Two worlds
Café al paso is the opposite of that nostalgic and traditional idea of the Buenos Aires coffee shop, with its long after-hours. But during the pandemic, the possibility of going through a bar and taking a coffee in a disposable cup gained excitement as an excuse for the first exits from isolation. From that moment, coffee kiosks or small specialty cafes, with almost no place to sit, spread throughout the city, always using selected beans and with knowledgeable baristas in charge.
In Sippin, a cafeteria and research workshop for cocktails with this infusion, the main access to the premises is a window-bar where you can lean in or buy and carry. “The home office also pushed the growth of take away and coffee breaks,” says bartender Daniel Biber, who after 18 years of experience in many of the best bars in Buenos Aires, decided to become independent: in January 2021 Daniel Sippin opened, where the Nuova Simonelli Appia Life coffee maker shines, from which espressos and flat whites come out made with Colombian coffee, from the Huila region.
“Here I drink coffee like in Italy”, says a man from Belgrano to Biber, remembering trips of yesteryear. Next to him, a boy waits for his turn with a reusable glass. The Flat White ($ 300), Latte ($ 340) and Cappuccino ($ 280) come in a classic version hot or with ice, in a glass. The moment can be accompanied with a croissant ($ 220), chipacitos (2 for $ 200), banana pudding ($ 180) or the delicious house cookies: vanilla with chocolate chips or flavor Vauquita and coconut ($ 180). To close the afternoon, you have to try the Espresso Martini, a cocktail that includes vodka, coffee liqueur and port, all aged for a month in barrels, to which is added espresso and lots of ice. Also hat cold brew, with orange for $ 540. Beyond the disposables, they can all come out in a glass, the aesthetic chosen by Sippin.
Meeting of two worlds, that of cocktails and coffee, this bar serves as a fleeting refuge in a neighborhood always crammed with cars and movement.
Sippin is at Moldes 2293. Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 9 to 19; Saturdays from 10 to 19. Instagram: @sippin.cafe.
The hands of the baristas
The art and architecture surprise in the wide sidewalks of the Össkaffe on Roosevelt Street, a pioneer in specialty coffee, as well as in the brand-new establishment inaugurated this year on Migueletes Street, where wood, glass and metal frame the wide retail window, with the design of a modern movie box office. “The architecture thought and cared for adapts to human beings, and this allows any meal to feel even richer,” says Fernando Iglesias Molli, architect and owner. During the pandemic, the Öss window was a success: with barely a six-inch space for contact, this passage provided security and confidence, replicating in a certain way those old lathes in the cloistered monasteries.
Inside Öss you smell like coffee and toast. In the hall, books and musicians are presented and on Sundays jazz is heard from 18 to 20. People who pass by stop to listen and see the artistic presentations that are made on the sidewalk.
“Since 2017, our record day of sales is December 26,” says Fernando, thus grounding the theory that coffee is a winter infusion. On the menu they offer more than 20 coffee drinks, made with beans from Colombia, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Peru, depending on market availability. The Cappuccino Liviano (and creamy, $ 250), Cortado Fuerte (double espresso, $ 250) and Mocktail Cremosso (double espresso and ginger ale, $ 400) are worth trying. The difference is made by the hands of baristas, connoisseurs and passionate about this drink. To eat the best sellers are the cubanitos with dulce de leche and the cheese breads ($ 200, two units), there is also Welsh cake and lemon and poppy pudding ($ 300) or a rich toast with sourdough bread, hummus, cheese or salmon (from $ 400).
“Less Instagram filter and more filtered coffee,” they say on the premises. An ideological and welcome bet.
Öss Kaffe is at Migueletes 1041 (Roosevelt branch 1894). Phone: 11-54490-3700. Opening hours: every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Migueletes). Instagram: @osskaffe.
A sunny corner
The corner of Juramento y Moldes was transformed from the opening of Borja Café, with neighbors and their pets sitting at the tables outside, with people who pass by continuously and line up to place an order from the sidewalk. “When we dreamed of the cafeteria, we already imagined it with a window for the office; and it ended up being lucky to have had that idea, since it allowed us to gain momentum with the take away during the quarantine ”, explains Manuel Castiñeiras, one of the owners. The place has some small tables inside, but the preferred space (in addition to the sidewalk) are the two bars in the corner of the corner, glazed and with an open view.
The block is busy and commercial, and bikes, people who go shopping, and those who work in the area stop at the cafe. But you can also think more robust breakfasts, with sweet and savory options. To accompany the cappuccino ($ 250), the croissants ($ 200) and the croissants ($ 60) are super recommended, as well as the scrambled eggs in sourdough bread ($ 300). A differential between Borja and other new coffee shops is the variety of healthy proposals they have, such as the chia pudding with fruits, granola and honey ($ 400), and the cashew toast with scrambled eggs, sprouts and coriander ($ 400). There are disposable cups to take away, but at the table or at the bar the coffee is served in beautiful handmade ceramic mugs or cups in tan and yellow colors.
Espressos, filtered coffees and cold versions of the infusion come out in the afternoon. The latte is always among the most requested, with one or two shots of coffee in a large glass (from $ 260). The home-made vegan pastry is tasty: the cocoa, peanut and pistachio alfajor ($ 230) and the peanut butter and salt cookie ($ 140).
The origin of the coffee (it could be from Colombia, Nicaragua, Guatemala or Peru) changes every three months, but it always retains the same roasting profile, looking for body and acidity. Ideal to buy and carry, but also to enjoy the sunny sidewalk.
Borja Café is at Juramento 2800. Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 9 to 20; Sundays from 9:30 to 20. Instagram: @borjacafe.
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