The most famous Notable of all is Cafe Tortoni. (It’s the fourth most visited site in Buenos Aires). My inclination nowadays is to ignore those ‘must see’ places. We’d read about the queue to get in and thought ‘why bother?’. But something niggled. Fear of missing out, I guess. So, not expecting much, but feeling we should, one morning we went and stood in line. It was not a huge line, and it moved quickly enough to give us hope that the wait wouldn’t be too hard on Jim’s creaking knees. 

We stood next to  huge glass windows, but thick curtains prevented us from seeing inside. Every now and again, the door would open just a little, to usher someone in or out; to allow a glimpse, nothing more. Anticipation mounted; it was pure theatre. After around forty-five minutes the door opened a little wider, and a slightly irate man waved a menu at us, stalked ahead, and urged us to follow. 

We were in! Threading our way through original, dark-oak, marble-topped tables, skirting ox-blood red columns and admiring artworks and Tiffany lamps. We ordered cafe con leche and sat back. A tiny kitchen was hidden under a great curve of wood. Staff offloaded dirty crockery, glasses and cutlery, leant against it to chat, use their phones, grab a drink, or wait while their trays were filled with orders. It was the eye of the storm. A pinprick of calm, in a tornado of activity. One bow-tied waiter directed the rest, a conductor of his own orchestra. Waiters here hum and memorise orders, it’s a point of honour not to write them down. It’s not only architectural heritage that notables preserve – it’s tradition, part of the ingrained culture of the city. 

We sat – for hours. No papers, no music, just watching. The longer we sat, the more we liked it, the glow of the lamps, warm and orange, the sense of history, a comforting feel, a continuation of time. There were quirky little rooms ‘off’ that we wandered around, and in one, I found an elderly gentleman eating toast and drinking something hot. I think he was from the kitchen. ‘Welcome’, he said, and my heart opened. I was sorry I’d waited so long to go to Tortoni. It was well worth the wait. 

We’d already been several times to Las Violetas, often touted as the non-touristy alternative to Tortoni. Both are grand, but comparing one to the other is like comparing oranges to lemons. Dating to 1884, Violetas is a beautiful place. ‘The grandest of the grand cafes we’ve been in’, said Jim. Whereas Tortoni is dark, close and intimate, Violetas is light, white and open, with magnificent Art Nouveau decoration, stained glass, bronze chandeliers, ornate Corinthian columns, Italian marble, white tablecloths, and crisp-white-jacketed waiters. One afternoon we went for merienda (afternoon tea) which had a huge wow factor in the quantity stakes but was sadly a bit lacklustre in quality. 

Another great French-style cafe is Confiteria La Ideal. One rainy day we went and sat for a few hours. An escape from the city, from the weather, from life itself for a while. We chatted to a huge party of Brazilian ladies – one family, several generations, all very jovial. They were escaping their menfolk. ‘We do it every year’, they told us.

Pure escapism. That sums up the grand notables perfectly.

Practical Stuff. 

Cafe Tortoni. Av de Mayo 829.

The food is average, the atmosphere fantastic. Prices are reasonable. Go for the art and history. In 2023 Tortoni celebrated 165 years of uninterrupted activity. 

Las Violetas. Av Rivadavia 3899. 

Traditional food, a little expensive, good service. 

The Merienda? A huge plate of sandwiches, but they were all ham and cheese and the cakes dripped sugar. It’s not often I find something too sweet to eat. In 2017 Violetas was voted the best notable in Buenos Aires. 

Confiteria La Ideal. Suipacha 384. 

Beautiful space. Recently reopened (2022) after a 6-year renovation. The 1902 afternoon tea was very good. Expensive but worth it.