10 Secret Spots for Coffee in Buenos Aires

Behind a façade in Recoleta, a mansion hides a French-style courtyard surrounded by trees, with a fountain at its center and various spots where you can soak up the sun or find some shade. Como en Casa is open year-round: in winter, there are heaters and blankets, while during the warmer months, the courtyard—with plenty of shady spots—becomes one of the café’s main attractions.

There are small tables and larger ones, ideal for a quiet afternoon coffee or catching up with friends. The coffee menu ranges from flat whites, lattes and matcha lattes to classics such as an Americano with cream. For something to eat, the individual chocolate marquise cake and almond alfajor are well worth trying.

The insider tip: there are also gluten-free options, such as the lemonie square, avocado toast and toast.

Where: Riobamba 1239, Recoleta.

Enter Loi Suites Recoleta, walk through the lobby and, almost without realizing it, you’ll find yourself in a different setting. Amid palm trees, plants and plenty of natural light, Jardín de Invierno emerges as a hidden corner of the hotel that feels more like a secret garden than a restaurant. Tables are scattered among the greenery, while floor-to-ceiling windows let the light pour in throughout the day. A set of steps leads to a fountain, completing the scene.

You can sit close to the plants, choose a more secluded table or simply spend some time admiring the garden while you wait for your coffee. It’s a place for a leisurely breakfast, a daytime break, a coffee or even dinner, all in a warm, relaxed atmosphere surrounded by greenery.

The insider tip: it’s open from 7 am to 11:30 am and serves a buffet breakfast every day. It’s a great option if you want to start your day early in a peaceful setting surrounded by greenery.

Where: Vicente López 1955, Recoleta.

You can’t see everything from the sidewalk. To find Clorindo, you have to enter the courtyard of the Ricardo Güiraldes Library in Recoleta, where this secret café appears, tucked inside one of Buenos Aires’ historic libraries. In Belgrano, you’ll find another location by heading to the Leopoldo Lugones Library. Inspired by architect Clorindo Testa, the café draws on the Brutalist style of the architect behind buildings such as the National Library. The result is a peaceful space with a courtyard that’s perfect for sunny days, as well as an indoor area for when the weather doesn’t cooperate.

Coffee takes center stage, with options including single or double espresso, long black, café con leche, mocaccino and filter coffee brewed using Origami or V60 Switch methods. There’s also matcha, chai and a range of cold drinks, including iced lattes, cold brew and ginger espresso tonic. The food menu covers everything from breakfast to afternoon coffee, with toasted sandwiches, cookies and sweet and savory options.

The insider tip: on weekends, the café also serves a breakfast from noon to 4 pm featuring two coffees of your choice, a ham and cheese medialuna, scrambled eggs and French toast. Pastries are another highlight, especially the cookies.

Where: Talcahuano 1261, Recoleta; C. La Pampa 2215, Belgrano.

Bien Être means “well-being” in French, and the name perfectly sums up the experience. Away from the bustle of the avenues in Villa del Parque, this café is one of those secret spots that seem almost impossible to find in the middle of the city. To get there, you walk through a tunnel of plants that opens onto a spacious garden, with various indoor and outdoor areas surrounded by greenery. A waterfall, a swimming pool and quiet corners complete the scene, making Buenos Aires feel several miles away, at least for a little while.

This is the kind of place where the idea is to stay awhile: enjoy breakfast, have afternoon coffee or sit down for an unhurried conversation. The menu includes breakfast, afternoon tea, sweet and savory pastries, and specialty coffee. Options include French toast, a croissant with dulce de leche and banana, and key lime pie.

The insider tip: it’s open Tuesday to Sunday, from 8 am to 9 pm. It’s a great spot for afternoon tea, watching the sunset and taking a break in a corner of the city that feels like a true escape. It’s also pet-friendly, so you can enjoy it with your furry companions.

Where: Simbrón 3323, Villa del Parque.

Inside the Buenos Aires Museum of Modern Art, Clout Café Collective is an ideal place to take a break between exhibitions. The café serves as a meeting point within the museum, but it’s also a peaceful corner where you can sit down for a drink and complement your visit with an extensive food menu.

The menu focuses on specialty coffee made with beans from Brazil, Colombia and Peru, as well as cold drinks. To go with your coffee, there’s artisanal pastry, including alfajores, loaf cakes, cookies, cinnamon rolls, pastafrola and a cake of the day. Savory options include avocado toast, chipa, scrambled eggs and toasted sandwiches, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free alternatives.

The insider tip: try the filter coffee to enjoy the specialty beans and better appreciate their tasting notes. The menu also includes flat whites, cold brew, espresso tonic and matcha lattes.

Where: Av. San Juan 350, San Telmo.

Some places make having a coffee feel like stepping into another era. Croque Madame, in the courtyard of the National Museum of Decorative Art, occupies the grounds of the former Errázuriz-Alvear Palace, a building completed in 1918 that retains much of the splendor of Buenos Aires’ Belle Époque. With centuries-old trees, a French fountain and outdoor tables, the garden feels like a secret spot more suited to a European postcard than to Buenos Aires.

The menu takes inspiration from French cuisine and brings together classics such as croque monsieur and croque madame, alongside tarts, salads, risottos, pastries and brunch options. The café’s name refers to one of the great classics of French cuisine: the first croque madame was served in 1910 at a café on Boulevard des Capucines in Paris.

The insider tip: the courtyard has heaters and blankets during the colder months, so you can sit outside even when temperatures drop. It’s an ideal stop for a coffee and something sweet after exploring the museum.

Where: Av. del Libertador 1902, Palermo, with other locations at Ecoparque, the Colegio de Escribanos, Palacio Paz, Museo Fortabat and Villa Fontana in Adrogué.

Walking into Moshu Treehouse feels like discovering a house that’s constantly evolving. In Palermo, the old mansion retains its brick walls, ironwork, wood and layers of architectural history, while vegetation spreads across courtyards, windows and staircases until it reaches the Treehouse on the upper floor. The project was developed in collaboration with Hitzig Militello and was conceived as a way to create a world of its own around Moshu, rather than replicate the brand’s original location in Saavedra.

The pastry shop is also part of the architecture, with shapes reminiscent of cakes, arches and elements inspired by whisks and strainers, as well as a series of wooden windows that evoke the classic image of a bakery where cakes are left to cool by the window. The menu stays true to Moshu’s spirit, with brunch, coffee and pastries. The Red Velvet is the brand’s signature cake, while the Orange Cappuccino, a cappuccino with a hint of orange, is its best-selling coffee.

The insider tip: head up to the Treehouse, which houses a living room, an event space and a terrace, to complete your tour of the property. In 2024, the project won the Surface Design Award in the Commercial Building Interior category.

Where: Guatemala 4570, Palermo.

On the fifth floor of a restored industrial building in Saavedra, Café Miller is a hidden retreat that requires climbing a few flights of stairs to discover the reward. The space combines industrial textures, natural light and carefully chosen décor, creating a peaceful atmosphere that invites you to linger. There’s no rush here: you can sit down for a coffee, have lunch or simply take a break away from the bustle of the street.

The menu revolves around specialty coffee, complemented by breakfast, lunch and artisanal pastries. Everything is homemade, with options such as salads, sandwiches and cakes. Among the sweet treats, the Devil’s Food Cake stands out: a chocolate sponge cake layered with red berries, mascarpone cream and chocolate ganache.

The insider tip: Café Miller is open Fridays and Saturdays from 1 pm to 8 pm, at Miller 4450, on the fifth floor. Reservations are not accepted.

Where: Miller 4450, Saavedra.

In the middle of Plaza Sicilia, surrounded by trees and greenery, there’s a hidden corner that seems frozen in another era of Buenos Aires. Selena Café is housed in El Tambito, a historic building in Palermo that now hosts a café surrounded by greenery. The entrance is part of the experience: leave the busy avenue behind and step into a space where tables, mosaic tiles, staircases and historic architecture blend with the garden. It’s the perfect place to let a coffee break turn into a longer outing.

The menu is overseen by executive chef Romina Stoppani and brings together specialty coffee, breakfast, afternoon tea and lunch. Options include flat whites, lattes, cappuccinos and different espresso-based drinks, served alongside waffles, avocado toast, eggs Benedict, toasted sandwiches and a wide selection of homemade pastries.

The insider tip: for something sweet, the Torta Boneco combines a chocolate base, hazelnut and chocolate mousse, vanilla cream and toasted hazelnuts. Selena is open every day from 8 am to 8 pm, including public holidays.

Where: Av. Berro 3900, Palermo.

A café inside a plant nursery? Yes. At Vivero Mario, right in the heart of Palermo, a stroll among the plants can include a coffee break before you decide which one to take home. Surrounded by ferns, monsteras, indoor plants and large specimens, the experience brings together plants, landscaping and food in one place.

The café blends into its surroundings with a specialty coffee bar, artisanal pastries and takeaway coffee. You can sit for a while surrounded by greenery or continue exploring the nursery with a drink in hand.

The insider tip: Vivero Mario is open every day from 10:30 am to 6:30 pm, including weekends and public holidays. It’s also pet-friendly and has free on-site parking.

Where: Av. Raúl Scalabrini Ortiz 1240, Palermo.