries. They also have a location in Brooklyn.

Coffee Town

📍Bolívar 970, San Telmo
☕Excellent coffee from all over the world

Another excellent option for true coffee lovers, Coffee Town originally opened in the heart (literally the center) of the Mercado de San Telmo.

They roast and brew coffee from all over the world with beans from around South America, Central America, Asia and Africa. It isn’t in many cafes where you can choose a coffee from Tanzania or Java.

Coffee Town’s original location is best for a coffee to go or a quick chat.

Cafe Registrado

📍Costa Rica 5901, Palermo Hollywood (plus many other locations)
☕Excellent coffee + good spot to work

At Cafe Registrado, they hand pick their farms to source the best quality beans which they then roast themselves and all of their baristas are certified by the Specialty Coffee Association.

With a variety of coffee options and excellent dining choices, all carefully curated by the head chef, you can trust you’ll have a good experience here.

Their Palermo Hollywood location is a great location if you’re looking for somewhere to work for the afternoon.

Las Flores

📍Gorriti 5870, Palermo Hollywood
☕The entire menu is gluten free with plenty of vegan/vegetarian options

Las Flores is a dream, it is a hidden garden oasis with delicate pastry and great coffee, it’s perfection.

First, you pass through the bar section under hanging vines and past cakes topped with edible flowers.

The dining area is a lush garden featuring over 100 plants and flowers all native to the River Plate region.

It’s a great spot for breakfast. I particularly love that you can work outdoors in their garden, since I wouldn’t use my laptop on an outdoor seating in Buenos Aires typically.

Their lunch and dinner menu means you can go for a proper meal beyond just a coffee and cake.

Cuervo

📍El Salvador 4580, Palermo Soho
📍Costa Rica 5801, Palermo Hollywood
📍Guevara 393, Chacarita
📍Juramento 1284, Belgrano (Coffee & Ice Cream)
☕Great coffee, avocado toast, & buena onda

Bikes parked in front of a Chacarita cafe in Buenos Aires
Cuervo in Chacarita

One of the first and best cafes de especialidad on the scene, Cuervo is hard to beat with the best onda and also some of the best coffee.

Cuervo’s two founders are musicians who felt they needed a place during the day where they could replicate the energy they felt at night. They created it.

So in Cuervo the playlist is vital and curated. Combine the music with art and a relaxed, comfortable space and this is a cafe you actually want to spend some time in.

Bring your laptop and settle in or bring a friend to while away the afternoon.

Gula

📍Paroissien 4502, Saavedra
☕🥐Best medialunas in the city, fun latte art

Gula is a family run cafe in Saavedra that makes the best medialunas in the city, a claim I’m prepared to defend.

They are gooey and dense and perfect. Eat them by themselves or order filled versions with chocolate, dulce de leche or berries.

The coffee is also good for dipping said medialunas into. But first, snap a picture of the cute latte art.

Did I mention medialunas?

Cruasán

📍Av. Olazábal 3827, Villa Urquiza
☕Incredible pastries to go with equally great coffee

If you want a croissant, not a medialuna, Cruasán in Villa Urquiza is the expert.

Order from the window and sit at the sidewalk tables, no indoor dining here.

They have incredible croissants, cinnamon rolls, and Danishes with fillings like pistachio, raspberry, almonds, and mascarpone.

Salvaje

📍Dorrego 1829, Palermo Hollywood
☕Incredible bread!

If you’re looking for the best bread in Buenos Aires, go to Salvaje.

A healthy brunch, sourdough bread, and of course, pastries are the highlights along with their coffee and juices.

It’s on the border of Palermo Hollywood and Colegiales just a stone’s throw from the Mercado de las Pulgas. Have a bite and then do some treasure hunting and admire the Buenos Aires street art all around the market.

Cosecha

📍Pinto 3899, Saavedra
☕Good lunch specials, avocado/hummus toasts

Cosecha has five locations in all the hot spots like San Telmo and Palermo, but I’m going to focus on my barrio’s Cosecha – Saavedra.

They opened a few years ago in an old pharmacy and kept all of the original furniture.

Floor to ceiling oak cabinets line part of the walls, there’s a great terrace for sunny spring days, and it has a bright airy interior. I love working from there.

They have great coffee, healthy lunches and I love their avocado or hummus toasts.

Read More about Buenos Aires

Argentina Travel Resources

  • TRAVEL INSURANCE | It is always a good idea to travel insured. It protects you in so many cases, like lost luggage and trip cancellations, medical emergencies and evacuations. It’s very affordable with the potential to save you thousands in the case of an emergency. I recommend SafetyWing.
  • PHONE PLAN | These days, traveling with data is essential. Especially in Argentina where everything is managed on Instagram and WhatsApp. I recommend this E-SIM card. It’s hassle-free and affordable, for more read how to get an Argentina sim card.
  • ACCOMMODATION IN ARGENTINA booking.com is the most common hotel site used in Argentina and it’s where you’ll find the most options.
  • RENTAL CARS | I love to travel Argentina via road trip, I’ve always used rentalcars.com, now they are operating under the umbrella of Booking.com’s car rental system.
  • BUS TICKETS | Check Busbud for long distance bus routes and tickets.
  • VPN | If you’ll be using a public WiFi connection and want to secure your data, I highly recommend using a VPN, I personally use and have had a good experience with ExpressVPN. I also use it to access Hulu and American Netflix from Argentina.
  • FLIGHTS | Always check Google Flights and Skyscanner for flights to and within Argentina. Aerolineas Argentina is the local airline with the most routes. FlyBondi and Jetsmart are two budget airlines with dirt-cheap prices (but expect to pay for every add-on like luggage).
  • BOOK A CONSULTATION | I offer one-on-one travel consultations to help you plan your trip to Argentina. Pick my brain to get a local’s insight. Click here for more information.

1 thought on “The Best Cafes in Buenos Aires”

  1. Thanks for this comprehensive guide to Buenos Aires’ coffee scene! I love how you’ve highlighted the blend of traditional and modern coffee culture in the city. The detailed descriptions of each café are fantastic, and they make me want to visit every single one. The tips on what to order and the recommendations for coffee tours are especially helpful. This post is a perfect blend of practical advice and delightful insights into the city’s café culture.

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