Bar El Federal

Frommer's Review

This bar and restaurant, on a quiet corner in San Telmo, represents a beautiful step back in time. It has been in business since 1864, and fortunately, as another café notable, it will be preserved forever. The first thing that will strike you here is the massive carved-wood and stained-glass ornamental stand over the bar area, which originally came from an old pastry shop. Local patrons sit at the old tables whiling away their time looking out onto the streets, chatting, or sitting with a book and drinking tea or espresso. The original tile floor remains, and old signs, portraits, and small antique machines decorate the space. Bar El Federal is among the most Porteño of places in San Telmo, a neighborhood that has more of these establishments than any other. Some of the staff have been here for decades on end, and proudly so.

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