known as “the paris of south america,” buenos aires has a strong european influence that’s visible throughout the city, yet it still maintains that latin american flair that is both fun and cheerful. this is especially the case with the unique mom-and-pop-style cafes that dot the street corners of ba like starbucks dot the street corners of seattle [which is bit ironic, if you ask me].
only these cafes serve homemade pastries as well as other breakfast and non-breakfast items, miniature coffees in espresso mugs – quick PAUSE so we can all giggle at this photo:
{i guess dad just has a thing for miniatures…hahaha. if you’re lost, i’ll fill you in at a later date, promise!}
– and sometimes alcohol. they are quaint and charming, and tend to contain lovely, homey-feeling furnishings and lovely, homey-feeling people. bonus: most are open from morning until evening, unlike many of the restaurants in ba that close from 4 to 8ish in the late afternoon/evening. people in argentina eat dinner very late, and this can sometimes be a problem for certain american tourists who are unaware and whose stomachs begin growling furiously at 5pm because they ate a small lunch much too early in the day. lucky for us, these cafes were everywhere!
the first cafe we went to in ba was a few blocks from our loft, and although i never did find out its name, its bright, happy colors drew us in right away.
the inside was just as adorable. it was an old building, white on the inside with painted teal and red trim, plus lots of other bright-colored miscellaneous decorations [sounds a bit like my own home!]
the lady who served us was friendly and sweet, the cutest patterned and ruffled apron that matched the colors of the little place. she didn’t speak english, but her warm smile and welcoming demeanor made us feel right at home.
the croissants we had were delicious and flaky and slightly sweet, and the tea was muy bueno on a cool, cloudy morning.
and so, on that first morning at that little cafe with no name, buenos aires stole my heart.
xo