The document discusses the rising popularity of healthy and vegetarian cafes and restaurants in Buenos Aires. It summarizes several new cafes and eateries that have opened, focusing on their healthy, organic options like juices, salads, and sandwiches. It highlights spots like Natural Deli, Pura Vida, Natural Station, bBlue Deli and Natural Bar, Buenos Aires Verde, and Tea Connection as examples of the growing health-conscious dining scene in the city.

1. They might not yet be
synonymous with eating
out in BA, but health-
conscious cafés and
restaurants are most
definitely on the rise.
Health food hangouts have been
gathering momentum in Buenos Aires in
the past year or so, with juice bars, delis
and vegetarian restaurants popping up
throughout the city. They provide healthy,
tasty alternatives to BA’s world-famous
steak, pizza and pasta routine, which can
quickly pall without a bit of variety.
One spot that continues to tick all the
right boxes is Natural Deli (see p57), a
cast-iron choice for wholesome lunches
made with organic, freshly sourced
ingredients, suitable for vegetarians and
omnivores. Sit among porteños and
tourists in one of its relaxing, eco-friendly
dining rooms and tuck into a nutty Verde
Thai salad, packed with broccoli, green
beans, peanuts, tofu and ginger; a
Cordobés sandwich, with smoked chicken,
grilled apple, cream cheese, celery,
walnuts, rocket and mustard; or a vivid
Rainbow salad (see photo, below right). As
we go to
press—
as if
proof were needed that BA is on a health
kick—British owner Michael is unveiling a
third deli in Palermo, to add to his Las
Cañitas and Barrio Norte branches.
If you’re looking to escape the chain-
smoking, coffee-crazy downtown crowd
and craving a hit of something purer,
Pura Vida (see p56) might lift your
spirits with one of their absurdly
delicious smoothies, light lunches or fresh
fruit salads. Coöwner Marty recommends
the Green Monster—a blend of celery,
cucumber, parsley, lemon, green apple
and ginger, which he claims is just the
thing for a powerful detox.
Compensate for
your vino tinto
sins with a fresh
strawberry juice
Over the other side of Avenida 9 de
Julio, in the heart of Tribunales, is the
brand new Natural Station (Paraná 706,
4519 8239, www.naturalstation.com.ar), a
multicoloured pit stop where you can
refuel with a vitamin juice while
sightseeing downtown. Slurp on a Forever
Young strawberry and apple juice, and
compensate for all those vino tinto sins.
If hanging out with trendy, blueberry-
loving Palermo healthsters is more your
cup of tea, then be sure to check out
Palermo Viejo’s brand new bBlue Deli
and Natural Bar (see p57). Choose from
a freshly prepared salad—the b-Deli, a
combination of spinach, roasted
mushrooms, brie and toasted almonds
with a lemon dressing is a great
vegetarian option—and to push that
detox into full swing, try a Berry Young
antioxidant-filled juice, with blueberries,
orange, pineapple and honey.
For more substantial fare for those
uninspired by menus filled with stodgy
staples, Buenos Aires Verde’s (see p37)
revitalizing vegetarian meals offer a
brilliant alternative. At this recently
opened organic restaurant, even the
hardened carnivore will find something
scrumptious on the varied menu.
Finally, if you’ve overdone it on the café
cortados, call in for a cuppa at Tea
Connection (see p57). Sit outside in a
comfy chair and watch the world go by
while sipping on a leafy green tea or one
of the numerous other infusions, and rest
assured that you’ll leave feeling guilt-free
and refreshed.—Katrina Mowbray
The basics
From hip hangouts with cosmopolitan cool
on tap to atmospheric old-school
institutions, BA’s cafés are the perfect
places to while away a few hours, whether
you’re feeling solitary or sociable. Often
used as meeting places for students
ostensibly involved in a group study
session, or as second homes for laptop-
toting global nomads taking advantage of
free Wi-Fi, the city’s coffee houses are
generally lingerer-friendly.
The notion of holing up in one of these
spots for an exchange of ideas has a
precedent in the 20th-century gatherings
of many of Argentina’s major literary
and political figures in fine old
establishments like the Café Tortoni
and Florida Garden. Some of the city’s
contemporary cafés may be more skinny
latte than literati, but with their modern
menu options and comfortable chairs they
have plenty of their own appeal, as the
packed tables at places like Tea
Connection, Bar 6 and Helena prove.
There are now numerous juice-based
alternatives to the bean in BA, but if
you’re a die-hard caffeine addict, it’s a
good idea to get your head around the
local java jargon: a café solo is a single
espresso; a cortado is a single espresso
with a ‘cut’ of hot milk; a café con leche is
a large milky coffee, and a lágrima is
warm milk with a ‘teardrop’ of coffee.
HOW TO USE THE LISTINGS
This section presents our selection of the
city’s best cafés.
denotes a place we particularly
recommend.
NEW is for a café that has opened in the
last six months or so.
D signals free Wi-Fi for customers.
The Centre
Café Tortoni
Avenida de Mayo 829, entre Esmeralda y
Suipacha (4342 4328/www.cafetortoni.
com.ar). Subte A, Piedras/bus 17, 64, 86.
Open 7.30am-2am Mon-Thur; 7.30am-
3am Fri-Sat; 9am-1am Sun. Credit AmEx,
MC, V. Map C4. D
Argentina’s oldest café is everything you
would expect it to be: breathtakingly grand
and charmingly ceremonial. Since its open-
ing in 1858, this glorious place has played
Cafés
Time Out insiders’ guide to Buenos Aires 2010 55
Matilda’s
The tasty choices here range from
smoked salmon and cream cheese to
chicken with guacamole. See p56.
Pura Vida
Pura Vida’s bagels come in plain, whole
wheat and sesame varieties. See p56.
Bagelazo
www.elbagelazo.blogspot.com
Sweet and savoury versions delivered
to your door are just a click away.
Top 3
for bagels
Natural Deli.
Looking for health kicks
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