Today's New York Times had a pretty good article about the cafe scene in Buenos Aires - in particular identifying ones with historical value and those not included in the "tourist circuit." While I have been to Cafe Tortoni many times (including with my parents last May) and appreciate the history it holds within its walls, it is overrun with tourists, herded in by the busload. The best cafes in the city are truly those outside of Recoleta, Palermo, and San Telmo and hidden in neighborhoods like Colegialies, DeVoto and Caballito (and I'm sure more neighborhoods I haven't even explored yet).While winter is not the ideal season to sit outside and people watch while drinking a cup of coffee (in the afternoon) or a glass of wine (anytime!), the portenos still do in droves. Many cafes feature an outdoor seating area that is partially covered and heated with portable gas heaters. One of my favorite haunts is a chain called Pertutti's - one is just 3 blocks away from me on famous Avenida Santa Fe - and, as a bonus, it has free wi-fi so I can take my iPhone and watch YouTube, check emails or just surf the net while taking in the atmosphere, eating picada and drinking my wine.
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