"Buenos Aires's oldest café, all Tiffany glass and tango ghosts — come solo for chocolate con churros, not a serious dinner."
About Café Tortoni
Café Tortoni opened in 1858 and is the oldest café in Buenos Aires, moved to its Avenida de Mayo address in 1880 with a grander façade by Norwegian architect Alejandro Christophersen. It is a designated Bar Notable, a city register of historic cafés, and its back room once gathered Jorge Luis Borges, Carlos Gardel and Julio Cortázar. The order to make is chocolate caliente con churros, served in the room's marble-and-stained-glass setting in Monserrat, a few blocks from the Casa Rosada.
The Kitchen
Tortoni is a café, not a chef's restaurant, and the kitchen has stayed in the same lane for a century and a half. The signature is chocolate caliente con churros — thick hot chocolate poured from a small pitcher with crisp churros for dipping, which ran roughly AR$8,000 to AR$11,500 through 2025 as Argentine prices moved. Beyond it, the menu runs to alfajores de maicena, medialunas, café con leche and tostados mixtos.
The set meriendas are the value play: the classic "Tortoni" pairs coffee, a slice of cake, a tostado and orange juice, while the larger "Té del Atardecer" stacks two infusions, churros, medialunas, an alfajor and a brownie. Reckon on AR$10,000 to AR$20,000 per person — less if you keep it to chocolate, more across a full afternoon spread.
The Room
The room is the reason to come: a high, ornate hall with a Tiffany-style stained-glass ceiling, carved wood columns, bevelled mirrors and round marble-topped tables worn smooth by generations. It is busy and bright, with waiters in waistcoats moving between tourists and Porteños, and a low hum of conversation rather than hush. A separate basement holds a ticketed tango show in the evenings. There is no dress code; come as you are, camera ready.
Best for Solo Dining
Tortoni is one of the easiest places in Buenos Aires to sit alone and not feel alone: order chocolate con churros, take a marble table, and the room does the rest. It suits solo dining with a book or a notebook in the morning lull, and it doubles as a low-stakes first date over coffee before a walk down Avenida de Mayo to Plaza de Mayo.
Not for
Not for a quiet, unhurried meal or a serious dinner — it is a tourist-heavy landmark café with queues at peak hours and food that plays second to the room.
Frequently Asked
What is Café Tortoni known for?
Café Tortoni is the oldest café in Buenos Aires, open since 1858, and its signature is chocolate caliente con churros — thick hot chocolate served in a small pitcher with crisp churros for dipping. The draw is as much the 19th-century room, with its Tiffany glass ceiling and marble tables, as the cup itself.
How much does Café Tortoni cost?
Chocolate caliente with three churros ran about AR$8,000 to AR$11,500 through 2025, with prices shifting under Argentine inflation. A full afternoon set such as the Tortoni or the Té del Atardecer pushes a head count higher, so budget roughly AR$10,000 to AR$20,000 per person.
Do you need a reservation at Café Tortoni?
Walk-ins are the norm and the café does not take standard table bookings, so expect a queue down Avenida de Mayo at peak hours. Arrive before 11am or mid-afternoon to skip the line. The separate basement tango show is ticketed and should be booked ahead.
Where is Café Tortoni in Buenos Aires?
Café Tortoni is at Avenida de Mayo 825 in the Monserrat neighbourhood, a few blocks from the Casa Rosada and Plaza de Mayo. The nearest Subte stop is Avenida de Mayo on Line A, the city's oldest underground line.
Is Café Tortoni touristy?
Yes, very. It is a landmark on every Buenos Aires itinerary and the lines and service reflect that. Come for the historic room, the chocolate con churros and the tango heritage rather than for ambitious food, and you will get what the café does best.
