In the late 18th century, when Argentina was still a Spanish colony, cafés had already begun to flourish. In those days, cafés were a mixture of country-style grocery shops and Spanish coffee bars; places where men met to discuss political events, eat, drink, buy groceries and/or listen to country guitar players.

Tango at the magnificent café Tortoni

  Today, a true Buenos Aires café is essentially a social place, where one goes at any time to meet with friends, discuss politics or football, attend lectures or debates, play chess or billiards, listen to jazz or tango, talk business, or even compose a song or a poem. For many, it is like a second home.

  The quality of the coffee or meals, though often excellent, is not the main reason why one becomes a habitué of a café. A true café is more like a habit. The habitué and the café develop a shared history, a key difference between a café and a standard bar.

  cafés open for breakfast and most are open till very late at night. Some are beautiful examples of art nouveau design, some are bohemian, some keep on their walls memorabilia of the glories of tango, some are literary cafés, others are simply gorgeous. Each has a distinct personality shaped by their regular visitors and every porteño (resident of Buenos Aires) will have their special favorite.