On the elegant corner of Avenida del Libertador and Coronel Díaz, where Recoleta merges with Palermo, the Tabac Coffee —or Caffé Tabac, as its Italian founders baptized it— is much more than a notable bar: it has been a living symbol of Buenos Aires culture since 1968. With its bronze chandeliers, reddish curtains, large windows and leather tables, for more than five decades it was the undisputed epicenter of red circle talks. There power was cooked out loud: businessmen closing million-dollar deals, politicians putting together strategies on napkins, judges, officials and entertainment figures sharing the room without disguise. It was not an area for secret meetings, but for showing off. “Here comes power when it wants to be known,” summarizes its manager Mariano Gimenezwith more than a decade at the helm.
The novelty is that now it has added, to that usual audience, another very different one: in Tabac is where many young people meet today who turned it into a kind of Gastronomic Tinder and that generated a generational transfer.
But let’s start at the beginning.
Horacio Rodríguez Larreta He was a historic habitué: he arrived at 7 in the morning and ordered his infallible breakfast—barely brewed coffee with milk, sparkling water, and scrambled eggs. At those tables he discussed with Jorge Macri and technical teams the bases of the PRO that would later govern the City and become president in 2015. Carlos Menemstill governor of La Rioja, wrote on table 7 on a napkin that the waiter Jorge Soirejman keeps as a relic: “Brother, I swear to you that I am going to be President.” Julio De Vidowho lived opposite, crossed in the mornings to analyze public works during Kirchnerism. Patricia Bullrich met with Larreta before the 2021 legislative elections to agree on key candidacies. Javier Milei He frequented the place until three days before being elected, ordering coffee with milk with “a lot of foam” with Karina Milei.
The most literary scene occurred in the winter of 1989. Tomás Eloy Martínez He received a call from Colonel Héctor Cabanillas, former head of SIDE Intelligence, and they met in Tabac. There, together with Ambassador Jorge Rojas Silveyra, they gave him documentation and photos of the “Operative Transfer” of Eva Perón’s body. From that conversation was born Santa Evita.
Reconversion. In 2014 it closed for a year and a half for a comprehensive renovation by the Spaniards Sarlenga and Conde, also owners of Las Violetas and Petit Colón. They restored original bronzes, modernized the kitchen and created a brighter living room, without losing the classic imprint. It reopened in 2015 combining solid management, premium prices and unique symbolic capital: history and contemporaneity in balance.
The big turn came after the pandemic. In 2021 it returned with wide sidewalks, colorful tables, spaced chairs, awnings under a canopy and a covered gazebo for rainy days. Open every day from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.—and many times beyond, if the conversation warrants it—the sunny sidewalk overlooking the elegant Libertador traffic became an irresistible magnet. On TikTok it exploded: they call it “the new Tinder”, “the grandparents’ coffee that is now for Levante”, “full of beautiful people drinking spritz until 11pm”. Videos show groups of twenty-somethings laughing and exchanging glances. “I came in the afternoon and ended up with a full phone,” they repeat online.
The formula combines a privileged location in one of the most Parisian and photogenic corners of Buenos Aires, a sophisticated but cozy atmosphere—without a DJ or stridency—, prices in line with the neighborhood, and a rare generational coexistence. On one side, a former minister reading the newspaper; on the other, tables ordering Aperol Spritzfinger sandwiches or vintage canapés that receive constant praise in online reviews. “There are no cracks here,” Giménez insists. The historic clientele of Recoleta and Palermo Chico coexists with the new generation without traveling, creating an unpretentious atmosphere.
The menu seals that mix. In the morning, perfect croissants and toast; at lunch, filleted turkey, sirloin sandwich, fresh salads and thoughtful vegetarian options; in the evening, canapés and finger sandwiches ideal for sharing, irresistible homemade desserts and a signature drinks bar – with the Aperol Spritz among the most praised. It is a versatile place: to have a leisurely breakfast, lunch with friends, work with a laptop on the sidewalk or socialize until late.
In a Buenos Aires crossed by digital, Tabac shows that classics do not die: they are reinvented. It is still the cafe where power is shown, but now also the point where generation Z rediscovers the charm of meeting each other face to face, without algorithms. From Menem’s napkin to the 23 o’clock spritz, the same iconic corner condenses two eras that coexist in harmony.
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