12 Best Restaurants in Argentina

A short way out of town lies Gaiman's largest teahouse (where Lady Di famously took tea in the 1990s), surrounded by cypress trees, sculpted gardens, and a giant tea pot. It stands apart from its rivals culturally, too: it's run by descendants of a Spanish family, which shows in the sprawling colonial-style architecture. Otherwise you'd never know they weren't Welsh, as they do the most impressive spread of traditional cakes in town.

Caffeine fans can get their espresso fix at Bonafide. The Bonafide brand was the first to bring a coffee roasting machine to Argentina in 1917, and it now has locations citywide. On the corner of Sarmiento and 9 de Julio near the central plaza, enjoy a steaming cup of joe with medialunas (sweet croissants) and alfajores (cookies with dulce de leche, sweet caramelized milk jam).

A popular gathering place for both locals and visitors just one block from Km 0 (the very center of town), Bonafide serves up fresh coffee, sandwiches, cakes, and other goodies for the road. Grab one of the window seats with leather couches and take advantage of the Wi-Fi.

Take a seat amid the Tiffany lamps and marble-topped tables, and contemplate the fact that you may be sitting in a chair once occupied by a former president, a renowned tango singer, or a world-famous artist or writer while they nibbled an exquisite pastry. The place and setting are from another age, thankfully well preserved, but you may have to wait for a table at the oldest—and highly popular—café in Buenos Aires. Reservations are a must for the dinner-hour tango show.

This specialty coffee shop, which roasts its own beans, is located on a buzzy Hollywood corner. It is the ideal spot for a flat white or iced coffee, and a little people watching.  Also try the larger storefront, home to the roasting machine, located in Chacarita. 

It's a hard name to live up to, but there's no doubt this casual café pulls it off, with super fresh sandwiches, salads, and smoothies, which you can eat in or pack into your picnic basket. A shot of espresso and a slice of cheesecake provide the perfect dose of caffeine and sugar to get you back in the sightseeing saddle.

Don't let the small tables or surly waiters put you off—the signature chocolate con churros (hot chocolate with crisp cigar-shape doughnuts) at this bar notable are to die for.

This colorful old-time café is the place for a licuado (milk shake) or tostado mixto (a local croque monsieur).

Gorgeous port views await here along with fresh juices, smoothies, salads, and pastas.

Legend has it that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid once stayed here—search long enough and you might find them among the old photos cluttering the walls. This cavernous old confitería (café) was founded in 1895, and became Chubut's first hotel in 1926. The hotel's rooms are too shabby to recommend, but a toasted sandwich and a coffee or beer here is tantamount to a trip back in time.

The matriarch who presides over the kitchen here, Mirna Jones, is a proud descendant of the first woman born in Gaiman. Her ivy-covered teahouse on the main square looks like a knickknack shop: it's stuffed with doodads and hung with crochet, and there are gramophones, carriage lamps, and antique radios on display above the four original chimneys, which date to 1890, although Formica paneling detracts slightly from the old-world style.