I got quite excited when I heard about the Buenos Aries ‘cafe notables’. There are over seventy of them. Historic places recognised for their tradition, architectural value, local relevance and cultural significance. I love a theme, I love a challenge, and while I knew I probably wouldn’t make it to all seventy, it never hurts to have a dream. 

San Telmo has five classic corner bars and El Hipopotamo became our favourite. A two-block cobblestone walk along Defensa from our house, it’s huge sash windows overlook the entrance to Parque Lezama. We could sip on a cool drink and watch locals doing stretching exercises in front of the statue of Mendoza, while buses careered around the corner onto Avenida Brasil. The Hippo started life in 1909 as a grocery delivery store. There are still hooks in the ceiling that fed ropes laden with goods into the basement. Then workers from the nearby port used to drink wine and play cards, now old men read papers and nurse coffees, and old ladies lean towards each other and chat. There are tourists, in search of ‘the real’ Buenos Aries, and in the Hippo they might just have found it. Old enamel advertisements, black and white photos, and a poster showing tango foot positions (both male and female) line the walls. There are lashings of wood, and mirrors and strings of garlic and sausages and hams above the service bar. And El Hipopotamo himself sits atop a cupboard and surveys the scene. 

La Puerto Rico is a different animal. More sophisticated cafe than neighbourhood bar. Opened in 1887, the cafe takes it’s name from the country, the owner, a Spaniard, having lived there for several years, had fond memories of the quality of it’s coffee. 

Amongst glass cabinets bearing bottles and walls lined with old photos of the city there are floor tiles with a yachting motief, and huge circular mirrors adorning the walls, reflecting customers ad infinitum, dark wood, and black-bow-tied waiters carrying trays aloft and later, at lunchtime service, plates stacked along their arms. We drank cafe con leche and ate medialunas – the preferred breakfast of Pope Francis, who used to come everyday, when he was archbishop of the city. The medialunas were fat and fluffy and filling, made at the in-house bakery. By mistake we ordered two each (my Spanish again!) and sat and watched the rain and the ebb and flow of the clientele. 

Borges, Victoria Ocampo, Casares: they’ve all been here apparently. The past is within touching distance, but the present is immediate. I watched as a business man flicked a white linen napkin over his lap. A grand dame installed herself at the table opposite, dragging over a heavy chair so her umbrella could join her in her repose. On the chair next to her she deposited her thick book, it’s pages lined with coloured post-it markers. The chair on her other side became the resting place for her handbag. Next she collected one of the newspapers from a wooden lectern and opened it, and then her handbag to remove her make-up case. She applied cream to her temples, a large turquoise ring flashing, and proceeded to hold court, talking extremely loudly on her phone, which had an even louder ring-tone. No-one batted an eye-lid. I had the feeling she’d been carrying out the same ritual since time immemorial. Eventually she ordered a tostado. When I next glanced her way, the chair count had increased considerably and she’d been joined by three young women who seemed to hang on her every word. 

She suited the place incredibly well. But then part of the notables charm is that they seem to suit everyone. Business men, lovers, families, tourists, young, old. They are open from very early morning to very late at night. You could order a banquet or a glass of water. Stay for an hour or twenty-four. They are their own worlds, and reflect other worlds. Long-gone glory days of good manners and oceans of time. 

In these days of generic hipster cafes where everything looks the same, there is something comforting about the notables. A bit worn around the edges but full of character, like an old friend, dependable and always there. 

Practical Stuff. 

You can find a full list of all the notables here:https://turismo.buenosaires.gob.ar/en/article/historic-cafes

El Hipopotamo, San Telmo, Av. Brasil 401. 

La Puerto Rico, Adolfo Alsina 416.