The Best Coffee, Tea, & Ice Cream of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is experiencing a resurgence of good coffee throughout the city. Don’t drink the Nespresso or Illy pods at your hotel. Worse, they may have instant coffee… AHH!
And by coffee in this city, along with other European influenced cities, we mean expresso. While some places have started exploring with drip coffees, you’ll find a better one elsewhere. Stick to the expresso drinks like a double, flat white, and macchiato. Also, forget about the ‘non-dairy’ milks here. While some shops have Almond milk, they’re unfamiliar with it and usually ruin a perfectly good expresso shot.
Cuervo Café
Simply the best coffee… err… expresso in Buenos Aires. The large Marozocco machine is a dead giveaway here. The expresso is flavorful, strong, and tastes even a bit salty. Try it plain or in a flat white with a double shot instead of a single. Hot outside? Get any drink ‘frio’ and enjoy it on their parklet right out front.
The staff at Cuervo is a delightful hipster bunch who will know your name and order but the second time you visit. Locals adore this place and they treat you like one even if you’re in town for a few days.
Pair your coffee with their fantastic Avocado Smash or a pastry. The chocolate rolls are particularly good – like a rolled croissant with melted chocolate and a few nuts on top. Yum.
You can find Cuervo on the very south of the Palermo SoHo neighborhood. It’s a must stop at any time of the day.
Salvaje Bakery
If you find yourself on the other side of Palermo, called Palermo Hollywood, then Salvaje Bakery is your spot for coffee as you simultaneously marvel at their daily, homemade bread selection. They’re a bit more on the hip-side, so you can try your most extreme expresso creations here.
Enjoy a seat on their interior patio to escape the heat / rain and watch them work their magic inside. You can pair your coffee with a generous menu of breakfast items and lunch plates which are all fantastic.
Students love this place because it’s affordable and their peers work there.
NININA Bakery
Ninina is quickly becoming a powerhouse in Buenos Aires. They have a few locations across town including in Palermo SoHo and at the INSERT MUSEUM. They have their own coffee and expresso brands, so be sure to ask which they suggest for your taste.
Visit Ninina any time of day for a coffee, meal, email catch-up session, or chit-chat. They have a full menu from breakfast to light, early dinner before your 11pm reservation.
Like coffee, BA locals enjoy their teas.
It’s not uncommon to find a group in the flower-covered back alleys of multiple tea houses relaxing after a long day at work or busy day shopping around town.
El Patio Tea House
El Patio is a hidden gem with a street-front like a flower-shop alley. They specialize in Armenian teas and coffee, but their tea is a standout. Their selection is vast and will suit all tastes for a nice afternoon.
Choose your tea and maybe pair it with a ‘sure looks homemade’ sweet from their counter. Enjoy it all in their sunny, garden patio away from the busy streets.
Don’t miss an instagram opportunity out front with their multiple flower vases and pots. You’ll find El Patio in the Palermo SoHo neighborhood.
Tealosophy
Tealosophy really earns it’s name – a boutique tea house with a cafe, flower shop, and outdoor furniture shop to boot. The beautiful furniture and plant covered alley is hidden from the street with a small sign that’s easy to miss. But don’t walk past as their back patio is a perfect spot to relax with some hot tea in the shade of a beautiful tree you probably shouldn’t, but might buy.
Their plant and boutique furniture environment is always changing, so every visit is unique. The Green Tea varieties and the scones are a standout hit.
Visit Tealosophy in the Palermo SoHo neighborhood and keep a close lookout for the alley and camouflaged sign above it.
It seems like ice cream is everywhere in BA.
The shops are all unique with their own flavors and vibe. What’s not unique? That they’re all awesome, as you can expect. Be sure to pay first before trying all the flavors, but try as many as you like!
Lucciano Ice Cream Shop
Lucianno’s takes the ice cream cake with it’s decadent milk-based and fruit-based flavors. Their selection of ice creams is only rivaled by their selection of artisan-crafted ice cream and fruit bars that look like they belong in the museum of modern art.
Here, you’ll find everyone enjoying their selected flavors in a cup, on a cone, on a stick, or in a ginormous bowl. It’s not uncommon to find a couple sharing a ‘kilo’ between themselves on one of the Lucianno’s trademarks: swings.
Lucianno’s if found throughout BA, but their Palermo SoHo and Recollete locations are particularly instagram worthy with their signs and swings.
Rapa Nui Chocolate Shop
If you’re a Yelper, Rapanui is probably on your list. It’s always the top-rated and it’s easy to see why. Not only do they have a host of ice creams, but they also make truffles, chocolate bars, funny-shaped treats, and more.
They’re famous for their Dulce de Leche which comes in multiple varieties. Try them all and get a small. Smalls are large. Larges are whoa.
Rapanui is found throughout the city and every location is great. We particularly like the Palermo location because of it’s nice garden and hidden street entrance a few blocks away from the rest of the commotion.
Valence Ice Cream Shop
Valence may have the most instagrammed street-side with it’s prime, well-lit corner in Palermo SoHo. Multiple influencers have chosen to share their multi-kilo buckets overflowing with flavors and toppings.