Tea Connection

Tea connection

barrio norte

palermo

puerto madero

The idea of going for tea in Buenos Aires is almost unheard of. Tea is something you have at home. A very uneventful thing. If you are out, you go for coffee, not tea. Tea Connection is trying (successfully) to change all that. First of all they are located in some of the best areas of this city. Their tea selection is amazing and varied, and they serve freshly baked goodies till late, everyday. Their lunches are pretty good and they also sell these delicious flavored water. My favorite thing, though are the pancakes.....

This is the kind of place where you can come with your computer, sit down, sip some tea, have pancakes and check your Facebook account. You can let your friends know that you are in buenos aires drinking tea and not coffee. And eating pancakes and not medialunas.. (the do serve medialunas and coffee, by the way).

El Ultimo Beso

El Ultimo Beso
4880 Nicaragua
mon/sat 9am 2am
4832-7711

When I lived in London I had a bit of a hard time trying to find a place to go for afternoon tea. I mean, it's an english tradition, right? And still, nothing. I had to conform with coffee at Nero, or the noisy place around the corner. Bad music, bad coffee.

I know that there are places that play bad music and serve bad coffee and tea in Buenos Aires. But, I also know that I can always count on 'El Ultimo Beso' for a refined afternoon of tea and a massive amount of cakes and cookies freshly baked everyday. On saturdays they have a massive cakes and cookies' buffet'. The loose tea is especially selected and the coffee is quite good. Also, the place just looks great, if a little on the girlie side, which explains why most of the customers are nice looking ladies. But again, that's fine by me. Who would complain? Tea plus cakes Plus lovely ladies.

And you don't have to go to London.

books + music + coffee

Boutique del Libro
1762 Thames
4833 6637:
mon/thu 10am-10pm
fri 10am 11pm.
sat 11am-11pm
sun 2pm-10pm

I was talking about my favorite cafes ever other day. and several ones came to mind. From Nordic Bakery and Fernandez & Wells in London, Teany in NYC and Albert & Jack's in Stockolm all these cafes have something in common: Great location, amazing food and coffee, perfect atmosphere and just that something that makes them special. Whether it's the best cinnamon rolls ever or a huge tea selection, there's something that sets them apart from the rest.

If I had to choose my favorite cafe in Buenos Aires, and this is not easy, I mean, why choose one, when I can go to all of them? but for argument's sake, if I had to choose one, then 'Boutique del Libro' would be my pick. It's a music shop, a book store and an amazing cafe. They have a great selection of cd's and dvd's. thousands of books, from arts to politics and everything in between.

Everytime I go to la 'Boutique del Libro' there's amazing music playing. Cat Power, the National, Bonnie Prince Billy and many more will make the afternoon a much more pleasant one.

Located in a quite area of Palermo Soho, 'la Boutique del Libro' is the perfect place for a cozy afternoon of music, coffee and music.

It might be your favorite cafe, too. It certainly is mine..

Naturally natural

Natural Deli
opened everyday till late
1776 Gorostiaga st.
1672 Laprida st.
4514 1776

After a few days of eating medialunas with cafe con leche for breakfast, your stomach starts complaining. You feel tired, cranky and stuffed. You'll soon start craving for natural food.

An apple or a walnut would do. But there's a more appetizing solution: 'Natural Deli'.

Mike, the owner and organic food's crusader, came from London to teach us that good natural, fresh, organic and veggie food can actually taste good. Organic coffee, scramble eggs, home made granola, french toast and home organic jams will redefine a typical breakfast in Buenos Aires. For lunch there's quiche, sandwiches, wraps, soups and freshly pressed juice, lemonade and ice tea. All good and fresh.

This is not a fast food place and they do take their time to prepare the meals, so patience is a must (you are in Buenos Aires after all). Natural Deli has two branches and they are planning to open up a few more. And yes, they sell apples and walnuts, too..

(Not a) Corner deli

Mark's Deli
El Salvador 4701
mon/sat 830am-930pm
sun 1030am9pm

I was slightly reluctant to write about this place. But why? It's always packed, so they definitely don't need any extra publicity. Then, they didn't let me take pictures. I really wonder why? I hate it when places impose this kind of stupid restrictions on paying customers. And it's expensive.

So why am I still writing? Well, despite the fact that it's always packed, they don't let you take pictures and the waiters are cranky, the place is a classic in the Palermo Soho area. They were one of the pioneers in the neighborhood, when they opened back in 2002.

From ice coffee to orange/chocolate pound cake to the sandwiches and salads there's a big selection to choose from. Everything is freshly made everyday.

Mark's isn't really a deli, as it's know in the states, although you can take stuff to go. It's more of a NYC style coffee house (I mention NYC since I lived there for years, I guess if I had lived in Chicago, or say Spokane, I would have said that it reminded me of either one of those cities).

I personally like Palermo, but there's a lack of good places to go for breakfast/lunch/afternoon coffee. The ones around Plaza Serrano are rather tacky and expensive. So places like Mark's Deli (and there are just a few in the area) are always a must go for those of us coffee nerds.

I always told myself that I wasn't going to write about Mark's Deli, but I just did. Maybe I wrote about it because I was there today and had a good time, even if it was crowded, expensive and they didn't let me take any pictures, except for the ones I managed to secretly take, of course..

Boulevard

Voulez bar
3802 Cervino st.
4802 4817
mon/sat 9am-1am

So it's hot, Buenos Aires is empty and there's not much to do. What are the options? I guess most people would head to 'los bosques de Palermo' area, by the zoo, to walk around the lakes and trees. Maybe hire some rollerblades or one of those ridiculous peddaling boats. Personally, since i'm not into sports or boats, I tend to go for nice coffee (or ice coffee!) and sit by a sidewalk somewhere under the trees. Voulez bar is perfect for that. It's on the way to the Palermo lakes, so you can sit down for coffee or lemonade and then head to the lakes. The food is fresh with a french twist (from salads to amazing sandwiches). In the afternoon there are pastries and cakes that would make anyone happy, Even in this hot weather..

Size matters

Florencio
2363 Francisco de Vittoria st.
9am-8pm
4807 6477

Could this be the cutest cafe in Argentina? I read somewhere that Florencio is the smallest cafe in Argentina, just five tables to sit on and a couple more outside. It's very hard to find, close to the British embassy, in Recoleta. The cakes are the best ones i've ever had. They also have a nice lunch menu with proper salads and sandwiches (no boring tostados here). They are open for dinner twice a week with a fix menu, on wednesdays and fridays.

Perfect place for an old school tea party with friends, now don't take many, though. Remember it's not only the cutest cafe in Argentina, but the smallest..

Go Baraka

Baraka
1450 Gurruchaga st.
4834 6427

Baraka became one of my favorite places to go for good organic coffee, pound cakes, amazing sandwiches and the best chocolate cake i've had in Buenos Aires so far. It's in a great area, near plaza serrano, but away from all the (annoying) mess. There's a sunny terrace, which is great, as long as it's not too sunny (too hot!) and comfy couches to sit inside. They have a really nice tea selection by Tealosophy

and the service is generally very friendly. Today I went for breakfast with my dad and then again for afternoon tea with a friend.. vote baraka!

Home(made jam)

Home Hotel
5860 Honduras st.
4778 1008

I read somewhere that the Home Hotel is owned by this English couple who would let their friends stay over when visiting BA, until they started charging guests and it became a business. Their idea was to keep it homey and friendly and they definitely achieved that.

Since i'm not their friend nor I can afford to stay there, I just go for afternoon tea (with scons and home made jam!) and brunch. Good music is always playing, the food is great and the garden area is just amazing, lots of greenery and a swimming pool.

Perfect for sleepy sunny days.. Home sweet home!

San Isidro

Bike & Coffee
736 Juan Diaz de Solis st.
Barrancas station, San Isidro.

Right north of Buenos Aires there's the city of San Isidro. It offers a nice break from the big city. Lots of green spaces, cafes and restaurants by the river, an antique market, a somewhat hippie fair and a quaint little train that goes all the way to Tigre (which is amazing by the way). El Tren de la Costa will take you to 'Bike and Coffee' (Barrancas Station). I truly love this place, first of all, it's right on the train station, it has a New England feeling to it, there's even a fireplace, the river is just a few yards away and on the other side of the tracks there's a lovely antique market (weekends only). Waffles, cakes, sandwiches, soups and great coffee and tea will make a visit to San Isidro a bit more fun. If you feel the need to burn some calories after a big afternoon tea, you can rent a bike and give it a go.. finally some fresh air!

Best brownie

Pasteleria -Freud & Fahler-
1744 Gurruchaga st.
4833 2153

Whenever I feel like having the best brownies in town, I go to 'la pasteleria'. It's a cute little bakery in palermo, in what used to be a garage/wherehouse. They also have great oatmeal and raisin cookies, cheesecakes (the passion fruit cake is life changing) and delicious sandwiches to go. The tea comes from a small company that prepares original blends (promise to find out more about it) and the strong coffee saves the day. Everything is baked on premises so it doesn't get any fresher than that. Now, the place is quite tiny, just one table and two chairs, so if you are lucky you'll get to sit down, otherwise you can always get it to go and enjoy the goodies whilst walking around the neighborhood (it's nice there!)..

DVDs & coffee

Miles
1580 Gurruchaga st.
mon. sat. 9am - 9pm
sun. 10am - 8pm
4832 1838

I love movies. Good movies that is. I also love a good coffee. It can be black (not too strong please), with milk (I miss soy milk!), cream or both if it's really cold outside.
Walking around palermo the other day, we came across a place that sells both movies and coffee. Before long we sat down for a lovely afteroon of coffee and films.
There are just a few tables on the main floor, but at the back there's a patio with a bigger sitting area. There's also another room at the very back of the store, but if you don't find a table, no problem, you can always browse around the other side of the store. There are hundreds of indie films from all over the world.
The service is not the best in the universe, but the place is new, so we have to give them a brake, but the coffee, the lemon cake and the little pieces of chocolate we got with the coffee were excellent. This place is a real find, given that the whole 'plaza serrano' area, is packed with super crowded, loud and plain lame places. So if you find yourself walking around the area, wondering where all these people came from, remember that right around the corner there's a place where you can buy good old dvds and a warm cup of the good stuff..

Finest pastries

Pastry
2027 Uriarte st.
mon.-sun. 8am-8pm
4899 2598

I was there a few days ago, and had this delicious passion fruit and chocolate cake, served with freshly cut strawberries and bananas, what more can one ask for? opened not that long ago by Georgina Manghi (she worked and trained in Buenos Aires, Turin and London), Pastry has become the place to find the finest cakes, muffins, chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies, etc. There's a good selection of soups, tarts, sandwiches and fresh pasta for light lunches. There's also a terrace that's perfect for warmer days. You can just sit there for hours drinking good coffee and eating cheesecake till dawn. This is a great new place, and they take their love (and mine) for pastries to a new level. Lucky us..

Coffee at Malba

Café des Arts (Malba museum cafe)
3415 Figueroa Alcorta ave.
Cafe: mon.-sun. 9am-9pm
Museum: wed.-mon. noon-8.pm
Tuesdays closed
4808 6500 / 6515

This is a great museum to go to. It's fairly new and the building alone is worth the visit. They have an amazing store filled with design/art books and fun things to buy. But I have to say that my favorite part was the cafe on the main floor. It's big and modern.
It was lunch time, so I had a sandwich (rather expensive) that was quite good. Then I had coffee and cake (can't go wrong there). Just sitting there sipping coffee makes you feel very intellectual. You can watch the city go by thru the big windows whilst drinking another cup of coffee...

yes yes!

Oui Oui
6068 Nicaragua st.
6099 Nicaragua st. & Dorrego ave.
8am-9pm
4778 9614

No matter what happens in the world, I know that I can always come here and have some delicious waffles with tons of dulce de leche, or walnut cake, or amazing banana bread. The coffee is smooth, the lemonade is perfect and the sandwiches are just great. Oui Oui never lets me down.
They've just opened a branch right across the street. It's more of an 'almacen' (general store) so you can get your baked goods to go and cute groceries bags and home made jams. I think it's even better than the old one, really cozy. Keep in mind it might get a bit crowded on the weekends, so be ready to wait a few minutes, it's worth it!.