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Argentines take coffee seriously and Buenos Aires is home to some of the best coffee in the world (although Colombians may dispute this). Some cafés offer the usual mix of pastries to compliment your coffee, others have ventured into contemporary brunch food (which is definitely worth your time). From historic coffeehouses to the latest Instagram trend, you are almost guaranteed that Palermo has the best cafes in Buenos Aires.
I think one of the greatest joys of visiting Buenos Aires is tapping into the porteño lifestyle. Before you head off on your Buenos Aires walking tour or visit the state-of-the-art MALBA, start your day with a cup of coffee.
Waves of Italian immigrants (and others) have created a distinctive café culture that is deeply embedded into Argentine society. Whenever I walk around Palermo in the morning I find myself completely shocked. The cafés are full of people, engaging in passionate conversations, savoring their breakfast, eating alfajores, and, most importantly, not at the office!
In this guide, I take you to the top 5 cafes in Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood – my favorite area to stay in Buenos Aires.
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Guide to ordering coffee in Argentina
Before I jump into café recommendations, it’s important to discuss how to order coffee in Argentina. The Argentine coffee menu goes well beyond the trio of espressos, lattes and cappuccinos. But don’t worry, you can still find these classics (and even flat whites) on most Palermo café menus.
Whether you’re visiting for a few days or on a longer 2 week Argentina itinerary, I recommend stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something new – it’s time to drink coffee like a local!
| Your Order | What You Will Receive |
| Café chico | Espresso (can be used interchangeably) |
| Café con leche | Half coffee/half milk (I’ll be honest, it tastes like a latte to me) |
| Cortado | Espresso with a tiny bit of milk (similar to a macchiato) |
| Lagrima | Hot milk with a few tiny drops of coffee |
| Submarino | Argentine chocolate melted into a glass of warm milk |
1. Lattente
Lattente takes my number one place for the best coffee in Buenos Aires. My regular order here is a cold brew, which you can then take outside and drink while sitting alongside the hip crowd of Palermo’s young professionals and professional dog walkers.
Lattente doesn’t offer a full breakfast menu. With an extremely moist carrot cake, I do think their cake selection is some of the best in Buenos Aires. I am confident that Lattente’s alfajores are some of the best in Buenos Aires – but I may need to leave that to the alfajores expert.
Lattente offers milk alternatives, including almond milk and lactose-free milk.
Lattente only has a small indoor seating area, so I wouldn’t recommend Lattente for digital nomads looking to take their laptop.
2. LAB Training Center & Coffee Shop
LAB is across Avenida Juan Bautista Justo at the edge of Palermo Hollywood. At LAB, coffee is taken very seriously: you will be asked to select your beans.
With a tasteful brick interior and stools alongside the open kitchen, LAB is also an excellent spot for breakfast. The scrambled eggs on toast with sweet tomatoes and rosemary is easily one of my go-to Buenos Aires breakfasts. LAB’s menu is almost entirely vegetarian, with more options after 12 pm – including my favorite, the lunchtime veggie wrap.
LAB only offers countertop seating, so I wouldn’t recommend if you are looking for a place for a big group.
For vegans and those seeking milk alternatives: the only milk alternative on offer is a homemade peanut milk. Certainly delicious, but your coffee does taste like peanut butter.
3. La Garage
La Garage is a typical Palermo Hollywood café: grungy, outdoorsy and with an excellent selection of cakes.
But the real reason to visit La Garage is their best-in-class flans. I can’t say I ever expected to write an article about flan, but here we are. Make a visit to La Garage and, like me, you will probably be overwhelmed by the abundance of flans on offer. I should also give a shout out to La Garage’s carrot cake: full to the brim with walnuts and dates.
If you are looking for a cool Palermo souvenir, La Garage offer genuinely trendy t-shirts.
4. Ninina Bakery
Ninina Bakery is a large open-space, airy café and an excellent choice for brunch in Buenos Aires.
If you like your coffee strong, Ninina is for you. Here, the default coffee order includes a double shot. Beyond an uber-tasty homemade almond milk, Ninina also offer a date syrup sweetener for those looking for sugar alternatives.
Ninina is home to another one of my favorite Buenos Aires breakfasts: a croissant sandwich with eggs, kale, crushed avocado and harissa aioli. I am also a big fan of their caprese empanadas.
If you are a digital nomad in Buenos Aires looking for somewhere to get some work done, Ninina offers space, bright lighting and solid WiFi making it one of the best cafes in Palermo, Buenos Aires for digital nomads.
5. Coffee Bike Ruffus
Directly in front of Palermo’s best wine bar, the Sommelier En Bicicleta, you can find TikTok sensation Ruffus serving hand-pressed coffee on a bike.
Ruffus is only open on Friday to Sunday. If you are visiting Palermo for the Saturday markets, this is an excellent spot to pick up a high quality coffee!
Coffee Bike Rufus also happens to be next to some of the best ice cream that you can find in Buenos Aires – perfect for a summer treat.
6. Libros del Paisaje
Buenos Aires is often called the ‘bookshop capital of the world‘, with more bookshops per capita than any other city on earth.
Libros del Paisaje is an institution on the Palermo literary trail. At the back of the bookstore you will find a quiet little cafe. Grab a book or bring your laptop and dive deep into the world of Buenos Aires bookstores. Out of all the cafes on this list, Libros del Paisaje is the best place for digital nomads in Palermo.
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