A few dozen litres of coffee and a hundred or so medialunas later we have finally reached the end of our Bares Notables series. Each of the 54 has deservedly earned its place on the list but after some tricky soul searching we’ve managed to whittle down a Top 5 absolute must-visit establishments in Buenos Aires. Enjoy.

1. El Preferido, Palermo

Holding its own among Palermo’s chic bars and noisy restaurants, this family-run business has charm, warmth, a hearty menu and a fat slice of character. Whether you’re looking for a quick bite to eat or a sit down meal, El Preferido will provide.

In 1951, Arturo Fernández, the current owner, arrived in Argentina with his family from Asturias, Spain. A year later his father started working at the El Preferido almacen, central to community life and furnishing the neighbourhood with groceries and nick-nacks.

Instead of being swallowed up by large supermarket chains that started cropping up all over the city like other local shops the family moved with the times and transformed the store into a bistro. Today the restaurant is split into an informal, high-tabled, quick eatery with the original interior fittings and a more traditional restaurant in an adjacent room.

In the restaurant tables are covered with red and white table-cloths and large chandeliers glitter above the chattering crowd. Shields with the emblems of old Spanish families decorate the walls alongside photographs and football memorabilia from the waiters’ favourite teams.

Arturo’s family have brought the rich flavours of Asturias to their trade and the menu proffers a refreshing change from traditional parilla fare that is well worth paying for. Large plates of paella, seafood and fish dishes are wheeled out of the kitchen along with vaska tuna, stroganoff sirloin and kidneys in sherry sauce. Other house favourites are robust portions of lentils, meatballs and rice as well as a delicate salmon rosado.

If you have the self-will to save room for dessert, the El Preferido speciality is a thick and luxurious apple pancake. They are made to order with 40 minutes preparation time and worth planning ahead for.

Although the likes of Francis Ford Coppola and Willem Defoe have dropped in from time to time, the place is generally heaving with local clientele and more than earns its popularity.

Jorge L. Borges 2108 Tel: 4774-6585, Monday to Saturday, 8am-11pm, deliveries available.

2. El Gato Negro, San Nicolas

Bored of beige food and bland meals? Argentina is famous for many things, but groundbreaking cuisine isn’t one of them. Luckily for those of you with comatose taste buds El Gato Negro has specialised in exotic herbs and spices since the 1920s and definitely knows its perjil from its paprika.

A warm, nutty smell of spices is striking as you open the door to this well-kept secret and the café sells everything from aniseed to za’taar (middle-eastern herbs, spices and sesame seeds).

It was founded in 1927 by a Spaniard called Victoriano López who settled here after spending 40 years in the Far East and travelling to exotic places like Ceylon, Singapore, Manchuria and the Philipines before setting up shop in Buenos Aires.

López’ son expanded the range of goods, creating his own blends and insisting that seeds and pods be shipped whole and ground in-store to guarantee freshness.

The 1920s are still very much felt in this natty little shop – in the art deco fixtures and large jars of pickled vegetables stacked to the ceiling behind the broad wooden counter. Seating is intimate with small round tables for a cosy tete-a-tete or solitary afternoon reading in the corner.

There is a wide range of coffees with international blends and spices, exotic aromas and punchy flavours like cardamom and café al jinibre (cream, ginger, honey and cinnamon) from around $10. For a refreshing cuppa El Gato offers a fine variety of tea blends and a mouth-watering selection of cakes to indulge every sweet tooth.

El Gato certainly offers bang for your buck – ordinary coffees are available from $6. The cafe also hosts cultural events like concerts and book readings, as well as occasional music performances and public readings.

El Gato Negro is on Av. Corrientes 1669. Tel: 4374-1730 Website: www.elgatonegronet.com.ar. Opening hours: Mon 9am–10pm, Tue 9am–11pm, Wed 9am–midnight, Thur-Sat 9am–2am

3. Las Violetas, Almagro

Once the preserve of the spendthrift gentry and cream of Buenos Aires high society, this beautiful old café – named after the violet beds of neighbouring town house gardens – recently celebrated its125th birthday and is now busy with locals and travelers alike.

As the heyday of the privileged classes that had kept the cash registers ringing began to wane at the end of the 19th century, the café began to lose business. By the beginning of the 1990s the elegant restaurant, with its art nouveau architecture, gilded curlicues, Italian marble columns and Tiffany style windows was semi-abandoned.

Luckily it was named a national heritage site in 13 years ago and it was re-sold and restored to its lofty glory for re-opening in 2001. Parts of the décor, like the stained glass windows and stone floor, are reproductions but much of the original building remains intact.

Today a suitably decadent menu reflects the café’s early days as a luxury patisserie with indulgent chocolate slices, fluffy meringues and rich cakes covered in bright fruit and smooth cream. Las Violetas still functions as a cake shop with a separate entrance for customers on the market for a box of sugary pastries to take away as well as a delivery service for food hampers.

For a ritzy afternoon tea, try the ‘Maria Carla’ selection with crustless sandwiches, cakes, fondants and fresh orange juice. Sadly Argentina’s flagship combination of ham and cheese has weaseled its way into the shortlist instead of cucumber and salmon but otherwise, at $48 and easily refreshing 3-4 people, it’s well worth it.

Meals haven’t quite lost their expensive price tag and become more expensive on weekends and public holidays but you can still pick up a café con leche for about $10 and absorb some of Las Violetas’ old charm.

Las Violetas is open from 6am to 1am, Sunday to Thursday, and 24 hours, Friday to Saturday. Av. Rivadavia 3899 (corner Medrano). Tel: 4958-7387 www.lasvioletas.com

4. Clásica y Moderna, Recoleta

‘Clásica’, as it is known to friends and admirers has established itself as one of the most important and respected booksellers in Buenos Aires since its opening over 70 years ago. Historically a place for prominent intellectuals to give lectures and people to browse a lovingly-chosen book collection, Clásica has only been serving food, coffee, wine and cocktails for the past two decades.

It was opened in 1938 by Francisco Poblet, who emigrated from Spain with the sole intent of opening a bookstore in Buenos Aires. Himself the son of a bookseller, today the store is run by his daughter Natalia, or ‘Natu’. Poblet believed that forming a cordial relationship with the shop’s patrons was paramount to the art of bookselling and should go beyond the impersonal platitudes of clerk and customer.

The store became a nexus of the intellectual community of Buenos Aires. Politicians such as Alfredo Palacios, Mario Bravo, Alicia Moreau de Justo and Argentine president Roberto Ortiz all frequented the store, as did notable writers such as Ricardo Rojas, Roberto Arlt and Alfonsina Storni.

Like most institutions that survive drastic social changes with the passing decades, Clásica had to go through a period of modernization. In the early 1980s the shop became a popular location for book presentations, lectures and cultural meetings. After the restoration of democracy Isabel Allende, Juan José Sebrili, Abelardo Castillo and David Viñas all presented their works to a freshly invigorated population. As these presentations and meetings became more frequent, and Poblet and Natu found themselves providing their guests with drinks and clearing space amongst the bookshelves, they realized that the bookstore had “organically” reached a point of change.

The café’s dark brick walls, exposed ventilation, and dim lighting give it the feel of a bluesy back-alley. Modern art and photographs are in constant rotation on the walls and a high wooden counter top runs in between the two rows of tables in the middle of the room, providing an excellent reading stand while you’re eating.

The lunch menu includes a featured book on the cover with information and reviews inside. While being on the slightly more pricey side of set menus, at $35 – the food is good and fresh. The larger menu pays homage to literary and film greats with salads named after Corázar, Kundera and Neruda and and dishes like the Fellini, Almodovar, Pechuga Kundera, Pollito Woody Allen and Picada Umberto Ecco. Most consist of typical Argentine fare with meat as the feature and greens as decoration and range from $30 to $50.

Clásica y Moderna can be found at Callao 892, one block from the Callao Subte stop. On most nights the the cafe hosts shows of either jazz or tango singers, for information visit: www.clasicaymoderna.com

5. Lo de Roberto, Almagro

Officially called 12 de Octubre, the spirit of Buenos Aires is alive and well in this decades-old bar located just off of Plaza Almagro. In the late afternoons it serves its faithful octogenarian porteño clientele, who drink whiskey, wine and agua con gas while playing cards and chatting. At night, the bar hosts free live music shows, attracting a younger crowd who pack the cosy space from wall-to-wall.

Starting its life as an almacen the café is tucked into a late 19th-century building, founder Francisco Perez opened the dual-purpose joint in 1930, building a loyal clientele and eventually passing ownership on to his two sons, Roberto and Jorge.

Cracked plaster walls reveal unevenly laid brickwork, an ancient iron fan sits majestically in a corner, opposite a manual cash register; black-and-white photographs of famous Argentines and friends of the bar clutter the walls and thousands of dusty brown bottles line the high shelves.

Estében explains that the collection of the bottles is a kind of tradition, serving as mementos of times passed: “They’re from the time of my grandfather and my old man. They’re not for drinking. And when my children run the bar, there will be ones from today,” he says.

At night, the 12 de Octubre comes alive. On Tuesdays through Saturdays, the bar hosts live music, generally local tango or classic Latin acts, featuring a guitarist and a singer. One favourite performer is the guitarist Lucas Ferrara. Music begins at 11.30pm, with the most established acts playing last, usually winding up at 3am. All shows are free, and the bar fills up early.

These nightly concerts are part of why the bar has been dubbed “Boliche de Roberto”. They have the power to transform this small room on a sleepy block into a sweaty hotspot, with patrons switching from wine to fernet and coke as the night progresses.

12 de Octubre is located at Bulnes 331. Open Mondays from 6.30-9.30pm; Tuesdays-Fridays.

Cafe Tortoni remains one of the most celebrated and famous cafes in Buenos Aires, noted for its position in the middle of the two political centres of the city. Opened by a French family in 1858 the bar is seeped in the history of the last 150 years of Argentina, a period that has witnessed huge political and cultural changes. The bar documents this history and has become a museum of the creative and turbulent changes that have surrounded it. With three rooms to the rear of the long hall dedicated to this history, tourists are attracted from all over the world to learn about and visit this central cultural hub and original Tango salon.

Originally from Paris, the family were intent on creating an area that would attract creativity and become a meeting point for writers and artists, tango musicians, and politicians. Successful in their quest, the walls boast photographs and prints of a range of well known writers that have graced Tortoni in the last century, including Federico Garcia Lorca and works from Argentine artist Benito Quinquela Martín.

Roberto Fanego, responsible for the cultural aspects of the bar, claims that writers and artists were encouraged “to spend lots of time sat at the tables, soaking up the atmosphere”. Fanego slowly guides me around the museum like rooms: the old peluqueria turned library, and the two salons either side of it. Busts of famous visitors adorn the entrances to each room and cabinets along the walls preserve artifacts presenting its history.

Intricate and aged stained glass ceilings help retain the original elegance of the bar along with with gold tinted floral details embedded in the wallpaper. The cafe appears to still belong in the nineteenth century with original fittings and the old fashioned till still in use on the long bar. Scattered with tables the bar is constantly bustling. According to Fanego, Tortoni prided itself on this fact, becoming a site for young people to discuss ideas. He comments that the location, near the Casa Rosada on the Avenida de Mayo, meant that previous politicians and presidents would walk up and down the street and meet their adoring fans.

In attempting to preserve its history the cafe sadly is overrun by tourists, which, while good for business, does not help give it the authentic edge it craves. The expensive specialities that lure in the customers include an elaborate leche meringe and traditional chocolate con churros. The throngs of tourists often lead to queues halfway down the block and have helped bump up the prices of the bar. However, seated in amongst the rabble of tourists it is possible to understand what may have inspired writers and artists to return day after day to Tortonis: it still retains a certain charm and feels very much grounded in contemporary Argentine history.

Outside the more frantic neighbourhoods of the capital, in a leafy suburban setting, Bar Olimpo rests quietly on a residential corner in Villa Luro; its charming wooden frame inviting in passers-by. Like many of the bares notables, Bar Olimpo boasts a certain charm that captures the essence of porteño culture. A sense of community pride beams from the bar with postcards that are strewn on every table of the bar that advertise the café’s fame, government posters that signal its place among the 500 most loved places in Buenos Aires and an owner who has had special booklets printed to celebrate this bar’s history and appeal.

Relics from yesteryear adorn the walls, acting as reminders of Argentina’s golden age of the 1950s. Anything from disused car parts to street signs, from old bank notes to photos of regular customers can be found on the walls of Bar Olimpo, which act as canvasses that document the memories of the community.

Named after a favoured football team that used to frequent the venue before and after their matches, the bar has retained its soul and exists as an homage to that old-age Argentine institution; football. Olimpo was one of the first bars in the area to get its very own television, which prompted excitement at the time. Informal gatherings were hosted in the bar for the local community to come and watch the football matches of a team that had long since been a firm favourite after being the runners up in a tournament in 1949 that included 56 teams.

The bar has also been the scene for an Argentine film ‘Esperando la Carroza’ and famous actor Adolfo García Grau was a regular customer.

One cannot help imagining the typical scene of a crowd of Argentines from the past huddled around the marvel that was the television set in the 1950s, eagerly awaiting the result of a football match. This scene is all too easy to imagine as the original television remains a focal point in the bar, alongside other objects from the bar’s founding 60 years ago.

The menu is at Bar Olimpo is not dressed to be anything other than it is. There are no frills and not a lot of variety, but what it does, it does well. Argentine culinary staples such as medialunas, empanadas and licuados are all made with care.

Although Bar Olimpo is far from the popular sites of the city centre and may not be on everyone’s itinerary, it is a lovely spot that has survived the galloping feet of tourists. If in Buenos Aires for five days, it is not a marvel that you need to see but if your time in the city is not rushed and you simply wish to discover her splendour on every far-flung corner, let Bar Olimpo show you the way.

There’s nothing that says England quite like a cup of tea. In Argentina, a soul warming ‘cuppa’ might be a hard to come by, but the “amorosa” blend available at Claridge Hotel & Bar is pretty close. That is, if you’ve ever described PG Tips as “an exotic journey of harmony and ingeniousness.”

Nevertheless, the flowery afternoon tea menu does all it can to keep up with the offerings at the London Ritz, and the décor isn’t too far off. Here, the billowing white curtains of the London hotel are transformed into dark mahogany wood panels. The design may be slightly different, but the shared ethos runs strong. Majestic stained glass windows bare Royal crests, and the decidedly English name echoes the black and white street signs of Hyde Park.

“The hotel and bar are built in the English style,” says head of staff, Marcela Marini. Indeed, the dark wood and shiny polished surfaces bring to mind the English gentleman’s clubs of the 19th century. The Steinway baby-grands either side of the door fit with the theme, conjuring hazy nights of wafting piano melodies and lingering cigar smoke. Claridge Hotel and the bar within were built in 1946 by an Argentine family who had ties with Britain. The venue was originally aimed at the growing number of British families who moved to Argentina during WWII. However, it has morphed from 1940s glamour, to tourist nostalgia. The afternoon tea menu is merely a homage to a time long past, as a range of languages now drift into the vaulted ceiling.

The mahogany bar is elegantly framed by a row of black and white portraits, ranging from the Dali Lama to Argentine ballet dancer, Julio Boca – all guests at the elegant establishment. And a wood and glass cupboard in the corner offers up some Dickens for the Victorian novel deprived.

However, this ‘English’ bar in the middle of Buenos Aires, offers far more than just a taste of home. Argentina is a country with a rich history of immigration and exchange, particularly with Europe, and the venue clearly speaks of this past. Indulging in “tea at Claridge piano bar with champagne” is the perfect opportunity to ponder the mix of cultures, especially when words such as “blends” and “tea leaves” are sporadically spelt wrong throughout the menu. And if you’re really missing a Sunday roast – hard to believe in the land of tender steak – the vaguely traditional fare available on the menu is worth a try. Although the food is on the expensive side, the winter mix of flavours and herbs, all too familiar in rainy England, are set to satisfy any hankering for home cooking.

Don’t rule out Claridge for it’s English feel. The bar is as much seeped in Argentine culture as the formerly Italian neighbourhood of La Boca or the French mansions of Recoleta. “Afternoon tea” may not exactly define a trip to Buenos Aires, but at half the price of tea at the Ritz, it might be your only chance.

Plump medialunas, a robust drinks menu and a place to read your newspaper undisturbed for a morning – little has changed here since the brothers Cao emigrated from Spain and set up an almacen nearly 100 years ago.

At the turn of the century, the Despacho de Bebidas y Almacen – selling food and drinks to the community – was at the heart of barrio life and although the neighbourhood has altered around it over the years, most of the original fittings are still in place.

Light coming through the tall windows picks out a glass-panelled spice cabinet, faded 1950s adverts on the walls and old bottles with dubious liquids on high shelves running along the back wall. Fat hams and salamis hang over the long bar and draught beer is still drawn from cracked black barrels. Boasting another 100-year old wooden fridge that “works perfectly”, according to Guillermo Perez Bravo, the manager.

Sequestered away in San Cristobal, the bar doesn’t get much tourist foot traffic. Luckily this means that the bill is less likely to give you a cardiac arrest over breakfast than many of the other bares notables in the city.

The handsome green menus are extensive: coffees are available from $6.50, juices are $12 and tostados are a cute $5. Try the Cao coffee with Tia Maria, rum, cream and canela, while the Gitano gypsy, Calypso and San Cristobal made with everything from vodka to egg white look great too.

Catering to the sweet tooth, there are strudels, brownies, pancakes and cakes while facturas have their own subsection. If Argentina’s obsession with Dulce de Leche makes you think of diabetes in a teaspoon, the bar also offers savoury fillings like Parma ham and cheese.

The miga – flattened, crustless cousin of the sandwich is given a much-needed revamp at this bar. Mercifully deviating from the classic ham and cheese, Cao offers everything from German Leberwurst to pastrami as well as palm hearts, asparagus, tuna and Roquefort.

There are also heartier things on offer – with a good selection of salads, milanesas and hamburgers from around $20 with nothing costing much more than $40. A platter of picadas will set you back about $30 for one and $60 for three people.

There’s an excellent drinks menu – including a chopp of cider for $12, house wine from $11 a glass and a litre of beer from around $20. Cocktails like Gin and Tonic, Ginebra and Coke, Manhattans and Pisco Sours cost around $25.

Mornings see regulars coming in for their constitutionals and a gossip, while evenings bring in a younger crowd looking for somewhere to unwind after work – the bar caters to all parts of barrio life, like it always has.

You won’t have a palate-shattering gastronomic experience here but what Bar de Cao offers, it does well and its definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area, if only for what may be Buenos Aires’ biggest medialunas.

If you’re looking for an Argentine drinking joint that doesn’t base its claim to authenticity on the decibels it plays tango music and so-called faded glamour (not re-decorating or sweeping, as far as I can see) I may have the perfect candidate.

Café Don Juan, where drinks are stored in a 1943 wooden fridge and the owner can remember a time when passing traffic included horse carts and herds of cows, offers an off-beat snapshot of Argentine daily life.

Part museum of vintage kitchen accessories, part working man’s cafe, this is a family watering hole with a few stories to tell, tucked away in the leafy back streets of Villa Santa Rita.

Alejandro Barralta, who has been the owner since 1970, is settled outside bouncing his grandson on his knee, telling stories and keeping a weathered eye on his daughter behind the counter.

Greeting nearly every passer-by by name and with enquiries after their family, it seems that he is something of an institution: “I’m one of the oldest left in the neighbourhood, like this bar. It’s one of the bares notables because it has a strong cultural heritage.

“The local authorities came along four years ago and decided that this would be a protected property. They painted it and now we’re not allowed to alter it to preserve its style,” he says.

Originally from Galicia, his mother had sent him to Argentina in 1956 after he nearly died in a dangerous mining accident. His first brush with the café came after a friend sent him on a date with the owner’s daughter, Teresa, and the couple have just celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary.

According to Alejandro the cafe is at its busiest first thing in the morning, with people on their way to work and later in the evening, when they’re on their way home. Asked what time Don Juan closes, he laughs: “We close when the last people leave.

“We have live music every fourth Friday of the month too, that always brings in a good crowd. On those nights we’re packed to the rafters with tables crowding onto the street, it’s a great atmosphere. We even have dancing lessons here sometimes,” he says.

Apart from the fridge, other culinary artefacts include a giant rhubarb-and-custard set of scales and a fan that turns into a mirror when the blades are whirring on humid summer evenings.

If nothing else, photos chronicling more than ten films with scenes shot in the café should testify to its standing as an outpost from Argentina’s history.

“They came here because this is just a normal place, where normal people come, and it hasn’t really changed much since it was first built,” says Alejandro.

The roll call includes a picture of Ricardo Darín, famous at home and abroad for Argentine films like ‘El Secreto de Sus Ojos’ (2010) and ‘Hijo de la Novia’ (2001) who filmed a scene there. ‘Anita’, a film about the AMIA bombings on a Jewish Community Centre in 1994 was also shot there.

Although the food is fairly standard fare and the café is rather remote from the city centre, personally I think it’s worth a visit for its kitchenware alone. Alejandro doesn’t buy milk from passing cattle farmers anymore but there are still enough nostalgic quirks to satisfy anyone in search of a ‘genuine’ Argentine bar.

Bar El Tokio has the misfortune of being situated on the border between Villa Santa Rita, Villa Del Parque and Villa Luro in the far west of the city. Wedged between auto repair shops and hardware stores, the stout cement building perches on a disappearing corner that is hard to pin down, but worth the effort.

This local establishment is unpretentious and melancholy, a stark reminder of the toils of everyday life, above and beyond the glistening bars of Palermo and Recoleta. Opened in 1930, Bar Tokio, catered to nearby residents, and has remained in their hands ever since. In 2002, following the economic collapse, the bar fell into disrepair, but was revived by a group of locals who could not bare to see the historic establishment crumble to the ground. They restored Tokio to its former 1930s glory, earning it a place on the Buenos Aires Bares Notables list.

Though it may not exactly have ‘thrived’ since it’s celebrated reopening, the bar remains a neighbourhood favourite. Photos of local celebrities – jockeys, singers, radio DJs – adorn the billiard green walls. Faded, and cracked, they provide a map of a local history which is still being lived today. Indeed, as the wait-staff recount the list of actors and dancers that hail from the neighbourhood, an old man walks by the window, “that’s him!” they announce, triumphantly. Hanging on the wall, the star is captured in his heyday – a young man with an unbuttoned shirt and ample chest hair. Now, he’s a portly gentleman in his sixties. He enters the bar, does a quick wave around the customers – other old men playing cards – and trots back out again.

Bar Tokio is not the place to come for the food. Though the menu is extensive, with an ornately decorated page for a set dinner on Saturday nights, much of the offerings are not available. However, the thorough wine list ranges from bottles costing $12 to $75. A cup of coffee or a glass of wine is all you need to contemplate the mementos that clutter the walls, and get a feel for the history of this forgotten corner. And it’s certainly worth asking the waiters about the stories behind the various photos and certificates. You may even meet a celebrity.

The original owner of Bar Tokio was called Jesus Feas, his keen eyes still ruling the stoop from his portrait on the back wall. Following in his saintly footsteps, is the current owner, Angel Alvarez, 68. And Indeed, getting an interview with him was like having an audience with the pope. When we finally managed to speak, he hacked down the line, as I went in for my final question. “And why is this bar called Tokio?” Expecting a tale of far off lands and exotic trailblazing, he replied: “because it’s on the crossroads of Tokio and Alvarez Jonte.” A simple, straightforward answer that bounced off the walls of the bar itself, echoing the essence of this old time, community watering hole.

Tucked away in Retiro on calle Tres Sargentos, Bar o Bar, or ‘Barbaro’ Bar, was the first of its kind in Buenos Aires. Founded by artist Luis Felipe Noé in 1969, Noé wanted to create a space for his friends to paint, drink and be merry. Along with artists Ernesto Deira, Rómulo Maccio and Jorge de la Vega, Noé formed a group known by critics as ‘La Nueva Figuracion’, a visual art experience that ushered in a bohemian trend in contemporary art. From that attitude, Bar O Bar was born and considered the first “pub” of Buenos Aires.

When I first walked into Barbaro, which is one of Buenos Aires 54 notable and historic bars, the are lights dim and the music blasting, it felt like a funkier, more bohemian Parisian café. I envisioned a time when Buenos Aires was cultivating this colorful, loud culture of art with a theme of “anything goes.”  It was fresh, modern grunge and totally unlike any of the bares notables, most of which are usually classic and unassuming. Unlike most bars in Buenos Aires, Barbaro is in-your-face.

The walls adorned with the artists’ work, stained glass facades for windows, and a hand-crafted menu and cocktail list connotes this hippie hideaway. What started as a space for friends and acquaintances to get together and charlar has over the years transformed into one of the most historic, yet exotic spots in Buenos Aires.

“When Barbaro first opened, its customers were mostly vagabond artists searching for the next big thing,” said Alejandro Gomez, manager and marketing coordinator for Bar O Bar. “Nearby, there was the Instituto Di Tella, which was a school for free-thinkers that was eventually shut down by the military in the 1970s. After Di Tella closed, these young men needed a place to go to continue their movement. Barbaro was founded to give intellectuals, writers, journalists and painters a space to do that.”

The bar itself is a labyrinth of hidden spaces, with an upstairs terrace and a basement room, complete with jukebox. “Over the years, people would come to Barbaro and leave their work,” Gomez said.  “So the bar is covered in paintings, writings, and sculptures of famous artists and writers of the 1970s.” Every item on the menu was designed with a rich cultural history in mind. Though a bit pricey at $50 plus for an entreé, the exceptional quality of the food makes it worth your while.

Best of all, Barbaro offers a sensational 2-for-1 happy hour special, running from 5-9pm, perfect for after office or to kick start a night out. I had the very traditional but delicious caipiroska with some rabas, one of Barbaro’s specialties. On Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, there’s always live music. This popular spot is in the center of a tourist zone so expect to wait for a table, but the wait is well worth it.

Whether you’re looking for an exceptional meal, an inspirational café or just a great place to get drunk, Bar O Bar is simply barbaro.

Situated on a quiet corner in Almagro, Café El Banderin evokes an earlier era in Buenos Aires, when the city’s culture was largely defined by the hoards of Italian and Spanish immigrants that flooded la capital during the last century. The cafe’s high ceilings, dim lighting, yellowing and cracked plaster walls, and a dozen or so wooden tables nicked and scratched by decades of customers give it a decidedly old world feel, justifying its place on the list of 54 historic bars in the city.

The largely porteño clientele adds to this vibe as well, making it hard to believe that El Banderin exists in the same city as the swanky boliches and trendy gringo bars that dominate nearby Palermo. The reining style for men is dark, wooly sweaters, worn-in suit jackets, and scraggly beards, while the women sport the obligatory back-length chestnut hair and jangly collections of silver bracelets.

Café El Banderin originally opened in 1923 as El Asturiano, a corner store selling staples such as sugar, coffee, and tea to the Italian and Spanish immigrants who had come to work in nearby Abasto.

When Mario Riesco took over from his Spanish father in 1958, he decided to convert it into a café for football aficionados. He began to decorate the walls with the flags of different clubs from around the country and the world, and the storefront soon became Café El Banderin, which means “the pennant” in Spanish. Riesco has been running it ever since, and still shows up every night to greet the patrons and work the bar.

“[Customers come] for the service,” Riesco said, wearing a ribbed mustard sweater and gray wool pants, with a gigantic wooden cross dangling from his neck. “It’s a place where you can meet your friends. Here, the clients feel like they’re in their home. Here, the client is a friend.”

On an otherwise quiet Wednesday evening, every table in the café is full, occupied by porteños who chat through the night over drinks and picadas. A trio of portly, mustached men laugh over glasses of whiskey and plates of salami, cheese, and bread. A young couple drinks beer and munches on potato chips at the next table over. Four 30-something men in suits share a bottle of wine or two. Riesco himself emerges from behind the bar to talk with the customers, make sure everyone’s drinks are topped off, and take out the trash.

The café has had its share of notable clientele as well, including Carlos Gardel, Juan Carlos Godoy, and Daniel Passarella (footballer from Riesco’s favourite team, River).

But El Banderin has not been kept completely secret from the city’s expats. During the World Cup, groups of Europeans and North Americans showed up to watch matches on the café’s conspicuous flat screen TV. Riesco attributed the increase in foreigners this year to the Internet, which he said allowed people to discover his bar and organize groups to watch their home countries’ games.

But now that the World Cup is over, those looking for a genuinely porteño vibe will not be disappointed. Come during the day for coffee and facturas, and at night for the extensive but cheap whiskey menu and an assortment of sandwiches and picadas.

Just make sure to bring your conversation starters – El Banderin seems perfectly designed to encourage the kind of café philosophizing that leads two otherwise rational people to get into a contentious debate about Foucault after a bottle of wine on an empty stomach.

And if the discussion ever does die, you can pass the time admiring the hundreds of club football pennants that adorn the walls. Try and spot the cafe’s oldest, the flag from the 1950 Camion de Futbol Infantil Evita.

North Americans should not bother searching for their home team’s pennant, however. Riesco said that while he would like to hang them, they take up “five times” as much room as the other flags and he just does not have the space.

The prim, off-white façade of El Estaño 1880 stands out on the corner of Aristóbulo del Valle, one of La Boca’s famous derelict and colourful streets. The building, unlike the houses on the block, has been restored, and with its demure window dressings, could fit snugly on a street corner in Recoleta or Barrio Norte. It is one of Buenos Aires 54 Historic and Notable Bars.

Inside, the café is no less impeccable, and offers a glimpse in to another era. The elaborate mural on the back wall and the restored woodwork project warmth, and the tin bar – from which the cafe derives its name – speaks of a distant but tangible past.

Owner Alejandra Lorenzo, a childhood friend of the son of the original owners, explained that patrons of the café once had to leave their weapons behind the bar for safety. Nevertheless, fights would break out, leaving behind bullet holes and hachazos – blows from an axe – which can still be seen on the bar.

One block from La Boca’s stadium, fans congregate at the café before home games. But Alejandra was quick to point out that the bar usually remains calm.

“The fans who come here are a bit more highbrow. The barra brava enters the stadium on the other side,” she said. “From time to time, journalists even come here with the players for interviews.”

And this notable café also has a notable bathroom: the Buenos Aires double-decker tour bus stops here so tourists can use it.

“A few people from the bus come in to experience the café, because it’s been declared a cultural interest site, and others buy coffee or a hot drink to go, especially when it’s cold out,” said Alejandra.

Unfortunately for them, they are missing out on an engrossing menu. In addition to fiambres and milanesas, there is jumbo shrimp, and rice with saffron and seafood. The bread and pastas are homemade, and the fish is fresh on Tuesdays and Fridays. When explaining the paella, Alejandra merely kissed the tips of her fingers. For dessert, you might try the Volcán de Chocolate, which Alejandro described as “a bomb”. Or for something lighter, there is ice cream. The menu ejecutivo at lunchtime will cost you $30 pesos, and during the winter you can get lentil stew.

The café boasts a new stage, which Alejandra uses to showcase musicians from the area. But she is careful not to limit the musical offerings to what the neighbourhood is famous for – the tango.

“People come and tell me they’re interested in playing, so I let them. We’ve done jazz, bossa nova, [Argentine] rock, and folklore…because I don’t want to compete with the tango houses,” she said.

Artists also frequent the café, and Alejandra said numerous movies have been filmed here. Filmmakers value the historical authenticity of the café and the surrounding neighbourhood.

“People are looking for a vintage aesthetic that can’t be found in many places,” she said.

El Estaño 1880 is open Tuesday to Friday from 8.30am to 11pm, Saturdays from 10am to 11pm, and Sundays from 10am to 8pm.